Kori and Courtney were vacationing in Santa Rosa, FL when Courtney proposed. They’d just checked in to their hotel and went out to the beach when he suggested that they go for a walk. Kori is always asking to take walks but Courtney is usually never up for them, so she should’ve been suspicious when he suggested it this time around. “He picked one of the hottest days in July to take this walk so several times I dragged him into the ocean even though he really didn’t want to and insisted he was not hot,” Kori shares. Little did she know, he was afraid to lose the ring he was keeping in his swimming trunks. They continued their walk, Kori walking slightly ahead of him, as Courtney went on about how beautiful the water and the sunset were. When she turned around to see where he was, he was down on one knee getting ready to ask her to spend eternity with him.
The couple was married in an elegant golf resort wedding in Birmingham. Take a look at their beautiful day with photos by Appear Photography.
Quick Facts
Favorite item on wedding menu – cocktail hour: His and hers bellinis_ we worked with their “mixologist” to put a twist on my favorite cocktail and everyone loved them! The peach cobbler (groom’s fav dessert so it served as our grooms cake) was our favorite item at the reception.
Bridesmaids/Groomsmen Gifts – jewelry, a ring dish, personalized “celebration” cups with their favorite beverage inside, makeup; guys received visa cards.
First dance song – “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran
Bride – Kori Finn
Groom – Courtney Jones
Wedding date – 05/16/2015
Wedding location – The Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa in Birmingham Al
Describe your wedding dress. How was your shopping experience?
I’m not one of those girls that planned her whole wedding at the age of 13, and I didn’t have a Pinterest board full of wedding gowns. I really just wanted to go off of how I felt at the moment, so I had no idea what I was looking for when I walked into my appointment at The White Room bridal boutique. I took my mother, sister, and nieces with me. After trying on quite a few dresses, I knew I found the perfect dress when I walked out and saw my mom’s face. My sister ran to get her phone and started videotaping, so it was pretty obvious how she felt. I loved it because it was the first time I had that moment when you say to yourself, “Oh my goodness, I’m really getting married”. I was thrilled to find a dress with a modern silhouette and soft details. My wedding dress was a beautiful Rivini french alencon lace gown with a deep open back that flares out into a soft multi-layered tulle skirt with hand applied lace appliqués.
How was culture incorporated in your wedding?
My mom walked me down the aisle, so I was able to pray with her right before and she was able to hold my hand along the way, just as she’s done so many times in my life. I am so blessed to have an extremely strong relationship with my mother. She’s my rock and such a crucial part of my life, and our wedding. There was no doubt in my mind that I wanted her by my side that day to “give me away.” She loves Courtney so much and was so excited for us! I will never forget how excited she was when I called to tell her we were engaged, and I certainly will always remember her face when I asked her to walk me down the aisle-it was priceless.
We wanted to incorporate our love for Southern food, and served our family favorites like macaroni and cheese, collard greens, grits, and even peach cobbler for the groom’s cake. I love that we had such an elegant and beautiful wedding that still was intimate and laid back enough for people to stuff their faces and kick their shoes off and dance all night, literally! So much of what we chose for our big day was centered around what both of our families enjoy because we wanted everyone to just have fun and party–I’m so glad we did!
What are your favorite memories of your wedding day?
Kori: We have so many special memories! We added a personal touch to just about every aspect of our wedding and if it wasn’t “us” we didn’t do it at all. We chose to do our wedding in the round under the most beautiful, 72” chandelier known as “Marie Antoinette.” One of the reasons being that I didn’t want a traditional bride’s side and groom’s side. I also wanted it to be intimate and for us to really take in the most important part of the day—us joining together as one . We wrote promises to each other to read after our traditional vows. It was nice to be able to say how we felt in our own words and add in a little humor. It was definitely a moment we will never forget.
Courtney: I loved how we wrote personal intros for each member of our wedding party. It was fun to see their reactions, because they had no idea we had been working on this fun and unique way to get the reception going. The “MC” was her cousin and my line brother that introduced us, so that made it really cool. But by far, my favorite memory was being introduced as Mr. and Mrs. Jones and having our very first dance of many to come.
What advice would you give to our brides-to-be?
My advice would be to take time along the way to celebrate. This is one of the sweetest moments of your lifetime! Wedding planning can be stressful and you’ll inevitably have situations arise that make it even more chaotic. If you feel yourself getting stressed, arrange a get together with your bridesmaids, a date night with your fiancé, or go cake tasting AGAIN(even if you’ve already decided)! I had the best bridesmaids in the world and they always made sure I was celebrating being a bride every step of the way and focused on what was really important throughout the planning process.
Vendors
Wedding Planning & Event Design – Two Hearts Weddings and Events
Bridal Salon – The White Room
Designer – Rivini
Venue – Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa
Photography – Appear Photography
Videography – Clay Carroll Productions
Florals – CeCe Designs
Men’s Formalwear – Mr. Burch Formal Wear
Lighting & Draping – Design Productions LLC
Stationery – Fine Paperwork
Cakes – Magnificent Cakes
Linens – Decor To Adore
Furniture Rental – Event Rentals Unlimited
Band – Mother May I
DJ – DJ C Dubb
Hair – Bonita Miller
Makeup – Ashlee Andrews Douglas
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