It is rare that I get to attend all of the wedding weekend festivities for my couples. I typically shoot a rehearsal dinner here and there, but never much more than that. This particular weekend I was asked to shoot several events leading up to the wedding, and it was such a treasure to get that sort of inside look at the love story that I was documenting over the course of the weekend. From watching all of the women shower Austin with love at the bridal luncheon, to hearing so many of their friends and family tell stories at their rehearsal dinner- everyone was so excited to celebrate them.

Austin and Grant share something that many hope all of their lives for. They truly radiate love. Anyone who knows them would agree. The entire weekend was refreshing, joyous, and extremely heartfelt. I hope that you all enjoy this look into a day that I will always remember with a smile.

Mackenzie

“I always dreamed of having a wedding as a little girl – being in love, wearing the dress, picking out flowers, and walking down the aisle… all the things. I always imagined getting married on the beach. It’s just the type of wedding that continuously popped into my mind when thinking about the general idea of getting married. Once it was actually time to make the dream of a wedding come true, my ideal wedding location changed, and Grant and I decided to have it in the town where we both grew up – Jackson, TN. It’s a special place to both of us, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.” – Austin

“After trying on about 8 different dresses, I started getting discouraged, thinking I wouldn’t find my dream dress that day. I was convinced that I should try just one more, and thank goodness I did. The Romona Keveza Strapless Column Gown, along with the asymmetrical over skirt that went around the column was a beautiful fit, but I knew there was something more that I wanted to have added. A simple pearl veil was in my hair, but I took it out and started wrapping it around my neck into a high-neck overlay piece. The veil fell to the floor as if it were meant to be a part of the column gown. The pearls scattered across the simple tool veil along my chest and all the way down the front of my dress was what I had dreamed of all my life without even realizing it. My mom, sister, grandmother and best friend were all there, and as soon as I added the veil, that ended up becoming the defining factor of my dress itself, they all quickly gasped. I knew this was it, and it was easily my favorite part of my whole wedding planning process. I feel proud of the design of my dress, and I’m so grateful I was able to put together such a unique and intricate piece that I will cherish forever.” – Austin

“Grant transferred from the rival school in Jackson, TN in sixth grade, and we ‘met’ on the first day of school in Mrs. Carter’s middle school English class. I can still picture exactly what I was wearing and the way I felt when Grant walked in the classroom. I started crushing on him then and clearly never stopped!” – Austin

“Soon after Grant got my attention in sixth grade, we started ‘dating’ in the way that middle schoolers do. I would say our relationship really evolved in high school. We were tied at the hip from then on, eventually following each other to Ole Miss and then Washington, DC. I guess you could call us middle school sweethearts.” – Austin

“During our time in DC, I had mentioned to Austin several times that I wanted to take some nice pictures on the National Mall for keepsake in the future. Fortunately, we never did, and I moved to Auburn to start medical school. When planning my trip back to DC to visit Austin for my birthday – and obviously the proposal – I knew that was the perfect reason to get her out to the Jefferson Memorial (our personal favorite monument). I had hired a photographer and made sure all of her friends and our families were in town to meet us at a local rooftop for an engagement celebration. Luckily, everything went off without a hitch!” – Grant

“All of the groomsmen were put into a little classroom with a chalk board in the back of the church, and when I walked in to check on them they had written out some pretty extensive betting lines for the ceremony/reception. These consisted of things like an over/under of 28.5 minutes for the ceremony, +200 of a groomsman locking their knees and passing out, and even whether I was going to with a hand behind the head or behind the back on our first kiss. This kind of lighthearted fun reminded me to smile and enjoy the moment.” – Grant

“I went for classic, timeless, and elegant designs. All white everything – flowers, linens, and even the bridesmaid dress. I was so excited and pleased with how every detail played into my overall ideal design.” – Austin

“Looking back on all the years we’ve been together, it’s crazy to think about how much we have matured and grown. We’ve changed locations, had some crazy jobs, and met all kinds of people. Through all of that, we’ve found that home is wherever we are together. We are excited that we’ve been blessed enough to share the rest of our lives together, and we can’t wait to see where we end up in the future!” – Austin

“1000% I recommend Taylor Square Photography – Mackenzie Rue was our lead shooter and gosh, she was so much fun to have around! Also, DK Productions, our videographer, was absolutely amazing and so much fun. Those two teams were like a dynamic duo, and we cannot wait to see how the pictures and video turn out. 
Also, Southern Sparkle Weddings is the best wedding planning business ever. Krisy, the lead planner and business owner, made everything about the wedding planning process and wedding day absolutely seamless. She is so talented and so calming, which helped me tremendously during my wedding week. 
All of our vendors were amazing – Sand’s Florist in Jackson, TN provided and created the flowers of my dreams – baby’s breath galore, white roses, white hydrangeas… the list goes on. 
Frill Seekers Gifts in Destin, FL helped me create all the Ole Miss accessories, hats, Secret Grilled Cheese menus, and more. They are so creative and talented and helped me bring this room to life!
Thank you to all the vendors who worked so hard to make our wedding day a total dream!” – Austin

“I was surprised by how calm everyone was. It was completely stress free and it didn’t feel as busy as I expected it to be. This really helped us sit back and soak it all in, and it all goes back to our amazing team and amazing vendors for being on it! We are so thankful for how easy the day was and all the memories we created.” – Austin

“My advice to future brides would be to soak it all in. Say thank you to everyone involved… over and over. Make sure you are capturing mental images of the people who are there to celebrate with you. In hard times, you will always have that image to look back on and realize how loved you truly are. Don’t let a single moment of the wedding weekend be swept away by stress. Enjoy every second – it goes by so fast!” – Austin

“To put it simply – it was our wedding, and that’s what made it special. Hearing what our friends and family had to say about our relationship and how they’ve been able to watch it grow over the years was so rewarding. It was truly so special to see how much love and support we have from multiple friends and family members. The people who showed up and traveled from afar mean so much to us, and feeling the generous support in the room as I walked down the aisle made everything about our relationship even sweeter. Also, having an Ole Miss room at the reception gave the wedding day a little special twist of excitement, especially for our fellow Rebels that were there. Since we both went to Ole Miss, we wanted to incorporate that in a fun way, so we have a ‘Secret Grilled Cheese’ Room, which is an Oxford, MS hidden gem. The grilled cheeses are amazing and it truly is a secret speakeasy in an alley on the square. Having that, along with multiple other Ole Miss props quickly led someone in the crowd to start the Hotty Toddy chant which was so much fun and so special. Lastly, being able to have the rehearsal dinner in Grant’s parent’s backyard was a dream. The house in Jackson where we both practically grew up was transformed into a dreamy outdoor dinner under the stars, making Friday so special!” – Austin

“We incorporated several traditions into our big day. I wore my grandmother’s ring on my right hand, used my mom & dad’s champagne flutes from their wedding for our cake cutting, and my grandfather drove us away in his old red Corvette, which ended up being one of the sweetest moments from that night.” – Austin

Lead Photographer: Mackenzie Rue | Second Shooter: Baylor Pillow | Dress: Ivory & White | Bridesmaids Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids | Tux: Men’s Wearhouse | Wedding Cake: Carissa Thompson | Groom’s Cake: Trace Sudzum | Venue: The Jackson Country Club | Coordinator: Southern Sparkle Weddings | Flowers: Sand’s Florist | Invitations: Katie Krouse Designs | Rentals: White Door Events ; Eric’s Rentals ; TB Lighting | Band: G3 | Videographer: DK Productions | Caterer: The Jackson Country Club | Hair: Kayla Scott | Makeup: Kendrick Simpson | Ole Miss Room / Band Props: Frill Seekers Gifts