1. Real Weddings

An Organic, Garden Wedding at the Hill in Athens, Georgia

When Allie Beth Simmons (23 and a fitness instructor) and Timothy Stuckey (24 and a loan officer) met at a CrossFit class in Athens, Georgia, they imm

When Allie Beth Simmons (23 and a fitness instructor) and Timothy Stuckey (24 and a loan officer) met at a CrossFit class in Athens, Georgia, they immediately clicked, spending hours talking in the parking lot. They went out, dated for six months and then got engaged. Their garden wedding took place four months later, just one year after the first meeting. “We found out quickly that when you know, you really do know,” Allie Beth says. Shades of gold, blush, forest green and cream were used for the ceremony and reception. Little decor was needed for the ceremony, in a historic home’s sunken garden, so the only details added were florals to the chairs and the brick wall. Timothy and his father made the wooden cross that served as an altar. Allie Beth wore a custom-made mermaid-style gown with a sweetheart neckline and lace detailing. Her bridesmaids wore Vera Wang A-line champagne dresses, while the bridesmaids wore blush. The groom and groomsmen wore navy suits with neutral ties and brown shoes. Bouquets and boutonnieres featured garden roses and greenery. The reception was held in the front yard of the Hill in Athens, Georgia, under white tents that held the bandstand, dance floor, buffet, tables and bars. Farm tables were decorated with green garlands as table runners and with candelabras with long tapers. "Bride" and "groom" signs decorated the head table. Guests dined on chicken and waffles and posed in the photo frame as the Motown band played favorite songs. The cakes paid tribute to the places they’d lived: Athens and Greenville. The newlyweds danced their first song as husband and wife to "Coming Home" by Leon Bridges. They ended the night with a stunning sparkler exit and headed off to their new life in a Rolls-Royce. —Caroline Eubanks

"My wedding planner Danielle Hulsey actually designed the beautiful invitations and programs," Allie Beth says. "My other planner and designer, Candice Beatty, made our welcome sign and table signs. For our out-of-town guests, we put a Georgia peach in their rooms with little notes that said 'You're a peach!' with info about the location."
"I wanted them to be natural and somewhat wild but controlled," Allie Beth says of the floral arrangements. "Vine & Branch executed this beautifully. They were filled with gorgeous greenery but were still dominated by cream and blush flowers—exactly what I wanted. Garden roses and other wild flowers and greenery made for beautiful natural bouquets and boutonnieres."
"To me, less is more," Allie Beth says. "I don't love frills or rhinestones. Simplicity is the way to go. Even though I could envision my overall look, I never expected to wear a mermaid-style dress. But when I tried on my gown at Winnie Couture, I knew immediately that this was it." My gown was fitted, with a sweetheart neckline, overlaid withrnsubtle lace and held together by satin buttons down its back. My veil was mid-length and edged in lace."
"The bridesmaid dresses, designed by Vera Wang , were A-line, asymmetrical, close to champagne in color and truly flattered all my bridesmaids. They looked gorgeous in front of the backdrop of the greenery that filled our venue. My house party wore blush, which added a pleasant pop of color to our photos."
When Timothy saw Allie Beth in her gown, he began to cry, overwhelmed by his love for the woman he had been waiting his entire life for.
"The garden was so beautiful in its raw state that we barely needed to add any decor," Allie Beth says. "The chairs were dark brown, nicely matching the natural scenery. Petals were lightly strewed down the aisle. The brick garden walls hold metal urns—we filled them with ferns. But my favorite part of the ceremony decor was the wooden cross at the altar. My husband and his dad made this cross by hand in the months before our wedding."
"I loved everything about our wedding, especially how we were able to incorporate the things most important to us: our faith, our family and our friends," Allie Beth says. "The ceremony, centered both literally and metaphorically on the cross, reflected how important Timothy and I believe our faith to be. The acoustic hymns sung, the Scripture read, the meaningful message spoken by the minister, the time of prayer our parents shared together—it was all extremely symbolic of what we hold most dear."
"I had a clear vision of a neutral, natural and chic wedding complemented by gold, blush and various organic shades: forest green, beige, cream, bronze and other similar hues," Allie Beth says. "Chancey Charm and my other vendors made that vision come to life perfectly. I have always been a fan of neutral, classic styles with small nuances."
Allie Beth and Timothy knew the moment they met that they would spend the rest of their lives together. They talked for hours after a CrossFit workout, then went on their first date. Six months later, Timothy popped the question. Allie Beth and Timothy were married at the Hill in Athens, Georgia, just four months later.
"We set up two white tents, under which was our stage for our band, our dance floor, the buffet, round tables, farm tables for the wedding party and family, and two bars," Allie Beth says. "Our linens for the round tables were off-white and were paired with small floral centerpieces. Our farm tables were wooden and rustic with green garlands as table runners. Our candelabras were gold, the candles themselves casting a dramatic, waxy light on the table. My groom and I had handmade wooden painted 'bride' and 'groom' signs on our chairs, which were in the center of the farm table so we could enjoy the views of the night."
Guests indulged in a layered cake with peanut butter chocolate and sweet potato, shipped in from Allie Beth's favorite Greenville, South Carolina, bakery. Cookies from an Athens, Georgia, bakery were also brought in with milk.
The couple had a handmade life-size photo frame made with their hashtag, #StuckeyTogether, hanging from a tree with costume items, so people could document their night.
After dancing their first song to "Coming Home" by Leon Bridges, performed by a band, Allie Beth and Timothy ended the night with a stunning sparkler exit and began their new life in a Rolls-Royce.