A Fairytale Same Sex Wedding at the Georgian Terrace: Lisa + D’Lovely

You could say Lisa and D’Lovely’s first encounter was something out of a movie! One day Lisa was at a wine bar in Atlanta with some friends discussing who her ideal woman is. Like perfect timing D’Lovely walked into the bar.  As soon as Lisa set eyes on her she said “That’s the type of woman I want.” Not one to let opportunity pass her by Lisa followed D’Lovely to her car and introduced herself!  As they say, the rest is history:).

Coterie member, Summer of My Simply Perfect Weddings and Events explains the concept behind the design and planning of the wedding, “Lisa already had a pretty clear vision of what she wanted so I just helped her pull it all together. She said in almost every meeting that we had, ‘I met my dream girl, now I want my dream wedding.’  That quote screamed “fairytale” to me so with every idea that she had, I’d suggest the fairytale/romantic version. I really just rounded out the edges. ”

Bride: D‘Lovely Gibson
Bride: Lisa Favors
Wedding Date: 02/15/2014
Wedding Location: Georgian Terrace, Atlanta, GA

Quick Facts

First dance song: A Couple of Forevers, by Chrisette Michelle
Wedding flowers: Lisa: My bouquet included roses, lilies, and hydrangeas. It was beautiful.
Bridesmaids gifts: D‘Lovely: I was going for a Hollywood swag bag, so my party received, designer shades, digital cameras, perfume and cologne, candles, and cocktails! Lisa: I selected a silver box with engraved sentiments for each of my bridesmaids. It was really something from my heart to show much I appreciated them being there for me.

The proposal

Their relationship started out slow and grew over time. D‘Lovely was never much for weddings, but Lisa began to hint that she’d always dreamed of one, especially one that was magical. After attending a friends wedding together, D‘Lovely knew what she had to do. On their fifth year anniversary, D‘Lovely surprised Lisa with a proposal in front of 10 other friends in a crowded restaurant. Weeks later, they celebrated their engagement with a week in Paris.

How was culture incorporated  into the wedding?
D‘Lovely purposefully wanted to have her wedding at the Georgian Terrace, a historic location in Atlanta which hosted the “Gone with the Wind” premiere in 1939. Gone with the Wind’s love story and its yield of the first African-American to win an Oscar, Hattie McDaniel, make it one of her favorite classic movies. Knowing that due to racism in the south, Hattie McDaniel could not attend her own movie premiere gala at the Georgian Terrace, D‘Lovely wanted to make a point of having a black lesbian wedding in the very halls that had once excluded blacks. In 2014, not only did the hotel management jump at the opportunity to host us, they have made our image part of their campaign targeting same-sex couples for weddings at this lovely location.

What was the most memorable part of the wedding?
D‘Lovely: Seeing Lisa in her wedding gown for the first time as I walked out. Wow! I just wanted to stare for a while. Also, once things started going at the reception and everyone was dancing; it was nice for and all my friends see my mom and dad getting down on the dance floor. That was real proof that they loved me and Lisa just the way we were and were excited to be a part of our special day.

Lisa: Walking into the wedding salon and seeing all those people were there for me and D‘Lovely. It was breathtaking; I was crying before I got down the aisle. Then, our first dance, was everything. I had been dreaming of dancing with D‘Lovely to “A Couple of Forevers” by Chrisette Michelle for months.

Help a bride-to-be out!
Keep things in perspective. The event should be wonderful for both of you. Remember, the choices and compromises will be for just one spectacular day, so if she wants to spend a little extra for bling in the cake, she shall have bling on the cake!

Vendors
Planner: My Simply Perfect Events
Venue & Catering: The Georgian Terrace
Florist: Brides and Blooms
Cake: Frosted Pumpkin
Photography: Terrell Clark Photography
Music: Dee J E
Makeup: Lisa – Marquita Graham of Gorjssglam Makeup Artistry And D’Lovely –  Manny Davila