A Fun, Fall Wedding at the Memphis Botanic Gardens | Mallory & Hunter
Mallory and Hunter love the outdoors and the crisp colors of fall, and they instantly fell in love with Memphis Botanic Gardens. Not only is it an absolutely beautiful and stunning atmosphere for a wedding venue, but it gave all their guests the opportunity to walk through the paths of the garden and experience this breathtaking place as they walked towards the chapel to witness their wedding ceremony.
“The pearls wrapped around the bridal bouquet belong to my Nana (Peggy Miller). I remember as a little girl her telling us she had a set of pearls for all the granddaughters to wear during their wedding if we wanted to. I was honored to carry them down the aisle, and I know it brought a lot of joy to her.”
-Mallory
“I was honestly pretty nervous that morning, mostly from the anticipation of seeing everyone. But once I saw Hunter, all those nervous butterflies went away! It was great to be able to spend most of the day with him, and we wouldn't have been able to do that without a first look!”
-Mallory
“I was just very excited to see and be able to talk with Mallory. With all the busyness surrounding the rehearsal and the wedding itself I felt like we had barely gotten to talk to each other for several days. During our first look I was just as excited to be able to talk to Mallory before our ceremony as I was to see her in her wedding dress!”
-Hunter
“Our biggest takeaway was make having fun your number one goal of the day! Happiness and joy are infectious and if you are having the best time of your life so will everyone else! Don't sweat the small things.”
Blecken Pavilion sits tucked away in the gardens. Connor & Co. created a beautiful greenery arch and ceremony set up that completed this space and complimented the already romantic scenery. This chapel, standing tall and elegant, is where they chose to share their vows, gather their friends and family to witness their commitment to each other, and become husband and wife.
“The Bible used during the ceremony belonged to Hunter's late Uncle Larry Neville. Hunter has been blessed with many grandfather figures in his life, and his Uncle Larry was a special one. We know Uncle Larry would have loved to be there for this day, and we were glad we could include him in a small, special way.”
“The first dance song is a favorite of mine and Hunter's. I remember when he first played me that song several years ago and how the lyrics described us perfectly! When we got engaged, choosing this song for the first dance was one of the first wedding planning details we made!
Life is full of many great moments, but it's the little moments that make life great. And if you can be perfectly content and happy sitting around in sweatpants and eating take-out with your spouse, that's how you know you're with the right person!”
-Mallory
"We'd be livin' our dreams, as our love grows
What an intimate occasion, you and me and HBO 'til morning light"
- Do You Wanna Do Nothing With Me? by Lawrence
“My favorite moment was when everyone went inside to eat and just Hunter and I were left on the dance floor. It felt like a private concert just for us!”
-Mallory
“One of my favorite moments during the day was when Mallory and I were able to steal away a few moments on the dance floor just the two of us. Everyone else had gone inside to enjoy dinner and being able to experience a moment where it was just us two and the band was really special.”
-Hunter
Mallory had gotten Hunter a Mississippi State themed groom’s cake, but since she goes to Ole Miss she had a little surprise for him. She had hidden Ole Miss colors inside the cake. Immediately after cutting into it, all of Mallory’s Ole Miss friends started singing Hotty Toddy.
Wedding Vendors
Venue: Memphis Botanic Garden
Planner and Florist: Connor and Co
Cake: Carla Beard
Band: Emerald Empire Band
Hair/Makeup: Isabella Allen, Erica Manshack
Catering: Central BBQ
Gown: Ashley Renee Bridal
Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Show me your Mumu
Shoes: Zappos
BridalRings: Etsy - Zhedora
Men’s Attire - The Black Tux
Invitations: Minted
Videography: Cine Garden
Favors: Coozies from Custom Ink
String Trio: Memphis String Quartet
Bridal Jewelry: Kendra Scott
Groom’s Band: Etsy The Aladdins Cave
