Christian had the ring in his pocket, picked up just a day earlier from Steeds, and the nerves were already getting to him. He almost drove straight from the jeweler to Tuscaloosa to be near Hannah, terrified something would happen to it before he could put it on her finger. Instead, he left work early, drove to her mother's lake house at Lake Martin, Alabama, and set up the living room with flowers, champagne, and a banner that read "Will you marry me?" in case the words failed him. Hannah's sister Caroline helped him arrange everything and talked him down while he waited. It was March 14, 2025, and Christian was about to propose at the place Hannah had loved since childhood.
The proposal itself was a blur. Hannah walked in, heard a camera click, looked confused, then saw Christian and started smiling. He took her hands in the living room. They both joke now that neither can remember everything he said, but the main points were that he would always take care of her, love her forever, and no matter what, always choose Hannah. He knelt, asked, and was so nervous he asked her to say yes a second time just to be sure. She laughed. They took photos on the dock with her dog Chief, then went to dinner at Spring House, which later hosted their rehearsal dinner.
A Palette That Reads Both Modern and Timeless
Hannah and Christian's wedding colors were blue, green, ivory, and subtle pinks. The result was a palette that felt current without chasing a trend. The design work, handled by a planner who brought Hannah's vision to life, needed to accommodate more than 400 guests while keeping the flow from ceremony to reception smooth.
The main reception tent held the stage, a custom-colored dance floor, and cocktail tables dressed in some of the most beautiful linens the planner said she had worked with. Attached to that tent was a fully draped bar tent, complete with custom shelving, built to create a moment when guests walked up for a drink. On the other side of the venue, the food tent stayed simple but elevated. Ten-foot olive trees lined the entry, and a large arrangement led to the Tuscan table. By the water, a cigar bar featured ferns and whiskey. Across the water, large banquettes topped with floral arrangements gave guests elevated seating options.
The cake sat in the middle of four columns, with greenery climbing each column and florals filling the corners. The ceremony itself was kept simple. The church was already full of natural beauty, so the team let it speak for itself.
The Fashion and the Party
Hannah wore an Augusta Jones gown from Carriage House in Mountain Brook, Alabama. Her bridesmaids wore dresses by Lula Kate, sourced from Bella Bridesmaids. Christian and his groomsmen wore black tuxes from Mr. Burch's formalwear.
The food program blended Tuscan flavors with Southern hospitality. Passed hors d'oeuvres included Ahi tuna tacos with wasabi crème and edamame, plus Caprese canapés with Roma tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and basil pesto on toasted baguette. The reception's Tuscan table was loaded with crostini, bruschetta, toasted pita chips, olive tapenade, fig and goat cheese spread, hummus, marinated olives, grilled vegetables with balsamic glaze, artichoke and feta salad, artisan cheeses, herb-grilled chicken kabobs with tzatziki, and Italian cured meats.
A seafood station offered fresh Gulf shrimp and citrus-marinated crab claws, displayed on ice sculptures. A carving station served oven-roasted top round of beef with horseradish crème, whole-grain mustard, caramelized red onion jam, and cocktail rolls, alongside mini twice-baked potatoes loaded with cheese, chives, sour cream, and bacon.
The couple's story started at Lake Martin, and it came back there for the wedding. The proposal and the reception bookended a relationship that began four and a half years earlier. Christian said it best in his own telling of that March afternoon: it was a celebration of time together and a new beginning.
According to Style Me Pretty.
