A Romantic French-Inspired Wedding in the Heart of Atlanta

When you find the person you want to spend your life with, forever can’t start soon enough. That’s how Kristin and Cody felt when they first met, spending hours talking over Italian food after meeting on Match.com. Says Kristin, “It felt like we’d known each other for years.” Instead of waiting for years, the pair got engaged in December of 2014, just eight months after their first date. “Cody took me to Wolf Mountain Vineyards, which is where he first told me he loved me,” Kristin remembers. “I thought it was a double date, but the other couple conveniently canceled. After a wine tasting, Cody and I went outside to take a picture, and he got down on one knee.”

They jumped right into wedding planning, hiring Chancey Charm to help them create an intimate dinner party vibe at Summerour Studio in Atlanta, a 1920s printing warehouse with a part loft, part lush garden feel. With 110 guests in tow, on September 13, 2015, Cody and Kristin added another chapter to their whirlwind romance: A gorgeous fall wedding with city skyline views. Check it out, photographed by Sawyer Baird, below!

The invitation suite boasted a soft mauve and lavender color scheme, with a wreath of flowers around the edges.

Kristin wore a Leanne Marshall wedding dress with three kinds of lace: soft nude lace, delicate Alencon lace, and embroidered ivory lace, flowing down to a silk charmeuse skirt. “The moment I started comparing other gowns to this one, I knew I’d found the one,” she says.

The bride carried a bouquet of garden roses, hellebores, pieris japonica, astrantia, ranunculus, cymbidium orchids, scabiosa, blushing bride, olive branch, bay leaf, and eucalyptus, tied with French silk. She accentuated her soft updo with gold beaded pins.

Cody’s boutonniere combined hellebores, astrantia, snowberry, olive branch, and eucalyptus, and looked as if it could have been plucked straight out of Kristin’s bouquet.

Cody and his groomsmen opted for classic attire, renting tuxedos from The Black Tux. Cody is a former wedding photographer, so his insider perspective helped the couple pull it all together. Says the bride, “He happily jumped into wedding planning and had so many great ideas — I’m a lucky gal!”

Kristin’s bridesmaids all wore Alfred Angelo gowns in a soft purple hue and a flowing, graceful silhouette.

“We wanted our wedding party to set a formal tone for the evening,” says Kristin of their friends’ traditional attire.

At the entrance to the ceremony, one of the venue’s restored warehouse archways was draped with flowing white fabric, adding a dramatic feel to the open-air space.

Kristin’s father walked her down the aisle before she and Cody exchanged traditional Christian vows. A cellist accompanied the ceremony, then switched over to contemporary pieces during cocktail hour.

Inside, farm tables were set for dinner with low arrangements of olive branches, eucalyptus, and roses in a dusty mauve hue. Taper candles, votives, and café lights lit the room. The menus and signage for the evening were all designed by the groom.

The menu was inspired by the couple’s love of food and their upcoming honeymoon in France. “We wanted to incorporate French elements throughout the weekend,” says Kristin. They had three food stations serving sea bass with fresh mushrooms in a marsala sauce, port-braised short ribs with wild mushroom risotto, and sweet potato gnocchi. The signature cocktail, a “Rosy French 75,” was a twist on the classic cocktail with rosé wine and a dash of rosewater. “Tears filled my eyes as we sat down at the head table for dinner,” says Kristin. “It was so amazing to have everyone we love surrounding us.”

Beneath textured buttercream and olive branches, vanilla pound cake was layered with white chocolate mousse, salted milk chocolate, and dark chocolate ganache.

As favors, Kristin and Cody gave guests fabric bags filled with chocolate-covered espresso beans.

A DJ kept the dance floor packed, mixing genres and eras and expertly reading the crowd.

After their sparkler exit, Cody and Kristin headed to France for a road trip honeymoon, starting in the Alps, driving through Burgundy, and ending up in Paris. Says the bride, “People will have opinions. Remember to be true to yourselves and what you want your day to be, because you’re the ones getting married!”

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Summerour Studio || Wedding Planner: Candice Lorraine for Chancey Charm || Bride’s Wedding Dress: Leanne Marshall || Shoes: BHLDN || Jewelry: Nadri || Hairpiece: Twigs & Honey || Hair & Makeup: Jennifer C. Nieman || Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Alfred Angelo || Groom & Groomsmen’s Attire: The Black Tux || Florist: Vine & Branch Floral Design || Invitations: Elli || Music: JGCello; Zegi || Catering: Bold American Events || Cake: Lush Cakery || Favors: French Silver Shop || Videographer: Anchor Heart Films || Photographer: Sawyer Baird Photography

Did you love this wedding? Then check out another couple’s Atlanta bash in the video below.