Erin and Joey's Georgia meets California Wedding by Kendra Elise Photography | Wedding Sparrow (2024)

You'll quickly see just how beautiful and stylish this Columbus, Georgia wedding is. The industrial outdoor venue, the romantic blooms by Opelika Floral, the bride'a knockout Martina Liana gown- all so gorgeous! But the story behind the location and the meaning of the Georgia-meets-California vibe tugs at our heartstrings. Read the sweet story below from the glowing bride and fawn over the photos by Kendra Elise Photography with us ...

From the bride: "After 6 fun-filled years of dating, Joey proposed in Napa on a beautiful day in June, just before sunset on our favorite vineyard from a previous visit. As we were discussing wedding plans, it became clear that our dream setting would be to go back to Napa, a place that we have developed a deep passion for and that now has especially profound meaning to us. However, with my mother in law battling cancer and other loved ones not able to travel a great distance, our mission became to find a venue close to home in Georgia, where we could re-create the organic, al fresco California setting we were dreaming about.

We ended up finding perfection with RiverMill Event Centre, in Columbus, GA where I grew up. We were able to have our ceremony inside (thank goodness for air conditioning!), in a room full of natural light and candles, in front of dramatically scaled windows that were a part of the historic mill. Following the ceremony was a laid back co*cktail hour on the lawn with some of our favorite music playing, and the most beautiful dinner setting outside in the tiered gardens by the river. We worked with Julie Bunkley of Invision Events, and after discussing our vision with her, she was able to match us with vendors who blew us away with their creativity and execution of our style.

I carried a statement bouquet that consisted of a large air plant, rosemary, olive leaves, eucalyptus, and a mixture of cabbage roses, with natural-toned floor length ribbons and lace. The dinner space included a long wooden farm table with a runner of mixed greenery, and round tables covered in soft gray linens set with olive trees and organic arrangements, with café lights strung overhead. Joey is from New Orleans, so we brought in his heritage and our love for the city with our monogram, which included a fleur de lis of intertwining olive leaves. We also had a bourbon bar for the guys which featured cigars from Cigar Factory New Orleans. We danced the night away under the stars, and truly had the time of our lives. The components that made our wedding day so special were the personal touches that were spread throughout the décor and food & beverage offerings, and having all of our loved ones there to celebrate with us. We feel so lucky to have worked with the talented group of vendors who carried out our vision for a Georgia-meets-California wedding so perfectly."

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