Were there any unique traditions that made the reception or ceremony memorable?
I loved how Shannon and Derek incorporated both classic traditions and modern twists into their downtown Pensacola wedding at 5eleven Palafox to create something that was truly unique to THEM! By far my favorite elements though were their receiving line post ceremony and champagne tower to kick off their reception! A receiving line is a tradition that has fallen out of fashion, but one that I love because it enables the couple to personally greet and thank all of their guests. And let’s be honest, nothing says LET’S CELEBRATE more than a tower of coupe glasses overflowing with champagne!!
Were there special details with symbolic importance?
Shannon has such an eye for detail and is truly one of the most thoughtful people I ever met. She goes out of her way to make the people in her circle feel loved and special, and her heart was apparent in so many of the details of their wedding day. One of the most thoughtful however, were the buttons on the back of her dress. During the alteration process she had the original buttons replaced with the button from her mom’s wedding dress, and kept it a secret until the moment her mom was buttoning them for her. I melted when she told me about her plan during our final meeting, and then all over again when she told her mom while getting into her dress that afternoon.
What was your favorite detail from the wedding day?
I mentioned above that Shannon has an incredible eye for detail and is such a wonderfully thoughtful human, and Derek is truly her counterpart in the same way. One of the things they enjoy doing together is making wine (I know, SO FUN!!) Rather than send their guests home with a trinket that would be quickly forgotten, they spent the months leading up to their wedding making their very own Merlot and Chardonnay, each individually bottled in splits and placed at each seat as a thank you for their guests.
