Hansell Smith and Matt Holt met on the Bumble app in April 2021. As of April 2022, they were married. To relive their engagement and wedding, they transported us to Brierfield, Alabama, to the bride’s family farm filled with adventure and southern sweetness.
A joyful surprise engagement was followed by an even happier celebration at the same location four months later.
Rewind to December 17, 2021, when Matt casually pitched an idea to Hansell: a farm picnic enjoying leftover food from a Christmas party the night before. Hansell suspected nothing. “We went to the river to fish and eat and brought our dog, Hank. Matt invited me to do the first casting, and when I did, I immediately blocked the line. I didn’t know he was behind me on one knee. Hansell turned around, still frustrated with the stuck decoy, and realized what was happening. “He had tears in his eyes and I cried immediately. It was so joyful.
On April 30, 2022, at 5:30 p.m., Hansell and Matt were married at the bride’s family farm in Brierfield, AL.
About 300 guests joined the party at the family farm.
A whimsical ceremony backdrop like no other!
A quick four-month engagement ensued and a “dream team” was assembled: wedding planner Symone Shaw, floral designer Sybil Sylvester with Wildflower designsand the ultimate planner, Margot Shaw (editor of flower review and mother of the bride!). “A four-month commitment with all the trimmings would never have been possible without our dream team,” adds Hansell. “We just couldn’t wait! When you know, you know.
This suite beautifully combines a few themes from the big day: the outdoors, nature and green hues.
The prettiest handful of fresh flowers we have ever seen.
Some must-haves from the South to take home.
Hansell always imagined she would get married on his family farm – a place that Matt has also fallen in love with since his first visit. “He’s very outdoorsy and very much in his element out there,” Hansell says. “And we got engaged there at a place by the river that was special to us.”
Once the location was chosen, Hansell was drawn to blues and greens – sage green in particular – as she imagined the aesthetic of the day. “Sybil has done an amazing job working with these colors and incorporating others,” she says. “The flowers and design were the most beautiful I have ever seen and perfectly suited to the country. Lush yet rustic at the same time with lots of wild herbs and other touches that speak to the setting.”
They didn’t miss a single opportunity to bring the spectacular flowers to the farm.
The natural hues of the furniture and linens make pretty backdrops for the pastel floral accents.
Unlike so many brides we speak to, Hansell was amazed at how many dresses she liked during her trial run at Ivory & White Shop in Birmingham. “I tried on probably ten dresses, and eight of them would have worked,” she admits. “I knew I wanted something really simple and narrowed it down to three.” She made an admittedly difficult choice and chose an incredibly long and somewhat straight dress with a cute halter neck.
Hansell calls the neckline of her dress “very flattering” and we totally agree. How about this BOUQUET?!
A tender mother-daughter moment while the bride’s clothes are getting ready.
A funky bow tie and floral boutonniere complete the handsome groom’s suave look.
Hansell and Matt gave up on a first look. “We wanted it to be a special moment when he saw me walking down the aisle without a glimpse. Some traditions are worth keeping,” Hansell says. “My mom always says weddings are drama, so those dramatic moments are important.”
Grasses rising from the ground create a dramatic scene for the ceremony.
Flower wreaths and serpentine chandeliers give a summer vibe.
Half an hour before service, that capricious spring weather dawned, and darkness and a light drizzle descended on the farm. “I was a little disappointed,” Hansell says, “but what can you do? I knew none of this really mattered. We would be getting married. separated and the sun shone directly on the crowd.
“The ribbons hanging above were blowing in a soft, cool breeze. It was magical,” Hansell says of the one-time weather change.
Hansell and Matt exchanged their traditional vows but added, “I will with the grace of God” at the end of each response.
After a tender exchange of vows, the newlyweds are ready to continue the party!
The planning team crafted a very Alabama cocktail hour. “Since Brierfield Farm in Bibb County, AL, is saturated with southernness, we wanted the first taste — and really all of the food — to echo that,” says Hansell. Guests were greeted with a handful of cheese straws, rosemary pecans, Ritz crackers with peanut butter and crumbled bacon, celery troughs with pimiento cheese, and a lovely farmhouse table filled with charcuterie , fruits, cheeses, breads and crackers.
This warm and inviting tablescape makes you feel right at home.
Champagne and sparkling waters were passed as guessed on foot to the terrace and garden from the field where the ceremony took place. “And the full bars were everywhereadds Hansell. “We didn’t want anyone queuing for a drink!”
Hansell and Matt first danced to Santo and Johnny’s “Sleep Walk,” a special song that marked their lives before and after they met.
Guests gathered, ate and lingered at long harvest tables as Kathy G. Mezrano, caterer extraordinaire, has concocted a menu of Southern specialties like shrimp and grits, pork tenderloin, ribs and grilled country vegetables. The buffet meal even had a cookie bar!
There is an innate camaraderie and comfort in a long harvest table.
The stunning bride cake was a yellow cake covered in vanilla frosting and served with a fresh strawberry sauce on the side.
Everyone had fun, but especially the newlyweds.
By the end of the night, Hansell and Matt walked through a “glove of friends and family cheering and cheering as we got into the Can-Am — essentially a glorified off-road golf cart,” Hansell says. This vehicle (which was also instrumental in their engagement) was completely decorated with wide satin ribbon streamers in colors to match the wedding. After a low country honeymoon in Palmetto Bluff, South Carolina, the newlyweds snuggled into married life at their Nashville home.
A glow-in-the-dark tent with dripping fairy lights kept the party going until the band’s last note!
To brides-to-be, Hansell says, “Enjoy the engagement time! It’s as special as the wedding, and you’ll never have it again. Be prepared to compromise because no marriage is perfect and all that matters is your commitment to the person you love and the support of the loved ones who attend.
Thank you, Hansell, for bringing us back to the farm and to this special evening. And thanks to Bryan Johnson for A picture of Bryan for the great photos.
RESOURCES
Planner: Occasions with Symone Shaw
Daily Coordinator of: Occasions with Symone Shaw
Photographer: A picture of Bryan
Videography: Todd Urick Movies
Flowers: Wildflower Drawings – Sybil Sylvester
Stationery store: Press the button circle
Hairdresser/Wardrobe Stylist: Missie Crawford
Hairdressers and make-up artists: Celine Russell and Virginie Linzee
Wedding dress : Lela Rose at Ivory & White Shop
Bridesmaid Dresses: Bella bridesmaids
Groom and groomsmen attire: Men’s clothes
Restoration: Kathy G. and Co.
Cakes: from Olexa
Entertainment: City Party – Garden of Music
Rentals: Rentals with beach views, PropHouse
Glassware: Beachview Rentals
Branded cups, napkins and fans: The doodler
Household linen: rentals with a view of the beach
Cake plates: Alice Major
Transportation: Rare transport
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