Nearly thirty years after Lilly’s parents exchanged vows, Lilly and Adam began their own marriage in the very same church – then celebrated at the same country club where her parents had held their wedding reception. Their April celebration in Carrollton, Georgia was less about recreating the past than continuing a family story, thoughtfully weaving generations of memories into a wedding that still felt distinctly their own.
Inspired by classic Southern garden parties, the celebration unfolded in a palette of blush pink and white beneath a tent in the gardens of Sunset Hills Country Club. Abundant florals, layers of texture, and warm candlelight softened the space, while playful references to one of Lilly’s favorite films, Steel Magnolias, added personality to the timeless design. Guests sipped a signature “Blush and Bashful” cocktail and enjoyed red velvet cake – a decidedly prettier nod to the film’s unforgettable armadillo groom’s cake.
Family history appeared everywhere, sometimes prominently and sometimes in the smallest details. Lilly got ready in her childhood bedroom surrounded by lifelong friends, carried lace from her grandmother’s wedding dress around her bouquet, incorporated bridal pieces belonging to her mother and mother-in-law, and displayed photographs honoring the women in both families. Her mother even handcrafted the topper for their five-tier wedding cake.
The connection to her parents’ wedding went further. Lilly and Adam recreated family photographs and served the same dinner menu her parents had chosen nearly three decades earlier. Yet the day never felt like a reproduction. Floral bridesmaid dresses, lush installations, Lilly’s transformative Sareh Nouri gown, and Adam’s reception change into a white dinner jacket gave the celebration a fresh identity of its own.
It was a wedding built around inheritance in the loveliest sense – not simply the things passed down through a family, but the love, friendships, traditions, and examples of marriage worth carrying forward.
How did you two meet? What were your first impressions of one another?
We have actually somewhat known of one another our entire lives!! Even went to one another’s 2 year old birthday parties. Our parents (my dad and his mom) went to high school and graduated together! They grew up as somewhat of family friends so for me, I always “knew of” Adam Carroll or at least the name! We are both from Carrollton Ga but being in different grades and going to different schools 30min apart we never ran within the same circles! Flashing forward to college we met briefly my junior year when I visited a friend over a winter holiday break and he happened to be dating my friend’s roommate at the time. (He claims still to this day he was immediately interested!) BUT our official “meet cute” was the summer before my second year of graduate school at the University of Mississippi. Adam just so happened to be moving in his cousin the weekend I was moving apartments in Oxford Ms and reached out to me asking for a date! The rest is history!
Any special ways you incorporated your family or family history into your wedding day?
Absolutely! So we firstly had a memory table honoring all the women on both sides of our families that guests could see right as they entered the reception. Then I also wrapped a piece of lace from my grandmother’s wedding dress around my bouquet to hold walking down the aisle. I also used the guarder my mother in law and sister in law used on their wedding days!
What was your favorite part about planning your wedding?
Am I wrong to say everything?! I was a big details person when it came to planning my wedding and I had a lot of inspo from movies and ideas growing up so it truly all was my favorite part. But if I did pick an area it would be the flowers!!!!!
What is the most honest thing you can say about love?
Love should be easy! Like the easiest decision you’ve ever been apart of without any second guessing or questioning how you feel!
“Every detail felt like a continuation of a family story while marking the beginning of their own.”
Ceremony Venue: Carrollton First Methodist Church / @carrolltonfirst
Reception Venue: Sunset Hills Country Club / @sunsethillscc
Photography: Heartbrave Studios / @heartbrave_studios
Videography: Heartbrave Studios / @heartbrave_studios
Florist: Mountain Oak Florist and Design / @mtnoakflorist
Wedding Planner: The Season Events / @theseasonevents
Tent + Lighting: Unlimited Party and Event Rental / @unlimited_party_rental
Cake: Honeymoon Bakery / @honeymoonbakery
Wedding Invitations: Empress Stationery / @empressstationery
Band: The Groove Factor / @groovefactorlive
Publisher at The White Wren and Bajan Wed, Award Winning Photography + Videographer at Live View Studios, Dad, 80s music lover, crunchy health advocate
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