Stephanie Nicole Marshall, 32, an emergency medicine physician, and Kelton Rachard Scott, 29, a risk management expert, met at a bar while the bride was out celebrating with friends. After three blissful years together, Kelton popped the question in the skies during a romantic helicopter ride. They were married on November 20, 2011 at Lake Lanier Island Resort in Buford, Georgia.
No bride should feel forced to wear any gown as is. Stephanie was in search of a simple, elegant gown, when she spotted this stunner at David’s Bridal. There was just one problem – she hated the giant bow on it. Convinced this was “The Gown,” she bought it anyway and swapped the bow out in favor of the perfect beaded belt.
In her search for the perfect wedding shoes, Stephanie lucked out when she stumbled across this winning combination – beautiful turquoise peep-toe flats that were sure to keep her on her feet all night long. They were also her “something blue.”
There are so many lovely ways to personalize your day with your wedding monogram. Stephanie had this custom hanger made just for her gown.
After Stephanie splurged on a fancy birdcage veil her hairdresser, Scoobie West, felt it didn’t complement her beauty. A true savior, at the last minute he called another client and they were willing to loan her this one. It completed her bridal look perfectly.
Stephanie takes a moment to reflect as two of her devoted bridesmaids help her slip into her ballgown.
Stephanie and Kelton’s bridal party was all smiles as they posed beneath the beauty of a fall paradise.
The couple proudly displays their wedding rings in one of their lovely decorative bird nests.
All of the bouquets were loosely constructed with natural elements (twigs, berries, grasses, etc.), and antiqued blue/peacock hydrangeas, schwalder calla lilies, white freesia, black magic roses, and burgundy scabosia.
“Kelton wanted gray tuxes from the start,” says Stephanie. “He found exactly what he was looking for at Men’s Wearhouse. Luckily, they had vests and ties that matched the bridesmaids’ dresses too.”
Stephanie and Kelton had their hearts set on an outdoor wedding, so they crossed their fingers, and hoped the weather would permit. That morning the sixty-degree temperature turned out to be just right for their lakeside ceremony.
The bride and groom’s ceremony took place in a private location on the resort right next to the lake, surrounded by breathtaking fall foliage. A cocktail hour immediately followed atop a hill overlooking the ceremony site.
Kelton and his groomsman share a prayer to bless their union and all those in attendance.
If saving money on your big day is top priority, Stephanie can tell you that timing is everything. “We knew from the beginning that we wanted an outdoor wedding in the fall,” she shares. “In an attempt to save money, we booked an off-season date in November.”
A smart florist knows that the more creative the idea, the better the results. Stephanie and Kelton’s dream team of vendors really put their all into the finishing touches. The florist used extra fabric from the bridesmaids’ dresses on all of the chairs and aisle decorations, and little votive candles were placed on the aisle and all around the cocktail and reception sites to add a more intimate vibe to the wedding.
“I was very particular about the colors,” Stephanie says about her pretty peacock blue color palette. “ I knew that I wanted fall colors, but wasn’t really into the traditional orange, reds and browns. I spent a lot of time looking at other people’s weddings online and different wedding sites with interesting colors.”
“We were so happy that all of our family and friends were in one place,” says the grateful bride. “We acknowledged their efforts throughout the weekend.”
Kelton becomes overwhelmed with emotion as he watches his beautiful bride Stephanie come down the aisle.
Stephanie and her father were the picture of perfection as they descended down the stairs and onto the aisle. “It was one of my favorite moments of the day,” she says.
What’s it like to be standing in front of your dream girl at the altar on the perfect day? Kelton’s smile says it all.
“I absolutely loved our ceremony,” Stephanie tells us. “We wanted to keep it short and sweet, but meaningful at the same time. We found a great ceremony script and personalized it to make it our own.”
Many couples wind up disagreeing over how much to spend on their special day, but Stephanie and Kelton had zero trouble in this department. They recognized that the budget could get out of hand early on, set a realistic budget, and stuck to it. This made the day all the more sweeter for the both of them.
“At the end of the ceremony, when we were told that we could kiss, I got so excited that I tried to kiss Kelton through my veil,” Stephanie recalls. “I was a little embarrassed, but he helped me out and gave me a kiss that made me forget that it even happened. “
The new Mr. and Mrs. Scott sport matching grins as they dance back down the aisle to kick off their cocktail party.
Stephanie and Kelton didn’t want to leave anything to chance when it came to how their floral details would turn on it. They chose to work with florist Corinne Siegal of La Petit Fleur because they were huge fans of the work she did on a friend’s wedding. “We told her what we wanted and she went with it,” says Stephanie. “Not only were the flowers beautiful, but the details really made it special.”
In lieu of a guestbook, the couple requested their guests use clothespins to hang special handwritten messages on a beautiful willow branch tree created by their florist. Such a lovely keepsake idea.
For their reception, the couple chose a covered pavilion with a fireplace to keep everyone warm as they partied well into the night.
“We literally did not sit down,” says Stephanie, shown here enjoying a romantic first dance with her new husband.
Don’t be fooled by those pricey cake boutique prices. Stephanie and Kelton purchased this stunning three tier cake from a Publix Supermarket.
“We did all the planning together,” says Stephanie. “We picked the Save the Date postcards, invitations, menu and honeymoon package together, too. I definitely wanted it this way, because this wasn’t just my wedding. It was about us and I wanted both of our choices reflected in the day.”
It’s now very popular for brides to pay tribute to their new husbands with a surprise groom’s cake at their wedding reception. Kelton’s yummy carrot cake was decorated to look just like a pool table in honor of one of his favorite pastimes.
Stephanie and Kelton credit their planner, Sarah-Jane Bennett from All Events Perfect, for bringing their vision to life perfectly. “Everything was better than I ever imagined it would be,” she says. “It was absolutely beautiful and such a wonderful ambiance was created. It really added to the significance of our wedding day.”
At the dessert bar, guests were given custom bags with one of the couple’s engagement photos and a stamped message that read, “Love Is Sweet, Thanks for Coming,” to fill with helpings of candy, biscotti, chocolate covered pretzels and Garrett’s Popcorn. Stephanie and Kelton bonded over personally stamping each bag during the pre-wedding prep.
Like true friends, Kelton’s groomsman never left his side, helping him to celebrate to the fullest.
DJ D Cas of Connections Entertainment spun tunes all evening that kept guests, both young and old, on their feet.
Join us in congratulating Stephanie and Kelton. Leave your well wishes for the couple below.
