The Wedding Venue

Claudia and Chris’s Wedding was held on May 30, 21 at Bowing Oaks. Claudia was generous enough to give us a rundown of the day from her perspective, so we’re sharing her words with you (because she really nailed it!).

The couple said ” We are both originally from South FL and started looking at venues in Fort Lauderdale and Miami, but many couples re-scheduled their Weddings in 2020 so our date was not available at most locations. The Wedding date was very important to us since it was our original anniversary back in high school (2006). We instantly fell in love with Bowing Oaks and ended up booking the venue prior to touring the property in person. We did a virtual tour with Heather and immediately knew the venue was special. When we finally got to see the venue in person, we were blown away and it validated that we made the right decision for our special day.

The Oak Tree at Bowing Oaks is a beautiful focal point. The property is in pristine condition and you can tell that a lot of love and detail went into making the venue so unique. We loved the simplicity of our Ceremony setup and the floral tree garland from Let Destiny Design exceeded our expectations. We truly had an A-Team of vendors!”

How They Met?

“We met in high school, circa 2004. We gradually became friends since we ran in the same circles. I had a big crush on him and wasn't very subtle about it. There were a few occasions when Chris tried to ask me out after school and I would always get nervous and run away. I would make up excuses and blame it on the fact that I had to catch the bus before it left without me. We officially started dating on 5.30.06 and it was the best summer of our lives! We dated the rest of high school and ended up going to the same college, The University of Alabama (Roll Tide!) but we actually didn't date in college. We would run into each other from time to time and that intense spark was always there.

Many years later, I was planning on moving to Nashville and decided to meet friends in Tuscaloosa for the Texas A&M game in 2016. I was flying out of Atlanta and reached out to Chris on Facebook to see if he wanted to grab a drink. I saw that he recently moved to Atlanta and got up the courage to reach out. It had been a long time since we last spoke and I was nervous that he was going to say no or ignore my message. We met at Torched Hops Brewery and talked until they closed the place down. The rest is history and I'm so blessed that he is now my Husband.

I never got over Chris and always said he was the one. A lot of my high school and college friends always thought I was crazy and tried to help me move on but I knew in my heart that he was going to be my Husband one day! My mom always said we were a Hallmark movie in the making!”

Wedding Details

Our decor and theme was Rustic Romance. We wanted a lot of white flowers and candles and loved how everything turned out. It was the perfect mix of both our styles.

We ordered our custom stationery and invitations through Shine Wedding Invitations. We loved the way our invitations turned out. We wanted to keep it simple yet elegant and the whole design process was a lot of fun.

Having our dog at the wedding was an absolute must! We’re so blessed and thankful that she got to be a part of our special day. She definitely stole the show at times and loved getting her pictures taken.

Jacksonville wedding planned by Southern Charm Events

Dog with a floral collar for the wedding

bride and groom during their wedding ceremony

bride and groom before their wedding ceremony

wedding reception tablescape at bowing oaks

bride and groom cutting their wedding cake

bride and groom with their dog at their Bowing Oaks wedding

Wedding Attire

The Dress:

My lace dress is by Maggie Sottero. I bought the dress from a family-owned boutique in Kennesaw, Ga. My experience at A Formal Occasion was magical! Since my family couldn't travel to Georgia at the time, my friend Sara came with me and helped me find THE dress. I instantly knew it was the one and tried it on twice just to get the butterflies all over again! Thank God I was able to FaceTime my mom, sister, and nieces so they were still a part of the dress shopping experience.

The Suit:

Chris got a custom suit from Men's Wearhouse in Atlanta, GA. One unique feature was his nickname "Gunny" was engraved on the inside of his jacket and his vest and jacke t had a tropical pattern on the back. He also had a lucky dragonfly pin that belonge d to his Mother before she passed.

The couple’s Favorite part of the day

The ceremony as a whole, especially when we said our vows to one another. We both tu ned everything out and it was just us in that moment. We completely forgot that our friends and family were there until everyone started clapping and cheering when we k issed. It truly was a magical moment that we will never forget.

Claudia + Chris' Bowing Oaks Plantation Wedding