We got to spend some time with Sydney several months before her wedding when we shot her bridal portraits, and she was absolutely giddy the entire time she talked about marrying Gray. This was a wedding we were really looking forward to, and it wasn’t just because these two make such a stunning couple. Sydney and Gray share a connection that is beautiful to witness. It was an honor to be asked to be a part of documenting this special day. The entire day was perfect in every way.

“As a little girl, I dreamt of pale pink roses on a gorgeous day in June for my wedding. Though this is not the wedding I ended up having, it was so, so much better than I could’ve ever imagined.” – Sydney

“Gray and I met through a mutual friend in April of 2014 when we were about to graduate high school. Gray is from Houston, MS, but finished high school at TCPS, which is about 45 minutes away. For a couple of weeks, I actually thought he lived in Tupelo!! On our first date, I went to one of Gray’s tennis matches before our planned dinner-and-a-movie date. The only problem is that Gray claims he had no idea I was coming! By far, our longest standing disagreement—I guess we’ll never know! Ancient history.

After casually dating for a couple of months, Gray made it official, asking me to be his girlfriend in his corvette (which was our getaway car at the wedding)!” – Sydney

“I did incorporate some traditions in my wedding. I tied lace from my mother’s wedding dress and hairpins from my late great Aunt Audrey in my bouquet, wore a sixpence that had been worn by my aunt Michele, and tied a bracelet my dad had given my grandmother into my dress. It was special to carry pieces of my family with me down the aisle and throughout the day.” – Sydney

“My gift to Sydney on the day of our wedding was my late grandmother Ruth Agnes’s diamond necklace. It really meant a lot to me that she carried it in her bouquet during the ceremony and wore it at the reception.“ – Gray

“I’m a pretty difficult person to surprise (I’m not above shaking a birthday or Christmas present!), so to say I was surprised by the proposal is an understatement. Gray and I had been to tea at the Chancellor’s House once before, and Gray’s little sister, Emme, thought it was really cool and wanted to do it. Gray decided we could take her for her birthday. His mom then said while they were in Oxford and dressed nicely, they would go ahead and take their Christmas card photo at Rowan Oak. So we got all dressed up and headed there—when we arrived, it was just the two of us, and he proposed! No tea, after all (Emme was in on it!). It was perfect! He said he had never seen me speechless before. Afterward, Gray and I took an hour or so to just be together, and then we had a small celebration with our family and close friends. It was actually my parents’ 30th wedding anniversary, so it was extremely special.” – Sydney

“For Gray and I, every moment of our wedding weekend was special. From the little moments to the big ones. Leading up to the wedding, it had rained and rained; but on the day of the wedding, the clouds cleared and the sun came out for the most beautiful winter day imaginable.” – Sydney

“Everyone in the world who is important to me was there to celebrate Sydney and I, and that just made me so happy. I was absolutely blown away by the way everything looked on our wedding day. Sydney worked so hard to arrange every little detail, and I was just so proud of her!” – Gray

“When it came time for Sydney to put my wedding band on me during the ceremony, I gave her the wrong hand! As she struggled to put it on my slightly large right hand, I realized my mistake. Well, no going back now! I helped her push it on and could hardly get it off after the ceremony.” – Gray

“Although we had a winter wedding, I wanted it to feel warm and soft. I pictured lots of candles with romantic, dreamy details. I’m so happy with the way everything turned out!

Our wedding planner and coordinator, Ellen Thomas, did an exceptional job executing our day flawlessly while keeping us all calm and on schedule. Her attention to detail and eagerness to do anything and everything to make our day perfect was not overlooked. We couldn’t have done it without her!” – Sydney

“I was most surprised that on our wedding day, I felt calm and at peace all day. I anticipated nerves but didn’t feel anything other than so incredibly happy—it was the best day!” – Sydney

“The DMP band was phenomenal! They really got the crowd dancing and having a good time. Besides that, I thought the Taylor Square team (of course!) and Frameblender videography did an excellent job working together and keeping things flowing nicely. I really hate taking pictures, but Ann-Marie did a wonderful job setting up the perfect frame and snapping a picture quickly!” – Gray

“If I could offer advice to any bride-to-be’s, it would be to take a minute right after the ceremony to be with your spouse. To really be present with them and soak up your first few moments as husband and wife! The day goes by so quickly and with so much excitement, but it’s important to be still and to let the beautiful reality of your marriage to set in.” – Sydney

“The best advice I received as a bride was to let go of any stress or worry about the day and just live it! Everything may not go as planned, and that’s okay! At the end of the day, you’re still married and celebrating with your people.” – Sydney

Lead Photographer: Ann-Marie Wyatt | Second Shooter: Mackenzie Rue | Dress: Lazaro purchased from Bridal Path | Bridesmaids Dresses: Mori Lee from Bridal Path | Tux: Brooks Brothers | Cakes: Sweet T’s Bakery | Venue: Castle Hill | Coordinator: Ellen Thomas | Flowers: Oxford Floral | Invitations: Fresh Ink | Rentals: Details Rentals | Band: DMP Band | Rehearsal Venue: Powerhouse | Videographer: Frameblender | Hair: Jessica Mathias