natalie + john

Natalie and John’s August wedding was filled with sweet, sentimental family traditions. The pair wed at their local church, captured by local Birmingham wedding photographer Sweet Julep Photography. One sweet detail that made the day extra special for Natalie was walking down the aisle with her dad, who wore his Navy uniform. “The Navy was a big part of my dad’s life and subsequently our entire family’s,” she explains. “He takes pride in the time he spent and retired as a Captain, which I think is so cool.”

Natalie shone brightly on her father’s arm wearing a Build-A-Bride™ wedding dress designed by Project Runway alum Heidi Elnora. She selected the Meghan Augusta wedding dress silhouette, which features a sweetheart neckline and trumpet wedding dress skirt. Natalie elevated her custom wedding dress by adding our V-neck lace bodice in our elegant Riley lace. “What [started as] an impromptu bridal appointment became THE appointment,” says Natalie of her wedding dress shopping experience at heidi elnora Atelier. “I loved that my dress was unique to me and that I got to be a part of designing my dress.” Natalie’s wedding hair and wedding makeup were styled by Alabama hair and makeup artist Emily Summerville.

Natalie’s wedding look was finished by her “something blue”--a pair of blue wedding shoes by Sam Edelman she bought on a whim (“My mom and I just fell in love with them the moment we saw them and never turned back!” she says). Groom John wanted to bring some style to his footwear to match his bride; he selected specialty socks for each of his groomsmen’s personalities. Says Natalie, “I loved that he thought of that on his own and brought his own flair to our wedding!” The bridesmaids’ mauve bridesmaid dresses complemented the groomsmen’s classic style.

Natalie and John’s intimate church ceremony was followed by a wedding reception at Iron City, a popular Birmingham wedding venue. The newlyweds first drove in a classic car rental by Coats Classic Cars for photos, which ended up being Natalie’s favorite memory from her wedding day. “While we were taking pictures, we ended up having a drive by parade of all the guests leaving the wedding, and they all rolled the windows down and waved.” she remembers, smiling.

The couple then hopped on a trolley by Rare Transportation with their wedding party and sang at the top of their lungs all the way to the reception. Says Natalie, “It was the best way to rid the nerves after marrying my sweet husband!”

Natalie and John danced all night surrounded by friends, family, and live entertainment by Atlanta wedding band Five Star Funk Lounge. The gorgeous wedding florals and wedding linens were done by Hothouse Design Studio, a local Birmingham florist. Design Productions brought the reception to live with lighting design. The wedding catering was handled by Iron City, and Birmingham cake baker Barb's Cakes made the beautiful wedding cake. Natalie and John sent off each wedding guest with tasty treats celebrating two local Birmingham businesses: Alabama Peanut Company and Cookie Fix.

Thank you Natalie for being a beloved #buildabridebride, and we wish this sweet couple all the best!