No’Ala, January/February 2017 by No’Ala Studios

WEDDING TRADITIONS | BAD BRIDESMAIDS | PLANNING A DESTINATION WEDDING

The Wedding Album 2016 JANUARY/FEBRUARY $4.95

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January/February

contents

76 THE WEDDING ALBUM 2016 Ladies and Gentlemen, it is our pleasure to introduce…31 of North Alabama’s most radiant brides and proudest grooms on the ﬁrst day of the rest of their lives together.

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contents 28 THE ACCIDENTAL WEDDING PLANNER BY MICHELLE RUPE EUBANKS  PHOTOS BY LAUREN TOMASELLA CARNEY

A professional planner and curator puts the tools of the interior-designer trade to work in her biggest project yet: her own Mexico wedding. 40 BRIDESMAIDS OF FRANKENSTEIN INTRO BY ROY HALL  PHOTOS BY ABRAHAM ROWE  STYLING BY SUSAN ROWE

Six blushing bridesmaids, whose dresses were all a scream, share their cautionary tales of big-bowed woe. 50 IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED BY SARAH GAEDE

Unlike youth, successful ceremonies aren’t always wasted on the young. For these older, wiser couples, the second time down the aisle was the charm. 54 ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL BY ROY HALL

Neither rain nor heat nor jealous dogs prevents these brides from the fond recollection of their perfectly imperfect Big Day.

56 MAKING THE PAST PRESENT BY ROY HALL  ILLUSTRATIONS BY ROWAN FINNEGAN

Begin your future together with ﬁve timetested wedding traditions from the past. 62 ENGAGEMENTS

16 CALENDAR SELECTED EVENTS FOR JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

22 MARKET

BY SUSAN ROWE PHOTOS BY ABRAHAM ROWE

58 OLD SCHOOL BY CHRIS PAYSINGER

140 A FAVOR FOR ELEANOR BY DEBRA GLASS ILLUSTRATIONS BY ROWAN FINNEGAN

146 FOOD FOR THOUGHT BY SARAH GAEDE

150 PARTING SHOT

BY ABRAHAM ROWE

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editor’s letter « Roy Hall

Since No’Ala began back in , we’ve dedicated the ﬁrst issue of each new year to a celebration of new unions. Weddings, after all, represent fresh beginnings; celebrating them in January is a perfect match. We are honored again this year to introduce some of the Valley’s newest families, on the ﬁrst day of the rest of their lives together.

no’ala advisory board Dr. Terrance Brown Dr. Tiﬀany Bostic-Brown Maggie Crisler Michelle Rupe Eubanks Guy McClure, Jr. Abraham Rowe Susan Rowe LuEllen Redding Andy Thigpen

While making these introductions each year, we invariably find ourselves wondering just what inspires people to build their lives together in the first place. At the top of that mysterious list of reasons why is the old adage “opposites attract.” And that got us wondering if maybe places aren’t all that different from couples whose differences complement one another... Over a decade ago, Allen Tomlinson and David Sims, the creators of No’Ala, imagined a magazine that would tell the full story of this creative, innovative place we call home. Because we live in the Shoals, we began here. But the story we have always intended to tell with No’Ala is the story of North Alabama. With that in mind, we’d like to introduce—or maybe re-introduce—two very different but complementary places to one another. One of those places, the Shoals, is a conglomeration of four entrepreneurial, creative communities. We have the most charming downtowns this side of a storybook, some of the best restaurants this side of a Zagat guide, and not one but two of the most heralded fashion designers this side of Milan; we have made indelible contributions to the history of the American Popular Songbook; and if that isn’t enough, a river, bounded by majestic rock walls, runs through it. If you haven’t shopped and dined on Florence’s Court Street, or wandered and wondered at the renaissance of Sheffield’s Montgomery Street, or been charmed by downtown Tuscumbia, or gotten lost in the music at Fame or Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, come see us. We’re easy to find, and we’re friendly.

Mary-Marshall VanSant Carolyn Waterman

When the human genome is mapped and diseases that once baﬄed us are cured, it likely won’t happen in a lab in Boston or Paris or London, but in another conglomeration of four cities just a few miles down the Tennessee River from the Shoals, the same place that put the lie to the notion that Alabamians aren’t smart, the place that ﬁgured out how to put a man on the moon. That same place is also home to the nation’s largest privately-owned arts facility; boasts its own historic, breathtakingly beautiful downtown; enjoys a thriving performing arts community; and produces the best craft beer on earth. If you live in the Shoals and you haven’t visited Lowe Mill, or strolled gorgeous downtown Decatur, or been charmed by locally-owned shops and boutiques on Athens’ and Decatur’s squares, that’s what Saturdays are for. Telling North Alabama’s story is what No’Ala is for. We’ve been doing that going-on a decade now. For several of those years, we told Huntsville’s story in a separate publication. Beginning with this issue, we are wedding the story of North Alabama in a single edition of No’Ala, just the way we always planned. The Shoals, meet Huntsville. Huntsville, say hello to the Shoals.

January/February 2017 VOLUME 10: ISSUE 1

Allen Tomlinson PUBLISHER

Roy Hall EDITORINCHIEF

Matthew Liles PRESIDENT

David Sims CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Jamie Noles ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Rowan Finnegan GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Justin Hall WEB DESIGNER

Carole Maynard PROOFREADER

Kathleen Bobo DISTRIBUTION

Shontae Johnson INTERN CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Debra Glass, Michelle Rupe Eubanks, Sarah Gaede, Roy Hall, Chris Paysinger CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS & STYLISTS Lauren Tomasella Carney, Glenn King, Abraham Rowe, Susan Rowe CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR Rowan Finnegan No’Ala is published six times annually by No’Ala Studios PO Box 2530, Florence, AL 35630 Phone: (256) 766-4222 » (800) 779-4222 noalastudios.com Standard postage paid at Florence, AL. A one-year subscription is $19.95 for delivery in the United States. Signed articles reflect only the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors. Advertisers are solely responsible for the content of their advertisements. © 2008-2017 No’Ala Studios, All rights reserved. Send all correspondence to Roy Hall, Editor, at the postal address above, or by email to roy@noalastudios.com. To advertise, contact us at (256) 766-4222 or sales@noalastudios.com. The editor will provide writer’s guidelines upon request. Prospective authors should not submit unsolicited manuscripts; please query the editor first. No’Ala is printed with vegetable-based inks. Please recycle.

Connect with us on Facebook: No’Ala Studios, Instagram: noalastudios, Pinterest: NoAlaStudios, and Twitter: @NoAla_Magazine

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

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MARRIOTT SHOALS HOTEL & SPA 10 Hightower Place, Florence, AL 35630 MarriottShoals.com, facebook.com/MarriottShoals A part of the Resort Collection on Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

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calendar

Now – Sunday, February 12 The Science of Archimedes This exhibit showcases inventions and scientific discoveries of Archimedes, the “Father of Modern Science,” and takes guests on a journey through history and science with a look at the machines of the ancient world. With computermodeled animations, interactive machines, and an activity station for ages three to 14, this exhibit is designed for all ages. Sun-Sat 9:00am-5:00pm; Admission charged; USSRC, One Tranquility Base; (256) 837-3400; rocketcenter.com Friday, January 6 and Friday, February 3 Bikes & Brews This leisurely group bicycle ride around downtown Huntsville is carefully routed to avoid major roads while hitting downtown Craft Beer Trail hot spots, and typically includes five, one-hour stops. The route changes every month, so be sure to check Facebook for the latest information. Riders are encouraged to be decked out with lights or other fun accessories. 6:00-10:00pm; Free; Downtown Huntsville; facebook.com/groups/bikesbrewshsv Sunday, January 8 and 22; Sunday, February 5 and 19 Jazz Jam Tennessee Valley’s best jazz musicians come together on the first and third Sundays of the month to create great music. Sip on drink specials while you listen or bring your instrument and sit in. 5:00pm-8:00pm; Admission charged; Amendment XXI, 123 N Side Square; (256) 715-0131; amendmentxxihsv.com Friday, January 13 – Saturday, January 21 Theatre Huntsville presents Vonya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia share a home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where they bicker and complain about the circumstances of their lives. When their movie-star sister, Masha, swoops in with her new boy toy, Spike, old resentments flare up. Winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play. Admission charged; Von Braun Center Playhouse; For showtimes and tickets, visit theatrehsv.org Saturday, January 14 Shoals Symphony at UNA presents UNA Honor Orchestra The Shoals Symphony at UNA will present a side-by-side concert with participants of the annual UNA Honor Orchestra weekend. 7:30pm; Admission charged; Norton Auditorium, UNA; (256)765-5500; shoalssymphony.una.edu Saturday, January 14 – Tuesday, February 28 Beaks and Barks in the Garden Walk the trails or play fetch in the “no leash” zone at the back of the Garden. Birding enthusiasts, you’ll be able to explore the Lewis Birding Trail, included on the North Alabama Birding Trail. Grab your binoculars, head out to the trail, and capture

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a few sightings of your own. Mon-Sat 9:00am-5:00pm, Sun noon-5:00pm; Admission charged plus $1 per dog; Huntsville Botanical Garden, 4747 Bob Wallace; (256) 8304447; hsvbg.org Friday, January 27 – Sunday, January 29 Broadway Theatre League presents Once Winner of eight 2012 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Once is a truly original Broadway experience. Featuring an impressive ensemble of actor/musicians who play their own instruments onstage, Once tells the enchanting tale of a Dublin street musician who’s about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs. Fri 8:00pm, Sat 2:00pm and 8:00pm, and Sun 1:00pm and 6:30pm; Admission charged; VBC; (256) 518-6155; broadwaytheatreleague.org Saturday, February 4 HSO presents The Music of John Williams By popular demand, Gregory and the HSO present a tribute to film composer John Williams, creator of iconic scores for Jaws, Star Wars, E.T., Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and the Harry Potter series, and winner of five Academy Awards and 22 Grammys. Dress as your favorite character from a John Williams film, if you wish. Prepare to be moved, inspired, and thrilled by some of the greatest film music of all time. 7:30pm; Admission charged; Mark C Smith Concert Hall, VBC; (256) 539-4818; hso.org Thursday, February 9 – Sunday, February 12 A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof An American treasure brimming with intensity and wit, Tennessee Williams’ classic follows a powerful Southern family as their son Brick and his beautiful wife Maggie “the Cat” scramble to secure their part of Big Daddy’s estate. Meanwhile, all around them, troubled relationships come to a stormy climax as a shockwave of secrets is revealed. Thurs-Sun 7:30pm and Sun 2:00pm; Admission charged; Shoals Community Theatre, 123 N Seminary; (256) 764-1700; facebook.com/ShoalsCommunityTheatre Friday, February 10 – Saturday, February 18 Independent Musical Productions presents Nunsense Five Little Sisters of Hoboken, a one-time missionary order that ran a leper colony on an island south of France, discover that their cook, Sister Julia, accidentally killed the other 52 residents of the convent with her tainted vichyssoise. Upon discovering the disaster, the remaining nuns stage a variety show to raise funds for the burials. Thur-Sat 7:30pm and Sun 2:30pm; Admission charged; The Black Box Theatre at Lee High School, 2500 Meridian St NW; (256) 415-7469; imphuntsville.org Sunday, February 26 Shoals Symphony at UNA presents Choral Masterworks The Shoals Symphony at UNA will be joined by the UNA Choruses, Florence Camerata, and Shoals Chamber Singers for a Choral Masterworks concert. The program will include works by Fauré and Vaughan Williams, and will feature the UNA Solo Artist Competition winner. 3:00pm; Admission charged; Norton Auditorium, UNA; shoalssymphony.una.edu; (256) 765-5122

DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 17, 2017

It’s Your Big Day Tell your love story in your own special way

No’Ala’s annual wedding issue is a keepsake, a bride-to-be inspiration board, and a beautiful way to introduce your new family to the world. No wonder it’s our most popular edition of the year! If you and your sweetheart are planning your own Big Day for 2017, reserve your place in next year’s Wedding issue by visiting noalaweddings.com today. We’ll hold a spot for you, and you can return with your photos anytime between now and November.* To gift a Wedding announcement, or to announce your engagement or the engagement of someone you love, visit us online.

noalaweddings.com

Choose from these packages:

Includes one feature photo, and text highlighting your favorite details from your upcoming wedding!

One-Page Wedding Feature

Two-Page Wedding Feature

Four-Page Wedding Feature

Includes 4 photos, the names of your wedding party, favorite vendors, and more!

Includes 9 photos and up to 250 words describing your beautiful wedding!

Includes 12 photos and up to 700 words describing your beautiful wedding!

$150

$450

$800

$1,450

Engagements

* Deadline subject to change based on package availability. january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

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scene

Dr. Hisham Ba’albaki, John Waters, and Dina Jannun Mathew Pereda, Andrew Mac, and Chuck Graig

John Waters and Chiong-Yiao Chen

Before he became known late in life for his trademark scarf, John Waters, UNA professor and fine artist, was known for another, figurative accessory as the wearer of many hats. Artist, teacher, mentor, father, and friend, our friend John left the Shoals a better, more beautiful place— figuratively and literally—than he found it. God’s speed, John. Thank you for your art, your generosity, and your humanity. Nell Waters, Sasha Waters Freyer, John Waters, Emma Waters, and John Beard

Above: John Waters’ Beyond the Garden Gate Exhibition Opening september  · court street market, florence

Tara Bullington and David Phipps Carty Bledsloe, Noelle Smith, John Waters, Ken Smith, and John Beard

John Waters

Michael Tillman, Shannon Wells, and Shonda Purvis * Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured.

Matthew Hutson, Alyssia Russell, John Waters, and Katie White © Xx

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market » By Susan Rowe » Photos by Abraham Rowe E I

[D] BIRMINGHAM COASTERS ($45 SET OF 4) [E] CHARLESTON BOWL ($24) [F] ORLEANS CAN HOLDER ($18) [G] ORLEANS BOTTLE HOLDER ($18) [H] RICHMOND SHOT GLASS/VOTIVE ($8) TOPIARY TREE, HUNTSVILLE (256) 536-7800 [I]

[A] LEDBURY BLUE TWILL FRENCH CUFF DRESS SHIRT ($145) ROOSEVELT & CO., HUNTSVILLE (256) 203-2440

RAY-BANS ($150) ALABAMA OUTDOORS, HUNTSVILLE (256) 885-3561

[B] WHITE GOLD POCKET WATCH ($325) [C] ANTIQUE DIAMOND/RUBY YELLOW PLATED LION CUFF LINKS ($175) JAMIE HOOD JEWELERS, DECATUR (256) 686-2852

A F

[A] GREYLIN DRESS ($158) [B] ST. XAVIER CLUTCH ($100) [C] SHOES BY LILIANA ($39) ELITAIRE BOUTIQUE, HUNTSVILLE (256) 452-8829 [D] PEARL BASKET DANGLE EARRINGS ($860) [E] MULTI-STRAND PEARL NECKLACE ($1450) JAMIE HOOD JEWELERS, DECATUR (256) 686-2852 [F]

ELISSA & CO JOURNAL ($70) SWEET PINEAPPLE, HUNTSVILLE (256) 964-7563

E D

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market » By Susan Rowe » Photos by Abraham Rowe C

A G K

[A] SILK AND WOOL CHECK TIE ($115) BILLY REID, FLORENCE (256) 767-4692

[B] VINTAGE CUFF LINKS ($25) SIDE LINES, FLORENCE (256) 767-0925 [C] GSI GLACIER HIP FLASK ($29.25) [D] OALO SILICONE WEDDING RING ($19.99) [E] RAY-BANS ($150) [F] TGT WALLET ($46) ALABAMA OUTDOORS FLORENCE (256) 764-1809 [G] COASTERS ($20) [H] MATCHES ($10) PERENNIAL SUPPLY CO., FLORENCE (256) 349-5119 [I] [J]

CANVAS UTILITY BAG ($180) POCKET SQUARE ($16) IDYLLWILDE, FLORENCE IDYLLWILDE.CO

[K] VINTAGE ROLEX ($8,300) JAMIE HOOD JEWELERS MUSCLE SHOALS (256) 381-6889 I

[A] HERBIVORE SEA MIST ($20) [B] HERBIVORE DETOX SOAKING SALTS ($18) [C] MATCHA & HONEY FACE MASK ($4.50) [D] NATURAL HAIR POWDER ($30) PERENNIAL SUPPLY CO., FLORENCE (256) 349-5119

[E] GIVING KEYS NECKLACE ($55) SIDE LINES, FLORENCE (256) 767-0925

[F] VERA BRADLEY HAND LOTION ($8) [G] VERA BRADLEY PERFUME SET ($48) THE VILLAGE SHOPPE MUSCLE SHOALS (256) 383-1133

G F

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market » By Susan Rowe » Photos by Abraham Rowe [A] [B] [C] [D]

BARI LYNN YES/NO PURSE ($60) CHASER HOLIDAY TEE ($60) BAN.DÐ LOVE POTION FLASK ($25) MARCIA COCO COMPACT MIRROR ($18) GRL BOUTIQUE, FLORENCE (256) 349-9293

[E] CHAMPAGNE ($15.99) [F] GLASSES ($8.99 EA) THE CREATIVE GRAPE, SHEFFIELD (256) 668-6939 B

[G] WILL YOU BE MY BRIDESMAID? CARDS ($16 SET OF 8) PERENNIAL SUPPLY CO., FLORENCE (256) 349-5119

[A] PETITS FOURS ($10.50 PER DOZEN) THE VICTORIAN TEA ROOM MUSCLE SHOALS (256) 314-4447 [B] SKYROS PLATE ($39) LYNDA’S LOFT, MUSCLE SHOALS (256) 381-6001 [C] CASHMERE PINK WRAP ($289) [D] VEGAN LEATHER BAG ($29.99) THE VILLAGE SHOPPE MUSCLE SHOALS (256) 383-1133 [E] PEARLY GIRLS BRACELET ($150) SIDE LINES, FLORENCE (256) 767-0925

[F]

HAND DRAWN HIS AND HER VOW JOURNALS ($35) [G] HERBIVORE LIP TINT ($24) PERENNIAL SUPPLY CO., FLORENCE (256) 349-5119

A C

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

ACCIDENTAL WEDDING PLANNER THE

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

by michelle rupe eubanks » photos by lauren tomasella carney

THIRTEEN TIMES. That’s how often Lauren McCaul Petersen has been a bridesmaid, and, for the most part, she has the dresses to prove it. Out of the experience of helping her friends make it through their wedding days and bridal showers and rehearsal dinners, Petersen has been crafting a mental checklist of sorts: an anti to-do list, if you will. For her, and for many of today’s brides-to-be, the wedding day isn’t about the event itself. It’s about being with close family and friends, in celebration of love and the couple being feted. To that end, destination weddings have become a popular alternative to the traditional church affair. According to theknot.com, a go-to wedding site for those in the planning stages of their nuptials, between 20 percent and 25 percent of brides and grooms are choosing to have a destination wedding. These couples, like Lauren and her now-husband Aaron, cite a variety of reasons, from the neutral territory it provides to a decreased cost for amenities to the luxury of the vacation setting. “Maybe it’s the South or our culture as Americans that makes people feel like they have to do a certain thing on their wedding day,” Petersen said. “Having been involved in so many weddings, I learned that those things didn’t matter. Stuff would go wrong and so much money would be spent, but none of it mattered. If Aaron and I were spending all of that money, we wanted to have the opportunity to get appropriate memories and to spend time with our family and friends.” For them, the destination wedding gave them the opportunity to spend their money the way they wanted to in order to have the ceremony—and vacation—of their dreams while enjoying quality time with loved ones. The Petersens live and work in Huntsville, and both have family that lives outside of Alabama and the Southeast. Aaron is a project manager for a solar company, and Lauren is employed as an interior designer for the Army Corp of Engineers. She is also the founder and owner of the Department of Agra Culture, a side business that highlights her love of travel and imported handicrafts. Bringing everyone together to celebrate their wedding allowed them the neutral territory they craved for family and friends traveling from across the country, and it gave the couple an opportunity to travel to a location they’d wanted to visit. “We both love to travel, so it’s something we talked about,” Lauren Petersen said. “And we wanted people to be ‘present,’ you know? We wanted it to be more than just the afternoon we’d get to spend with our close friends and family. If we’d chosen to marry in our hometown, probably 80 percent of those who attended would be local, but they’d have to leave to relieve the babysitter or to let the dog out. Selfishly, we wanted to spend time with these people, and we knew they would be coming from all over the country to celebrate with us.”

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

THE ACCIDENTAL

WEDDING PLANNER

Being away from home in the very real sense of the phrase would mean that wedding guests would be forced to “disconnect and have a good time because we wanted it to be less about the wedding and more about spending time with each other and enjoying this new experience,” she said. Petersen said the couple reviewed a number of potential locations, including Hawaii, where Aaron had been a groomsman for a destination wedding for a friend, as well as Tulum, Mexico. The couple agreed before sending any invitations that they wanted the location to be as inexpensive as possible for guests and to be accessible with an easy flight and just a passport. “It’s expensive to marry in Huntsville, and this caused us look at places where our money could go farther,” she said, adding that the couple had initially considered renting a small eco resort large enough to accommodate all of the wedding guests, and it’s one of the reasons Tulum, Mexico, was such a desirable location. An eco resort is a tourist resort whose facilities are intended to have a minimal impact on the environment. In addition to Mexico, couples are choosing a variety of locations globally for their destination weddings, including Italy; Napa, California; Charleston, South Carolina; and the Dominican Republic. When the resort they’d hoped to book was taken, the Petersens did what a number of brides do: She launched a web-based search of wedding rentals in Mexico. That search revealed a number of large villa rentals in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, that were affordable, available, and beautiful. “Here’s a key to this,” Petersen said. “When we got engaged, we didn’t begin our wedding planning for a month or maybe even six weeks. Because I’d been a bridesmaid so many times, it helped with my expectations that things didn’t have to be a certain way. We were flexible and kept doing research and narrowing stuff down.” Forcing a particular wedding date, such as Christmas or around the New Year or even in a particular season, adds undue and unnecessary stress, she said. Instead, Petersen said she took her time. She enjoyed being engaged and allowed the wedding planning to happen almost organically. When the rental in Puerto Vallarta was open for a week in March, she booked it, sight unseen, knowing she and Aaron would need the time to prepare in advance as well as to give guests a reason to take more than just a day away from home. As it so happened, however, it coincided with spring break.

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january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

THE ACCIDENTAL

WEDDING PLANNER

“Villa Celeste was the place we stayed all week, and it’s where we had the wedding,” Petersen said. “And, while it was a large home, it wasn’t big enough to accommodate all of our guests, just the bridesmaids and groomsmen, but there were hotels and other rentals very nearby. The villa price also came with staff, so two meals a day were included, and the staff took care of the house. We were able to have a family dinner twice a day, so Aaron and I were able to make it our own home for the week, knowing that many of our guests would be joining us later on.” In addition to consulting the internet for a location, Petersen went back to the source to find a wedding planner. She maintained a list and began the process of interviewing them about pricing and services. Ultimately, she chose an individual who had previously worked weddings at Villa Celeste and was willing to coordinate services on an a la carte basis, such as the setting up of guest chairs for the wedding and managing the sound system. “We really didn’t have a lot of decorations; we chose the destination instead, and the beautiful location helped us not to worry about that,” Petersen said. Because the memories—making and capturing them—were so important to the couple, Petersen was meticulous about choosing the photographer. “Once Aaron and I figured out the place, Lauren Tomasella and I had always talked about her doing the wedding photography,” Petersen said. The couple chose to foot the bill for Tomasella’s expenses to Puerto Vallarta because good photography was that important to them both. Prioritizing quality photography is one of Petersen’s key pieces of advice to brides considering destination weddings. “I never wanted to hire someone else because I trusted her work,” Petersen said. “She is a wedding photographer, and I recommend that to others often. Take someone you know and whose images you trust.” Once the couple arrived at Villa Celeste on the Sunday before the wedding, they allowed themselves two work days to complete the tasks that couldn’t be finished stateside. “You know, we didn’t have a cake, but my sister bakes, and we’d talked about having her bake a cake for us,” Petersen said. “As I gave it some thought, I knew I didn’t want her to have to work; I wanted to spend time with her. Aaron and I decided, instead, to find a local bakery. Early on in the week, we visited

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

THE ACCIDENTAL

WEDDING PLANNER

one that was close to our rental, we chose the items, and we ordered them to be delivered on the wedding day. We had a bunch of traditional Mexican desserts as our wedding cake, and, to be honest, we weren’t sure how it was going to go because no one at the bakery spoke English, and we didn’t speak Spanish. But it was fun, and it turned out great.” Petersen also arranged with the local wedding planner to provide a taco and margarita bar for wedding guests for the reception. “We’re kind of obsessed with tacos, and we knew we wanted to have that,” she said. The planner took that and ran with it, hiring a street taco vendor “who brought in a huge spit to shave the meat as it was needed. They also hand-made the tortillas in front of us. People absolutely loved it, and we loved it because it is part of the culture that brought us here in the ﬁrst place.” Losing the need to have ultimate control of each and every detail is what helped the couple through the process, according to Petersen. She could have stressed about the desserts and reception food, but she made a plan and followed through, while keeping her expectations in check. This same mentality was crucial as they planned for the week in advance. Aaron kept an Excel spreadsheet of the guests who had committed to attend and their contact information. The couple used those details in order to keep guests updated on what to expect when they arrived and times when the couple would be available for visiting and other events. “On Wednesday of that week, we had an open house at the villa,” Petersen said. “We kept it casual with margaritas. We also did a tequila distillery tour for the guests because Jalisco County, where Puerto Vallarta is located, is known for its tequila. We also rented a party boat.” The key was to keep the events fun and easy for folks to attend in order to spend time with the bride and groom or to visit with others and make memories of their own. After their wedding week in Puerto Vallarta, the couple took a honeymoon in order to decompress. “We thought about staying an extra week in Puerto Vallarta, but we ended up going to Tulum, so we ended up ﬂying, and we were away for two weeks,” Petersen said. “It was great because there was still some stress as part of the wedding. And there are always things you can’t plan for, but we wanted to make sure people were having fun. No one stressed out on

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THE ACCIDENTAL

WEDDING PLANNER

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

THE ACCIDENTAL

WEDDING PLANNER

us, but we did it to ourselves because we cared about others having a good time.” Through the process, and with nine months of hindsight, Petersen said she would choose the destination wedding path again and again. It’s exactly what she wanted as a bride, and, since returning home, she’s often asked by others for advice about how to have a similar experience. “I’m not in the destination wedding planning business, but people who ﬁnd out what we did do ask, and I’ve been very open to that,” she said. “I’m totally into travel planning and creating itineraries, but that’s about as far as I would go.” Recalling all those times she was a bridesmaid, she remembers being exhausted from the work and having very little to show for the time spent, very few memories with the bride, and that has helped dictate her dedication to her own experience. But, Petersen said, destination weddings aren’t for every bride. Keeping it traditional with a church wedding, the ﬂorist, and the caterer is the top priority for a number of bridesto-be. That’s why her best advice is for the bride and groom to stay true to themselves as they plan for what should be one of the happiest days of their lives together. “Always keep in mind what’s best for you on the day you’re making one of the biggest decisions of your life,” Petersen said. “If brides ask themselves that question in the planning process, I do often wonder if they would come to the same conclusion. People tell me all the time they wish they’d done something like we did and that they regret what they did. We don’t regret anything. I was surprised at how tired we were, but we don’t regret a thing.”

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LAUREN MCCAUL PETERSEN’S KEYS TO A DESTINATION WEDDING

Enjoy being engaged. The planning will come, so slow down to enjoy those initial weeks of being newly engaged. Forcing a particular wedding date or time of year can cause unnecessary and undue stress for the bride, the couple, and the family. The photographer is important. If you’re going to spend money, this is the thing on which it should be spent. Consider hiring a wedding planner for the day-of-thewedding activities because it’s diﬃcult to accomplish these tasks from a distance. Consider arriving at the destination early in order to make a schedule of events and activities for wedding guests. Do research on what it looks like to get married in that country. For some locations, there are a variety of requirements that may be diﬃcult to establish.

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Jovani Wedding Dress ($550) » Cherry Tree Lane Bridal and Formal » Florence » (256) 767-4262  | noalastudios.com | january/february 

by roy hall » photos by abraham rowe» styling by susan rowe hair and makeup by glenn king

Few things in life are as sustaining as the affection, devotion, and love of a true friend. But that love can come at a price. And the price can be an ugly bridesmaid’s dress. These former bridesmaids have come forward to share their traumatizing tales of crinoline travesties and Buick-sized bows, united in the belief that if just one future bride can be convinced to reject moiré, the heartache will all have been worth it. They have all requested anonymity. These are their stories...

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bridesmaids of frankenstein!

“When I ﬁrst saw the design for the dress, I was skeptical. But I love the bride, and I love her Momma. (And I’m a little scared of her, too!) First, I have to say that it was the mid ’90s, so the design was appropriate: tea-length gingham with an organza overlay skirt, an organza faux-wrap bodice, a rather large bow at the ‘wrap’ in the front, and big, poufy sleeves. Those of us with long hair wore it half back with a large white bow, so when the wedding party faced the altar, the congregation saw a sea of hair bows. The good news is that the dress was very conducive to dancing during a lively wedding reception, and the bride and groom, two of my favorite people, are very happily married today!”

Big Bow Peep Killen

“I’ve been a flower girl, a bridesmaid, and a maid of honor a couple of times each. And almost every time that I laid eyes on the dress, I nearly imploded with existential dread. Having to dress exactly like eight or nine other people was bad enough, but the dresses themselves were nothing but public flagellation. I’ve donned everything from red accordion pleated chiffon to Victorian lace with glued on rhinestones. The worst offender was handmade from forest green and maroon chintz upholstery fabric and cut in the style of Alexis Carrington of Dynasty— complete with shoulder pads! The only dress that didn’t completely make me want to hide underneath the dessert table was a pretty pale yellow shantung dress. Sadly, this one didn’t survive my tremendous breakdancing skills at the reception.

A decade into my career as a bridesmaid, I ﬁgured out how to never be asked to be in another wedding. It would never work these days, but it was a sureﬁre way to exclude yourself from the short

Not all bridesmaidrelated heartache is of the sartorial variety… “My ex-boyfriend of two years invited me to be a bridesmaid in his wedding, because we were still ‘such good friends.’ Though it was very diﬃcult, I wanted to show support for his new bride. I cried throughout the ceremony—and not just a tear or two, either; we’re talking full-throttle sobbing. His parents kept looking at me with such sympathetic eyes. It was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. Looking back, I see the experience as some strange form of torture. P.S. The marriage lasted six months.”

Bereft at the Altar Huntsville

list in the ’90s. After overhearing the scandalized whispers about a bridesmaid’s exposed tattoo, I went out and got some ink on my own arm. Her faux pas was my deliverance!”

The Right to Bear—Inked Arms Littleville

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bridesmaids of frankenstein!

“Time: 1978, Labor Day Weekend. Place: University Presbyterian Church, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, during a heat wave. The bridesmaids’ outfits were ‘yaller’ (as in primary yellow, which flatters no one) double knit polyester sleeveless halter-neck floor-length dresses, which required a strapless bra and a floor-length slip, as the flimsy fabric was see-through. These were topped with polyester chiffon autumnal print boleros with long sleeves (no bare arms in church!). The temperature in the unairconditioned church was about 100 degrees. As soon as we reached the church hall for the reception, all the bridesmaids as one ripped off our boleros and tossed them aside in disgust. We then spent 10 minutes comparing who had the most sweat running down her back, and how unpleasant it was to feel the sweat drops making their slow way down to the floor.”

Baking in a Bolero Bodice Florence

“A few years ago, I was a bridesmaid at a very conservative church. I knew they had strict rules about attire, songs, ministers, etc. Enter the cupcake mini-dress. The dress barely covered all the important parts, and the skirt was huge, with enough tiers to rival any southern buttercream wedding cake. The skirt had a life of its own (because, what’s a cupcake skirt without a tulle hoop underneath?), making group photos a real challenge. During the reception, a scandalized guest mentioned that I was ‘scantily clad’ for such a momentous occasion. ‘Am I? Thanks so much for mentioning it. I hadn’t noticed!’”

Maid of Dishonor Harvest

bridesmaids of frankenstein!

“It’s funny and a little cringe-worthy when I look back at these old wedding photos. Despite my big ’80s hair and the massive puﬃness of the sleeves on my wedding dress, I really thought I had set a sophisticated tone for my wedding. I remember that I really wanted something pretty and diﬀerent for my bridesmaids. I thought I’d found it in the lovely twopiece jacket with a peplum and long, straight skirts with a tasteful slit in the back. They might not have been so bad, if I had picked another fabric and color. But the wine-colored satin kind of reminds me of the brightly foiled, chocolate Easter eggs I love in the spring. Honestly, I thought at the time the dresses were lovely and convinced myself that my sweet friends and family might actually wear them again someday!”

A View from a Bride Florence

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The dress barely covered all the important parts, and the skirt was huge, with enough tiers to rival any southern buttercream wedding cake.â&#x20AC;?

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My first wedding was in , at Maximo Presbyterian Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, with cake and punch in the fellowship hall. I was 20 years old, in thrall to the peace, love, and tie-dye culture, and to my ex’s fervent belief that his family money was better spent on the poor rather than things like diamond engagement rings. (He has mellowed with age—he forked over a bundle for our daughter’s wedding.) I made my Vogue pattern dotted Swiss wedding dress and my two sisters’ dresses. My long straight hair was adorned with a daisy wreath. My ex wore a god-awful suit (the height of early ’70s style) from Sears. His best friend sang “The Wedding Song” by Paul Stookey. I still shudder at these lyrics: “As it was in the beginning, is now until the end, woman draws her life from man and gives it back again.” The seeds of second-wave feminism were sprouting then, and the movement was not salubrious for marriages in the 1970s. If it had been a diﬀerent time, we would have lived together for awhile, ﬁgured out that we were really not meant for each other, and gone our separate ways, without spending seven out of the eight years of our marriage in counseling—couples, group, and individual—trying to stay married.

IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED text by sarah gaede

After a tumultuous seventies spent in Atlanta, including the birth of a daughter and the ex becoming a Presbyterian minister, we divorced in 1979, much to the relief of our exhausted therapist. I moved to Savannah, Georgia and became an Episcopalian. In 1981, one month after my 30th birthday, I met Henry, the love of my life. At the age of 33, he had never been married, but woke up one morning and realized it was time to consider the possibility. I was, he explained romantically, the next woman who came along. We met in April, he moved in with me in June, and we were married on December 5, 1981. What a difference a decade makes. This time, I was going to have a truly sacramental wedding, with choir, communion, and a champagne reception. Henry was amenable—after all, he loves a good party, he’d never been married, and he was also falling in love with the Episcopal church. Henry and I were footing the bill, as is proper with second weddings, so we went to a vintage clothing store for our outfits. My six-year-old daughter Martha, a party girl, enjoyed the festivities in her dress modeled on the frocks worn by Diana Spencer’s young bridesmaids. Instead of “The Wedding Song,” there were Schütz motets. Henry and I walked down the aisle together to a hymn sung by the choir and congregation. More than one guest told me it was the most beautiful wedding they had ever been to. The reception was at the Pirates’ House restaurant, where I was employed and practically a member of the family who owned it, so I got a great deal. We had a jukebox instead of a DJ or band. The following September, we went to Europe for a month with the money we had saved on the wedding, something one could afford to do back then. That’s my wedding history. Every wedding, first, second, or whatever, is unique—some in a good way, some not so much. Most of them are shaped by such things as the particular circumstances in which the couple find themselves, personality, budget, or all three. One of my friends, Paula, who is a weeper, got married at the courthouse the first and second time, because she did not want to be a public spectacle. My friend Mickey had been dating the person who turned out to be her second husband for nine years, and living with him for two, which was just fine with them, but his grandmother was annoyingly insistent that they get married. They finally gave up and drove to the courthouse in Nashville.

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After procuring the license, they were led to the judge’s office. He was walking out the door to go fishing, dressed in his fishing gear with lures hanging off his vest and fishing pole nearby. He wouldn’t let them in his office, so they stood in the doorway. Mickey says, “We thought it was perfect and laughed and giggled all the way through. As we left the courthouse we each said at the same time, ‘Well, I own you now.’ Best purchase I ever made!” And then there’s the Shoals couple who shall remain nameless. She had been through the big wedding several years before, so got that checked off her list. The groom, who waited until his 30s to marry, had played so many pranks on his friends at their weddings that he was fearful of what they might do to him. They ended up sneaking off to Birmingham to be married at a pastor friend’s church, without even family in attendance. My college roommate Gail’s second wedding is a perfect example of the ways personality and circumstances shape a ceremony. She was married a year after I was in a lavish service at the same church. No one particularly liked the groom, who was some years older, and he did not improve on further acquaintance. Gail’s marriage lasted eight years as well, but she remained single for much longer than I did. At her 25th high school reunion, she reconnected with Rick, who had been her date at the senior prom. He had never been married, and had been a bad boy until he found sobriety. It was love at second sight. Gail sold the engagement ring from her first wedding to pay for the second. Her parents, who adored Rick, paid for the reception. Her college-age son Taylor walked her down the aisle in his kilt, then sang with his friend during the service. As a tribute to where they met and reconnected, Gail wore a purple lace tea-length dress with gold shoes, the colors of Lakeside High School, their alma mater. Rick’s best friend from high school was his best man, and his AA buddies served

as ushers and readers. The congregation sang “Simple Gifts.” The service was personal, meaningful, and heart-warming. As an Episcopal priest, I much prefer doing the pre-marriage counseling for more seasoned couples, because they know who they are as individuals. They have been through the illusive fairy tale version of marriage and come out the other side with a much more realistic understanding of what a good marriage entails. With ﬁrst marriages, especially in the South, the mother of the bride usually calls the shots, the bride gets stressed, and the groom throws up his hands and does what he is told. Not a great dynamic with which to embark on married life. Local etiquette expert Faith Landers observes that with a second marriage, the focus is more on the couple than the bride. Her advice to couples is to plan the wedding

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EVERY WEDDING, FIRST, SECOND, OR WHATEVER, IS UNIQUE—SOME IN A GOOD WAY, SOME NOT SO MUCH. MOST OF THEM ARE SHAPED BY SUCH THINGS AS THE PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THE COUPLE FIND THEMSELVES, PERSONALITY, BUDGET, OR ALL THREE.

together. It’s a great way to learn about each others’ values and preferences, and how to negotiate and work together. Etiquette rules are flexible, as long as the basics are observed and everyone is comfortable. It is most important to keep focused on what you want, and not worry about answering to others about your choices, even—or especially—your mothers or your well-meaning friends. There are no size limits for a second wedding. The celebration can be as small or large as you please. Faith has worked with couples who go bigger the second time, as I did, and couples who choose a simple celebration or run down to the courthouse. Use your past experience to choose the elements you truly care about, and let the rest go. As an aside, Faith observes that brunch-time second weddings are “simply charming,” less expensive, and a good choice with younger children. If your friends want to help you, let them. I see no reason why a low-key potluck reception might not be just the thing for some couples, especially if you have been living together for years. Faith suggests that if your home is already well-equipped, and you find yourself looking for things to register for “just because,” it is appropriate to ask instead for donations to a favorite charity. She adds, “It is not polite to place ‘No gifts, please’ on an invitation. People who want to bring a gift of any sort will do so, not out of obligation, but delight.” Whatever the gift, don’t forget the thank-you notes! In the Episcopal wedding service, the officiant opens with these words: “Marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God.” This is just as true for remarriage, especially if the couple is bringing children to the marriage. Second (or third, or whatever) weddings are not just about expressing who you are as a couple. They are often about

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combining families. Kathleen Bernal, an event planner in Huntsville, observes that second weddings are often about combining families: “From what I have seen, most couples encourage the children to be involved with the ceremony somehow, which I think is very special to everyone. I have seen unity ceremonies involving the children, and also children being a part of the wedding party. In one wedding, the bride-to-be was widowed, and her 10-year-old son walked her down the aisle and was the one who gave her away. You could tell that that was a very proud moment for him.” Faith recommends that the couple present a united front when children are involved, and suggests a family meeting before moving forward in what she calls bride-and-groom mode. Aim for a collaborative and positive experience. She suggests taking the kids to lunch one-on-one, and taking a combined family trip before the wedding to bring everyone together in a laid-back environment. “Yes,” Faith observes, “you want to marry your partner, but make it your priority to start out on the right foot with the new family you are creating. Talk to your children or step-children in person about your plans. Make them feel like your re-marriage is a positive for everyone, not just you and your partner. If they have an idea or suggestion, see if there is a way to incorporate it into an enjoyable day for all.” Faith has a gift for making everyone as comfortable as possible, including former in-laws. “Be mindful of family on your ex’s side. Are these relatives who would enjoy continuing to be a part of your life? If so, they need to be invited as an extension of the relationship you wish to maintain.” The most important thing in planning any ceremony is to be true to who you are, and make this a personal celebration that reﬂects your personality as a couple and a family. In both Faith’s and Kathleen’s experience, whether it’s the ﬁrst or second or third wedding, the love, excitement, and happiness is still very strong. So relax and enjoy, and cherish every moment of your special day.

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“I awoke to a gloomy and stormy Saturday morning just in time to turn on The Weather Channel and hear a forecaster say, ‘It’s sure to be a wet one all day long, folks.’ I told myself it was no big deal, that nothing would take the joy out of our day. Sure enough, with the help of some great friends and my wedding coordinator, I was kept in a continual state of obliviousness to what was really going on outside and up above.

intro by roy hall

Wedding days beset by floods, jealous dogs, forgetful preachers, and various plagues of bad luck may not seem like the most teachable moments for a lesson in Zen. But, like the lotus flower that finds nourishment in the muck, these couples went on to long and happy lives together, despite some pretty inauspicious beginnings.

ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL

‘The thousand-year ﬂood’ they call it now. The rains that poured over Nashville the day of our wedding, May 20, 2010, were horriﬁc. Nineteen inches over two days lead to the deaths of 21 people, made major disaster areas out of 30 counties, and did billions in damages. When the reality of the situation couldn’t be denied any longer, and 50 guests got stuck and couldn’t make it, my friends changed their story: ‘Don’t worry,’ they said, ‘rain is good luck for a marriage!’ If that were the case, we’d be leaping through rainbows every day.

“The time had come for my daughter’s beloved nanny and best friend Miss ‘Kaprin’ (Katharine) to get married and move to Texas. The pain of this development was eased ever-soslightly for three-year-old Stella when she was asked to be a ﬂower girl in the wedding. Despite a solid performance at the rehearsal, when the actual ceremony began, Stella refused to walk down the aisle and ran to sit with me instead. No big deal; it happens. We all thought that was the end of the story.

When I look back on our wedding day, I can’t help but think that, sure, it wasn’t ﬂawless, but it was our day, and that’s enough to make it perfect for us. Today, we share our lives in Franklin, Tennessee, with our two-year-old twin boys, Jackson and Jonah, and we thank the good Lord each day for our sweet journey. It hasn’t always been easy, but our love is stronger than ever and we are so grateful for the ‘luck’ that was poured out over our day.”

Stella sat quietly, hugging blankie and sucking her thumb while Katharine made her way down the aisle with her father. Once they got to the front, Stella asked if she could go stand next to her. It seemed like a good idea at the time, and I assumed she would stand between Katharine and her maid of honor. Not so much. Stella ran up to Katharine, threw her arms around her, and didn’t let go. She just stood there, feet ﬁrmly planted on the wedding dress, clinging to her legs for the remainder of the ceremony. The only time she budged was when she strategically repositioned herself between Sawyer and Katharine as they said their vows.

COURTNEY HODGE EVANS Nashville, Tennessee (formerly Decatur)

The moral of their stories is simple: just because it all goes wrong doesn’t mean it can’t turn out alright. © Kenn Stilger

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Some might say she just wanted a better view. I suspect that Stella was actually sending a not-so-subtle message to the groom that she would begrudgingly allow the wedding and the move to Texas to proceed, but at the end of the day, the bride was still HER Miss ‘Kaprin,’ and she would not be replaced.” ASHLEY ANDERSON (Stella Ruth’s mom) Florence

“Like most girls, when I was little, I dreamed of the perfect, fairy tale wedding. When my big day ﬁnally rolled around, reality butted its way into my fantasy. To not interfere with the Alabama football schedule (heaven forbid our guests miss a single play), my husband and I got married in August. We were met with not one, but two afternoon showers, threatening our outdoor reception. The rain stopped and a beautiful sunset appeared over Mobile Bay, but the hot, humid air remained. The men looked miserable in their suits, and the ladies were positively glistening in sweat. After one too many mint juleps, my mother and her four sisters jumped in the outdoor fountain to cool oﬀ. The band piped up, and it was our cue to let go of expectations, have fun, and live in the moment. That day remains the hottest of our life—and one of the best.”

TALES FROM THE TRENCHES: A WEDDING PROFESSIONAL SHARES EYEWITNESS HICCUPS AND UH-OHS FROM THE FRONT LINES:

“DEAF

BY RICE”

BY SARAH GAEDE

LAURA ANDERS LEE Celebration, Florida (formerly Florence)

“When your maid of honor motivates herself to lose weight by ordering a dress four sizes too small, make sure to have your aunt as a backup bridesmaid.”

It’s a myth that thrown rice is bad for birds, but it can be hazardous to human health, and not just because it’s slippery to step on. The most famous example is Juliet “Daisy” Gordon Low (1860-1927), a Savannah, Georgia, native and founder of the Girl Scouts, who had a lifechanging encounter with this staple of the Low Country at the age of 26. Daisy suﬀered from a series of ear ailments in her youth, and began to lose her hearing when she was 17. An experimental injection of silver nitrate caused her to lose all hearing in one ear. After her wedding at Christ Church, Savannah, a grain of rice thrown in blessing lodged in her good ear. Rather than seeing a doctor immediately, Daisy continued on to her honey-

“I attended a wedding where the minister forgot the vows. He began, ‘Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today,’ then immediately concluded with ‘I now pronounce you….’ Short ceremony; long marriage—the couple is still happily wed today!”

moon, during which that ear became infected, and she lost most of her remaining hearing. Daisy continued throughout her life to seek treatment and remedies, including hearing horns and early electric hearing aids, to little avail, as, she remarked, “My hearing comes and goes like a fog.” But like our own Helen Keller, Daisy never let her hearing loss slow her down as she advanced the empowerment of girls and women. Exhibiting the resourcefulness she encouraged her Girl Scouts to develop, Daisy used her gifts as a storyteller and conversationalist to compensate for her poor hearing.

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“A veteran brought his service dog to my sister’s wedding. When the minister invited anyone with objections to the marriage to ‘Speak now or forever hold your peace,’ the dog barked.”

Making the Past Present

by roy hall illustrations by rowan finnegan

Of all the rituals that solemnize the milestones in our lives, weddings are among the most cherished. The ﬁve traditions below, each from diﬀerent cultures, demonstrate how couples incorporate their people’s history, faith traditions, and a bit of harmless superstition to make their Big Day special.

Jumping the Broom The African-American tradition of jumping the broom transforms a relic of an ugly past into something beautiful. Before emancipation, slaves had no legal personhood, which prevented them from entering into contracts, including the contract of marriage. In the absence of oﬃcial recognition, couples symbolically aﬃrmed their love and commitment to one another by jumping over a broomstick. The tradition was revived in the 1970s, after the popular TV mini-series Roots revealed the long-lost rite.

Rain, Rain

Go Away

Eight reclaimed pews, one rose-covered arbor, a three-tiered cake, and 100 of your closest friends. That will be the scene lakeside one month from today, when you and your honey say your outdoor “I dos.” But the Weather Channel only predicts rain chances two weeks in advance! This is what stress feels like. Luckily, your predicament has a simple solution, but time, as they say, is a-wastin’. To prevent rain on your wedding day, exactly one month from the date of your nuptials, bury a bottle of bourbon, face down and full, at the wedding site. Tradition says it’ll keep the rain away. When your ceremony comes oﬀ without a hitch (and with one!), celebrate by digging up the bottle and passing it around. Note: If the rain falls despite your best eﬀorts, don’t feel like you have to share.

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Shattering Expectations

At the conclusion of a Jewish wedding ceremony, a glass is wrapped in a napkin and laid at the right foot of the groom, who stomps it. (For maximal smash-volume, a light bulb may be substituted for a champagne flute.) Two theories, both deeply rooted in the Jewish tradition and experience, have been offered as explanation for this curious rite. The first is that joy is always tempered by sorrow, an inconvenient fact of life, which should never be lost sight of, even during a wedding ceremony. The second and not entirely unrelated explanation is that the smashing of the glass serves as a reminder to the congregants of the destruction of the Second Temple.

5 A Smashing Good Time

Some say the Greek practice of smashing plates began as a mourning ritual during funerals. Others claim that wealthy Greeks smashed their ﬁnest dinnerware following banquets, just to prove they could. Regardless of the actual origin, the tradition of plate-smashing is considered out-of-date now by Greeks, and regulations prevent the practice in commercial locations. But for non-Greeks, hurling a plate into a ﬁreplace says “Greek wedding” just as clearly as Opa!

Tying the Knot, Literally Some metaphors are so familiar, they become substitutes for the very thing they describe. Tying the knot is one of them. Couples have been literally joining their hands together (or “handfasting”) with rope or fabric since medieval times, and possibly earlier. The symbolism couldn’t be more straightforward: two have become one. Fun fact: Until 1939, handfasting was recognized as legally valid in Scotland!

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old school » Text by Chris Paysinger

NESTING: A MASTER CLASS

The Wedding issue really is the best issue of the year—with pages ﬁlled with beautiful brides, freshly scrubbed grooms, historic churches, antebellum plantations, and fantastic backyards, all decked-out and ready for a wedding. Sheer perfection. So much so, I can’t imagine planning nuptials today. For me, the weight of planning and executing such an event with today’s expectations would be crushing. My wife and I have been married 14 years, and what remains from that cool November day are only wonderful, imperfect memories. Those many years ago, my wife bought a few wedding magazines, talked to some friends, and planned with her mom. The wedding was great, but it wasn’t some perfect fairy tale. And in retrospect, it didn’t have to be. These many years removed, the parts I remember with the most clarity are the things that, if given the choice at the time, we deﬁnitely would not have planned. We married in the historic Presbyterian church that anchors the square in downtown Athens. Suzanne grew up there, and it is a beautiful space. But our wedding day involved my childhood friends, which meant there was bound to be a little

mayhem. Before the service, my friends stood in an alleyway behind the church and gulped Jack Daniels between bites of Kreme Delite chilidogs, with extra onions. One groomsman entered the church far too early and stood in stoic silence as the others in the back made faces and hooted with laughter. Another friend arrived late and walked down one aisle as my bride-to-be walked down the other. (She was by far the prettier of the two.) During the reception, another groomsman scrawled so much obscene material on the getaway car in shaving cream that my mother and brother had to duck out for a quick run to the local carwash before our grandparents saw the graﬃti. Those are the memories, imperfect as they may be, that we recall most fondly from that day.

SO FIND HAPPINESS. NOBODY LOOKED DEEPLY INTO THE EYES OF THEIR SPOUSE ON THEIR WEDDING DAY AND THOUGHT, “I CAN’T WAIT TO BE MISERABLE WITH YOU FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.”

These days, it seems like many couples concentrate so much on making those few hours in the church perfect, they forget, maybe, that the hard work begins after the reception, when you find yourselves very married. But let’s assume everything about the big day is perfect. The dress fit like a glove. The caterer crafted a cake into a work of art. The flower girl cooperated. The weather was sublime. The groomsmen didn’t reek of booze or burp onions. The gifts you received were thoughtful. You jetted off on a rapturous honeymoon. Then you return home, swing open the door to your new place, and find yourselves married. Every married couple has been there, and thankfully, most survived. But that first year is tough. You will learn things about your spouse, things that never occurred to you, that will get on your nerves so damn bad. Habits that escaped your notice during courting will burst forth with all the subtlety of a Mount Saint Helens’ eruption. Those quirky habits will explode and billow and cause significant aggravation that can quickly escalate, if allowed. For example, one odd habit my wife exhibited early on (and still does to this day) is that she often leaves closet doors and kitchen drawers ever-so-slightly open. Not a full crack, but just enough that it is evident that they aren’t entirely closed. Why in the world that bothers me, I have no idea. But what I quickly realized that first year is that there are a helluva lot bigger things to worry over than a cracked door. In the last 14 years I have become an expert at two things: deftly pushing closed a drawer so as not to draw attention to what I am doing, and keeping in mind that she is probably doing something similar in response to a habit of mine that drives her crazy. (If she reads this article, this is the first she will have heard about her distracting habit.)

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Old School: Wedding Lessons or Nesting: A Master Class Old School: Channeling Ghosts

That first year we were “trapped” (her word, not mine) in a smallish two-bedroom apartment in a city with nothing to do. And even if there had been something to do, we had no money with which to do it. We learned a lot about one another that first year, before we escaped to a smallish twobedroom house in a city with nothing to do, and still with no money with which to do it. So, for all of the beautiful newlyweds who grace this issue, some advice on things to think about as you embark on your first year of marriage. The First House Remember, it is not your forever home. It is fine to buy a modest starter home and make it your own. About six months into our marriage, we started the process of looking for our first house. After approximately two weeks of half-heartedly looking through the classifieds and driving through a few neighborhoods, I was more than ready to throw in the towel. One day, cruising through a local development, I ticked off the things we wanted in our first place and asked, “Well,

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what would it take to just build that?!?” Suzanne, ever the realist, stared out the window as bland tract homes slipped by and answered, “What would it cost? Our marriage. It would cost us our marriage.” And she was right. There was no way we could have survived the hundreds of decisions building a house would have entailed at that point of our marriage. We bought a cool little bungalow in an “established” part of town. The bank told us we were pre-approved for $220,000 for that first place. We could have paid the mortgage, but we could not have eaten, too. Instead, we spent $82,000 on our little home. We worked together on Saturday mornings pulling weeds from the flower beds that had been cared for by the previous owners. We painted, sweated, ripped up carpet to reveal beautiful hardwoods, and brought our daughter home there. We had the best neighbors ever. One, well into his 80s, always sent me home with a “toter” (a red solo cup) of whatever cocktail he was perpetually having on his back stoop. My daughter stripped the figs from his trees as far as her small arms would allow. Another neighbor, Anna, a firecracker at almost 90, wove wonderful stories strung together primarily

with curse words, from her days in charge of a DHR office in Florida. We still miss both of them. Dogs You’ll want a dog when you marry, if you don’t already have one. Maybe that impulse comes from wanting something that belongs to both of you. I am not a dog person, but during that first year, and on the cusp of getting our own house, I brought up the possibility. I knew my wife would have liked one, and I was willing to get one for her benefit. Her family had dogs that even made it into the family photos. (To this day, Kip the Three-Legged Wonder Dog smiles at us from the living room bookshelf, memories preserved by Olan Mills.) But when I mentioned bringing home a puppy, Suzanne calmly noted that maybe then wasn’t the right time. When I pressed her further, she noted, “Maybe we should have a baby first and see if we are mature enough.” Eight years after our daughter was born, and with 12 years of marriage, we made the leap and “Santa” brought us a Yorkie. There had obviously been a maturity curve. Arguments You will have arguments. Yes, you had arguments when you were dating; married arguments are different. Married arguments occur in closer proximity, and that means things might get a little more personal. Because your stuff, your space, your money is now not wholly yours, perhaps. You will be inclined to want to argue about the silliest things— like the fact that the kitchen drawer is very slightly cracked. I grew up in a family of great fussers. Everyone groused about everything, and I am genetically inclined to do so, too, I am afraid. But I refuse to do that, and if possible, you shouldn’t either. There is enough worry in this world already and you didn’t choose to marry this person because you wanted more of it. So find happiness. Nobody looked deeply into the eyes of their spouse on their wedding day and thought, “I can’t wait to be miserable with you for the rest of my life.” And realize very early on, that damned growing pile of dirty laundry isn’t going away anytime soon, no matter how much you argue about it.

Walk down the aisle along the majestic Tennessee River, perfectly manicured greens and Alabama Pines when you host your wedding at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals. Dance the night away under the North Alabama stars, with your reception overlooking the water. Want an indoor option as well? The Clubhouse at RTJ at The Shoals has got you covered. Let our staﬀ and certiﬁed wedding team help you make your dream wedding a reality, and capture your special day in the beauty of The Shoals. Call 256.446.4483 for more information, or to book your wedding at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals. Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals 990 Sunbelt Parkway · Muscle Shoals, Al · 35661 rtjgolf.com · facebook.com/rtjshoalsweddings PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF CREATE PORTRAITURE.

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Emerald Elizabeth Grace Summar and Collin Ray Parker

Courtney Maria Volinski and Christopher James Ronald Olsen

September , 

February , 

Collin and I met when I was a freshman in high school and continued dating long-distance throughout his college career at Belmont University in Nashville. The December prior to his graduation, Collin and I received a photography session as a gift from my parents. Collin secretly contacted Ashley Vaughn with White Rabbit Studios and planned a picture-perfect engagement shoot at 1818 Farms, a place so dear to my heart. I’ve known the owner of the farm since I was nine years old, and I love the animals like they are my own, so I was excited for our moment to take place somewhere so beautiful and special. Collin and Ashley decided that the old black walnut tree on the farm would be the perfect spot to pop the question. After working our way across the farm, Collin got down on one knee and asked the question that I’d been dreaming of for the past six years. The rest of the shoot was spent capturing the joy and excitement of the engagement. Collin and I were lucky enough to have our wedding at 1818 Farms a few months later and have been blissfully married for the past three months. We always have our photos to look back on and share with family when they ask how it happened, and that wouldn’t be possible without Ashley and White Rabbit Studios.

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We have been together since the beginning of our senior year in high school. Since Chris joined the Army, our relationship has been a roller coaster ride of how and when we would see each other. Last year, on Thanksgiving Day, Chris proposed after ﬁve years of dating. Now we are just waiting for the big day, February 25, 2017.

An elegant setting worthy of your event. A place like no other.

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Sally Ann Register and Joseph Harry Shaver

Megan Smith and James Keenum

May 

Florence, Alabama » June , 

Sally Register, operations manager of South/West Alabama for DentaQuest Care Group, is to be married to Harry Shaver, an environmental health and safety specialist for PolyOne Glasforms in Birmingham, Alabama. Ms. Register is the daughter of Wendell Register of Huntsville, Alabama, and Lynn and Gary Hogan of Madison, Alabama. Mr. Shaver is the son of Jeﬀ and Ginny Shaver of Leesburg, Alabama. A May wedding is planned.

Megan Smith and James Keenum were engaged December 2015. Ms. Smith, the daughter of Jeﬀ and Debbie Smith of Florence, received a master’s degree in elementary education from the University of North Alabama and is employed as a teacher with Florence City Schools. Mr. Keenum, the son of Danny and Debby Keenum of Muscle Shoals, is a graduate of the University of North Alabama with a Bachelor of Science degree in professional geography and is employed with Intergraph Government Solutions. The couple were married June 4, 2016, in a beautiful outdoor ceremony held at McFarland Park in Florence with Dr. Lisa Keys-Mathews oﬃciating. They are now residing in Muscle Shoals.

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Haley Locklar and Matt Headley

Karen Ann Parks and Glenn Andrews Rudolph

Toney, Alabama » April , 

Florence, Alabama » October , 

We got engaged July 1, 2016, at Turner Field and have decided to get married nine short months later on April 8, 2017, at Meadow Creek Farms in Toney, Alabama. Joel and Amber have been a dream to work with and we cannot wait for them to shoot our wedding day.

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Karen Ann Parks, general surgery resident in Louisville, Kentucky, and Glenn Andrews Rudolph, general dentist in Louisville, were engaged March 5, 2016. Dr. Parks is the daughter of Trey and Ginger Parks of Decatur, Alabama. Dr. Rudolph is the son of Roy and Celia Rudolph of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. They were married October 1, 2016, at Florence First United Methodist Church followed by a reception at Turtle Point Yacht and Country Club. They currently reside in Louisville, Kentucky, and will be moving to Gainesville, Florida, in June 2017, where Dr. Parks will begin a Vascular Surgery Fellowship at Shands Hospital.

Kelsey Lauren Hanback and Charles Price Vaughan

Martha Caroline Hibbett and Anthony David Horton

St. Florian, Alabama » September , 

June 

We live in Florence, Alabama. I am the daughter of Robert and Shelia Hanback. He is the son of Chuck and Susan Vaughan. Chad graduated from Samford with a doctorate in pharmacy, and I ﬁnished the ADHP program for dental hygiene. We were engaged on September 23, 2015, and married September 24, 2016. We were married at the family’s barn in St. Florian surrounded by friends and Family.

Dr. and Mrs. Barry Kenneth Hibbett Jr. of Florence announce the engagement of their daughter, Caroline Hibbett, to Anthony Horton, son of Mr. and Mrs. Tony Horton of Red Bay, Alabama. Caroline is a graduate of The University of Alabama and is a Neonatal Intensive Care nurse in Birmingham, Alabama. Anthony is currently in medical school at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Auburn, Alabama. A June wedding is planned.

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Jordan Adams and Ryan Holderfield

Amberlynn Hope Boydston and Brandon Scott Albritton

Seagrove, Florida » October , 

Huntsville, Alabama » May , 

Jordan Johanna Adams is to be married to Ryan Matthew Holderﬁeld in Seagrove, Florida, October 29, 2016. Jordan is the daughter of Scott and Elke Adams of Lexington, Alabama. Ryan is the son of Matt and Delinda Holderﬁeld of Rogersville, Alabama.

On September 16, the man of my dreams asked me to marry him in one of our favorite spots in Auburn, Samford Hall. Brandon and I had both had a crazy week full of tests, and he mentioned to me he wanted to grab something to eat on Thursday, to catch up. He brought up the idea of going to one of our favorite restaurants in Auburn, Amsterdam Cafe. I didn’t think twice about him mentioning it! He picks me up as usual and acts completely normal. We get in the car, and he starts driving towards Gay Street, then turns onto College, which is not the way to Amsterdam Cafe. I mention it, and with a smirk he says, “I thought you said you wanted Hamilton’s?” At that point I realized what was happening. He parks behind Samford Hall, and says, “Let’s walk the long way downtown.” We walk towards the front of Samford. As usual, I’m talking his ear oﬀ. He hardly says a word and takes my hand. As we walk to the front, he gently directs me where to stand and gets down on one knee. Right then and there was the most perfect moment ever. My heart was racing! That was day one of the best and biggest adventure of our lives. The big day will be May 21, 2017. The ceremony and reception will be held at Burritt on the Mountain in Huntsville.

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Abigail Louise Dobbs and Charles Edward Moore III

Anna Elizabeth (Beth) Graham and Colby DeWayne Thigpen

December , 

December , 

Abbey Dobbs, a speech-language pathology graduate student at the University of Memphis, is to be married to Trey Moore, a process validation engineer with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in Albany, New York. Ms. Dobbs is the daughter of Dale and Maria Dobbs of Florence, Alabama. Mr. Moore is the son of Ed and Judy Moore of Florence, Alabama. The wedding is planned for December 17, 2016.

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Colby proposed to me on November 8, 2015, my birthday. The engagement was exactly what I wanted, just the two of us in the comfort of our home. Our engagement was a special time shared by friends and family. We will be getting married December 10, 2016, and we can’t wait to begin our lives as the Thigpens.

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Kaela Lauren McGuire and Matthew Richard Hamby

Samantha Katharyn Nicolle and Percy Blandford Burnett IV

Huntsville, Alabama » June, 

Birmingham, Alabama » February , 

Miss McGuire is a graduate of Virgil I. Grissom High School. In 2010, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in human environmental sciences from The University of Alabama. In 2015, Miss McGuire graduated from Alabama A&M University with a master’s degree in urban and regional planning. She is employed by the U.S. Army Garrison on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. Mr. Hamby is a graduate of East Limestone High School. In 2010, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in health science from Athens State University. He is employed by Fastenal in Madison. The wedding will be held in June at Trinity United Methodist Church in Huntsville.  | noalastudios.com | january/february 

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Cole and Colonel and Mrs. Paul McGuire of Huntsville are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter Kaela Lauren McGuire to Matthew Richard Hamby, son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hamby of Harvest. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Shirley Coleman of Pikeville, Kentucky, the late B.J. Coleman of St. Paul, Virginia, and the late Paul and Marilyn McGuire of Sarasota, Florida. The prospective groom is the grandson of Margie Crouch and the late Jimmy Crouch of Oxford, and Mikiko Hamby and the late Clarence Hamby of Oxford.

Samantha Katharyn Nicolle, an attorney at Huie, Fernambucq & Stewart in Birmingham, Alabama, is to be married to Percy Burnett IV, an electrical engineer with Strategic Industrial Solutions in Hoover, Alabama. Ms. Nicolle is the daughter of Michael and Leslie Nicolle of Hazel Green, Alabama. Mr. Burnett is the son of Percy and Sonia Burnett, also of Hazel Green, Alabama. Their wedding will take place on February 25, 2017, at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham with a reception to follow at B&A Warehouse.

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The Wedding Album 2016 See page 138 for a complete list of wedding resources

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Alexandra Marie Crawford and Brandon Michael Williams Huntsville » photos by Abr aham Rowe Photogr aphy

Alexandra M. Crawford and Brandon M. Williams were united in marriage at ﬁve-thirty in the evening, April 30, 2016. The ceremony was held at the Amphitheater in Monte Sano State Park in Huntsville, Alabama. One-hundred and ﬁfty guests were in attendance to witness the jumping of the broom. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Crawford of Huntsville, Alabama. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Hosea Williams of Huntsville, Alabama. The bridal party included Paige and Melissa Crawford, sisters of the bride, as well as close friends Charlene Hale, Chesney Matthews, Nicole Popovitch, Whitney Price, Alyssa Scruggs, Miranda Stanton, and Jessica Watkins. Groomsmen included Jason Bodie, Zachary Fearn, John Kier, Thomas Nall, Trant Simpson, Colby Williams, and Mario Williams. Sean Morgan, son of the bride, served as ring bearer and best man. Johnathon and Roderick Bolden, John-Anthony Phillips, and Christopher Morris served as ushers. A reception, hosted by the parents of the bride and groom, was held at the Monte Sano Lodge where dinner was catered by Chef Merle Phillips of The Eaves. The menu included wine braised beef short-ribs, Chicken Jerusalem, tarragon and honey baby carrots, lemon asparagus, red skin mashed potatoes, and rice pilaf. Following dinner the guests enjoyed an open bar and music curated by DJ CJ the Stickman. The couple and guests danced well into the night until the departure.

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Alexandra Marie Crawford and Brandon Michael Williams

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LeAnne Michelle Corley and James Porter Braswell St. Florian » photos by Abr aham Rowe Photogr aphy

Bride’s Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Timothy K. Corley Groom’s Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Jim Braswell Maid/Matron of Honor: Jessica Raney Best Man: Rich Braswell Bridesmaid: Lindsey Morgan Groomsman: Jimmy Martin Ushers: Brian Corley and Doug Corley Oﬃciant: Reverend Christopher Montgomery Flower Girls: Anne Grace Corley, Ella Rose Corley, Caraline Braswell, and Claire Braswell Vocalists: Betsy Rainer and Gabrielle Fuqua Musicians: University of North Alabama String Quartet Event/Wedding Planner: Michelle Tice

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Videographer: Awaken Films Food/Catering: Jill’s Sweet Memories Flowers/Decór: Lola’s Gifts and Flowers Cakes: Jill’s Sweet Memories Entertainment/DJ: Sammy Mayﬁeld Makeup: Allison Hyde Hair: Tabitha Hanson at Revelationz Studio Bride’s Attire: Eddy K Groom’s Attire: J. Hilburn Bridesmaid’s Attire: Adrianna Papell Groomsmen’s Attire: J. Hilburn Venue: St. Florian Fiber Farm

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Mary Hayley Darby and James Kyle Cooper Killen » photos by PbK Studios

Bride’s Parents: Stephone and Beth Darby Groom’s Parents: Jimmy and Patti Cooper Maid/Matron of Honor: Kenzie Davis Best Man: Jimmy Cooper Bridesmaids: Amber Ashley, Andrea Darby, Laney Davis, Ruth Ann King, Julie Schlosser, Chandler Sparrow, Chelsea Spencer, Katie Brooke Wear, and Elizabeth Hand (junior bridesmaid) Groomsmen: Daniel Cooper, Evan Cooper, Zack Cooper, Nicholas Darby, Jay Henderson, Collin Holley, Lee King, Julio Macias Oﬃciant: Ronnie Pannell Flower Girl: Emi Jane King Ring Bearers: Cole Kelley, Bentley Kelley, and Boone Thigpen Event/Wedding Planner: Terry Brown, Kiss the Bride Videographer: Castleberry Video & Design

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Food/Catering: Jill’s Sweet Memories Flowers/Decór: Jutt’s Weddings & Special Events Cakes: Amy’s Cakes, Carla Beard Cakes Entertainment/DJ: Keith Behel Makeup: Allison Hyde Hair: Mellany Lancaster, RevelationZ Studio Hair Design Engagement Ring: Van Atkins Jewelers Wedding Rings: Jamie Hood Jewelers Bride’s Attire: Bella’s Bridal, Birmingham Groom’s Attire: Coats Clothing Bridesmaid’s Attire: Town & Country Bridal Shop Groomsmen’s Attire: Coats Clothing Venue: Bride’s home

News, classical music and more

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Kelsey Adrianna Underwood and Collin Maston Bradford Tuscumbia » photos by Butler Studio

Kelsey Adrianna Underwood and Collin Maston Bradford were married June 11, 2016, at First United Methodist Church of Tuscumbia, Alabama. The ceremony took place at four o’clock in the afternoon with Bro. Chad Holder officiating. A reception followed at George’s 217. The bride is the daughter of John and Stephanie Underwood of Tuscumbia. She is the granddaughter of Joe and Brenda Morrison of Cherokee and the late Bill and Yvonne Underwood of Tuscumbia. The groom is the son of Stephen and Mechele Bradford of Muscle Shoals. He is the grandson of the late Wallace and Joyce Bradford of Muscle Shoals and the late Harold and Billie Sue Willis of Tuscumbia. Matron of honor was the bride’s sister, Destin Lenz, and maid of honor was Sierra Kennedy, sorority sister of the bride. Bridesmaids were Lindsey Key, Taylor Countiss, and Krystle Wisdom, friends of the bride; Jeri Willoughby, Magan Bartlett, and Chrissy Shannon, sorority sisters of the bride; and Jasmine Bradford, sister-in-law of the groom. The flower girl was Kate Bonfield, cousin of the groom. Best men were Stephen Bradford, father of the groom, and Brent Bradford, brother of the groom. Groomsmen were Houston Mashburn, John Harbin, Cody Malone, Ford Tipps, and T.J. Lindsey, friends of the groom; Austin Underwood, brother of the bride; Alex Morrison, cousin of the bride; and William Lenz, brother-in-law of the bride. The ring bearer was Coulter Clark, friend of the groom. After a honeymoon in Montego Bay, Jamaica, the couple now resides in Tuscumbia.

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Hanny Yesenia Figueroa and Jonathon Auburn Witt Florence » photos by Create Portr aiture

Bride’s Parents: David and Florentina Mattox, and the late Lazaro Figueroa Groom’s Parents: Bobby Witt and Patricia Witt Matrons of Honor: Pam Uhlman and Emily Evans Maid of Honor: Ashley Witt Best Man: Brad Hall Bridesmaids: Liz Allen, Brooke Shirley, Laura Bohanan, and Jillian Swaﬀord Groomsmen: Daniel Wilson, Joseph Keelon, Jace Potter, Randy Hester, Tyler Tomas, and Bryan Franks Oﬃciant: Brother Jim Lumpkin Flower Girls: Aubree Witt, Marzia Lemus-Figueroa, and Ella Hall Ring Bearers: Jadan Figueroa, Adan Figueroa, and Greyson Cox Event/Wedding Planner: Channing Wright

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Videographer: Grissom Productions Food/Catering: Jill’s Sweet Memories Flowers/Decór: Jutt’s Weddings & Special Events Cakes: Jill’s Sweet Memories Entertainment/DJ: Fine Era Productions Makeup: Makeup by Corey Hair: Avenue Salón, Russellville Engagement Ring: Grogan Jewelers by Lon Wedding Rings: Grogan Jewelers by Lon Bride’s Attire: Mary’s Bridal & Formal Wear Groom’s Attire: Mary’s Bridal & Formal Wear Groomsmen’s Attire: Mary’s Bridal & Formal Wear Venue: The Florence House

Lorrie Kathryn King and Devin Daniel Crawford Sheffield » photos by Dawsons Photogr aphy by Megan

Bride’s Parents: Danny and Sheila King Groom’s Parents: Francis and Lori Crawford Maid/Matron of Honor: Morgan Bradford Best Man: Caleb Crawford Bridesmaids: Loren Pate, Becca Dugger, and Skylar Crawford Groomsmen: Jamian Spear, Richard Boley, Drew Ozier, and Christopher Shindorf Oﬃciant: Mike Noles Flower Girls: Kaeleigh Loveless and Meredith Miller Vocalist: Rachel Wammack Pianist/Organist/Musicians: Rachel Wammack Event/Wedding Planner: Kristi Sockwell Videographer: Steven Anderson

Food/Catering: Stacie Oliver Flowers/Decór: Lola’s Gifts and Flowers Cakes: Stacie Oliver Entertainment/DJ: Sammy Mayﬁeld Hair: Jordan Grissom Engagement Ring: Andress Jewelry, Saraland Wedding Rings: Kay Jewelers Bride’s Attire: Promenade Formal Wear Groom’s Attire: Promenade Formal Wear Bridesmaid’s Attire: Promenade Formal Wear Groomsmen’s Attire: Promenade Formal Wear Venue: First Baptist Church

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Angela Marie Schaefer and Dustin Michael Schaefer Huntsville » photos by Lauren Tomasella Photogr aphy

Angela and Dustin were wed at All Saints Lutheran Church in Huntsville, Alabama, May 28, 2016, with Reverend Keith Cook oﬃciating. Amy Daniels served as matron of honor; Julie Barr and Sarah Bailey served as bridesmaids. Ryan Gentry served as best man; Joshua Skelton and Josh Kerley served as groomsmen. The bride’s parents, Mrs. Susan Duden Selvaggio and Mr. Richard Selvaggio, hosted a reception at Baron Bluﬀ at Burritt on the Mountain. After honeymooning in Cancun, Mexico, and Alaska, the couple is spending a year in Lexington, Kentucky. Dustin and Angela will return to Huntsville in August 2017.

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Melissa Lynn Wassner and Brandon Phillip Williams Muscle Shoals » photos by Armosa Studios

Bride’s Parents: Wayne and Suzanne Wassner Groom’s Parents: Phillip and Bonnie Williams Oﬃciant: Mathew Kirsch Vocalists: McKenzie Lockhart and Payton Pruitt Pianist/Organist/Musicians: McKenzie Lockhart and Payton Pruitt Event/Wedding Planner: Chelsea Kennedy Food/Catering: Odette Flowers/Decór: Lola’s Gifts and Flowers Cakes: Stacie Oliver

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

Entertainment/DJ: McKenzie Lockhart and Payton Pruitt Bartender: Trent Cronin Makeup: Laren Lindholm Hair: Brittany Hart Engagement Ring: Jamie Hood Jewelers Wedding Rings: Jamie Hood Jewelers Bride’s Attire: Cherry Tree Lane Groom’s Attire: Joseph A. Bank Venue: Bride’s parents’ home

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Morgan Leigh Hanback and Jake Harrison Rutherford Town Creek » photos by Jessica Rumble

Bride’s Parents: Shane and Amy Hanback Groom’s Parents: Brian and Vera Rutherford Maid/Matron of Honor: Kayla Hanback Best Man: Brian Rutherford Bridesmaids: Abby Rutherford, Gabrielle Tate, Kenzie Thomas, Amber Hammond, Megan Nelson, and Kristen Darby Groomsmen: Colin Rutherford, William Russell, Barry Pool, Nathan Bain, Nathen Liles, and Austin Harrison Oﬃciant: Chris Miller Flower Girl: Adley Jones Ring Bearer: Easton Curbow Event/Wedding Planner: Vanessa Tate Videographer: Awaken Films

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

Food/Catering: Whole Hog BBQ Flowers/Decór: Vanessa Tate & Laura Terry Cakes: Wendy Weeks and Tina Russell Entertainment/DJ: Sound Made EZ Makeup: Kenzie Thomas Hair: Kenzie Thomas Engagement Ring: Grogan Jewelers by Lon Wedding Rings: Grogan Jewelers by Lon Bride’s Attire: Mary’s Bridal & Formal Wear Groom’s Attire: Mary’s Bridal & Formal Wear Bridesmaid’s Attire: Mary’s Bridal & Formal Wear Groomsmen’s Attire: Mary’s Bridal & Formal Wear Venue: Rutherford Farm

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Juletta Grace Ratliff and Andrew Wesley Johnston Sheffield » photos by Armosa Studios

Juletta Grace Ratliff and Andrew Wesley Johnston were joyfully united in marriage at four o’clock in the afternoon of November 5, 2016, at The Chapel in Sheffield, Alabama. The ceremony was performed by Reverend Evan Stokes, close friend of the bride and groom. The bride is the daughter of Randy and Denise Ratliff of Lexington, Alabama, and granddaughter of M.R. and Geraldine Thomas of Killen, Alabama. The groom is the son of Randy and Gail Johnston of Lexington, Alabama, and grandson of Etna Johnston of Lexington, Alabama, and Laura Mae Pettus of Lexington, Alabama. Attending as matron of honor was Danielle Stokes, friend of the bride. Bridesmaids included Leighton Ratliff, sister-in-law of the bride; Leslie Thomas and Laura Thomas, cousins of the bride; and Ashlynne Atkins, Anna Beahm, Catherine Martin, and Desireé Neville. David Johnston, brother of the groom, served as best man. Groomsmen included Kenny Ratliff, brother of the bride, and Ty Beahm, Bobby Martin, Luke Stokes, Zebulon Williams, and Zebulun Worlund. Following the ceremony, a reception was held at GAS Design Center in downtown Tuscumbia, which included celebratory fellowship with family and friends and a worship service to praise and thank God for His provision and many blessings. After a honeymoon trip to Chattanooga, Tennessee, the couple is happily at home in Florence, Alabama.

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Shelly Kendall Springer and Ryan Sean Kindahl Florence » photos by Amanda Chapman Photogr aphy

Bride’s Parents: Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth W. Springer Groom’s Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Shawn Kindahl Man of Honor: Chase Springer, brother of the bride Best Man: Shawn Kindahl Bridesmaids: Carrie Lynne Cook, Kristen Connolly, and Charity Springer Groomsmen: Jason Atencio and Will Hoekenga Oﬃciant: Dr. Garry Brantley Videographer: Josh Curd, Little Josh Productions Food/Catering: Alan Phillips, The Red Clay Epicurean Flowers/Decór: Kristen Connolly Cakes: Jill’s Sweet Memories (Bridal Cake), Red Clay Epicurean (Groom’s Cake)

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

Makeup: Brandon Wolverine Narmore Hair: Angela Voigt, The Art Engagement Ring: Jamie Hood Jewelers Wedding Rings: Heirloom Rings from Ebbe Kindahl and Kathy Springer Bride’s Attire: Mary’s Bridal & Formal Wear Groom’s Attire: Jos. A. Bank Bridesmaid’s Attire: Bridesmaid’s choice Groomsmen’s Attire: Jos. A. Bank Venue: Mars Hill Chapel, The Larimore House

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Lauren Kate Looser and John Michael Clanton Arrington, Tennessee » photos by Dearwesleyann Photogr aphy

Bride’s Parents: Bill and Angela Looser Groom’s Parents: Mike and Kathy Clanton Matrons of Honor: Rachel Looser Goins, sister of the bride, and JulieAna Mitchell Boozer, best friend of the bride Bridesmaids: Britta Henderson Kiesler, Laura Patterson, Susanna Maher, Olivia Woodard, Holly Roden, and Meagan Clanton Groomsmen: Houston Looser, Adam Clanton, Chris Clanton, Steve Carey, Cody Coughlin, Brian Lorman, Caleb Winters, Dustin Johnson, Chase Wood, and Jason Wilsey Oﬃciant: George Strull

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

Flower Girls: Emma Markert, Nora Looser, and Mary Kate Looser Ring Bearers: MJ Morris and Will Looser Pianist/Organist/Musicians: Lauren Conklin, violinist Event/Wedding Planner: Emily Cheatham Food/Catering: Chef Penelope’s Catering, Nashville Flowers/Decór: Belles Fleurs Florist, Franklin Cakes: Dulce Desserts, Nashville Entertainment/DJ: Taylor Davis Band Hair: Blush & Honey Venue: King’s Chapel

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Christina Claire Porter and Richard Evan Bell Gurley » photos by Smith & Co. Photogr aphy and Photos by Becca

Christina Claire Porter and Richard Evan Bell were wed at four o’clock in the afternoon, October 15, 2016, at the Hampton Cove Wedding Plantation in Gurley, Alabama. The ceremony was performed by Corey Brad Bell, brother of the groom. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Finley Porter III of Scottsboro, Alabama. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Eugene Bell of Leoma, Tennessee. Attending as matron of honor was Leah Nance Gilliam. Bridesmaids included Sarah Ann Meigs, Haley Ruth Porter, Hayden Michelle Petty, and Mary Harbin Porter, cousins of the bride; Andrea Johnson Bell and Shannon Wells Bell, sisters of the groom; and Ashley Bagley Dover and Tonia Lee Zyburt, friends of the bride. They wore floor-length dresses of plum or persimmon chiffon and carried colorful mixed bouquets. Flower girls Paisley Brynn Bell and Ivy Lynn Bell wore dresses of tulle and satin with ribbon-laced bodices. Olivia and Abigail Flowers served as attendants. Richard Bell served as best man. Groomsmen included Christopher Chad Bell, John Finley Porter IV, Andrew Nowell Porter, Hunter Nathaniel Miller, and Zackary Sterling Bradford. Easton Bell served as ring bearer. Preston, Trevor, and Drake Dover, Charles Bell, and Ethan Gilliam delivered flowers and treasure keys to guests. Felicity String Quartet performed during the ceremony. A dinner reception, hosted by the parents of the bride, was held on site with music provided by Solid Blue Band. The couple honeymooned in California and resides in Scottsboro, Alabama.

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Jenna Marie Tischler and Benjamin Robert Blair Madison » photos by Lauren Tomasella Photogr aphy

Bride’s Parents: Suzanne Dauphinais Groom’s Parents: Brian Blair and Muriel Lynne Bartholomae Maid/Matron of Honor: Julianna Head Best Man: Peter Blair Bridesmaids: Miranda Fury, Jenny Ruiz, and Abby Jacobs Groomsmen: Mark Acker, Cory Ricci, and Tyler Stem Oﬃciant: Reverend Robin Palmer Flower Girls: Tessa and Amelia Slabaugh Pianist/Organist/Musicians: Laurie Porter Event/Wedding Planner: Kathleen Bernal Events Food/Catering: Ashley’s Creative Catering Flowers/Decór: Bishop’s Flowers

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

Cakes: Honeypie Bakery Entertainment/DJ: Metropolitan DJ Makeup: DanTera Aveda Salon Hair: DanTera Aveda Salon Engagement Ring: Van Atkins Jewelers Wedding Rings: Osborne’s Jewelers Bride’s Attire: J. Crew Groom’s Attire: Jos. A. Bank Bridesmaid’s Attire: David’s Bridal Groomsmen’s Attire: Jos. A. Bank Venue: Grace Presbyterian Church

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Amber Patterson Landers and Jordan Lamont Landers Southside » photos by White R abbit Studios

Bride’s Parents: Millie Patterson Groom’s Parents: Wilena and Tony Landers Maid/Matron of Honor: YeVonne Patterson Brown Best Woman: Maggie Landers-Glasser Ushers: Alex Brown and Eddie Glasser Oﬃciant: Milan Dekich Flower Girls: Avery Lynn Patterson Pianist/Organist/Musicians: Kevin Canada, pianist; Plato Jones, reception band Event/Wedding Planner: I Do, I Do! Wedding Planning Videographer: Jay Burleson

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

Food/Catering: Shindigs Catering Flowers/Decór: Cece Designs Cakes: Molly Moo Cakes Entertainment/DJ: Plato Jones Bartender: Shindigs Catering Hair: Kayla Byford, Silver Stone Salon and Spa Bride’s Attire: Sarah Seven Groom’s Attire: The Black Tux Bridesmaid’s Attire: Alison Anne Bridal Alterations, Harvest Best Woman’s Attire: Mod Cloth Venue: J&D Farms

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Katharine Anna McGee and Sawyer Colby Gann Florence » photos by Abr aham Rowe Photogr aphy

Katharine Anna McGee and Sawyer Colby Gann joined their lives in marriage at six o’clock in the evening of July 1, 2016. The patio ceremony was performed at the Historic Sweetwater Depot in Florence, Alabama, by Chuck Durham, a friend of both families from College Station, Texas. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Glennan McGee of Florence, Alabama. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe David Gann of Wichita Falls, Texas. The bridal party included maid of honor and pianist Christian McGee, cousin of the bride, and best man Tyler Gann, cousin of the groom. Bridesmaids were Darcy Gann, sister of the groom, and Erin Schrimsher, Kaley Plunkett, Hannah Morris, and Jamie Hubbard, friends of the bride. Groomsmen were Brent Gann, cousin of the groom; Colby Trahan and Ross Hargrove, friends of the groom; and Isaac McGee, brother of the bride. Stella Chanin served as ﬂower girl and Owen Morris served as ring bearer. Kate and Grant Billingsley were ceremony attendants. A reception, hosted by the parents of the bride, was held inside the depot following the ceremony. The couple now resides in Fort Worth, Texas.

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Sarah Elizabeth Toles and Michael Yohannes Yacob Huntsville » photos by Joel and Amber Photogr aphy

Bride’s Parents: Michael and Judy Toles Groom’s Parents: Yohannes and Silvia Yacob Maid/Matron of Honor: Grace Crawford (Matron of Honor), Micah Toles (Maid of Honor) Best Man: Nicholas Gordon Bridesmaids: Jennifer Babin, Leannda McKelvey, and Karina Cortes Groomsmen: David Yacob, David Mwongela, Michael Barnes, Gaurav Behal, Ishaya Daniel, and Enrique Monges Oﬃciant: Will Spink Vocalist: Michael Babin Pianist/Organist/Musicians: Michael Babin, guitarist Wedding Day Coordinators: Carla and Heather, Hampton Cove Wedding Plantation Videographer: Calvin Siler

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

Food/Catering: Becky Hartley Catering Flowers/Decór: Jana Warner and Brittany Ortner Cakes: Becky Hartley Catering Entertainment/DJ: City Beatz DJ Services Hair and Makeup: Brianna Cunningham Engagement Ring: Belmont Jewelers Wedding Rings: Mother’s ring (bride); Helzberg Diamonds (groom) Bride’s Attire: The Something Blue Shoppe, Christy Urban, Seamstress Groom’s Attire: Calvin Klein Bridesmaid’s Attire: David’s Bridal Groomsmen’s Attire: Various Venue: Hampton Cove Wedding Plantation

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Taylor Renee Hester and Nicholas Allan Coleman Muscle Shoals » photos by Armosa Studios

Bride’s Parents: Max and LaFonda Hester Groom’s Parents: Sonia and Chase Champagne, Phillip and Karen Coleman Maids of Honor: Haley Schrieber and Rebekah McDaniel Best Man: Alex Tasich Bridesmaids: Jade Chesser, Liz Ursini, and Hallie Scarbrough Groomsman: John Hester, Ryan Coleman, Chris Iannacone, and Kyle Duggan

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

Videographer: Justin Argo Flowers/Decór: Lola’s Gifts and Flowers Cakes: The Victorian Tea Room Makeup: Monica Aday Makeup Hair: Monica Aday, M & Co. Salon Bride’s Attire: Cherry Tree Lane Venue: Robert Trent Jones of the Shoals

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january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Alejandra Pacheco and Andrew Joel Alfonso Mooresville » photos by Green Tree Photogr aphy

Alejandra Pacheco and Andrew Alfonso met seven years ago at The University of Alabama in Huntsville as they both were part of the UAH tennis team. Andrew proposed at Burgess Falls in Tennessee on March 28, 2015. Andrew and Ale were united in marriage at six o’clock in the evening of May 7, 2016, at Creekside Plantation in Mooresville, Alabama, with Wynn Knowles officiating. The bride is the daughter of Miguel and Cathy Pacheco of Lima, Peru. The groom is son of Raul and Bette Alfonso of Florence, Alabama. Katye Wenzel, sorority sister of the bride, served as maid of honor. Bridesmaids included Ali Sherrod, Casey Graham, and Amanda Reece, sorority sisters of the bride; Maria Lawton, both sorority sister and former tennis teammate of the bride; and Ashley Alfonso, sister of the groom. Payton Wotell served as flower girl. Davyd Fowler, former tennis teammate of the groom, was the best man. Groomsmen included Nicholas Kingman, former college roommate of the groom; Corey Clearman and EC Gibss, coworkers of the groom, Robby Alfonso, cousin of the groom, and Miguel Pacheco, brother of the bride. Program and guest book attendant was Kimberly Stark. The reception followed at Creekside Plantation with more than 165 guests who traveled from eight states and South America to celebrate this special day. Andrew and Ale surprised their guests with a seven minute long surprise first dance. The couple exited to a glow stick sendoff. After a honeymoon in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, the couple is now residing in Madison, Alabama.

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Victoria Elizabeth Bishop and Kody Matthew Caldwell Florence » photos by PbK Studios

Bride’s Parents: Franklin and Linda Bishop Groom’s Parents: Jeﬀery and Kimberly Bailey Maid/Matron of Honor: Blaze Bishop Best Man: Roger Caldwell Bridesmaids: Carly Hannah, Elizabeth Kee, Kala Shelton, and Brianna Williamson Groomsmen: Jared Cox, Brian Hubbard, Aaron Hatton, and Charles Stokes Oﬃciant: Nick Franks Flower Girl: Elizabeth Bailey Event/Wedding Planner: Jennifer Lowrey Food/Catering: Amy’s Cakes

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

Flowers/Decór: Victoria Bishop Caldwell and Jennifer Lowrey Cakes: Amy’s Cakes Entertainment/DJ: Jared King Makeup: Beth Caldwell, Teresa and Associates Day Spa and Salon Hair: Kala Shelton, M & Co.; Brianna Williamson and Beth Caldwell, Teresa and Associates Day Spa and Salon Wedding Rings: Genesis Jewelers Bride’s Attire: Gift from her father Groom’s Attire: Mary’s Bridal & Formal Wear Bridesmaid’s Attire: Juanita’s Fashion’s Groomsmen’s Attire: Mary’s Bridal & Formal Wear Venue: The Nelson Place

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Meagan Ruth Gaston and Andrew Kyle Bragwell Florence » photos by Abr aham Rowe Photogr aphy

Bride’s Parents: Mike and Fay Gaston Groom’s Parents: Alan and Debra Bragwell Maid/Matron of Honor: Molly Gaston Best Man: Brian Behel Bridesmaid: Brooke Terry Groomsman: David McCreary Oﬃciant: Richard Parker Flower Girls: Ella Ruby Massey, Sutton Grace Massey, and Stella Jane Kimbrough Pianist/Organist/Musicians: Elliot Thorn Videographer: Bryce Scruggs Food/Catering: Jill’s Sweet Memories

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

Flowers/Decór: Kaleidoscope Florist & Designs Cakes: Yummies Bakery & Deli Entertainment/DJ: C.C. Music Entertainment Hair: Tammy Hutcheson, Mane Attraction, Russellville, AL Engagement Ring: Zales Wedding Rings: Genesis Jewelry Bride’s Attire: Cherry Tree Lane Boutique Groom’s Attire: Cherry Tree Lane Boutique Bridesmaid’s Attire: showmeyourmumu.com Groomsmen’s Attire: Cherry Tree Lane Boutique Venue: Danclay Farms

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Mary Kathleen Zoladz and William Marshall McCann Huntsville » photos by Abr aham Rowe Photogr aphy

Mary Kathleen Zoladz and William Marshall McCann married at half past three in the afternoon on November 5, 2016, at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Huntsville, Alabama. The ceremony was performed by Father Louis Giardino. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Francis Zoladz of Huntsville, Alabama. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Prewitt McCann of Dothan, Alabama. Attending as maids of honor were Anna Zoladz, sister of the bride, and Allison Booth, best friend of the bride. Bridesmaids included Emily and Molly Zoladz, sisters of the bride; Maddie McCann, sister of the groom; and Christy Hsu, lifelong friend of the bride. Maggie Hein, cousin of the bride, served as junior bridesmaid. Stehle Kornegay, longtime friend of the groom, served as best man. Groomsmen included Alex McCann, brother of the groom; Peter Zoladz, brother of the bride; Boyd Christenberry and Crey Wilson, fraternity brothers of the groom; and JH Johnson, longtime friend of the groom. Kieran Hein, cousin of the bride, served as usher. The reception was held in Baron Bluﬀ at Burritt on the Mountain. After a honeymoon trip to Florence, Montalcino, and Rome, Italy, the couple is at home in Huntsville, Alabama.

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Sara Michelle Rush and Christopher Neil Anderson Tyringham, Massachusetts » photos by Armosa Studios

Bride’s Parents: Norris and Vivian Rush Groom’s Parents: Neil and Patricia Anderson Oﬃciant: Janet Mckinstry Videographer: Armosa Studios Flowers/Decór: Etsy Engagement Ring: Grandmother’s ring Wedding Rings: Etsy Bride’s Attire: Mod Cloth Groom’s Attire: Macy’s, Tie Bar, various Venue: Santarella, Tyringham’s Gingerbread House

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

Thomas Albert Swain and Joseph Martin Echols III Huntsville » photos by White R abbit Studios

Thomas’s Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Albert C. Swain Joseph’s Parents: Dr. and Mrs. Joseph M. Echols Jr. Oﬃciant: Reverend Rick Jobe Event/Wedding Planner: Cynthia Doubet Food/Catering: Catering by Narvell Cakes: Edgar’s Bakery Couple’s Attire: Brooks Brothers Venue: Home of Albert and Anne Swain, Huntsville

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Ericka Danielle Pinczewski and Charles Ford Tipps Gurley » photos by Erin Lindsey Images

Bride’s Parents: Geno and Janet Pinczewski Groom’s Parents: Donna Ford Tipps and the late David B. Tipps Maid/Matron of Honor: Lauren Meaney Best Man: Owen Whitehurst Bridesmaids: Savanah Long, Shannon Stump, Kaylin Whitworth, Shelby Brooks, and Kari Pledger Groomsmen: Trey Pinczewski, Collin Bradford, Kade Smith, Corey Griﬃn, and Michael Tipps Oﬃciant: Reverend Coy Hallmark Videographer: Woodnote Media Food/Catering: The Chef Next Door Flowers/Decór: In Bloom

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

Cakes: Sweet Thing Pastry Entertainment/DJ: CityBeatz DJ Services Bartender: HSV Barkeep Makeup: Nancy Finnegan Hair: Terrame Day Spa & Salon Engagement Ring: Shane Co. Wedding Rings: Shane Co. Bride’s Attire: The Something Blue Shoppe Groom’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse Bridesmaid’s Attire: David’s Bridal Groomsmen’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse Venue: Hampton Cove Wedding Plantation

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Lillie Ford Isom and Andrew Davis Price Florence » photos by Armosa Studios

Lillie Ford Isom and Andrew Davis Price were united in marriage at six-thirty in the evening of December 11, 2015. The ceremony was held at Sherrod Avenue Church of Christ in Florence, Alabama. The ceremony was preformed by Sid Fulford, the same preacher who married Lillie’s parents years earlier. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Philip Jay Isom of Florence, Alabama. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Don Price of Florence, Alabama. Attending as maid of honor was Mildred Isom, sister of the bride. Bridesmaids included Grace Ann Melson, Sarah Isom Ross, Ann Burton Elliott, Clarke Carson, Ashley Neill Reynolds, Gracie Lumpkin, Heather White, Alli Bevis, Brittany Gargis, Meg Hall, and Annie Price Todd. Percy Carson, Lola-Janis Melson, Charlei Brown, and Hartlei Brown all served as the flower girls. Chris Simpson, the groom’s best friend, served as best man. Groomsmen included Quint Langstaff, Jon Landry, Elliot Broder, Jordan Beer, Ben Morris, Alen Haric, Joseph Florence, Matthew Kalliath, Jimmy Safford, Daniel Baskin, and Clyde Isom. Billy Carson, Adam Isom, and Will Carson all served as ushers. The couple honeymooned in Charleston, South Carolina. The couple now live in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Tara Gernhardt and Reid Ketchum Huntsville » photos by Allison Jansen Photogr aphy

Bride’s Parents: Taryl and Brenda Gernhardt Groom’s Parents: Merrell and Lisa Ketchum Bridesmaids: Lauren Braun, Caroline Winters, Sarah Tharani, and Sara Kolodziejzack Groomsmen: Clark Brakeﬁeld, Preston Bushey, Sebastian Medina, and David Hennigan Usher: Maria Spano Oﬃciant: Blake Whitley Pianist/Organist/Musicians: Steven Todd Miller Event/Wedding Planner: Erica Thimsen Videographer: Carlos Estrada Food/Catering: The Ledges

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

Flowers/Decór: In Bloom Cakes: Pastry Arts Entertainment/DJ: Metropolitan DJ Hair and Makeup: Terrame Day Spa & Salon Engagement Ring: Blue Nile Wedding Rings: Blue Nile Bride’s Attire: Diane’s Formal Aﬀair Groom’s Attire: Mobley & Sons Bridesmaid’s Attire: Diane’s Formal Aﬀair–Alfred Sung Groomsmen’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse Venue: The Ledges

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Sarah Catherine Haines and Michael Terrence Richardson Florence » photos by Armosa Studios

Sarah Catherine Haines and Michael Terrence Richardson were united in marriage at one o’clock in the afternoon of October 8, 2016, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Florence, Alabama. The ceremony was performed by Boston College priest Father Richard Lennan of Australia, who introduced the couple in 2012. Sarah Catherine is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael S. Lambert and the late Jim Haines, all of Iuka, Mississippi. Mike is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Terrence Richardson of Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Attending as maid of honor was Morgan Tubbs—Sarah Catherine’s best friend, fellow Camp Lake Stephens alum, and resident expert on all things Harry Potter. Bridesmaids included Hope Lambert, sister of the bride; Kate Richardson, sister of the groom; Kadie Crowell Agnew, cousin of the bride; Courtney Kuhn and Alyssa Fontaine of Boston College; Marli Moore of Iuka; and Sonny Maxcy of Oxford, Mississippi. Brad Brennan, football expert and toastmaster extraordinaire, served as best man. Groomsmen included Jackson Haines and Shane Lambert, brothers of the bride; Chris Vaudo, Will Larkin, and Alex Manta, all of Boston College; and Eric Docknevich and Connor Fitzpatrick of Hopkinton, Massachusetts. A reception, ﬂawlessly executed by the bride’s mama, was held at the Buﬄer House in St. Florian and was full of dancing and laughing, and singing Celine Dion. After a honeymoon trip to Aruba, Mike and Sarah Catherine are missing the South already from their home in Boston, Massachusetts.

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Chloe Isabel Garcia and Garrett Thomas Smith Huntsville » photos by Lauren Tomasella Photogr aphy

Chloe Isabel Garcia and Garrett Thomas Smith were united in marriage at ﬁve o’clock on the evening of July 23, 2016, at First United Methodist Church in Huntsville, Alabama. The ceremony was performed by Reverend Ken Leggett. The bride is the daughter of Ms. Denise Ring Garcia of Huntsville, Alabama. The groom is the son of Ms. Deborah Eller Smith of Huntsville, Alabama, and Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Brian Smith of Wildwood, Missouri. Attending as maids of honor were Celia Garcia and Phoebe Garcia, sisters of the bride. Bridesmaids included Marissa Marshall, Abby Coleman, and Lauren Durr, sorority sisters of the bride; and Allie Smith and Lauren Henderson, sisters of the groom. Patrick Junen and Jake Gattis, friends of the groom, served as best men. Groomsmen included Harry Waugh, Tyler Dewitz, and Carter Karras, friends of the groom; Chase Henderson, brother-in-law of the groom; and Robbie Garcia, brother of the bride. A reception, hosted by the mother of the bride, was held at The Ledges clubhouse. After a honeymoon trip to the Dominican Republic, the couple is at home in Orlando, Florida.

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Rhiannon Nichole Clarke and Ernest Lee Wann III Cherokee » photos by Abr aham Rowe Photogr aphy

Bride’s Parents: Rhonda and Richard Allen, Fred and April Clarke Groom’s Parents: Ernest Jr. and Teresa Wann Maid/Matron of Honor: Nancy Giles, grandmother of the bride Officiant: Robert Duke of Nashville, a close friend of the couple Event/Wedding Planner: After months of stressing about wedding planning, we just decided one day to call our closest family members and said, “Hey, we’re just gonna get married this weekend!” And it was perfect. Luckily, our favorite photographer was available! Food/Catering: The brides grandmother, Nancy Giles, made punch and coffee to enjoy with the cake during a small celebration after the ceremony. Flowers/Decór: The bride assembled a bouquet of peach roses and white lilies accented with an assortment of wildflowers.

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

Cakes: A small, two-tiered, white vanilla cake was made by a close friend of the family. Engagement Ring: The ring belonged to the groom’s mother, which she acquired when visiting Florence, Italy, years ago. Bride’s Attire: The bride wore the same dress worn by her grandmother in 1958, and by her mother, Rhonda, in 1981. Rhiannon altered the dress slightly to make it closer to a tealength style dress. Groom’s Attire: Jos. A. Bank Venue: The Easterwood House, located in Cherokee, Alabama, has been the home of the bride’s grandparents for more than 25 years. Rhiannon always wanted to get married in the gazebo in the front yard. Ernie proposed to Rhiannon in the gazebo in December 2014, and a little more than a year later they were married there.

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

Kaela Lauren McGuire and Matthew Richard Hamby Huntsville » photos by Joel and Amber Wedding Photogr aphy

Trinity United Methodist Church was the setting June 25, 2016, for the marriage of Kaela Lauren McGuire to Matthew Richard Hamby. The candlelight ceremony was performed by Dr. Charles Gattis and Dr. Christopher Montgomery. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur John Cole and Colonel and Mrs. Paul Arthur McGuire of Huntsville. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Dillar Hamby of Harvest. Given in marriage by her parents and escorted by her father, the bride wore a Sottero and Midgley ivory ball gown with a formal sweetheart neckline. Handsewn embroidered lace with pewter accents, pearls, and Swarovski crystals graced the bodice and skirt with the train forming a cathedral sweep. The bride wore a pearl and crystal bandeau with an ivory cathedral-length veil gracing a handsewn pearl appliqued ﬂower from her mother’s wedding dress. Attending as matron of honor was Mrs. Danielle Laird, sorority sister of the bride. The bridesmaids were Mrs. Mary Dotson, Miss Sara Kolodziejczak, and Mrs. Lexi Hamby, sister-in-law of the couple. Mr. Michael Hamby of Madison served as the best man for his brother. Jess Conklin and Ross Siniard were groomsmen. The reception was held at Constitution Village. Guests enjoyed a formal seated dinner inside Constitution Hall. The cocktail hour and dancing were held under the covered Pavilion out-of-doors with seating and activities throughout the historic village grounds in downtown Huntsville. On the evening before the wedding, a candlelight rehearsal dinner hosted by the groom’s parents was held at The Garden Room in Huntsville. Following a honeymoon to the Caribbean, the couple makes their home in Madison.

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

WEDDING RESOURCES

Christina Porter and Richard Bell Gurley Videographer Awaken Films Food/Catering Catering by Narvell Flowers/Décor In Bloom Cakes Diann Laney Entertainment/DJ Felicity String Quartet; Solid Blue Bluegrass Band; Metropolitan DJ Bartender Piper & Leaf Artisan Tea Co. Makeup Nancy Finnegan MUA Hair Randi Roberts, Bridal Hair Huntsville Engagement Ring Zales Wedding Rings Zales, Littman Jewelers Bride’s Attire USA Bridal, Nashville, TN Groom’s Attire Men’s Wearhouse Bridesmaids’ Attire David’s Bridal Groomsmen’s Attire Men’s Wearhouse Venue/Location Hampton Cove Wedding Plantation Alejandra Pacheco and Andrew Alfonso Mooresville Event/Wedding Planner Helping Hand Parties Videographer Awaken Films Food/Catering Creative Catering Flowers/Décor Beyoutiful Designs Cakes Sweet Inspirations Entertainment/DJ Fine Era Productions Bartender Creative Catering Makeup Neo Mode Hair Salon Hair Neo Mode Hair Salon Engagement Ring Grogan Jewelers by Lon Wedding Rings Grogan Jewelers by Lon Bride’s Attire The Something Blue Shoppe Groom’s Attire Jos. A. Bank Bridesmaids’ Attire David’s Bridal Groomsmen’s Attire Jos. A. Bank Venue/Location Creekside Plantation Kelsey Underwood and Collin Bradford Tuscumbia Event/Wedding Planner Kiss the Bride Wedding & Event Planning, Destin, FL Videographer Awaken Films Food/Catering George’s 217 Flowers/Décor Lola’s Gifts and Flowers Cakes Aunt Bea’s Gourmet Bakery & Bistro Entertainment/DJ The Midnighters Makeup Monica Aday Hair Kayla Wilbanks, Simply Fabulous Hair Engagement Ring Jamie Hood Jewelers Wedding Rings Jamie Hood Jewelers Bride’s Attire Promenade Formal Wear Groom’s Attire Promenade Formal Wear Bridesmaids’ Attire Promenade Formal Wear Groomsmen’s Attire Promenade Formal Wear Venue/Location First United Methodist Church; George’s 217 Chloe Garcia and Garrett Smith Huntsville Event/Wedding Planner Helping Hand Parties Food/Catering The Ledges Flowers/Décor Connie Henderson and Teresa Brosemer Cakes Debbie Smith Entertainment/DJ Metropolitan DJ Makeup Lindsay Newman Hair Lindsay Newman Engagement Ring Elize International Wedding Rings Elize International Bride’s Attire The Something Blue Shoppe Groom’s Attire Generation Tux Bridesmaids’ Attire Modern Brides Groomsmen’s Attire Generation Tux Venue/Location First United Methodist Church; The Ledges

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

Juletta Ratliff and Andrew Johnston Sheffield Videographer Bryce Scruggs Media Food/Catering The Bonnet Café Cakes Stratton Abbey Cupcakery & Confections Hair Ellen Young Engagement Ring Grogan Jewelers by Lon Wedding Rings Zales Bride’s Attire Cherry Tree Lane Bridal and Formal Boutique Groom’s Attire JC Penney Groomsmen’s Attire JC Penney, The Tie Bar Venue/Location The Chapel; GAS Design Center Sarah Haines and Mike Richardson Florence Videographer Justin Argo Food/Catering Jill Malone, Iuka, MS Flowers/Décor Friendly Florist, Iuka, MS; Honeyscope Paper, Chicago, IL Cakes Lisa Overby, Iuka, MS; Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Entertainment/DJ DJ Mac, Baldwyn, MS Makeup and Hair Deanna Putnam, Textur Salon Engagement Ring Moore’s Jewelry, Iuka, MS Wedding Rings Moore’s Jewelry, Iuka, MS Bride’s Attire Cherry Tree Lane Bridal Groom’s Attire Jos. A. Bank Bridesmaids’ Attire Dove & Dahlia Groomsmen’s Attire Jos. A. Bank Venue/Location Buffler House Lillie Isom and Andrew Price Florence Food/Catering Turtle Point Yacht and Country Club Flowers/Décor Lola’s Gifts and Flowers Cakes Amy’s Cakes Entertainment/DJ The Midnighters Makeup and Hair Lindsey Robinson, Katherine Taylors Salon Engagement Ring Grogan Jewelers by Lon Wedding Rings Grogan Jewelers by Lon Bride’s Attire Promenade Formal Wear Groom’s Attire Jos. A. Bank Bridesmaids’ Attire Bella Bridesmaids, Nashville, TN Groomsmen’s Attire Jos. A. Bank Venue/Location Sherrod Avenue Church of Christ; Turtle Point Yacht and Country Club Angela Schaefer and Dustin Schaefer Huntsville Food/Catering Endless Catering Flowers/Décor In Bloom Cakes Hamley Bake Shoppe Entertainment/DJ Metropolitan DJ Hair Christina Truesdale Engagement Ring Diamonds Direct Wedding Rings Diamonds Direct Bride’s Attire Madison Town & Country Bridal Shoppe Groom’s Attire Macy’s Bridesmaids’ Attire BHLDN Groomsmen’s Attire Macy’s Venue/Location Burritt on the Mountain Mary Zoladz and William McCann Huntsville Event/Wedding Planner Kathleen Bernal Events Videographer Woodnote Media Food/Catering The Chef Next Door Flowers/Décor Simpson’s Florist Cakes Just Crumbs Entertainment/DJ Ian Schumacher Makeup Molly Zoladz Hair Salon Allure Engagement Ring Kay Jewelers

Wedding Rings Blue Nile Bride’s Attire Finery Boutique Groom’s Attire Black Lapel Venue/Location Good Shepherd Catholic Church; Burritt on the Mountain Alexandra Crawford and Brandon Williams Huntsville Event/Wedding Planner Ashley Winkle Events Videographer Modern Innovation Production Food/Catering The Eaves Flowers/Décor Simpson’s Florist Cakes Amy’s Cakes Entertainment/DJ CJ the Stickman Hair Kli’Toni Beamon Engagement Ring James Allen Wedding Rings Reeds & Lolide Bride’s Attire Finery Groom’s Attire Jos. A. Banks Groomsmen’s Attire Jos. A. Banks Venue/Location Monte Sano Lodge Kaela McGuire and Matthew Hamby Huntsville Pianist/Organist/Musicians Christopher-Joel Carter IV Event/Wedding Planner Cindy Green (wedding); Kathleen Bernal Events (reception) Videographer Foots McCauley Food/Catering Bubba’s Silver Spoon Catering Flowers/Decór Bella Petali; Simpson’s Florist Cakes Peggy Ann Bakery Entertainment/DJ Metropolitan DJ Makeup and Hair 921 Salon & Spa Engagement Ring Alexander’s Jewelry Wedding Rings Reeds Jewelers Bride’s Attire Madison Town & Country Bridal Shoppe Groom’s Attire Men’s Wearhouse Bridesmaids’ Attire Madison Town & Country Bridal Shoppe Groomsmen’s Attire Men’s Wearhouse Venue/Location Trinity United Methodist Church Katharine McGee and Sawyer Gann Florence Event/Wedding Planner Linda Davis Videographer Autumn Rose Food/Catering Rick’s Barbecue Flowers/Décor Will and Dee’s Florist Cakes Candi Hester Entertainment/DJ Christian McGee Makeup Stefanie McClure Hair Cindy McCurry Engagement Ring Zales Wedding Rings Zales Bride’s Attire David’s Bridal Groom’s Attire Men’s Wearhouse Groomsmen’s Attire Men’s Wearhouse Venue/Location Historic Sweetwater Depot

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

In the grand tradition of The Pickwick Papers and Tales of the City, each issue, No’Ala reveals a new chapter in the unfolding saga of the citizens of River City, and Eleanor, the libertine murderess at the center of their small town web. In this installment, Debra Glass introduces us to Ruth Bryan, Eleanor’s devious equal and social nemesis. If you haven’t had the pleasure of making Eleanor’s sordid acquaintance, of if you’ve missed a few chapters along the way, we invite you to catch up anytime at noalastudios.com. The entire series is available in our archived Shoals editions located at the Read Online link. A Favor for Eleanor begins in the July/August 2015 issue.

a Favor for Eleanor Chapter Ten: Ruth Bryan by debra glass » illustrations by rowan finnegan

“Well, I told you that woman wasn’t right in the head.” Ruth Bryan plucked a Pall Mall out of her silver cigarette case and then lit it with her deceased husband’s Zippo. As she leaned back in her desk chair, she waved away the first puff of smoke, the diamond rings gracing every finger of her left hand, glittering in the garish fluorescent lighting. Murray took a drink of the six ounce Coca-Cola Ruth had offered him once his final piano student of the day had left Bryan Piano Company. After that last little hellion skedaddled out of the upstairs studio, Murray would have preferred a shot of the bourbon Ruth pretended wasn’t tucked behind the ledger in the safe. “Long about the time she was married to her fourth husband, she came in here wanting to buy the biggest grand piano on the floor,.” Ruth scoffed and took another drag off her smoke. “As if it would have fit in that tacky little parlor of hers.” She brushed an ash from her camel colored skirt. “I don’t know what she wanted with it. She doesn’t have a musical bone in her body.” Murray had never been in Eleanor Harrison’s parlor, but he doubted it was tacky or little. What he did know was that Ruth and Eleanor had been rivals ever since Ruth had joined the country club. As a successful business owner, and board member of the River City Concert Association, Ruth had, over the years, cultivated a following of socialites. Rubbing elbows with the likes of famous performers had its perks, among which included the fact Ruth never failed to have a strapping, aspiring musician, barely out of his teens, on her arm as her date for the a concert. While Ruth most assuredly recognized the young men were gay, and had no aspirations toward any sort of relationship with them, her so-called dates were all about appearances.

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

A Favor for Eleanor Chapter Ten: Ruth Bryan

Everything about Ruth, it seemed, reﬂected how she appeared to her peers. Murray had known her almost as long as she’d lived in River City. She’d married the love of her life in her early 20s. Jay Gene Bryan had been a tall, dark, and handsome man, from a good, established family, with a head- full of ideas, and coalblack hair. They’d met at a Hanceville Baptist church social. He hadn’t been wealthy, but he’d been a hard worker and ambitious to boot. After he and Ruth married, he’d taken a job in Decatur, delivering pianos for E. E. Forbes. He’d been such a diligent employee, they’d promoted him to manager when the River City branch opened. Jay Gene and Ruth had set up housekeeping as tenants in modest boarding houses, living oﬀ love and Jay Gene’s meager salary. Ruth’s third miscarriage put an end to the couple’s ambition to start a family, but as it turned out, once Ruth got over the stigma of being childless, she enjoyed her freedom, and all of Jay Gene’s attention.

As soon as she’d collected the insurance money, Ruth hired a competent manager for the store and, a chauﬀeur to drive her around town, acquired a cabin out on the creek, and she bought the two most ostentatious diamond rings in Walker Graham’s display case. Then she sat back to queen over the entire operation.

A lucky raﬄe ticket won Jay Gene a new car, the sale of which earned him a down payment on inventory for his own music business. His loyal customers followed, and within two years, Forbes, unable to compete, had closed their doors in River City.

Ruth Bryan ﬂaunted her new money like a tiara. In fact, she owned two, which she wore at every occasion, along with the full-length mink coat she’d bought on a trip to New York just to give Roz Klivansky, who sold furs in River City, the cut direct.

Bryan Piano Company netted Jay Gene and Ruth their own house, new cars, a stylish wardrobe for Ruth, jewelry, and even a membership to the country club. The only thing it seemed Jay Gene’s growing income couldn’t buy was a spot for Ruth in River City’s clique of blue bloods.

Though Lady Bryan never got that bridge invite, and all the old money mavens in River City whispered about her behind her back, they all were pea green with envy every time she appeared in public bedecked in diamonds and, furs,and parading a young man on her arm.

Ruth had quickly made it known to Eleanor that she would “just be delighted to join their bridge game on Thursdays.”

With no children, no husband to answer to, and a steady income, Ruth seemed to have it all. The old guard, no matter how much they disdained her gauche style, wasted no time in trying to emulate her.

But Eleanor sneered, and curtly responded, “Our group has been together for years, honey. I’ll let you know if, in the unlikely event, we have a spot for you.” No invite ever came, even after old Mrs. Beasley’s son moved away, and she got shuﬄed oﬀ to the nursing home. Jay Gene had dropped dead of a heart attack in the business he’d started, leaving Ruth widowed at the youngish age of 54.

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

Especially Eleanor. Ruth took another drag oﬀ her cigarette and then a smile curved her signature Hot Coral lips. “She had to one up me, you know.” Murray snorted. “Nobody could one up Lady Bryan.”

“Ruth Bryan flaunted her new money like a tiara. In fact, she owned two, which she wore at every occasion.”

“Well, that’s where she made her mistake,” Ruth d drawled in her husky smoker’s voice. “Marrying tthat ol’ white trash Harrison man, and acting a fool, trotting him out like a stud horse as if anyfo body gave a damn.” bod Murray bit back a smirk. Eleanor had always talked freely about her love life to Randy and Tommy at the Mane Event Event. Randy and Tommy loved nothing more than sharing gossip about the blue hairs who frequented their salon, and Murray had heard some tales about Eleanor that would have made Ruth’s toes curl in her Town & Country slingbacks. Murray enjoyed chinwag as much as anybody, but some things were best kept secret from Ruth who never hesitated to divulge where she’d heard any scandalous tidbits. The bell on the front door rang as someone entered. Ruth straightened in her chair and snuﬀed out her Pall Mall. Her blue eyes sparkled as she stood. “Why, William Lyle Farris! I haven’t seen you in a month of Sundays.” She pursed her lips, feigning petulance. Scarlett O’Hara couldn’t have done it better. “Oh, you just turn around and march yourself right out that door, William Lyle. I don’t know why I let you in here, when the only reason you’re here is because they’ve locked Eleanor up in the sanitarium and you can’t run to her to gossip.” Ruth could pretend to be annoyed all she wanted, but Murray knew better. She fawned all over William Lyle like every other socialite in town who wanted to be involved in the music scene. Murray turned and nodded his head in greeting. Aging, and sporting a sparse, heavily Brylcreemed comb-over, William Lyle won

more friends from his vast New York connections than from his shifty personality and his unremarkable appearance. “Oh, now, Ruth, get your hackles down. You know I’ve been at my Park Avenue apartment, securing the lineup for next year’s concert season,” William Lyle protested with equally unctuous charm. Ruth’s pretense melted out of her shoulders as she perched once more in her chair. “Do tell. Who’ve you seduced into coming?” One of her auburn eyebrows arched at the word seduced. Murray resisted the urge to groan. Both Eleanor and Ruth ﬂirted shamelessly with the man. Doubtless because neither stood a chance in hell with him. Murray glanced over his shoulder, spying William Lyle’s new luxury coupe parked out front with an expectant young man at the helm. Ruth tapped her desktop like a judge with a gavel. “Don’t keep me on tenterhooks, William Lyle! I’m all agog to know the lineup.” “Well…if you promise not to tell anyone.” He pulled out the chair to the desk Ruth kept for him in the store. The word was probably already out, but William Lyle knew how to pl play Lady Bryan like a concertmaster violinist. She adored a secret even though she had no intention of keeping it. W William Lyle straightened a few letters that had been placed on his desk, and then neatly lined up be his three fountain pens. “It’s not set in stone yet, h but …” He leaned forward conspiratorially. b Ruth held her breath. Ru “I’m in i talks with Jerome Hines’ agent,” he said, his voice b barely above a whisper.

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

A Favor for Eleanor Chapter Ten: Ruth Bryan

“Hines! My word! I’ll start planning the reception immediately,” Ruth said. “We certainly can’t have another fiasco like when Leonard Warren came. That Eleanor! She humiliated the entire concert association.” Murray couldn’t contain a snort of laughter. He knew very well what had happened, but wanted to hear Ruth’s version once more. “What did Eleanor do again?” he prodded. Ruth huffed. “She served Bunny’s Barbecue at that reception, and everybody knows Leonard Warren is an Orthodox Jew. When she asked why he wasn’t eating, he explained, and then politely inquired if she had any fruit. Well, she looked in the Frigidaire and all she had to offer him was one spotted, brown banana.”

“Judge Randall! What brings you into my little ol’ shop?” she asked with ﬂair as she swept toward him. Twisting his hat in his hands, Randall stopped in front of a Queen Anne, cherry, console piano. “Millie says she wants a new piano. The grandbabies are wanting to take lessons and—” Ruth moved toward a more expensive studio piano. “Then this is the one you need. Hands down.” Murray held his breath, waiting for the inevitable. 3…2…1… “Murray, darling,” Ruth called. “Come show Judge Randall what a nice sound this piano has.”

“Nobody keeps bananas in the icebox.” Ruth gave a shake of her head and the sharp aromas of Emeraude and Aqua Net vied for prominence amongst the lingering remnants of her snuﬀed out Pall Mall. “I’ve never been so mortiﬁed in all my life.”

He squeezed his eyes shut brieﬂy, pasted on a smile, and headed toward the front. He’d toured with opera great, Nell Rankin and had been recorded numerous times. He’d been the concert pianist for the Navy Symphony Orchestra, and yet he knew what Ruth was about to ask.

Murray bit back a grin. Ruth had been the one who’d put the bug in Eleanor’s ear about having Bunny’s cater the barbeque, setting her rival up for failure.

“Play ‘Malaegueña,”’ she prodded.

“We’ll certainly have to make an eﬀort to serve all of Mr. Hines’ favorites,” William Lyle said. He stood. “I must be oﬀ.” “So soon? But you just got here,” Ruth protested. He glanced over his shoulder toward the door and then back at Ruth. “I’ll come back when I can stay longer and we can catch up.” His smile seemed to placate her. “Don’t be a stranger,” Ruth told him. “Or I’ll have to put this desk of yours in the back.”

Murray wedged onto the bench, which was far too close for comfort due to the proximity of the other pianos on the small showroom floor. He stretched his fingers and then attacked the keyboard, showing off the instrument for all it was worth, milking the runs and trills, and accentuating the Spanish rhythm beyond musical bounds. It was a piece favored by beauty pageant contestants, and those who only knew enough about music to be considered dangerous. But Ruth, who could barely eek out a church hymn, and then only by reading shape notes, knew the flashy piece sold pianos.

He chuckled and gave Murray a nod before heading toward the door.

“You see, Judge Randall? This is the piano for a discerning ear,” Ruth said over the jumble of notes. “That one over there is nothing more than a piece of living room furniture. It was like the one I eventually sold to Eleanor Harrison.”

The bell chimed and Judge Arthur Randall stepped in, passing William Lyle who was on the way out.

Murray bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. Only Ruth Bryan would try to probe a judge for gossip.

Ruth stopped mid-reach for her smokes, her face lighting up at the prospect of a prestigious customer. She shot to her feet, smoothed her skirt, and hair, before hesitating to whisper to Murray,. “He’s the judge who presided over Eleanor’s trial.” As if Murray didn’t already know.

Just as Murray banged out the last measures, Ruth’s salesman, Lanny, came in. He stopped and greeted the judge.

 | noalastudios.com | january/february 

“I’ve got this one, Lanny,” Ruth told him. She always handled the clients she deemed important herself. “Thank you, Murray. That was astounding.”

“Yes, yes,” Randall agreed. Murray muttered his gratitude before following Lanny to the back. Once out of earshot, Lanny elbowed Murray, a sure sign he was about to share a secret. “Is she still gloating about Eleanor Harrison?” Murray rolled his eyes in response. “Yes, and soaking up every tidbit of gossip she can get on the poor woman.” Lanny stepped closer. “Between you and me, it was Ruth who egged Eleanor on to…um…shall we say…do away with Jimmy Harrison.” Murray shouldn’t have been surprised. But he was. Lanny nodded as if to drive the point home. “I heard Ruth on the phone with Eleanor, some months before Randy and Tommy discovered the body. Ruth was oh-so consoling, oﬀering support, commiserating about how it was so diﬃcult for a mature woman with a younger lover, and of course broadcasting all the rumors she’d heard about how he was spending Eleanor’s money all over town. Next thing you know, Eleanor is telling everybody that Jimmy’s down in Florida on an extended visit to his family.” Ruth let out an overly boisterous laugh at something the judge had said. Murray had always known Ruth was a woman who held a grudge. But was she that calculating? “Surely you’re not suggesting what I think you are.” One side of Lanny’s mouth quirked into a smirk. “She went on to tell Eleanor all about how much easier it was if you just didn’t marry them, about how much better her life would have been if she’d just remained a widow.” Murray was speechless. Lanny bummed one of Ruth’s Pall Malls and lit it. “It was a pretty chummy chat for someone who claimed the next time Eleanor Harrison set foot in her store she’d hand her a stick of kindling wood and tell her to step straight to hell with it.” “Lanny, write Judge Randall here up a bill of sale,” Ruth called smugly from the front of the store. “He’s decided on this studio piano.” She rested her elbows on the top it, turning her full attention back to the judge. “And have you heard anything about how the poor demented thing is getting along down there in the asylum?”

january/february  | noalastudios.com | 

146 »

food for thought » Sarah Gaede

Since it’s a special occasion, nothing says love like chocolate—why not indulge a bit?

ROMANTIC AND EASYVALENTINE’S DAY PERFECTION This year for Valentine’s Day, instead of braving the restaurant crowds and spending a fortune, why not eat in? A home-roasted chicken is always impressive, exudes a tantalizing aroma, and is the perfect cozy comfort food. Serve with new potatoes roasted along with the chicken or mashed potatoes, glazed carrots or French green beans, followed by a simple palate-cleansing salad (the French call it “quelques feuilles”—some leaves). And since it’s a special occasion, and nothing says love like chocolate, why not indulge a bit with individual chocolate chunk bread puddings? Prepare in advance, and pop in the oven when you take the chicken out. (Adjust the oven temperature first!) They will be perfectly hot and gooey at dessert time. You can spend all the money you saved on a fabulous bottle of wine, with perhaps a split of champagne to celebrate your love. I have found that the Springer Mountain chickens sold at Publix, Big Star, and Foodland, among other local markets, are perfect for roasting. Springer Mountain is a family-run company based in Northeast Georgia, and was the first poultry company in the world to be certified by the American Humane Association. My discovery of a ubiquitous source for small chickens gladdened the heart of my cooking mentor Nathalie Dupree, who, convinced that we Americans were stuck with behemoth poultry for eternity, went on a major Facebook rant, including comparing the benighted US food culture to the far superior French one (although despite her name, she is no more French than I am, which is not at all). I don’t think Nathalie gets out much—she has minions to do her shopping. Nathalie is now singing my praises to all her apprentices for this spectacular discovery of something a regular, attentive food shopper would have known. You really don’t want a large chicken for this recipe. Somewhere between three and four pounds—closer to three pounds, as the French prefer, is ideal—is just enough for four

people with no leftovers, and leaves plenty of room for dessert. If you have a larger group, bake two chickens. I bake my chicken on a 11x7-inch rimmed stainless steel baking sheet, of which you should have at least two. You can ﬁnd them in any housewares department, and they last forever. You also need some take-apart cooking shears—almost as much of a necessity as a chef ’s knife. I’m happy with my Wüsthoﬀ shears, which I’ve had for years (my husband keeps them sharp). They come apart and go in the dishwasher. Cooks Illustrated’s best buy recommendation is J. A. Henckels Take-Apart Kitchen Shears, which are available on Amazon for $14.95. You’ll wonder how you ever lived without them. And while I’m in do-it-yourself mode, why not plant a pot of rosemary as soon as it’s warm enough? Even someone as hard on plants as I am can grow rosemary. Mine even survived last summer, with the brutal heat and no rain. If you plant a healthy bush in the ground, it will keep growing. My friend in Greenville, South Carolina, has one as tall as her head, which has survived more than one blizzard.

Lemon-Rosemary Chicken • • • • • • •

1 whole chicken, 3 to 3 1/2 pounds, spatchcocked—see Note Juice of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary 4 tablespoons unsalted butter Salt Freshly ground pepper

The evening before or morning of the day you plan to serve it, place the spatchcocked chicken in a 9 x 13-inch or thereabouts baking dish—anything but aluminum, which will react with the lemon juice. I use two oval glass casseroles, which ﬁt handily one on top of the other. Whisk lemon juice, oil, and rosemary together, and drizzle over chicken. Lay plastic wrap on chicken and top with the second dish. Place some kind of heavy weights on top—three or so 28-ounce tomato cans, a small cast iron skillet or pot, or a couple of bricks. Refrigerate. About an hour before serving, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove weights and plastic wrap. I like to relocate my chicken to a rimmed baking sheet at this point. Melt butter, brush over chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until the thickest part of the thigh registers at least 170 on a meat thermometer. With a small chicken, start checking in 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes before carving. Garnish with rosemary sprigs if desired.

Adapted from Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking by Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Graubart Note: Remove any spare parts from the chicken’s cavity and set aside. Blot chicken with paper towels, and place on a cutting board breast-side down. Make sure the parson’s nose, the fleshy protuberance visible at the posterior end of the chicken, as Wikipedia defines it, is facing up. With your handy kitchen shears, cut up the backbone to remove. Turn the chicken over and press down hard on the sternum with the heel of your hand until it snaps. Continue pressing until the chicken lies flat. I usually freeze the neck and backbone for stock, and marinate and roast the liver along with the chicken. This same method can be used on your Thanksgiving turkey, and it is a miracle of the Lord! You will never go back to the old way of roasting a turkey. It takes less than 2 hours of oven time for a 12-14 pound turkey, the thighs and breasts are both cooked to perfection, and it’s easier to carve. There’s lots of how-to info on the Internet.

Chocolate Chunk Bread Puddings • 3 1/2 cups cubed (1/2-inch) Hawaiian sweet bread (1 small package rolls) • 1 1/3 cups whole milk • 1/4 cup sugar • 3 tablespoons cocoa • 2 tablespoons Kahlúa or other coffee-flavored liqueur • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 2 large eggs • 3.5 ounce bar excellent quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, such as Lindt or Perugina, chopped in chunks • Whipped cream (out of the can is fine, but not the fake stuff ) or vanilla or coffee ice cream Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet with sides. Bake for 5 minutes, or until toasted. Remove bread from oven and cool slightly. Turn off oven. Whisk together milk, sugar, cocoa, Kahlúa, vanilla, and eggs in a medium bowl. Add bread; toss gently with a big spoon to coat. Cover and chill 2-4 hours, stirring occasionally if you remember. Coat four 6-ounce ramekins with cooking spray. Divide half the bread mixture between the ramekins. Sprinkle evenly with half the chocolate chunks. Divide remaining bread mixture between ramekins. Top with remaining chocolate. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Set ramekins in a baking dish; add hot water to dish to a depth of 1 inch. Bake for 35 minutes or until set. Serve warm with whipped cream or a small scoop of ice cream. To reheat, just nuke until warm. Note: If you don’t have ramekins, any place that sells housewares has them, and you will use them over and over.

Serves 4

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scene (Left) Front Row, left to right: Bailey Elizabeth Gardner, Carolanne Sterling Spearman, Julianna Ellen Kendall, Kaitlyn Elizabeth Shoemake, Abby Elaine Knowling, Caroline Emily Wilson; Second Row: Sarah Margaret Averbuch, Millicent Leigh Steed, Olivia Brenda Costanza, Maria Catherine Caprio, Sarah Abbott Martinson, Caroline Pollard Curran, Madeline Beatty Kofskey; Third Row: Mary McClure Hardin, Megan Ann Smith, Elizabeth Anne Jones, Mary Charles Stewart

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2016 Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Guild 53rd Debutante Ball october ,  · von braun center, north hall, huntsville

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(Right) First Row, left to right: Dr. Steven Smith, Linda Akenhead, Randy Roper, Dr. Doug Patz; Second Row: Warne Heath, Dr. John Cox, Dan Halcomb, John Switzer, Larry Thomas, Byrd Latham, Michael Timberlake

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parting shot » Abraham Rowe

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A perfect day at Bridge Street Town Centre Cozy up with a throw and candles from Anthropologie, get organized at Bed Bath & Beyond, grab the Clean Start cookbook at Barnes & Noble, start on my New Year’s resolutions at DICK’S Sporting Goods, stop in for some hot tea at Panera Bread, stock up on winter skin-care essentials at Sephora, and map out 2017 with a planner from Altar’d State.

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