When Katherine + Jacob first started thinking about planning their wedding, they decided to come up with a set of words that best captured the kind of celebration they wanted to create. That way, when all the big decisions came rolling in, they could always return to those words to make sure they were on the right track. The words they chose were: colorful, unpolished, sincere, personal, and relaxed.
“We felt like starting with these goals would give us our best shot at having our wedding truly feel like it reflected us as a couple,” the newlyweds say.
From there they joined forces with planners from Willow & Sage and dreamed up a charming day at The Lodge at Old Mill in the woods of Jasper, Georgia that featured romantic floral prints, handmade details, and tons of intimate and meaningful moments.
One of our fave elements of Katherine + Jacob’s heartfelt North Georgia wedding? It’s literary inspiration! “I have long loved Little Women,” bride Katherine says, “and ever since the 2019 movie came out, I’ve watched the scene with Meg’s wedding and hoped that my own wedding someday could capture some of the same lightheartedness and wonder of hers.”
So if you’re a fan of Lousia May Alcott’s American classic or Greta Gerwig’s film adaptation of the March sisters’ adventures, this one’s for you!
We’re so glad photographer Kate Phillips was there snapping so many stunning documentary-style photos so we can take a peek!
The excitement of these bridesmaid getting ready photos is giving us major March sister energy.
We love that Katherine’s bridal party went for a uniform look and wore sweet and summery matching floral print strapless dresses from Lulu’s.
Yay for a bridesmaid first look!! So fun to surprise your besties when you first get into your gown.
Check out our collection of the 45 best floral bridesmaid dresses for a botanical look if you can pictures your bridal party rocking something flowery and festive like Katherine’s did.
“I definitely am one of those girls who has been adding pins of wedding dresses to her Pinterest boards since middle school,” says Katherine, “so it felt like Christmas morning when I got to actually start thinking about my real dress.” Katherine’s sister got married just 7 months before Katherine did, and on a visit to The Sentimentalist for her sister’s dress shopping appointment Katherine spotted this simple, romantic, and old-world-inspired gown. She knew that would be the dress to start with when she began her own dress hunt.
“I guess the best way I can describe why I loved it is that when I looked in the mirror, I just felt so much like myself,” Katherine says. “We went to a couple more stores after that, but I couldn’t get the first dress out of my head. A couple days later, we went back, tried it on, bought it, and never looked back!”
The “First Touch”
Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding From the bride: "The moment that most easily comes to mind is when Jacob and I had the opportunity to do a “first touch” before the ceremony. Initially, I had heard that doing a “first look” was ideal for the practical flow of the day-of schedule, and so that’s what I assumed Jacob and I would do. However, when I brought the question to Jacob, he shared that he loved the sentiment of being able to see each other for the first time when I walked down the aisle. Since Jacob isn’t quick to speak up about things unless they’re important to him, I found that this was a request of his that I really wanted to honor. When I told my photographer Kate and coordinator Jackie about the idea, they gave me so much confidence that the schedule would still work beautifully without doing a first look (they are the best). On the actual wedding day, our “first touch” looked like Jacob and I standing back-to-back, reading personal notes to each other, and just having a moment to chat and breathe. It was such a gift. It also felt so refreshing to know that we were able to do something that maybe wasn’t the most logistically sensical, but felt true to us- and it ended up being so worth it."
The Ceremony
Katherine + Jacob went with a ceremony location that was super meaningful to them and tied the knot at Katherine’s grandparents’ church.
How beautiful is this photo Kate Phillips snapped of Katherine’s grandparents holding hands during the ceremony?!
Our Musical Choices Processional: "This Is the Day" by Pat Barrett + "Divine / Sailing / Time / Hymn" by Phil Wickham
Recessional: "Good Day for Marrying You" by Dave Barnes
First Dance: "La Reyna" by Penny and Sparrow
Katherine’s timeless low bun with gentle face framing curls was created by Kayla Williams Hair, and Ellis Page Makeup crafted her rosy neutral and natural glam makeup look.
We really cannot get enough of the way that Kate Phillips captured so many small but romantic moments in all these intimate and candid portraits.
Katherine + Jacob’s day was packed with meaningful handmade details that were created by their loved ones. This red fringe wedding banner was one of them!
Not all of us have super crafty friends and fam, but you can check out this custom pennant wedding banner from Etsy if you love the look of Katherine + Jacob’s!
Love Katherine’s “something blue” pastel wedding shoes! Take a look at our guide on how to easily choose your wedding shoes if you need some guidance or shop this similar pair to recreate Katherine’s look!
Our Advice To Those Planning Now From the bride: "I guess if I could go back and have a conversation with myself at the beginning of wedding planning, I would mainly tell myself to take to heart the big cliché that you’ll fare best if you focus on what really matters to you about the wedding day. Ultimately, it’s that you’re making a vow to someone you love, but I also think it’s okay to pick a few things that are important to you, prioritize those, and try your best not to sweat the small stuff that doesn’t go as planned. I know this is much easier said than done, and I’ll be the first to say I was not always graceful in this aspect. But I think that the more I was able to lean into what Jacob and I truly valued about our wedding day, the easier it was to not hold on too tightly to each tiny detail. And this let us actually be more opened up to be excited, at peace, and ready for whatever happened. Altogether, I’d describe it as a balance of preparing diligently and also carrying expectations loosely. I think this is one of the better ways to ensure you’ll be able to feel present on the wedding day. At least, that’s what helped me. Also, the “supposed to’s” of wedding planning are mostly fake. Just let it be however it is!"
Katherine + Jacob’s three-tier vintage-inspired wedding cake from Bill Rhodes Bakery had so much festive Old World charm!!
Congrats, Katherine + Jacob!! Louisa May Alcott would have loved your sincere and colorful North Georgia wedding day! All the best from GWS!
photography: Kate Hensley Phillips Photography // venue name: The Lodge at Old Mill, Jasper, Georgia, USA // planning: Willow and Sage Events Co. // florals: Ivy Marie Weddings // wedding dress: Daughters of Simone // wedding dress boutique: The Sentimentalist // bridesmaid dresses: Lulu’s // hair stylist: Kayla Williams // makeup artist: Ellis Paige Sutter // videography: Yonder Film Co. // catering: Center Cut Catering // cake: Rhodes Bakery // music: MSA Entertainment