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Read inspriational Real Weddings stories. This month: Isn't It Peachy? Southern Hospitality in Georgia |
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| The Bride: Cori Ann Locklin, 26 The Groom: Jeffrey Wayne Russell, 31 The Date: April 22, 2006 The Stage: Cedar Plantation - An Antebellum-style Mansion outside Atlanta As a transplanted southerner, Cori always loved the historic charm and grace of the old south. From the plantation setting, to the mint-juleps served on the veranda, to the Dixieland Jazz, Cori and Jeff's Atlanta wedding reflected that old world elegance. |
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A Southern Girl Meets her Yankee Boy: A native Atlantan and a native Bostonian both found themselves living a long way from home in the city of San Diego. Fate intervened. At a downtown hot spot, a handsome young gentleman rose from his chair and crossed the crowded room to speak to a girl who caught his eye. A mutual friend made the introductions; the rest is relationship history… The Proposal: Jeff finally convinced Cori to trade in her sandals and suntan lotion for scarves and earmuffs back in New England. They had been living in Portsmouth, NH for six months when Jeff surprised Cori with a trip to Cape Cod for her birthday. Overlooking the sparkling Atlantic, he proposed, successfully culminating the chain of events set forth on that fateful San Diego evening. |
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| Selecting a Backdrop Cori and Jeff knew that they needed to find the perfect venue to establish their desired ambiance for the big day. The couple flew to Atlanta to commence the search, and booked their reception at Cedar Plantation. Cedar trees and gas lamps dotted the circular entranceway leading up to the ante-bellum style mansion, which was bedecked with green velvet “tara-style” drapes and surrounded by lush gardens. “We looked at other mansions, but Cedar Plantation was the only one with an equally awe-inspiring interior to match the gorgeous architecture and landscape. It was also extremely spacious; we didn’t want our guests split up amongst smaller rooms, the way many of these style venues do.” |
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| Welcome to Atlanta With Jeff hailing from the northeast and Cori having lived in multiple regions of the country, they knew that theirs was essentially a destination wedding. Many of the guests had never even been to the Atlanta area, and even Cori’s parents had since moved away. “We knew that, for a lot of our guests, significant effort was involved in attending our wedding,” Cori says. “We hoped to do everything we could to ensure a fun and memorable event for all of our friends and loved ones.” The couple set out to treat their guests to that special brand of southern hospitality. |
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| Georgia on Their Minds To set the tone and offer a prelude for things to come – Cori enlisted JetKat Design to create custom Georgia peach-themed save the date cards. JetKat created a wedding logo featuring Jeff and Cori’s initials surrounded by a peach, which the couple infused throughout their stationery and wedding details – including the invitations, programs, favors and even the wedding cake. On the wedding day, cool pitchers of lemonade and sweet tea provided a refreshing welcome to the outdoor ceremony under the brilliant sun. After the “Sweet Georgia Brown” Recessional, guests spent cocktail hour mingling on the veranda while sipping the day’s signature drink – the Georgia Peach Mint Julep – and listening to the smooth sounds of Dixieland Jazz. It just doesn’t get any more southern than that. |
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| The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship... A perpetually festive vibe enveloped the entire affair. “Having a smaller, destination wedding ensures an event filled with the love and support of those closest to us…those we could not imagine absent from our special day.” Out-of-town guests arrived early to enjoy a mini vacation and time to reconnect with those family and friends parted by distance. With most guests from both sides staying at the same hotel, new introductions soon gave way to new friendships. And by the time the wedding commenced, the bonds had sealed as an entire gathering of new and old friends gathered to wish Jeff and Cori well. As the couple made their getaway, the merry onlookers knew that something beautiful had indeed begun. |
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   All in the Details... |
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