Jill and Ryan’s Georgia wedding celebration took place at Villa Ospo at Jekyll Island. The bride is a NYC resident, but Southern-at-heart and imagined her reception as a ” big, intimate, garden dinner party.” With the help of Straton Hall Events, Jill got perfectly Southern wedding she hoped for —a historic setting, Spanish moss, subtle vintage details and a laid back island feel. The bride even designed all the whimsical paper pieces including the custom-illustrated playing cards. Lucky for us, The Happy Bloom was on hand to capture all the many gorgeous details in these lovely photographs.
How was your wedding perfectly “Southern”?
Even though I live in New York, I’m from North Florida and truly Southern at heart. From the intimate, welcoming u-shaped seating arrangement and southern food to the Spanish moss, handcrafted favors and laid back feel of the island…our wedding was perfectly Southern and I wouldn’t change a thing!
What was your vision for your wedding day? What made you choose certain colors or decor?
I wanted a wedding that was going to feel like a big intimate garden dinner party. Nothing too stuffy or overly designed, but also classic and a little vintage at the same time to fit in with the historic surroundings. I don’t like it when things feel too “matchy matchy” so I decided to use a combination of Fall jewel tones as opposed to sticking to one or two colors.
You are so talented! Talk to us about your vision with the paper goods and playing cards!
Thank you! I wanted to incorporate the flora/fauna of the area and all the other unique elements that make up Jekyll Island including some of our venues, croquet and of course, Georgia peaches. I’m very sentimental so I wanted it to be truly unique to us and where we got married. I used gold foil accents and gold calligraphy as a nod to the “Golden Isles” and the millionaires that originally founded the Jekyll Club. The playing cards were a true labor of love. I was aiming for a truly stand out wedding favor that was personal to us as a couple but that everyone would remember and also hopefully use! There are 14 illustrations in total.
What is the moment you remember most about your wedding day?
I remember a lot of moments very clearly but probably the First Look. I’m so glad we were able to do that because it took a lot of the anxiety out of the rest of the day.
What’s next for you and your husband?
We eventually plan on starting a family, buying a house and I would love to be able to grow my illustration and stationery business into my full time job.
Photography: The Happy Bloom // Reception Planning + Florals + Catering: Straton Hall Events // Day of Coordination: Island Weddings // Invitation + All Paper Goods: Jill Delavan (the bride!) // Venue: Villa Ospo at Jekyll Island, GA // Hair + Makeup: Fantasy Hair + Makeup // Bride’s Dress: Watters // Shoes: Sole Society // DJ: Island Sound DJs // Rentals: Beachview Event Rentals // Suits: Charley Tyrhitt // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box