Hollie & José – Savannah wedding – Mansion on Forsyth
January 3, 2017
Savannah Wedding – Whitefield Chapel & The Mansion on Forsyth
I’m so excited to share Hollie & José’s gorgeous Savannah wedding with you. One of my favorite weddings from 2016, it’s full of sparkle, southern charm and latino flair. Not a detail was overlooked – from letterpress invitations with flawless calligraphy to a personalized signature cocktail to a fun customized marquis sign at the reception – this wedding was full of love, laughs and celebration. Enjoy these stunning Savannah wedding photos and a little Q&A with the couple!
Multi-cultural, glamorous, southern
Hollie: My “something old and something blue” was probably the most significant traditional element. It was a white handkerchief with a blue “C” embroidered on it (for my maiden name, Crisler). My parents had carried it at their wedding and it still had the lipstick on it where my dad wiped his mouth after they kissed at the ceremony. It was really special to be able to carry that at our wedding.
I love that Hollie took a few moments during her getting ready time to capture a few “bridal boudoir” photos for José. Hollie, you are a radiant goddess!
I had no clue how to combine a Southern, Savannah wedding with an Ecuadorian wedding so I did tons of research on everything. WARNING: it’s really easy for wedding planning to take over all of your free time. We wanted our wedding to be timeless but still include our personalities. I pulled ideas from several places, and some of my go-to websites and magazines included: 100 Layer Cake, Savannah Weddings Magazine, Southern Weddings, Style Me Pretty and Wedding Chicks.
Hollie: A month before we got engaged, we took a trip to Savannah, Georgia. José had never been, and I rarely get the chance to show José a new destination. I had no idea José was about to propose a month later, but I was already looking at Savannah as a possible wedding destination. We had talked about the possibility of getting married in Ecuador (where José is from) or Florida (where we met), but nothing compared to Savannah. It was the perfect combination for us….a traditional southern city with Spanish charm. My main tip about planning a wedding in Savannah is to plan as early as possible. We didn’t have a specific date in mind, but we knew we wanted a Spring wedding. We had a 15-month engagement to make sure we were able to get the vendors and venues we loved. Even at 15 months out, I had a hard time getting the chapel and the reception venue to match dates!
José: It was very emotional to read the vows. I cried like a little baby.
Hollie: The moment right before the doors to the Chapel opened were the most nerve-racking since the next few moments were what I had been dreaming about my whole life.
Hollie: During the ceremony, José was having some difficulty getting out the vows. There was one moment when he took a long pause, and a tear rolled down his face. I naturally wiped his tear away, and everyone thought it was the cutest thing.
José: My favorite moment was watching Hollie walking down the aisle. She looked stunning in her wedding dress.
Hollie: When the Reverend announced us as husband and wife….I think I jumped up and down a little.
We wanted to celebrate two families coming together as one at our ceremony so we had several personalized details. For cocktail hour, we had a signature drink called “Jose & The Georgia Peach” with cocktail napkins that said “Salud Y’all”. We also incorporated wooden cut out signs for the sweetheart table that said “Same Team”. My favorite was a large “TEAM A” marquee sign (A for Alvarez, our last name) for the dance floor.
Hollie: I purchased a large marquee sign as a surprise for José. I didn’t include it in the budget so it was a bit of a splurge purchase. I’m so glad I went for it because José loved it! Now, we have the sign hanging up in our home so we are reminded of our wedding everyday.
José: Our first dance was a huge surprise. We danced to a slow, acoustic version of Latch by Disclosure. When the song was over, I walked off the dance floor to sit down, but Hollie wasn’t leaving. All of a sudden, an upbeat Spanish song came on, and Hollie pulled me back onto the dance floor and started salsa dancing. After a few seconds, everyone was invited to join us on the dance floor…it set a great tone for the rest of the party!
José: Just say “yes”…as long as it’s within budget.
Hollie: Talk to your fiancé about how involved they want to be in the wedding planning. Some want to be involved in every detail and some want to be included in the major decisions only (this conversation will avoid future “stressful moments” for both of you) . A good starting point is creating a budget together then selecting the venues. Most of your decisions will involve the venue in some way: the vendors you need, wording for invitations and even the style of your wedding dress and his “day of” attire could be impacted by your venue. Once that is finalized, start collecting ideas for each vendor so you are prepared during those initial conversations (this may not be something your fiancé wants to be involved in). Everyone you talk to will want examples of what you like and don’t like so they can better help you plan you and your fiancé’s special day.
Vendors:
Ceremony Venue: Whitefield Chapel
Getting ready + Reception Venue: The Mansion on Forsyth
Hair: B Street Salon
Makeup: Bride’s Side Beauty
Wedding Gown: customized Amelie gown by Matthew Christopher from Bridals by Lori
Bridesmaids Dresses: Badgley Mischka from Rent the Runway
Groom’s Tux: Indochino
Florals: Harvey Designs
Invitations: Aerialist Press
Calligraphy: Lowcountry Paper Co.
Officiant: Rev. Joe Wadas
Ceremony music: Velvet Caravan
Cake: A Squad Bake Shop
Transportation: Old Savannah Tours
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