A Southern-Inspired Garden Party in the Heart of Wine Country

By Kevin Harson6 February 2026

Elegant garden, romantic winery vibe! Liz Barrella knew we wanted colorful flowers of pinks, oranges, & creams, as well as string lights over our dinner tables amongst the vineyards, and she executed it perfectly. I knew that I wanted pinks and oranges, something colorful to keep the summary vibe going in September. I showed Liz a few photos of flowers that included dahlias and hydrangeas, and she made the vision come to life 100x better than what I had pictured.

Our wedding was like a southern garden romantic outdoor party. Our colors were pinks, oranges, purples, and creams. We had white and green hydrangeas as well. Our ceremony has red umbrellas out, our cocktail hour at pink and white linens, and our reception tables each had white scalloped plates with pink champagne saucers, and our pink/orange flowers spread about. For signature drinks, we went with a menu of 4 cocktails: espresso martini, Cosmopolitan, Key Lime Margarita (Ali’s dad’s iconic signature drink), and perfect Manhattan. The whole day and night was an absolutely beautiful vibe.

Our love story is effortless, timeless, joyful & full of adventure. Jake and I went to college together at Susquehanna University, him 2 years older than me, but we didn’t meet until afterwards, down the beach in our favorite place. The first time we met in Stone Harbor/Avalon, we knew right away by the comfort and compatibility with one another that we were a fit, forever. Jake proposed in our happy place in Avalon, NJ. He made me think we were going to dinner with his family for Father’s Day, like we do every year. We stopped at his parents’ beach house for a drink before, walked down to his parents’ dock that lies on the bay (like we always do!), and before I knew it, he was down on one knee asking me to marry him. Of course, I said yes, and we turned around to all our family members cheering. It was the greatest surprise of all time. Later that night, after Jake and I took sunset engagement photos on the beach, all our friends surprised us back at hisparents’s beach house. It was the best night of surprises and celebrations.

got my dress at Daydream Bridal in Ardmore, PA. I tried on maybe 10 different dresses, and the one that I fell in love with was probably dress #9, picked out by the stylist, not myself. The girls there made me feel so special and elegant in every dress I tried on, with my mom, maid of honor, and future sister in law by my side. My dress was strapless that hugged me in the waist, but came out in a very traditional wedding dress way. It also had a slit up the side to show some leg.

The ladies each wore a soft, champagne floor-length dress from Birdy Grey. The men wore classic black tuxes to match the groom!

Jake wore a classic black tuxedo. He used the Nordstrom rental, The Black Tux. The Groomsmen also wore classic black tuxes.

We had hor dourves of coconut shrimp, bacon-wrapped scallops, honey mango pulled pork, caprese skewers, and raspberry chicken. We also had a seafood display and a quesadilla display. Our favorites were the bacon-wrapped scallops! We served filet Mignon, salmon with lobster sauce, and pasta primavera. Everything was divine! We had 4 drinks on our menu: an espresso martini, cosmo, key lime margarita, and perfect manhattan.

The bouquet was filled with pinks, yellows, reds, and peach coloring. Some of the florals featured were Dahlias as they began to grace the season. The bridesmaids had a smaller bouquet with the same pops of color. The ceremony featured a floor floral backdrop with two floor pieces entering the ceremony. Wooden chairs and umbrellas that were both functional and aesthetically appealing. The chairs would later transition to the ceremony, where they had both patterned and solid linens. An inviting sitting area featuring a couch and chairs. and a memorable seating chart that was hand-painted, featuring a pattern in the background.

We got a 3-tiered funfetti, vanilla, and chocolate wedding cake from our favorite bakery, Sweet Eats Bakery. The funfetti was a personal favorite of both of us that was a must-have at our wedding!

We did not have any readings during our ceremony. Steven, Ali’s brother, did a wonderful job at officiating our wedding by writing a short speech on Jake and I’s upbringings and love story. The song that meant the most to me was the song my dad and I walked down the aisle to, because he chose it himself – “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. It was truly magical.

One, having Steven (Ali’s brother) officiate the wedding was beyond special and sentimental. Two, we embraced color in our wedding, which not a lot of couples do. The flowers made everything so beautiful. And three, the weather. We had a 100% weather dependent weather in September, and it could not have been more perfect – 75 and sunny. Someone was looking out for us!

Willow Creek will always hold a special place in our hearts. It’s where we had our first “real” date. This date we chatted over wine and dinner for hours on end, and we had to Uber home. It was SO much fun. As soon as we toured the winery as a venue, we knew it was meant to be, with the beautiful outdoor landscape and brand new outdoor patio space.

Earlier in the day, I had gifted my mother a hand-painted piece of art that was a representation of my mom, myself, and my grandmother. We were all drawn in our wedding gowns, and they captured our bouquets seamlessly.