A Southern Garden Party Wedding in Mobile, Alabama

Though Anna McClure and Theo Middleton have known one another since high school, it wasn't until the annual LSU-Alabama game in November of 2014 that the pair reconnected—and that connection stuck. Three years later, on a fall Sunday, Theo lured Anna out to his backyard under the guise of showing her his landscaping plans, but instead handed her a love letter and proposed.

As they started planning their June 2, 2018 wedding in their hometown of Mobile, Alabama, they didn't have to look far for help. Anna's sister, Louise Pritchard, is an executive planner with Mariée Ami, and she and the talented team took care of every detail of Anna and Theo's garden party wedding. "They really made it a treat for both of our families, as we all got to enjoy the process!" says the bride.

After a ceremony at Christ Church Cathedral (where Anna's parents and sister were also married), the couple and their 500 guests headed to Fort Whiting, a stately hall that serves as the Alabama National Guard armory. "Inside it's really a blank canvas, so Mariée Ami was able to create something truly spectacular for us," Anna describes. The couple envisioned an early summer garden party, also finding inspiration from an antique chart of Mobile Bay that Theo inherited from his late father, leading to a mixture of lush flower and map elements that combined perfectly on Theo and Anna's wedding day.

This southern wedding is full of inspirational details—take a peek at the photos by Davy Whitener to see for yourself!

When guests arrived in Mobile, they were greeted with indulgent welcome boxes that included hand-frosted trout-shaped cookies, Honeycreeper chocolates, cheese straws, and the fixing for a sparkling lemonade and vodka cocktail.

To dress up the classic invitation suite, the couple's illustrator created a watercolor floral pattern that was used on envelope liners, gift tags, and even the fabric that was draped from the ceiling of the tent.

Anna's Lela Rose wedding dress was the very first dress she tried on. "I was immediately drawn to the textured fabric, and knew I had to try it," says Anna. She paired the gown with orchids in her hair, her grandmother's pearl bracelet, and an all-white bouquet of peonies, roses, and ranunculus.

Anna's bridesmaids wore a combination of dove gray and ice blue Lela Rose dresses, while her sister wore a custom dress by Katherine Vier. "She'd chosen another Lela Rose dress and had it made in blue, but found out she was pregnant and had to get a different dress!" says Anna. The bridesmaids also wore orchids in their hair, and carried smaller versions of the bride's bouquet.

Floral Sophia Webster sandals peeked out from beneath Anna's wedding gown, while her Toni Federici veil sparkled with pearls and Swarovski crystals.

The couple married in a traditional Catholic ceremony.

"Theo and I are both traditional, and wanted our wedding day to be the same," Anna explains. "One of our favorite parts was not seeing each other before I walked down the aisle!" The groom donned a tuxedo with a white jacket for the formal affair.

After their reception in downtown Mobile, the newlyweds and their wedding party led the way into Fort Whiting for the reception.

Inside the reception, a circular bar was arranged beneath a ceiling draped in the same print that was used for Theo and Anna's invitation liners. A pop of color was added to the décor with an overflowing arrangement of white and yellow blooms, as well as a wall that displayed petite arrangements and vases full of fresh lemons.

With such a large guest list, Theo and Anna opted for open seating instead of a seated reception. Touches of blue were added to the space through vintage-style vases and blue striped linens, while lemons and yellow flowers were scattered throughout to brighten the space. Even the cocktail trays at the reception were customized with a fresh floral print.

The couple's classic white wedding cake was decorated with butterflies and fresh peonies and roses to continue the garden party wedding theme.

Guests tossed confetti as the newlyweds made their grand exit at the end of the night. "Our car had been decorated with flowers, and the wreath on the front fell off," Anna says. "We ran it over on our way home!"