From a childhood dream rooted in a lifelong love affair with the color pink to a meticulously crafted black-tie reception, Anna Marie and Matt’s wedding was nothing short of a theatrical masterpiece. Designed by renowned event planner Robert Long—who has curated the bride’s celebrations since her sweet sixteen and high school graduation—the wedding blended deeply personal touches with high-end culinary experiences, cinematic music selections, and bespoke details that left guests talking long after the last song played.
Held against a backdrop of personal history and family tradition, the celebration was designed to feel both remarkably intimate and grandly sophisticated. Every corner of the venue told a story, capturing the bride’s personality while maintaining an atmosphere of refined elegance.
Food & Drink: An Immersive Culinary Journey
When it came to the culinary program, Anna Marie and Matt wanted their guests to experience a seamless blend of high-end dining and theatrical presentation. The evening began during the cocktail hour with a striking sushi station, beautifully displayed on an ice sculpture and served on Ginori plates. As the night progressed and transitioned into the energetic after-party, that very same station transformed effortlessly into a lively martini bar.
For dinner, the couple aimed to recreate the ambiance of an upscale restaurant setting. Guests were treated to a first course of burrata caprese salad, followed by a choice of main entrées: herb-crusted lamb chops or seared halibut. One of the standout highlights of the evening was the interactive bread cart experience brought directly to each table. The cart featured a silver coupe of butter meticulously sculpted into the shape of a miniature “butter wedding cake,” delighting diners with both its presentation and novelty.
The catering staff from Canard executed the meal with remarkable precision. Their seamless service felt less like standard catering and more like a carefully choreographed performance. According to the couple, the servers looked as though they were having just as much fun as the attendees themselves, contributing to the joyous energy of the room.
As the evening stretched into the late hours, comfort food took center stage. Guests were treated to fresh-from-the-oven pizzas and savory smash burgers, providing the perfect fuel for a night of heavy dancing.
Florals & Decor: A Masterclass in Pink and Black-Tie Elegance
For the design of the celebration, the family turned to Robert Long, whose long-standing relationship with the bride ensured an innate understanding of her taste and vision. The design concept seamlessly bridged the playful energy of the bride’s signature color with the timeless sophistication of black-tie styling.
The cocktail tent served as an immediate introduction to the bride’s vibrant personality, featuring shades of pink in all the right ways, starting with oversized pink doors that welcomed guests upon arrival. In contrast, the dinner reception tent felt like a true extension of her parents’ home, executed with warmth, precision, and restrained luxury.
In his designer notes, Robert Long explained that the natural way to showcase the vibrancy of pink was to ground it with the refinement of black. Touches of black-tie elegance were woven throughout the design choices, including the tent frame, chairs, custom menus, table numbers, and a striking black dance floor adorned with hand-painted floral motifs.
Rather than overwhelming the space, restrained floral tributes engaged in an understated conversation with the surrounding elements. Friendly table flowers mingled with chic, heavenly-bodied floral chandeliers that hung suspended over the entire length of the tent. Additionally, a signature pink bar served as a central gathering point where guests could order their favorite drinks while celebrating the cheerful personality of the bride.
The Wedding Cake
For the centerpiece of their dessert offerings, Anna Marie and Matt visited Confection Perfection Bakery, a charming bakery located in Marietta, Georgia. After sampling various options, they selected three distinct flavors to satisfy every palate.
The clear favorite was the champagne flavor, described as airy, bubbly, and uniquely celebratory. They also incorporated strawberry to honor the bride’s signature color, and finished the lineup with a rich chocolate chip flavor to ensure chocolate lovers had an indulgent option. The cake’s aesthetic was directly inspired by a design the bride’s mother spotted in a coffee table book—a simple white cake embellished with subtle, delicate pink sugar flowers. This was accompanied by a wide array of alternative desserts, including traditional tiramisu and slices featuring the wedding cake’s three featured flavors.
Readings, Ceremony Music, and Reception Songs
Music played a deeply meaningful role throughout the wedding day, drawing inspiration from some of the bride’s all-time favorite cinematic classics. Paying homage to The Sound of Music, Anna Marie walked down the aisle alongside her father to a poignant rendition of "Edelweiss" by Richard Rogers.
When it came time for the couple’s first dance, they selected "L.O.V.E." by Nat King Cole. The song was chosen specifically because it opens one of the bride’s other favorite films, The Parent Trap, setting a romantic and nostalgic tone for their first official dance as a married couple.
Special Details That Personalized the Celebration
Beyond the decor and dining, the wedding was defined by deeply personal custom touches that reflected family history and creative collaboration.
The dance floor itself was a work of art, hand-painted by a local artist from Savannah, Georgia. The concept was inspired by the bride’s parents, who had a similar hand-painted dance floor at their 25th wedding anniversary party—a slab of which still hangs proudly on the wall of their family home. Knowing she wanted a similar memento, Anna Marie and Matt plan to preserve pieces of their own dance floor to hang in their home.
Wine enthusiasts among the attendees also enjoyed a personalized touch. Every wine bottle served throughout the reception featured custom engravings bearing the couple’s names and the inscription, "Anna Marie & Matt est. 2026." Furthermore, in lieu of a traditional guest book, friends and family were invited to sign a massive Nebuchadnezzar-sized wine bottle—equivalent to 20 standard bottles of wine—which the couple intends to uncork and share during a future milestone celebration.
Perhaps one of the most talked-about elements of the weekend involved the father of the bride, who went to extraordinary lengths to showcase his pride and affection. He commissioned custom suit liners printed with photo collages featuring dozens of pictures of Anna Marie throughout her childhood. His rehearsal dinner sport coat—fittingly rendered in pink—was lined with photographs from her early years. Meanwhile, his tuxedo jacket featured images from her later childhood and adolescence. Adding an element of surprise, the tuxedo jacket was entirely reversible, allowing him to turn it inside out for the after-party to reveal the photo collage to delighted guests.
