Real Weddings: Mallory & Ron

Mallory and Ron sat one row apart from each other during a mandatory training class at their former jobs. Both had noticed one another but had yet to gather up the gumption to actually speak. It wasn’t until the class played a game where they had to guess elements from the Periodic Table that Ron had his opportunity to impress Mallory. With all others eliminated, it came down to Mallory against Ron. She thought she had it in the bag – as a registered nurse she was confident of her scientific knowledge. To her surprise, Ron beat her. That won her over and marked the beginning of their courtship. After ten years of dating, Ron, a sales consultant, and a graduate of Auburn University, knew his soon-to-be fiancée was in need of a serious getaway. Both he, and Mallory, a graduate of the University of Alabama-Birmingham, had jobs that were not remote during the pandemic. The timing was right to celebrate the couple’s ten-year relationship so Ron whisked Mallory off to Savannah, GA for some rest and relaxation, and a proposal, unbeknownst to her. At a little tapas restaurant, Ron and Mallory took a step toward holy matrimony. Cleverly, when planning their wedding, they thoughtfully chose a caterer to do tapas-style food stations during the reception, as a nod to that night Ron proposed. “Our reception was a huge party, it was not your typical sit-down reception,” Mallory recounts. The couple also had a very unique ceremony set up, where they stood on a platform in the center of the room and all 180 guests were seated in a 360-degree fashion around them. Ron and Mallory could be seen from all angles. Unfortunately, the pandemic took a toll on Mallory’s family. Her late father was a victim of Covid. Mallory did not wish to replace him with another escort so she walked by herself down the aisle. “I always dreamed of walking down the aisle to the theme song of Beauty and the Beast and that’s what I did,” Mallory said. “Prior to the day, I was full of anxiety knowing my dad would not be there, but the day of I felt so much peace and happiness knowing the man I would meet at the altar would love and protect me forever like he promised my dad so I knew I would be okay.”

Wedding Details

LOCATION: Birmingham, AL

TIME OF YEAR: Spring

WEDDING STYLE: classy, vibrant, unique

CEREMONY & RECEPTION: Thomas Jefferson Towers

MENU: Cocktail hour passed hors d’oeuvres included deviled eggs with crumbled bacon, fried green tomatoes with remoulade and feta, and crispy pork belly with muscadine jam and on an edible Asian spoon; for the reception the couple opted for a biscuit bar featuring buttermilk biscuits with toppings of whipped butter, strawberry jam, grilled peaches, fresh berries, Conecuh sausage and applewood smoked bacon and a a shrimp and grits station; Belgium waffles, Good People brown ale pot roast served with whipped buttermilk mashed potatoes and horsetail carrots, pecan-crusted chicken with cracked honey mustard and scoop of mac and cheese, as well as Caesar salad bites on a stick with homemade croutons.

DESSERT: Cake of seven tiers featuring red velvet, lemon and strawberry layers underneath white chocolate fondant

FIRST DANCE SONG: “So High” by John Legend

INSPIRATION: the couple are lively people who wanted that to be reflected in their colors and the aura as well as they wanted a culinary experience for their guests

SPECIAL FEATURES: the ceremony layout was a 360 degree experience with the bride and groom at the altar in the center of the room; a mobile barber came onsite service the groom and his groomsmen; cold smoke “dancing on the clouds” effect for the first dance; live musicians included a pianist and a violinist; a 7-tier cake; hookahs and customized ashtrays for cigars out on the balcony; tapas-style food options throughout the reception; bride walked herself down the aisle to the theme song from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast; photobooth

HONEYMOON: The Maldives

COLORS: