An Elegant Backyard Wedding Under a Magnolia Tree in Florence, Alabama
Abba Reid and Nate Reed started their romance in ninth grade. Abba—the daughter of fashion designer Billy Reid and market director for the brand’s Florence, Alabama flagship—started to fall for Nate after watching him play in a beachside baseball tournament. “Nate and I ended up walking on the beach every night, getting to know each other,” she remembers of the moments before they started dating. “We were just 14-year-old kids, but those kids knew what they had was something special.”
Nate, who works for a custom-home-building company, was planning their next steps into real life when he had the idea for a surprise proposal. “I scheduled a last-minute college-graduation photo session for us, and Nate thought it’d be the perfect time to propose without me expecting it,” says Abba. “Graduation pictures quickly turned into an engagement.” Once everything was caught on camera, the pair met up with a tight group of friends and family who were waiting to celebrate.
The wedding-planning process was inspired by their appreciation for these kinds of close-knit gatherings. “Nate and I wanted to get married at my parents’ house with a simple ceremony,” says Abba. “Growing up, our home was always a wonderful place to entertain, so it seemed like the perfect space—we wanted to keep things natural and let my childhood home, the backyard, and the large magnolia tree set the aesthetic.” Even the date they chose has family ties: June 25 is also Abba’s parents’ wedding anniversary.
With a goal of letting guests feel “laid-back and at home,” the couple made arrangements for a summer wedding during a classic Alabama heat wave. An indoor reception space a few blocks from their home in downtown Florence, Pickett on Court, was available and felt like a match: “It was beautifully decorated with artwork, florals, antique rugs, and more to make the space feel cohesive to our home,” says Abba. Christopher Confero stepped in for initial wedding-planning guidance before the couple turned to family and friends who pitched in on prep. “I owe it all to them,” says Abba. “They spent many weekends landscaping, painting, and cleaning to get our home ready and endless hours helping me through details.”
Searching for her dress, Abba took a day trip to Birmingham with her mom and sister, Nate’s mom and sister, and a couple of her closest friends. “I wanted something simple,” says Abba of working with Bella’s Bridal to find her classic white gown with a draped portrait neckline. Naturally, “my dad made some modifications at the last minute,” she says. Things were even more streamlined for Nate. “My dad’s collection fits him perfectly, and we had lots of options in the summer-suit range,” Abba says. Nate ultimately chose Billy Reid’s Archie jacket and Moore trousers in a natural tan shade with a brown loafer from the line. “He had always said he did not want to wear the typical black tux on his wedding day, and when we got a sample of this suit in, we knew it was perfect.”
For her own finishing touches, Abba “wanted something bold enough to stand alone without bracelets or a necklace but also nothing that would take away from me or the dress.” A drop earring by Lele Sadoughi paired well with her beauty plans. “When it came to hair and makeup, I did not want to look in the mirror and look like a completely different person,” says Abba. “I wanted to feel like an elevated version of my everyday self.” Tiffany Vandiver styled her waist-grazing lengths into a sleek curled ponytail, and Reagan Cunningham, a makeup artist and family friend, prepped Abba and her bridal party.
In matching ice blue satin charmeuse dresses, the bridal party carried an intentional color story. “The light blue color of the dress was used throughout our wedding,” says Abba of the shade that popped up in their Paperhaus invitation suite and flower arrangements by Susan Rowe. As a continuation of “something blue,” Nate’s groomsmen wore navy Billy Reid Walton trousers and jackets.
