Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Elizabeth and Matthew Bates first met on New Year’s Eve. Elizabeth accepted an invitation to spend the evening with a friend-of-a-friend in Jackson, all the while expecting she would know no one there and would most likely not have the best time. That night, Elizabeth struck up a conversation with a young man named Matthew who shared her love for the Delta. The two had such a great time that Matthew invited Elizabeth to lunch the next day at their favorite Mexican restaurant Cazadores. 

“The next weekend we were trapped in Jackson because the roads were iced over. Looking back, I am super thankful for that winter storm because that truly is when we got to know one another,” Elizbeth says. “The weekend after the ice storm, I had my wisdom teeth removed, telling the surgeon and my mother all about this ‘boy I was going to marry.’ I guess it's true what they say about love at first sight since it only took us 14 days to know we would be where we are now.”

The two decided to marry in the place where their love story began — Jackson, Mississippi. The couple chose Duling Hall as their venue, which was only .02 miles from the church they got married in, which was a major perk for Elizabeth as she wanted to cut down on guest’s travel time. 

Read on for more of Elizabeth and Matthew’s detail-filled, totally unique wedding day in the Mississippi Delta.

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

On the couple’s wedding rings:I love the story of our rings! My paternal Grandmother played a huge role in my life. I was her only granddaughter so I feel like that’s one reason why I treasure her so much. She had a tennis bracelet that my aunt split between the families. Each individual got four diamonds from the bracelet. My dad has had two of the diamonds made into diamond stud earrings, and another one a drop necklace. Both of these were done at Sissy’s Log Cabin in Memphis. It was not a question that my fourth and final diamond would be my engagement ring, but I was having trouble finding a setting I liked. The earrings and the necklace remained in the original setting, and it was important to me that the ring did too, however, it was round diamond set in a square white gold setting and it would have been odd to have four really pointy sides. I ended up finally finding a ring that had a square setting with rounded corners and it was perfect. Together, we went to Sissy’s and met with Mary, the jeweler who did my other pieces, and she made my vision come true. On top of the center diamond being my grandmothers, the diamonds down the side were actually given to my mother by that same paternal grandmother to make her wedding band. She then gifted them to me for my band. As far as Matthew’s ring, my dad actually gifted him his wedding band. So we are just all about family jewelry in this family!”

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

On getting to design her stationery herself: “I did everything myself and this was probably the most fun part of the wedding planning. I studied graphic design for three years in college and typography is my element. I was able to use matching fonts and themes on every piece of stationery: from the engagement announcements to the rehearsal dinner invitations to the menu, actual wedding invitation, detail cards, to the programs, welcome bag notes, itinerary and personalized thank-you notes. I was and am so proud of the paper products I created for our day!”

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

On her bridal fashion: “I found the belt at Low’s and then did lots of research on what I wanted to wear in my hair. I really wanted a “birdcage” type of veil but did not want anything covering my eyes. I finally decided that I just needed to create my own. So, I found a hair comb on Etsy that was an EXACT match and took it to the sweetest seamstress in Helena (Maureen Jones of Haute Pare). She attached some netting to the comb and it was perfect! I received so many compliments and it was just what I wanted.”

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

On what inspired her wedding style: “I pretty much came up with this theme on my own. I knew I wanted mauve, of course, and wanted to include a burgundy/wine/maroon because Matthew is a HUGE Mississippi State fan. Of course, I Pinterested and Googled things here and there, but I had a traditional vision of what I wanted and had the team that brought it to life.”

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

On her ceremony décor: “We had very limited ceremony décor per my request. We did have flowers above the altar with six candles in memory of loved ones. I wanted the candles specifically in the middle of the flowers. I had no idea this was not common and it was a total pain trying to find REAL candles and candlesticks that would work. I was finally able to find glass candlesticks tall enough at Kirkland’s. I wanted pew markers to be the only greenery, but not the lighter greenery like sand dollar eucalyptus. With the help of my wonderful florist, we chose Italian Ruscus on the pews, and two matching wreaths with a hydrangea attached to the church doors.”

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

On her reception style: “I wanted every single detail to have a meaning. I mean everything. The style at our reception was completely us and no one else. From the koozies with our dog on them, Delta food station, to the Early Bird Station with my maternal Grandmother’s biscuits, to the Kid’s Fishing Station (with real goldfish!), and traditional flowers, it was our style.”

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

On the music played throughout the reception: “Motown. But, I did have Baby Shark played on the dance floor for our little friends!”

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

On her best wedding planning advice: “Don’t involve more people than need to be involved. Ultimately it doesn’t matter what other people think or want, it’s just what makes you and your husband happy, which in my case was making it all about ‘us’ in regards to food, songs, drinks, koozies, etc.”

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Erin Wilson Photography and Films

On her favorite wedding moment: “Matthew is the most laid back person ever and throughout planning our wedding, I learned he would have my back no matter what. I think that’s super important. We have no secrets, which makes life easy. I think my favorite moment of the night is when he looked at me and said, ‘This is all so perfect.’ I said, ‘Duh!!!’”

 

The Details

Photography: Erin Wilson Photography and Films

Videography: Emma Allen

Day-of coordinator: Stephanie Cummins

Florist: Grapevine Cakes, Catering and Floral, Greenwood, Mississippi

Furniture rentals: Pretty Presentations Catering and Event Rentals, Meridian, Mississippi

Lighting/tents: Alpha Tent & Event, Benton, Mississippi

Fish cookies and candy at the Kid’s Fishing Station: Pretty Presentations Catering and Event Rentals, Meridian, Mississippi

Doughnuts: Shipley’s Donuts

Caterer, cake and groom’s cake: Pretty Presentations Catering and Event Rentals, Meridian, Mississippi

Drink service: Hal & Mal’s, Jackson, Mississippi

Band: 1-900 Band

Ceremony music: Mary Catherine Fehrenbacher, Pianist 

Invitations: Created by the bride and ordered via Mingo Press

Wedding dress: Low’s Bridal & Formal, Brinkley

Veil, shoes, garter, other accessories: Haute Paré, Helena 

Bridesmaid dresses: Azazie

Groom/groomsmen attire: Men’s Wearhouse

Jeweler: Sissy’s Log Cabin

HMUA: Christina Crowley

Honeymoon travel agent: Peggy Edgmon with Gulliver’s Travel, Memphis

Rehearsal dinner venue: The Iron Horse Grill, Jackson, Mississippi