This Couple Tied the Knot in Front of a Grand Staircase at Their Parisian-Inspired Wedding

Romantic Suite

Chase and Taylor worked with their stationer to customize their invitation suite, complete with illustrations of the Eiffel Tower and the Bir-Hakeim Bridge, where they got engaged. They selected blush envelopes with gold hand-script calligraphy; invitation cards were foil stamped in gold while the RSVP cards were letter-pressed with a light gray ink. "We liked the idea of mixing the printing methods to let the invitation really shine and to create a more unique and curated look," says the couple's planner, Emily of Browne & Towers. A vellum wrap and wax seal were the finishing touches.

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Confetti Time

Taylor and her bridesmaids got ready together with plenty of bubbly and confetti. "My bridesmaids are some of the most important people in my life, so getting to share the day with them made it what it was," Taylor says. "They made me feel so beautiful, special, and celebrated."

The Full Look

Taylor went wedding-dress shopping in New York City with her sister (her maid of honor), her mother, and her cousin. She initially couldn't decide between two Galia Lahav gowns, but the low cut V-neck, subtle mermaid silhouette, long train, and shoulder bows on the very first number she tried on sealed the deal. "I love details and this one had all of them," Taylor says. "It was very feminine and a mix of everything I thought I wanted." Despite shopping all weekend, Taylor went back the next day to buy the one she couldn't forget, plus a tulle veil made to match.

Celebrity Inspiration

Taylor selected Jimmy Choo shoes with bow details. "Ever since I saw Hailey Bieber wear them to her rehearsal dinner, I knew I needed them," she says. "They paired perfectly with my dress."

Fragrant Blooms

The bride held an asymmetrical organic bouquet of peonies, sweet pea, delphinium, garden roses, fritillaria, and Italian and butterfly ranunculus. For texture, blush wax flower, bleached ruscus, and rice flower were integrated. The flowers ranged in tones of pale blush, lavender, creams and whites; bridesmaids held smaller versions of Taylor's arrangement.

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Guys Getting Ready

Chase and his groomsmen shared some bourbon whiskey to kick off the festivities. "When the boys were getting ready and Chase was about to leave for our first look, all the groomsmen and the dads got in a circle and went around and said their favorite thing about Chase," Taylor says, which was a major big-day highlight for the groom.

A Mix of Gowns

Taylor had a difficult time selecting bridesmaids' dresses; she liked satin, but wanted each attendant to feel her absolute best. "I didn't want anyone to wear a gown they don't feel comfortable and amazing in," she says. "We pivoted from all satin and decided to include a mix of four different styles, fabrics, and colors."

Nothing Better

Chase wore a black tuxedo with a sleek satin lapel, Gucci dress shoes (a pre-wedding-meets-birthday git from Taylor), and a Junghans watch (a big-day gift from his bride). His groomsmen wore similar ensembles: "It just doesn't get any better than a man in a classic black tux," says the bride.

Forever Memory

The pair shared their first look in the gardens at The Swan House. Taylor admits to feeling some nerves—the only jitters she felt that day. "I was nervous to see if he liked my dress and just to see how he was feeling," she remembers. When he turned around and saw his bride for the first time, Chase had tears in his eyes. "I had no clue he was going to react that way. It is a precious memory for me and a moment I will always hold close to my heart," she says.

The Vows

After their first look, Taylor and Chase exchanged hand-written vows. "It seemed more 'us' to have this be a private moment, rather than during the ceremony," says the bride.

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On Location

The ceremony took place at the base of a double staircase and fountain outside the Swan House, where acrylic Napoleon chairs lined the petal-covered aisle. "Guest chairs were capped with florals that coordinated with the altar installation," says Emily. "This ensured that the space looked beautiful from all angles and brought the floral vision full circle."

Warm Welcome

Guests were greeted by a welcome station, marked by an ornate sign. The table held a velvet gray guest book with a feather pen as a nod to the venue's name.

Custom Programs

Attendees also grabbed custom tassel programs (which doubled as fans) from the welcome table, where they were displayed on a gold tray.

• 44 Perfect Wedding Ceremony Programs

The Processional

Live musicians played Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love" as Taylor walked down the aisle. She was accompanied by her father down the grand staircase and joined by her mother at the base.

Rose Garden

Two rose-heavy floral installations by Max Owens Design flanked the altar, where the couple was married by a member of the church they attend.

Swan Planters

The outdoor cocktail hour space featured more color; highboy tables were dressed in lilac velvet linens and bistro tables were covered in pink velvet iterations. Blush sofas and custom-made bars turned the lawn into an upbeat mingling area, which was soon flooded with guests. Swan-shaped planters held floral arrangements and were placed atop the bars alongside the signature drink menus.

Drinks and Food

Guests were treated to an open bar all night; during the interlude, they enjoyed passed appetizers including wedge salad bites, shrimp with sesame slaw served in a crispy wonton taco, short rib empanadas with salsa verde and cotija cheese, and mini sweet potato biscuits with chicken sausage and collard green pesto. The Luna Strings Trio played jazz classics to play off the 1920s-era mansion.

Champagne Tower

"The newlyweds' Champagne tower pour kicked off the party and showcased all the fun the evening would bring!" notes Emily.

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Sunset Portraits

Taylor and Chase left their cocktail hour a bit early to squeeze in a few golden hour portraits. They also entered the reception space before their guests to take in every last detail. The bride loved the creative aspects of planning and came up with many of the design elements herself, so she was particularly excited to see it all come together.

Find Your Seat

Miniature floral arrangements and cloches served as the backdrop for the escort card station; guests found their seating assignments on calligraphed cards, propped up by flower frogs.

Cherry Trees

The reception took place inside the ballroom, where a mix of round and banquet tables were set up; Champagne draping and warm uplighting created a soft ambience. Round stations were covered in French-inspired velvet linens, while the longer ones featured gray cloths and a cream chiffon runner. The focal points of the party, however, were the 16-foot-tall cherry blossom trees Emily brought into the reception space. "We were initially planning to use large live green trees, but two weeks before the wedding, we received the news that the trees were sick and no longer an option," Emily says. "Thankfully, we connected with Sejour Events who came to our rescue and had these brand new beautiful cherry blossom iterations available."

At Each Spot

Place settings included cream chargers with a subtle French-inspired pattern, satin napkins, blush menus, and gold flatware.

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Blush and Cream

Blush-and-cream florals defined the centerpieces, which were arranged in varying heights and featured textural elements. Blush taper candles, housed in glass hurricanes, and blush tea lights were the finishing touches to the tablescapes.

The First Dance

Taylor and Chase shared their first dance to "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" by John Adams, a song that Chase, who was in charge of finding the right tune for the moment, had curated on a playlist of options. Ahead of the big day, they took dance lessons to prepare for the moment—but didn't realize how Taylor's dress might restrict her movements. "We ended up scratching a lot of what we had practiced and created our own rendition. It was us and it made us feel comfortable and confident—and it went perfectly on the day-of," Taylor says.

Dinner Stations

Celebrants visited several dinner stations during the party, which offered pasta, grilled flank steak, and Southern classics, like Atlanta fried chicken with green beans, mac and cheese, and buttermilk biscuits.

Art-Inspired Cake

The couple's blush four-tier confection was embellished with sugar flowers and gold filigree details. The filigrees' interior spaces featured a floral Monet painting—the same one that was featured on the invitation's envelope liner.

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Dessert Display

In addition to cake, guests enjoyed desserts like mini eclairs, a macaron tower, a croquembouche, pink dipped donuts, cheesecake shooters, lavender shortbread cookies, and fruit and floral chocolate bark.

Sources

Photography, Harwell Photography
Videography, Square City Productions
Venue, The Swan House at the Atlanta History Center
Wedding Planning and Event Design, Browne & Towers
Flowers, Max Owens Design
Invitations and Paper Products, Every Little Letter
Bride's Gown and Veil, Galia Lahav
Bridal Boutique, Bridal Reflections
Bride's Shoes, Jimmy Choo
Bride's Hair, Lindsey Ryan
Bride's Makeup, Erica Bogart
Bridesmaids' Dresses, Jenny Yoo
Groom's Attire, The Modern Gent
The Groom's Accessories, Gucci; Junghans
Groomsmen's Attire, The Black Tux
Guest Book, Claire Magnolia
Music, Luna Strings; I Love This Band
Catering, BOLD Catering
Cake and Desserts, Sweet Details
Rentals, Sejour Events; La Tavola Fine Linen
Transportation, Mint Life Limo
Lighting, Active Productions
Draping, Unique Event Elements