A Memorable Wedding at Rowan Oaks and the Powerhouse in Oxford, MS | Anna & Brad
Anna and Brad's wedding took place in Oxford, MS on the property of Rowan Oaks, a historical home that belonged to William Faulkner and his family for over 40 years.
There were scattered showers in the area the entire morning, and about an hour or so before their ceremony, the skies cleared and gave way to blue skies and sunshine.
The rest of the day was filled with excitement; everyone setting up for the ceremony, the girls getting hair and make-up done, the groom chugging a beer at a frat party (and yes, it was AWESOME. Just keep reading) and a ceremony that perfectly reflected these two and the life they are starting together.
I LOVED getting to be a part of Brad and Anna's wedding and tell their story. They made their wedding completely personal and unique to them and I think that's what made it SO perfect.
"We wanted the most Oxford wedding possible since it's where we met and where we first lived together and we are moving to Arizona soon. We chose Rowan Oak because William Faulkner and his estate is sort of the cultural center of the town. It's must-see when visiting Oxford, and we wanted all of our out of town guests to experience it."
So, funny story:
As we were all arriving at Rowan Oaks to get ready for the ceremony, we all noticed that just through the trees a (very fun sounding) loud pool party was taking place. We knew that it would disrupt the ceremony, so Brad immediately decided to go talk to them.
He walked around the tree line and when we got there, he was met with 20-30 members of Sigma Chi. He explained the situation, and they were more than happy to give the bride and groom 30 minutes of quiet for their ceremony on one condition:
Brad had to chug a beer.
And obviously, he did. Like a champ, too.
And when he finished that beer he tossed the can to the air and peaced out just in time to get back to Rowan Oak and get ready to say his vows.
After the wedding, Brad tweeted about the pre-ceremony beer chugging truce and it went VIRAL. A couple different websites featured their story, even Business Insider!
On the second floor of the house over looking there ceremony spot where all their friends and family were gathered, Anna's mother buttoned the back of her dress, and her bridesmaids helped her into her heels. Time was sneaking past us, and I could tell Anna was ready to see Brad.
"The night before the wedding I spent the night in the Graduate hotel with my two Maids of Honor and two bridesmaids. I thought it was a fun way to be somewhat traditional in mine and Brad's less traditional wedding. My bridesmaids and I spent all morning together and then we all went to the salon to get our hair styled together.
After our hair was done, I got my make up done alone. It gave me time to reflect and think about everything that was about to happen. I was weirdly calm the whole day. In the days leading up to the wedding I wasn't nervous at all about getting married- marrying Brad was the one thing I was sure and confident about. I was, however, nervous about the weather since we were supposed to get rain all day and through the ceremony. But even though the weather had been stressing me out, on wedding day I was totally chill and kind of had a "what will happen will happen" attitude about it. Luckily, the rain was spotty enough and moved out of the area in time so that we were able to have the wedding at Rowan Oak with plenty of sunshine."
"Brad is a big softy and I'm a sympathetic cryer, so I just knew that he'd immediately start crying when he saw me and then I would also immediately start crying- which I so did not want to do because I hate crying. But it was different than that. When I saw Brad, it was really just a moment of calm and comfort. Like everything we'd done in preparation and planning was leading to that moment and walking to him to be by his side was like the finish line. We both of course got a little teary-eyed but not to the extent I was afraid of."
I absolutely loved our officiant Carl Levenson, who was Brad's advisor in his undergrad at Idaho State. Everything he said was perfect for us and tailored to our lives and experiences and tied in the venue, William Faulkner's estate. I don't remember our exact vows that we said (ha!) but the part where we vowed that we would be sacred to each other was so powerful to me (and I think Brad, too). "
"So, we all know the story now about Brad chugging the beer with the fraternity guys, but I had NO idea until after the ceremony. So, to me, it was mildly annoying but funny that we could hear music and an occasional yell during the ceremony. I did not know that it was significantly quieter than it had been just a little while earlier. I definitely felt like I was out of the loop on something since during the ceremony when Brad and I had to drink our wine he said, "This isn't the first time I've had to chug for this wedding."
After we walked down the aisle together he yelled, "Hey, Sigma Chi, turn it up!" So after the ceremony when I was told the story it really seemed surreal because it's so hilarious but so ridiculous yet stereotypical that it really does sound like satire. I love that we have that story to share for years to come and I just wish I had been there to see it myself!"
"I LOVED taking the photos with my bridesmaids and then Brad at Rowan Oak. It was so fun to be with my best friends and then my husband being silly or funny for photos that I know I'll adore and cherish forever."
Okay, lemme talk about Anna's engagement ring for just a second.
Brad proposed during the eclipse, and he picked this ring out specifically to fit that theme.
A beautiful, bold black diamond surrounded by a white-diamond halo, creating a cosmic-like symbol of marriage and promises.
Also it's just like.....really pretty.
"The rest of the reception is truly a blur aside from a couple memorable moments. There was a moment where I didn't see Brad in the venue so I figured he was outside and I found him and we just sat outside together in the quiet for a moment and got to enjoy being together away from the party."
Okay, for the final scene of this blog post, I need you to press play on the song below.
Don't fight me on this- just do it.
And thank me later.
"I'm really glad that Brad and I both got to have all of our friends in one place together for a night of fun. Since both of our friends live in all kinds of different places now, it's a rarity to have everyone in one place. Our friendships mean a lot to us so getting to interact with and enjoy being with everyone was so amazing."
WEDDING VENDORS
CEREMONY VENUE: Rowan Oaks
RECEPTION VENUE: The Powerhouse
BRIDAL DRESS: David's Bridal
SHOES: Target
CATERING: The Main Event
Chicken on A Stick
CAKE & DESSERTS: Endville Bakery
BRIDESMAIDS GOWNS: Adrianna Papell
FLORALS: Oxford Floral
