Good things come to those who wait.

Catherine and Nathan’s wedding was nothing short of a fairytale. From the weather to the decor, and the amazing choreographed dances- everything about their wedding was almost flawless (except for our fainting groom- luckily, I’m a photoshop magician). This wedding shot like a magazine cover shoot. Every image turned out exactly the way I wanted them to, which is quite rare. I’m so excited for this lovely couple to enjoy these memories and to share them with you. This one was a stunner.

– Ann-Marie

“Our wedding was originally scheduled for April 18, 2020, which was probably the pandemic’s peak in Shelby County. One month before our wedding day, the CDC issued guidance that social gatherings were limited to 10 people. We quickly decided to postpone our ‘big’ wedding celebration to September 19, 2020, but Nathan and I still wanted to get married on our original date of April 18, 2020. The Shelby County Clerk’s office had been closed since late March, so we had difficulty even getting a marriage license in time! Luckily, we called around and were able to drive about an hour away to Fayette County to get our license to wed. We had an intimate ceremony with just our parents and Nathan’s siblings, and it was incredibly special. We were excited to get to have our ‘I Do, Re-Do’ with more family and friends on September 19, 2020.” – Catherine

“Like many little girls, I often dreamed about my wedding day. I would get dressed up and ask my dad to play music and dance with me while I pretended we were dancing at my wedding. Naturally, it brought me so much joy to spend time with my dad taking dance lessons in preparation for our father/daughter dance! I also dreamed of having beautiful music, and with the assistance of the talented Dr. Gary Beard, he made it possible to have the music I always wanted. However, even in my wildest dreams, I never could have imagined a man as wonderful and as perfectly suited for me as Nathan.” – Catherine

“Although not funny at the time, during our rehearsal the night before the wedding, I passed out and hit my head on the corner of the church doorway. I got a gash on my forehead, a cut on my upper lip, and chipped a tooth! Catherine’s mother, Sarah, quickly jumped into action and found a plastic surgeon who could put in the stitches I needed. We were so lucky to have Dr. Carey Campbell meet us at her office so that I could avoid going to an Emergency Room, where I might have been stuck waiting for many hours. Dr. Campbell skillfully put me back together and made me presentable, although there was nothing she could do about my tooth (thankfully, it was a bottom tooth). We even made it to the rehearsal dinner in time for the toasts! I was honestly pretty nervous about the wedding ceremony, given that I had just fainted the day before at the rehearsal, but with a little bit of makeup covering my stitches, I made it through just fine. I suspect Taylor Square may need to do a little more ‘touch up’ on pictures of me – but all things considered, we made out very, very well!” – Nathan

“Nathan and I exchanged traditional vows during the ceremony, so we decided to write letters to each other to read before the wedding. Unbeknownst to me, Nathan had been keeping a journal since March 2018, shortly after we started dating, to keep track of his thoughts, feelings, and to reflect on big moments and milestones throughout our relationship. He gave me the journal on our wedding day. It was really special to read through his entries and relive all those sweet memories.” – Catherine

“We met at Ole Miss Law School, where Catherine was one year ahead of me. We both were members of the Law Journal, and Catherine was the executive editor of my editing group (i.e., she was my boss). I remember seeing Catherine for the first time, and thinking, ‘Wow, that girl is gorgeous . . . she is way out of my league, there’s no sense in even trying.’ Then, in my second year of school, a mutual friend told me that Catherine had been ‘asking about me,’ to which I said, ‘Oh come on, stop messing with me.’ Regardless, I decided to invite her to my friends’ Halloween party (hosted by Hart Martin, who would later be her matron of honor). She dressed as Wednesday Addams; everyone loved her (especially me), and the rest is history.” – Nathan

“Those who know me know that I have a flair for the dramatic. That’s why when it came time to make our relationship official, I took Catherine to a fancy place that was very special to both of us—the Zaxby’s on Jackson Avenue in Oxford, MS. It went something like this: ‘Hey, do you want to be my girlfriend?’ ‘Yeah.’“ – Nathan

“Nathan asked me to be his girlfriend at a Zaxby’s. We would sometimes joke that since he asked me to be his girlfriend at Zaxby’s, he might propose to me at a Denny’s (not that there’s anything wrong with Denny’s—I love a good Grand Slam breakfast!). Truthfully, I would have said ‘yes’ to him anywhere he chose to propose.” – Cathine

“Nathan proposed to me on-stage at the Orpheum Theatre! I did a lot of musical theatre and ballet growing up, and I have performed at the Orpheum a few times, so it’s a special place for me. It was an unforgettable night!” – Catherine

“First, I set up a lunch meeting with Catherine’s father, Dennis. We spoke about Catherine and my future together, and he gave me some wonderful advice from his own marriage and the marriage of his parents (who have been married for 68 years). Then, I set up a meeting with Catherine’s mother, and we began planning an engagement that would be very special to Catherine. On March 30, 2019, I told Catherine we were going to a ‘dinner on stage’ at the Orpheum Theatre. When we got there, the security guard told us we must have had the wrong night, but he let us in to walk around anyway. We then made our way to the stage where I proposed to Catherine (and she said ‘yes!’). Our families were waiting in the parlor so that they could surprise us on our way out. We finished with dinner at Itta Bena on Beale Street. It was an incredible night that I will always treasure.” – Nathan

“I knew I wanted an elegant and traditional black tie wedding—but I also wanted it to be fun and somewhat unique. I have always loved blue and white chinoiserie, but I haven’t seen many weddings that incorporate blue and white. When I mentioned it to Mona and Greg (Garden District), they were very excited and said they had wanted to do something like that for years. They ran with the idea and created the most spectacularly beautiful reception I have ever seen!” – Catherine

“Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we only had one set of grandparents, my dad’s parents, who were able to attend our wedding in person. (Our other grandparents were watching via live-stream.) My grandmother and grandfather have been married for 68 years, and, at age 86 and 90, they are still fantastic ballroom dancers! So, in lieu of the traditional bouquet toss, I asked the band to announce that I wanted to present my bouquet to the couple at the reception who had been married the longest (knowing, without a doubt, it would be my grandparents who were in attendance). I presented my bouquet to my grandmother after they performed a special waltz on the dance floor. Watching them dance was a perfect illustration of the love and teamwork required for a successful marriage.” – Catherine

“Where do I even begin? Mona Dunlap was truly invaluable throughout this whole process. When we had to postpone the wedding, Mona sprang into action and had all our vendors rescheduled in a single day! As the summer wore on, and we found ourselves suffering from ‘wedding fatigue,’ it was Mona who kept our spirits up with her unwavering optimism. Then, with only two months before the wedding date, and with Mona’s expert assistance, we decided to move our reception from The University Club to The Columns, which would allow more space for abundant social distancing. A move to The Columns meant that Greg Campbell at Garden District would basically have to start with a blank slate – and he did not disappoint! Greg used his incomparable vision and remarkable talents in floral design and lighting to create a breathtakingly beautiful reception venue. Using the original blue and white chinoiserie theme and hundreds of hydrangea and delphinium, Greg and his team, in conjunction with White Door Events, totally transformed The Columns into the wedding reception of our dreams! We also quickly needed to find a caterer, and Kevin and Corey at CFY Catering were wonderful to work with and prepared the most delicious, fun menu for us. Because many of our out-of-town guests and family members were unable to attend, Justin Croninger at Message in a Bottle Productions helped us live stream the ceremony and parts of the reception, in addition to filming our wedding day for a keepsake video. Cakes by Mom and Me baked a magnificent wedding cake that was not only beautiful but delicious, as well! They also baked petit fours for those guests who could not join us at the reception and were at the ceremony only. Last, but certainly not least, Ann-Marie Wyatt, owner of Taylor Square Photography, became like a part of our family. Not only did she shoot our engagement photos, but she also took pictures at our small wedding on April 18th, our original wedding date. Ann-Marie and her assistant, Mackenzie, were so fun to work with and put everyone at ease all weekend.” – Catherine

“Like most things in 2020, the time leading up to our wedding had been somewhat tumultuous—from planning around the pandemic, canceling our honeymoon, downsizing our guest count, and Nathan having to get stitches during the Friday night wedding rehearsal—I hate to admit this, but I expected the worst on our wedding day! What surprised me was how absolutely perfect the day was. It was like God gifted us a rainbow after a horrible storm. The weather was incredible, everything went smoothly, and everyone was relaxed and happy all day. In fact, on our way from the Church to the reception, we laughed because we hit every single green light and made it downtown just in time to see a beautiful sunset over the Mississippi River.” – Catherine

“While I received a lot of good advice and helpful suggestions, the advice that resonated most with me was to be a gracious bride and do my very best to welcome and thank everyone who came to celebrate and support Nathan and me. Especially under these trying circumstances, we were grateful to each and every guest – whether they felt they could attend both the ceremony and reception, the ceremony only, or if they were celebrating with us from afar.” – Catherine

“My advice to any future brides would be to be flexible! A wedding is like live theatre—there is no way to predict what can and will happen. And, remember, at the end of the day, it’s all about marrying the person of your dreams!” – Catherine

Lead Photographer: Ann-Marie Wyatt | Second Shooter: Mackenzie Rue | Dress: Maggie Louise | Bridesmaids Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids | Tux: Jos. A. Bank | Cakes: Cakes by Mom and Me | Ceremony Venue: Christ Methodist Church | Reception Venue: The Columns | Coordinator: Mona E. Dunlap Events | Flowers: Garden District | Invitations: RSVP | Rentals: White Door Events | Band: The Downtown Band | Rehearsal Venue: The University Club | Videographer: Message in a Bottle Productions | Caterer: CFY Catering | Bride’s Hair: Misty Davis | Bridesmaids’ Makeup: Kendrick Simpson | Preparation Accommodations: Hilton Memphis | Dance Lessons: Fred Astaire Dance Studio | Caricature Artist: Kevin Reuter | Ceremony Musicians: Dr. Gary Beard, Barrie Cooper, and Dr. David Spencer | Valet: Southern Valet