Oh my goodness, Olivia & Ethan’s Cathedral of Christ the King & TPC Sugarloaf Atlanta, Georgia wedding was absolutely stunning and had so many thoughtful little details!! Olivia and Ethan themselves were just an awesome couple that I had so much fun working with prior to their wedding day too. Their Callanwolde Fine Arts Center engagement session absolutely set the scene for how fun and in love they are, so I knew their wedding would be a treat. Olivia and I were close friends in high school, but life got busy and hectic, so when she reached out to me about photographing her wedding, I was so honored and overjoyed.
Olivia and Ethan attended college classes together (at UGA – go Dawgs!!), but didn’t speak before their school went completely virtual in 2020. The groom slid into her Instagram DMs to wish her a happy birthday and a conversation began. A couple weeks later he asked her on a date and the rest is history! Ethan proposed at Bobby Jones Golf Course, after claiming that his car had broken down on the way to a nice dinner with their friends. They “took a walk” only for Olivia to discover he had remade their picnic first date in the spot where they officially met in person for the first time, and he proposed much to her surprise!
Their ceremony Mass was held at the Catholic Cathedral of Christ the King, a beautiful stone Gothic Revival style church in Atlanta, GA. A beautiful choir and organ performed the music for the ceremony, which was held in the church where Olivia and Ethan are parishioners. In keeping with tradition, the bride and groom opted out of a first look, but chose to still have a private moment together without seeing each other. Tears were shed as they prayed together and exchanged personal vows they had written for each other. They both had been writing letters to each other in a journal (the bride to her future husband before she even met Ethan) and they shared the letters with each other during this sweet moment. Cue the tears!!
The major desire for the vibe of their wedding was for everyone to have a really good time! Olivia wanted a classy, elegant event that was very intentional for her guests. Fun, colorful florals by Abby’s At the Cottage were incorporated throughout the day, with right pink peonies, orange ranunculus, blush and rose pink cabbage roses in the bridesmaids’ bouquets and hints of travel sprinkled in the table numbers and postcard guest book. In line with their intentional love for their guests theme, the bride created a detailed wedding website that listed parking, notes about sunglasses for cocktail hour, and a video made by the groom explaining to their guests about Catholic teaching on the Eucharist. Emily with Marea Events managed the planning and coordination of the day – a must when you have so many details involved!
TPC Sugarloaf set the scene for the reception with its pretty view overlooking the golf course. The sweetheart table featured a beautiful floral display with hydrangeas, peonies, eucalyptus, and greenery trailing to the floor, giving the impression that flowers were growing from the table itself. Pillar candles and rose tea lights were sprinkled throughout the room and on tables. Table centerpieces featured stunning tall floral arrangements, bud vases with pretty pink floors and tea lights, or rose taper candles with pretty rose and hydrangea arrangements. Gold accents were featured throughout the room. Their wedding cake was from Publix, and featured some simple white icing with a beautiful floral topping with a tiered display in front of their personalized neon sign. Their vanilla cake had layers of raspberry filling with a buttercream icing. They also had a dessert bar with limoncello raspberry cake and a chocolate fondant. For their wedding favor, Ethan and Olivia custom ordered special Oktoberfest German cookies that are typical to hand out during Oktoberfest or other big celebrations. The groom’s dad had sadly passed the year before shortly after their engagement and had suggested they provide these cookies at the wedding. In memory of him, they included the cookies and included a brief story about the significance of the favor.
The dance floor was popping all night, thanks to one of my favorite DJs – Chris with One Night Entertainment. Truly y’all, ask your wedding photographers for DJ recommendations, we see A LOT of them lol! Olivia and Ethan opted for an outfit change during the reception, the groom donning a light blue seersucker suit and the bride a white floral lace two piece crop top and skirt with light blue heels. It was the perfect outfit for their private last dance and sparkler send-off! Congratulations to the happy new couple!!
Vendors:
Planner: Marea Events // Reception: TPC Sugarloaf // Florist: Abby’s at the Cottage // Hair & makeup: Formal Faces // DJ: Chris with One Night Entertainment // Rentals: Cover Ups Linens and Atlanta Modern Events // Cake: Publix // Photography: Nicole Sandercock Photography
