Real Wedding: Brandy & Greg

September 7, 2013: Vesuvius Vineyards

Reconnected through Facebook, Brandy Ingram decided to meet her high school friend Greg Honeycutt for a drink at a favorite pub in Cornelius. This door-opening, grandma-loving Southern gentleman stole her heart, and two years later, he put their camera on self-timer for a front porch proposal to his homebody bride. “He looks like he’s about to cry, and I’m totally clueless,” says Brandy. “He’d carried that ring around all day and was so nervous.”

Brandy’s Oregon pastor and family friend made the trip to officiate, with a lovely personalized service and family-inclusive unity candle ceremony. This easy-going pair made their own wedding rules, ditching the bouquet and garter toss and instead passing out tambourines, triangles, and kazoos for their recessional. College friends of Greg’s, bluegrass band Unspoken Traditions played old-timey favorites during cocktail hour, when guests feasted on Cajun shrimp with peaches, jalapeño poppers, crab cakes, and baked bleu cheese.

Ashley Culicchia Cash of The Graceful Host took the pressure off of planning for this busy couple. Royal blue added a splash of color, perfect for the assorted bridesmaid dresses from David’s Bridal, chevron linens, and décor, but softened by New Creations Flower Company’s soft bouquets of peach and pink flowers. Armin’s Catering served pulled pork, jalapeño mac and cheese, and a sweet potato bar, and their coordinator made sure the pair got to eat dinner before they took to the dance floor for classic rock and hip-hop by Split Second Sound. Dashing under a sea of sparklers to their Jamaica honeymoon, the couple leapt into a friend’s old white Mustang to make their getaway.