Laura Lemmons & Ryan Stephens – Memphis, Tennessee
The First Encounter:
Laura and Ryan met at a club softball game in college. “Ryan was playing softball and Andy; a friend of mine, was holding Ryan’s keys for him,” Laura says. “I needed to borrow a car to drive back to the dorm to pick up a friend and Andy handed me Ryan’s keys.” Laura thought it was funny that Ryan’s 1993 brown Toyota Corolla was named “the trout.” When she got into the car, “The Joker” by the Steve Miller Band came on and she immediately thought that she and Ryan could be good friends. “After the softball game, I introduced myself to him and commented on his choice of music,” she says. “We have been friends ever since.”
In Preparation:
Laura and Ryan wanted a small, personal wedding that was different from any other wedding they had seen. They also wanted to focus on making the event enjoyable for their family and friends. The couple chose fall colors for their color scheme, but Laura left the details of her wedding to her florist and wedding planner. “I know the florist and the decorator/planner very well and I just told them to make it unique and be creative,” Laura says. “I trusted their creativity and talent and knew that they knew me and my style. We were pretty laid back with the menu as well.” “The only detail I cared about for my invitations was that they were made from recycled material,” she says. “I saw an ad for Oblation Papers and Press in a magazine, found out that they used recycled paper, and went with a simple green leaf invitation for them.” Laura let her bridesmaids choose their own dresses, in a green color. The groomsmen wore tan suits with green ties. Laura’s mother recommended FrozenZen for the wedding photographer. “Throughout the whole planning process, I told people that I had no expectations or visions of my wedding day, because when it comes I will be surprised and love it all without having pictures in my head of what I think it should look like,” Laura says. “That was the best feeling of all.”
The Big Day:
Some of the highlights of the day for Laura include seeing her grandfather with the biggest smile on his face, praying with her bridesmaids, mother and grandmother before the ceremony, walking into the ceremony room and seeing the room decorated beautifully, and seeing Ryan’s face when he turned around to look at her for the first time that day. Laura and her mother wore her great-grandmother’s jewelry and Laura held her great-grandmother’s hankie around her bouquet. The couple was married by their college microbiology teacher. “He is one of the sweetest men I have ever met in my life,” Laura says. All four of Laura’s grandparents were at the wedding, as well as lots of family and friends.
At the reception, Laura and Ryan danced the night away with family and friends to the big folk/bluegrass band called the Shake ‘Em Ups from Austin, Texas. The couple decided to have mini pies and favorite family desserts instead of a wedding cake. Laura says other brides told her she might not remember a lot about her big day, so she made a point to live in every moment and make mental pictures of the people, the decorations, the food, the weather, the music, and how she felt about it all. “Until I have kids, I think that my wedding day will be the most vivid memory I have,” she says.
The Retreat:
“After a year of a long distance engagement and working 12 hours days, it was so nice to be alone and have no schedule for a week,” Laura says. The day after their wedding, the couple headed for St. Lucia and Sandals Halcyon Beach St. Lucia an all-inclusive resort. “We laid on the beach until the sun went down, we ate whenever we wanted to, we slept in and had breakfast in bed brought to us on Christmas morning, we zip-lined through the rainforest, we swam in the ocean, and we were together with no one else,” Laura says.
One Tip:
“Keep it simple, be creative, and make it personal to you and your mate!”
Acknowledgements and Special Thanks from the Lemmons/Stephens Wedding
Ceremony Site:
Hillwood at Davies Plantation
Memphis, TN
901.386.0715
www.daviesmanorplantation.org
Wedding Photographer:
FrozenZen Photograpy
Memphis, TN
901.309.5700
Jackson, TN
731.410.6966
www.frozenzen.com
Florist:
Kathie Ray
Memphis, TN
901.490.3191
www.gatheringsflowers.com
Wedding/Engagement Ring:
Elliott’s Jewelry
Mobile, AL
251.344.0072
www.elliottsjewelry.com
Caterer:
Draper’s Catering
Memphis, TN
901.385.7788
www.draperscatering.com
Musicians / Entertainment:
The Shake Em Ups
Austin, TX
304.685.4160
www.myspace.com/shakeemups
Rehearsal Dinner:
The Butcher Shop
Cordova, TN
901.757.4244
www.thebutchershop.com
Invitations:
The Stovall Collection
Memphis, TN
901.767.8808
www.stovallcollection.com
Wedding Gown:
All About Weddings
Germantown, TN
901.755.1358
Wedding Planner:
Amy Turman
901.826.2042
Tuxedos:
S & K Menswear
Memphis, TN
901.682.1693
www.skmenswear.com
Travel Agent:
Springdale Travel
Mobile, AL
251.476.5095
www.springdaletravel.com
Honeymoon Resort:
Sandals Halcyon Beach St. Lucia
St. Lucia, Caribbean
888.SANDALS
www.sandals.com
The bride and groom and/or third party supplied all vendor information to Southern Bride. Southern Bride
cannot take responsibility for misinformation that was provided. This is not a paid advertisement but
simply a courtesy to share as a resource to Southern Bride readers.
