This wedding was super special to me. Natalie and I have been friends for a few years. Because she comes from a videography background, she and I always were kindred spirits when it came to creating. When she and Jim got engaged, I was beyond excited that she asked me to be part of their special day. Because of the intimateness of the wedding, my husband and I were invited to all the events and welcomed with open arms by Natalie and Jim’s family and friends. It was such a special weekend.

Natalie and Jim, thank you so much for allowing me to capture your stunning day. It truly will always hold a special place in my heart. It truly was a magical day. The light fell just right in all the best places. You are blessed beyond measure to have such amazing friends and family. I am so proud that I can say I fall into this category. Thank you for trusting me.

“Jim and I met in college but reconnected years later. After randomly striking up a conversation through social media, we decided to get together (at my matron of honor Haleigh’s house!) with mutual friends after we had been talking on the phone for weeks. At the time, I lived in Nashville, and he lived in Jackson, MS. 

The get-together was a cookout, and Jim, who has no problem talking to ANYBODY, hardly spoke to me the entire night. He left abruptly, and I told Haleigh and her husband that it probably just wasn’t meant to be. Ten minutes later, Jim called to apologize profusely, saying he was extremely nervous and asked when he could drive to Nashville to take me to dinner. He made the trip a few weeks later, and we’ve been inseparable ever since.” – Natalie

“Jim can be impulsive, loves surprises, and can rarely keep them for more than a day or two! We had talked about getting married, and I thought he might propose during the Double Decker Festival last April when both of our families would be together. But in true Jim fashion, he couldn’t wait and drove to his hometown Rome, GA, to get the ring last February, right before a group of our friends were slated to come in town for the weekend. Jim got the ring on Wednesday, and on Friday, I walked in the front door of my apartment, and he was on a knee in my living room with flowers and champagne. I’ve never been so surprised in my life. Then we got to celebrate with a party that night and all weekend with friends and family — it was perfect.” – Natalie

“Our wedding was special because it included our closest friends and family. We knew we wanted it to be small but also wanted to be sure that our people were there to celebrate this incredible life event with us. The people are what made it special, and we couldn’t be more thankful to have such amazing folks in our lives.“ – Natalie

“The inspiration for our wedding design was really just my everyday style, which is simple and natural. I love metallics and wanted to incorporate colors that complement the beauty of the ocean, while also including personal touches and a vintage feel.” – Natalie

“We included a number of traditions in our wedding, but my favorites are that I had the chance to wear my sweet mom’s gorgeous, lace veil and also that both of our wedding bands belonged to our grandparents. My simple, gold band matched the ring Jim gave me perfectly and belonged to my late grandmother, June White, which makes it incredibly special to wear every day. Jim’s simple gold band belonged to his late grandfather, Jimmy Matthews, who we both adored. We feel honored to carry on their legacies with these meaningful symbols of love.“ – Natalie

“My sister-in-law wrote it best: ‘There are times in this life when the Lord’s goodness is clouded, and I wonder why He isn’t present, though I know He won’t leave me. But, there are days when the heavens open up, and God’s grace explodes in screaming color, and I can’t believe the life I get to live.’ Our wedding story was just that.” – Natalie

“My best advice for other brides is to be intentional about gathering your friends and family together before the actual wedding. When you allow the people you love most to get to know each other before the big day, it just makes the time you all spend together during your wedding weekend that much sweeter, more genuine, and stress-free. At the end of the day, it’s the relationships that matter most and make your wedding (and life after it!) so much fun.” – Natalie

“As a little girl, I didn’t have any specific dreams of what I wanted my wedding to look like. As corny as it sounds, I always just pictured myself slow dancing with a tall, dark, and handsome man in an elegant and glowing setting with lots of greenery and candles. To say this dream came true is an understatement!” – Natalie

“I’ve always just assumed that a wedding would be stressful since there are so many moving parts, but our wedding was incredibly relaxing and special. Our family was easy-going, the event was seamless (thanks to my mother and Holly!), and we felt like we were really able to enjoy the small moments while also taking in the entire experience. It was the most pleasant surprise I could have ever asked for.” – Natalie

“There were two funny stories from our wedding that were memorable. I wore my mother’s cathedral veil that she wore at my parents’ wedding. After our vows and first kiss, we started to walk back down the aisle, and my veil got caught on the sand and popped off of my head, falling right back into my mom’s lap! So you could say my something borrowed came full circle. 

We also have an amazing group of friends that I’m incredibly grateful for. Luckily, they’re as fun and crazy as we are, and three of Jim’s best friends dressed up as Santa Claus and his elves at the reception! They made their grand entrance to ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ by Mariah Carey and completely stole the show — definitely a highlight of the wedding!” – Natalie

“The best advice I received as a bride would have to be to soak in every moment. It might sound cliché, and of course, the weekend felt too short because it was so amazing, but it wasn’t a blur because me, Jim and our families made a special effort to really appreciate each event and person who was there. Doing the heavy lifting on the front end, spacing out events, and keeping a clear schedule allowed us to have downtime that kept us feeling refreshed. I thought the weekend would feel like a whirlwind, but we truly soaked all of it in which I’m incredibly grateful for.” – Natalie

“All of our vendors were amazing, but our Watercolor Inn wedding planner, Holly Odom, was unreal. Not only is she talented and great at her job, but her heart and compassion for our family also set her apart. She’s truly just a fantastic person and made sure the entire event went off without a hitch. She made special accommodations for us, our guests, and even drove our friends to the bar at the end of the night! She went above and beyond, and we will never forget the extra effort she took to make it so stress-free.” – Natalie

Lead Shooter: Ann-Marie Wyatt | Dress: Alexandra Grecco; LVD Bridal Boutique | Bridesmaids Dresses: Birdy Grey | Suit: The Black Tux | Cake: Bake My Day | Lovebird Cake Topper: Wolfe Studio | Venue: The Watercolor Inn | Coordinator: Holly Odom | Flowers: Fishers Flowers | Calligraphy: Kim Farris Calligraphy | Rentals: Fishers Flowers | Music: DJ Shawn Frady of Bboy Productions | Rehearsal Venue: Surfing Deer | Caterer: The Watercolor Inn | Hair: Powder & Paint 30a | Makeup: Callan Lowe | Preparation Accommodations: Worth the Wait Cottage | Masters Koozies: Spiffy Design Co.