REAL WEDDING · VENDOR GUIDE
Our Wedding Day & Every Vendor Who Made It Perfect
October 18, 2025 · King and Prince · St. Simons Island, Georgia
I have painted hundreds of weddings. I have stood in the corner of ballrooms and barns and beaches and watched couples cry at the altar, watched dance floors fill up, watched families come together for a weekend they’ll never forget. And honestly, painting all of those weddings played a huge part in how I planned mine. I have seen what works, what vendors show up and go above and beyond, what details make guests light up. When it was finally my turn, I had a very clear vision — and a very good vendor wishlist. Here’s every single person who made October 18th the most perfect day of our lives. Consider this your ultimate guide if you’re planning a coastal Georgia (or anywhere) wedding (or just looking for the best of the best!).
THE VENUE
The King and Prince · St. Simons Island, GA
I cannot say enough good things about the King and Prince. From the moment we arrived for the weekend, their staff made every single person — us, our families, our guests — feel completely taken care of. It was one of those rare venues where you actually get to relax and enjoy yourself, because the team behind the scenes is just that good.
One of my favorite things about choosing this venue was that it was a true destination weekend. Everyone stayed on property — they have gorgeous condos and hotel rooms right on the beach — so the whole weekend felt like a big, joyful gathering rather than just a single wedding day. The coffee shop with its little courtyard became the unofficial hang out spot for everyone between events, which I absolutely loved. Our rehearsal dinner was on site in a completely different space from the wedding, which gave the whole weekend that layered, special feel.
And the food. Oh, the food. We did stations at the wedding and I still think about it – yes I actually ate a whole plate of food even with the busyness of the night! The rehearsal dinner was incredible too. If you are considering a coastal Georgia venue that truly does it all beautifully — this is it.
WEDDING PLANNER
Mary Lynn Caudell · Arrowed Beginnings
Mary Lynn is a sweet friend of mine — I have had the joy of working alongside her since I started in the wedding world, and hiring her as my planner was one of the best decisions I made. She is sugar sweet, endlessly organized, cool and calm no matter what, and just genuinely wonderful to be around. Our families, our bridal party, and every single one of our vendors loved her.
Here’s the thing about having a great planner: you actually get to enjoy your own wedding. I was so relaxed the entire weekend because I knew Mary Lynn had it handled. And she did. Our wedding went off without a single hitch and I truly believe it’s because of her. I love her so much and I will recommend her to everyone!
PHOTOGRAPHY
Whitney & Trevor · David and Drew Photography
I have said it a million times and I will say it again: the personalities of the people you hire for your wedding matter so much. They set the tone. They impact the energy. And Whitney and Trevor are the absolute best example of this. Jonathan and I have had multiple photoshoots with them over the years, and I have worked alongside them at so many weddings — so by the time our day came around, they truly felt like family.
They are kind, personable, and they have this incredible ability to make you feel completely at ease in front of a camera. Everyone on our wedding day was loved them. And the photos? Absolute perfection. I will be sharing some throughout this post and I hope they speak for themselves!!
VIDEOGRAPHY
Meriah Wakem · Media by Meriah
I met Meriah in 2024 at a wedding in Oregon — we were both working at the same wedding, clicked instantly, and I started following her work after that. Once I saw what she was capable of, I knew I had to have her. She traveled all the way from Oregon for our wedding and went above and beyond in every possible way.
Meriah filmed a storytelling shoot for us Thursday night, walking around downtown St. Simons and along the water. She filmed our rehearsal dinner and captured all of our speeches so we can listen back forever. And then of course, the full wedding day. She also took Super 8 film for us! When I tell you I am obsessed with our wedding film — I mean it completely. Every emotion from that day comes through in her video. The artistry, the attention to detail, the way she tells a story through her shots. It is incredible. I love her.
Click this link to view our full wedding film on Instagram!
CONTENT CREATOR
Kaylen · Love Kaptured
Hiring a content creator for our wedding day is something I am SO happy I did! Kaylen was an absolute joy to work with — and we had phone content in our hands the very next day. There is something so fun about waking up the morning after your wedding and already getting to relive it. She also edited reels for us and even put together a video for a brand deal I had with Show Me Your Mumu (you can watch it here!). She handled everything beautifully!
FLORALS
Brooke Anderson · B. Anderson Florals
Brooke is a longtime family friend from Columbus, GA — she actually did my prom and homecoming flowers back in the day! When I entered the wedding world and started crossing paths with her at events, I was always so happy to see her. She is kind and fun and just a wonderful human to be around. She traveled to St. Simons and took care of our flowers for the bridal brunch, the rehearsal dinner, and the wedding day, and she absolutely killed it.
My favorite detail? Her flowers somehow drew in butterflies during our ceremony. I still cannot fully explain it. It was magical and perfect and so, so beautiful.
BAND
Atlanta Wedding Band
Since I spend so much time at weddings, I hear a lot of the same songs over and over — so when it came to our wedding, I knew I wanted something a little different. We asked for classics, older music, things that felt timeless rather than typical wedding playlist. Trevor was our lead and was so great to work with in the planning process. And on the night? They delivered. Every age group was on the dance floor. The energy in that tent was incredible. It was such a good time!!
REHEARSAL DINNER MUSIC
Dave Landeo · Charleston Musician
Jonathan and I spotted Dave playing at an event in Charleston and were immediately obsessed — his voice, his vibe, the music he played. We knew right then we wanted him for our rehearsal dinner. He provided the mic and speakers for our speeches, played before and after dinner, and he even came down to the lobby bar with us and kept the music going for our welcome party. It was such a fun night and he was such a big part of that.
COCKTAIL HOUR ENTERTAINMENT
Elevate Performs · Aerial Bartender
Okay, this one gets its own moment because people are still talking about it. I hired an aerial bartender for our cocktail hour — she served champagne to our guests while hanging upside down from a circus ring. I wanted something truly unexpected and special, and this was exactly that. Guests were absolutely blown away. This also served as our seating chart – guests found their name on their champagne flute and brought the glass to our aerial bartender to fill it! If you want a cocktail hour moment that no one will ever forget, please look into this. You have to see it to believe it!!
HAIR & MAKEUP
Carrie Reap · Makeup by Carrie
Alyssa Welch · Messy & Co Hair Salon
Makeup by Carrie → Messy & Co Hair Salon →
These two are family to me and there was truly no one else I would have wanted by my side getting ready on my wedding day. Carrie has done my makeup more times than I can count and is just the most talented, wonderful person. I am so happy with how my makeup and hair looked — for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding day both. And Alyssa — every time I look back at my wedding photos I catch myself thinking, wow, my hair looked incredible. She is so talented and so creative. I love them both so much and truly couldn’t have had anyone but them!
RENTALS
Jones Cole Rental Collective
The King and Prince provides almost everything you could need for your wedding — but I had my heart set on these beautiful rattan chargers I had seen at another event, and I wanted some green in our tablecloths. Jones Cole made it so easy. They were incredibly helpful and fun to work with while picking everything out, and the details they brought really elevated the whole tablescape. I hope I get to work with them again!
To every single person who was part of our day — thank you. You made it perfect. 🤍
