Amanda and Alex have loved each other for over a decade, so their intimate ceremony came as no surprise to us. We were especially moved by their handwritten vows, which served not only as thie promises to one another, but as love letters. Here’s to a lifetime of joy, Amanda and Alex! — Ann-Marie

“Alex is the sweetest guy you’ll ever meet. He is genuinely kind. Everyone who meets him loves him, and I’m so lucky he chose me. I love that he lets me be myself and supports my goals while also nudging me in the right direction. I love that he is almost always in a good mood and we spend every day making each other laugh. He is an amazing friend, son, dog dad, physician, and now, husband.” – Amanda

“We met while working together during a year-long internship at the Church Health Center. I was his trainer on his first day. Alex gave me what he now calls a “love migraine” that first, long day. He eventually grew on me, and we became close friends, hanging out after work nearly every day.  We started the year as strangers, became fast friends and ended as a couple. We were dating for ten years almost to the day when we got married!” — Amanda

“For something old, I wore my mom’s hairpin she wore on her wedding day. For something new, my mom’s best friend gifted me a handkerchief with pictures of mine and Alex’s late grandmothers that I carried with me down the aisle. For something borrowed, I wore my mom’s perfume. For something blue, my mom gifted me a flask with a blue design (she knows me too well, ha!).” — Amanda

“Alex is not a planner. He is a last-minute kind of guy. So, when he texted me late one night while I was working to tell me our friends were coming over early for brunch, I thought nothing of it. I remained clueless when our friends canceled at the last minute. Somehow I still didn’t see it coming when I noticed that he had set up a white tablecloth, placemats, and champagne on our patio (I was focused on my chicken biscuit…). 

Suddenly, he dropped to one knee and said some very sweet things. I was so caught off-guard that Alex claims I never actually said yes. I love that it was just the two of us, in the home we made together, at 11 a.m. when I would least suspect it. I love that he had only told our dads so we got to surprise everyone with the news together, that he then invited all our friends to stop by throughout the day to celebrate with us, that my procrastinator had actually been planning it for weeks. It was perfect!” — Amanda

“My mom made the day and the whole year and a half of planning so special. She worked so hard to give us the exact day we wanted. Every detail, down to the basket of emergency supplies she made for the bridal suite, showed how excited she was and how much she loves us.” — Amanda

“Our friends made the day special by being so excited about the wedding and happy for us! I think it’s safe to say everyone had a great time!” — Amanda

“We had so much fun with our two videographers from Featherstone Videography. A friend told us, “I can’t wait to see your video ‘cause those people were EVERYWHERE!” — Amanda

“My favorite flower is a white hydrangea, so a classic romantic vibe was the starting point for the design. My favorite color is pink so I knew I wanted soft pinks and neutrals (thanks, Alex!).” — Amanda

“I thought I would be upset about the rain, but I barely noticed it. The rain stopped just before I walked down the aisle and didn’t pick up again until the end of the reception. At that point, Alex and I were so absorbed with the love we felt for each other and the fun we were having that we didn’t even care – we even kept the windows down in our getaway car!” — Amanda

“My dad was nervous and forgot what he was supposed to do after giving me away. He then tried to Michael Scott-style slide into the groomsmen line until he was directed to his seat.” — Amanda

“Everything about our day was incredibly special, but I love that we did our own vows. We are not traditional people, and we knew we wanted to say our own words to each other. I think we did a good job summing up ten years of love and commitment and making our promises for the future. 

Alex’s brother-in-law who is a professional musician played our beautiful ceremony music and our first dance was to one of his band’s songs. Having him be a part of the day in those ways was so meaningful to us.” — Amanda

“Elizabeth Heiskell Catering was great at creating food that was “us.” We had a whole “Southern Room” for Alex with fried chicken, fried okra, and greens. Our Christmas tradition is going to our favorite sushi bar together and one of our favorite dates is to get oysters, so we had a seafood room including lots of sushi and oyster shucking.

I also can’t say enough good things about the amazing Mona Dunlap. We would have been lost without her guidance and execution.” — Amanda

“After seeing a stunning tent our planner Mona had previously designed, we decided the dance tent would be the focus.  Everything just grew from there into something better than we could have imagined!” — Amanda

“For months leading up to the wedding, Alex kept telling me that he really wanted us to stick together during the reception so we could enjoy everything together. We did a pretty good job! We are really glad that we emphasized this because we have so many memories that we both share.” — Amanda

“I wish I could relive our last dance alone together. Our song accidentally played while a lot of guests were still on the dance floor with us. Once everyone left to line up for the exit, Alex pulled out his phone and re-played the song and we danced again, just us, as it began to rain around us. Such a sweet moment.” — Amanda

Dress: Maggie Louise | Bridesmaids Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids | Tux: Joseph A Bank | Cakes: Cakes by Mom and Me | Reception Venue: Annesdale Mansion | Coordinator: Mona Dunlap | Flowers: Deedra Stone | Invitations: Ménage Stationery | Rentals: White Door Events | Music/Band: Memphis Soul Revue | Videographer: Featherstone | Caterer: Elizabeth Heiskell | Hair: Courtney Kelly | Makeup: Kendrick Simpson | Caricatures: The Nose