This Wedding in the Bride’s Hometown of Atlanta Was Inspired by The Age of Innocence
Sara Worth Mullally and Alexander Reckford grew up together in Atlanta, Georgia, where they both attended Pace Academy—and in April of 2013, he asked her to senior prom. “That moment ended up marking the beginning of everything for us,” Sara, who is the VP of brand at Hill House Home, says. “What started as a prom date became a relationship that carried us through college, years of long distance, and eventually into our first home together in New York’s West Village.”
In late August of 2024, Alexander proposed at Sara’s family’s lake house. “It was just us—which was suspicious for Alexander, as he loves any opportunity to hang with his friends and politely declined inviting them out that weekend,” Sara remembers. “He proposed during sunset cocktails with my dream ring designed by Bear Brooksbank. We called family and friends after, and had a small celebration when we got back into town the next day.”
Their wedding was just over a decade after they first met and set in their hometown of Atlanta over the first weekend in October 2025. The ceremony was held at the Cathedral of St. Philip, with a reception following at the Capital City Club.
“Both the church and the club were booked within 24 hours of me getting engaged,” Sara admits. “My parents were super excited and as their first daughter, there was no question I would be getting married at home in Atlanta. I was very involved in the process, as was my mom, who is my absolute best friend. We knew we wanted to work with local talent, many of whom we had known for years, and really tried to highlight the best aspects of the venues, which Teagrada Events and Britt Wood Designs knew super well.”
Sara’s mom has a talent for florals, and Britt, their florist, worked seamlessly with the mother-daughter team from the beginning. The core inspiration for the florals and decor was The Age of Innocence—the lush, lavish portrayal of Gilded Age New York society, overflowing with opulence, exotic fruits, and abundant flowers.
“I was very intentional about not referencing Pinterest, Instagram, or modern weddings at all,” Sara explains. “Instead, we leaned on the original Martha Stewart Weddings book, beautiful volumes on traditional church florals, and that film. At our very first meeting with Britt, we were all laughing because no one could get a word in—he instantly understood the vision: palms, lilies, and exotic fruit everywhere.”
Sara studied textile design in college and does print design for Hill House, so she happily took on the task of creating an assortment of prints used throughout the wedding weekend. Again thinking about a house, she wanted to feature a mix of florals, ikats, and stripes in colors less expected for wedding design and more interiors inspired. “I think people tend to shy away from mixing and matching with weddings—they think everything needs to be cohesive—which is the antithesis of my personal style and also what I think looks authentic,” she explains.
When it came to the bride’s wedding wardrobe, her rehearsal dinner dress was the first look that she locked in. “I knew I wanted to be super comfortable and in something totally different from what I was wearing the next night,” Sara explains. “When I found this vintage Valentino dress with tags still attached in the depths of the internet I knew I had to have it, and it truly feels like something I will rewear for years. I paired the look with magenta satin Louboutins and amethyst earrings gifted by my most special aunt and uncle.”
For the ceremony, Sara wore a custom Hill House Bridal gown. “Designing my wedding dress was an absolute dream!” Sara says. “I knew pretty much what I wanted before going into everything, and it makes me so happy that everyone says the dress was so ‘me.’” The gown was an homage to Sara’s love of Audrey Hepburn—particularly the iconic dress from Funny Face—with subtle nods to her own ballet background. She designed the gown alongside the Hill House team in New York, many of whom she has been collaborating with for years, making the process particularly special.
“Emily Irving, our head of design, was instrumental in the ruching of the chest and fabric sourcing; and Michael Challita, a long-time collaborator, perfected and executed the vision,” Sara says. The gown was made almost entirely of an Italian stretch tulle that provided the perfect amount of body and lightness. Ruched layers of tulle created a cap-sleeved turtleneck layered over a satin bodice, with tulle covered buttons cascading down the back. The dress was drop waist and had a separate crinoline underneath to create the ballgown silhouette. Since she was set on a turtleneck, the team worked to modernize the silhouette to keep it fresh. She loved that it ultimately felt like a deconstructed gown, which comes through in the raw-edge ruffle detail on the sleeves and the custom veil cut from the same material. Her “something borrowed” were the Charlotte Olympia heels worn by Nell Diamond at her 2014 wedding, while her “something blue” was a pair of sapphire and diamond earrings gifted by Alexander.
“My second look started with a John Galliano necklace I found with Nell at the beginning of my engagement at Marché aux Puces outside of Paris,” Sara explains. “Michael and I adapted the neckline of a fabulous Rodarte sequin dress to sit perfectly with the necklace, and for an extra flair, I wore a tulle Rodarte bolero. I have always been obsessed with Rodarte, so I was just thrilled to wear them!” She accessorized the look with aqua satin Aquazzura sandals and a diamond tennis bracelet.
Her third look was the trickiest to find. “I explored so many vintage options and actually had a brocade mini ready to go, but I knew it wasn’t quite right,” Sara explains. “The week before my wedding, this Alessandra Rich set came on Net-a-Porter, and I ordered it on the spot! It fit like a glove, no alterations, such a sign! I frequently scour The RealReal for Charlotte Olympia shoes as she is my absolute favorite, and I was delighted to find her watermelon design in the perfect matching palette.”
