Norfolk Botanical Gardens Wedding

I wanted my Norfolk Botanical Gardens wedding to be very elegant and timeless. I chose to do champagne-colored satin bridesmaids dresses, classic black tuxes for the groomsmen, and white flowers with greenery. There were gold accents throughout the wedding.

From the bride: The ceremony was at a church. We had two gold rings with greenery hanging from the church doors and white flower petals spread down the aisle on each side. The church had a lot of gold accents already so it didn’t need much.

The reception was at the Norfolk Botanical Garden Rose Garden Hall. We had a large welcome sign that we created DIY using a large gold framed mirror. We also created our own seating chart using a large gold-framed mirror. We had white tablecloths with gold chargers, gold votives, and candles at the tables along with large flower displays.

The room had swags of white coming from the ceiling with a crystal chandelier. There was a white sheet behind the sweetheart table with twinkle lights and a gold sign that says “The Browns”.

The flowers in my bridal bouquet were white peonies and greenery. The bridesmaids carried a mixture of white hydrangeas and roses with greenery. The groomsmen had white rose boutonniere. The centerpieces had gold stands of varying heights with white flower arrangements and greenery. I believe the flowers added to the classic feel of the wedding.

A personalized aspect for us was that one of my bridesmaids, a best friend from high school, played a song for us called “sanctuary” by the Nashville cast on her guitar and sang. This was insanely special to me and I spend the whole song sobbing while Jackson held me as we danced.

I knew I wanted a dress that was off the shoulder because I love that look. I love the elegant look of mikado fabric so that is what I looked for in a wedding dress. My dress was an off-the-shoulder dress called “Josie” by Maggie Sottero Designs. It was a mermaid style with a sweetheart neckline and buttons all the way down the back. Jackson wanted a classic black tux with a bow tie.

Jackson and I met through mutual friends in college. We were best friends for two years before we both realized we had crushes on each other! He proposed to me on the top of a mountain at sunset!

There were so many special moments on our wedding day but we both wrote our own vows and we couldn’t wait to hear them at the alter! It was super special to see his face as I walked down the aisle. I also did a first look with my dad, which was a very special moment because my dad and I are super close.

It may be stressful at times in the planning process but try to soak it all in because you will miss it all when it’s over! Never forget what the day is truly about- marrying your person and sharing it with the people you love most! Never stop dating your partner!