This Augusta Jones wedding dress with a sheer Chantilly lace illusion neckline is such a stunning work of art! And what a perfect silhouette for a classic Catholic wedding ceremony, in the same church where the parents of today’s featured bride were married 32 years ago. Don’t miss the beautiful hair accessory changes made to Lauren’s bridal look from ceremony to reception…a delicate embroidered veil for the church and an enchanting chain of pearls for a night of dancing. Enjoy!
Lauren + Matt | April 26, 2014 | Cape Charles, VA | Dress: Augusta Jones
The Ceremony
We were married in the oldest Catholic Church on the Eastern Shore of VA which is also where my parents were married 32 years ago. It has been wonderful to look at our “now and then” photos. We even had our photographer shoot some of the same pictures/poses that my parents had. The bridesmaids walked down the aisle to the organ rendition of Lana Del Ray’s “Young and Beautiful” and my father escorted me to Jean-Yves Thibaudet’s “Liz On Top of the World” (from the 2005 Pride and Prejudice soundtrack). Our ceremony was not without hiccups though, I was 25 minutes late due to hair & makeup and the air conditioning in the church wasn’t working! And our guests got a pretty good laugh when Matt couldn’t get my wedding ring on. He eventually gave up and I had to shove it on while the priest was finishing our vows.
The Reception
We had our “green” reception at the newly built event location at Aqua Restaurant overlooking the Chesapeake Bay in historic downtown Cape Charles. The venue was so new, in fact, that they literally finished putting in the wood floor, toilets and stall partitions mere hours before our reception. There was also a huge hole in the wall of the dance floor area where all the plumbing pipes were. Let’s just say I was….”nervous”. But, the room that Matt and I walked into later that evening was absolutely breathtaking and elegant. The Aqua staff worked their tails off to pull everything together and our guests were none the wiser. Because we had an eco-friendly themed wedding it was important for us to be as green as possible, so most of our food was organic and the majority of our decor was found at thrift stores and/or borrowed. I was really excited about our wedding favors, which were books set up in our “Wedding Favor Book Nook”. I got the vast majority of these for next to nothing at thrift stores. The Maids of Honor gave a memorable wedding toast which was a highlight of the night; my sisters forgot their notes and had to speak on the fly which resulted in a meandering speech riddled with the word “activities” that our guests and, Matt especially, found incredibly funny. We had such a blast that night dancing and drinking with 120 of our friends and family. I wish I could go back and do it all again!
Lauren’s Dress Search
I tried on about ten different dresses. In the end, I chose the dress I did based on my mother’s reaction and the way I looked and felt in the dress. I looked like the bride I envisioned in my mind’s eye.
How Lauren Felt in Her Wedding Dress
Elegant, Timeless and Classic
Why Lauren Decided to Sell Her Wedding Dress
I have no preconceived notions that a future daughter will want to wear my dress. Each bride has her own style. And someone else should enjoy this gown as much as I did!
