A Love Meant to Be: A Timeless Lush Southern Wedding in Old North Florida

When Auburn tight end John Samuel first saw Anne Jackson at a party, he couldn’t bring himself to speak to her, but he knew she was the one. That night, he called his mom to share the news: he’d just met the most beautiful girl in the world. Social media and a little determination helped John Samuel track her down, and soon, the couple began a sweet tradition of ice cream dates that turned into a forever kind of love. Fast forward to a magical horseback riding proposal at John Samuel’s family farm, and the scene was set for their wedding, which captured timeless Southern elegance. Drawing inspiration from Anne Jackson’s North Florida roots, the day was a lush celebration of love featuring verdant greens, sentimental heirlooms, and heartfelt details that honored their story. From a church ceremony framed by cascading greenery to a tented reception with charming tablescapes and rattan accents, every moment was as beautiful as their love.

How did you meet?

John Samuel and I met our junior year of college at Auburn University. Unbeknownst to us, we quickly realized on our first date that we grew up less than 2 hours from each other and that our high schools often played each other in sports— he, in a small down in South Georgia, and I in a town that sits right on the Georgia / Florida line. Before officially meeting, he noticed me at a mutual friend’s birthday party we both attended, and after that he was able to find out my name. In the oh-so-romantic age of social media, he found my profile on Instagram and we only had one mutual friend, so, he contacted her and asked if she could send him my number. He promptly called me and asked if I wanted to go get ice cream… and the rest is history! 

What is your proposal story?

My husband’s parents live on a beautiful 9,000 acre farm that sits just outside of Auburn, where we attended college. Ever since we started dating, we would often take the windy scenic drive out to his parents’. We would play with their dogs, ride four-wheelers, fish in the lake, but one of our favorite activities to do together, was ride horses through the property’s woods and trails, something we had both grown up loving. On October 23, 2022, John Samuel had told me his parents had some friends in town, so we were headed to have dinner with them at the farm, but, he promised me that we could first ride horses. His younger brother rode with us to the farm, and rode horses with us, throwing off any chance of me noticing a proposal plan taking place. As we were riding horses, his brother came up with an excuse as to why he needed to head back to the barn. We neared s clearing in the woods that led to a rolling grassy hill on which a log cabin sat, overlooking the property’s glistening lake. We tied up our horses and he walked me to a wooden bench with a bouquet of flowers and a Bible with my new name, sitting on top. After the proposal, we headed back to his parents’ house to celebrate with our families. When we arrived however, all of our best friends were all gathered, standing on the back patio cheering and chanting as we walking through the doors! It was a day we will never forget! 

Tell us a little a bit about your wedding

My vision for our wedding was timeless, elegantly Southern, and elevated. Deciding on the venues for each event first greatly helped me in mirroring the details to compliment the venues accordingly. Our ceremony took place in mine and my family’s church. Getting married in my church was very important to me, as it was where I was raised, baptized, and ultimately shaped my faith and molded the person I am today. Walking down the aisle in a church I had ran through as a child so many times, and seeing the same faces who had raised me over the years, was so special to me.

The reception was held at a country club called Glen Arven, which sits in a small town just past the Georgia border. I loved having a place that also represented my husband’s roots and shared in the same sentimentality of growing up just down the road. John Gandy and his team, along with my mother and I, sought to play off of the natural and lush greenery that encompasses the club in the middle of a southern summer. We had smilax encircling the white columns off the porch, a sail-cloth tent that overlooked the course, and a flower box wall that covered the length of the bar in the tent. All other elements had greens, whites, and neutrals, to really blend with and compliment the scenery around them. 

Tell us about your attire choices

I wore a custom Monique Lilhiller gown with silk organza sleeves. I knew from the beginning that I wanted sleeves on my dress, and shared that vision with my designer, Mandi Jackson. Mandi along with her incredibly-talented seamstress and designer, Jessica Brown, both created a dress that exceeded my expectations. Jessica also designed and created my rehearsal dinner dress from scratch— a pearlized fabric that softly reflected in the light, overlayed with flower appliqués complimented by tiny pearls in the center of each. The tea-length dress had ruffled straps and a subtle sweetheart neckline.

My going-away / exit dress was incredibly special to me. I chose to wear my mother’s rehearsal dinner dress that she wore 30 years ago when her and my father got married. Complete with gold beading  overtop a midnight blue dress and 80s style shoulder pads, it was the perfect way to make our last debut of the night as husband and wife! 

What was the most important to the two of you while planning?

The most important thing to us throughout the whole planning process when we envisioned what we wanted our wedding to feel like was the word “home.” Having each grown up so close to where we would get married, we knew that we would be combining two large groups of family and friends. Because of this, it was all the more important that our people felt at home, being welcomed back to their roots as well, as they travelled from far and near. 

What were your favorite parts of the day?

This is such a hard question! There are so many moments we wish we could go back and re-live. One that stands out to me, was getting ready with my bridesmaids. Spending quality time with your best friends on your special day when the chaos of the day hasn’t ensued yet, was the perfect start. We giggled and shared stories in our pajamas, as we got ready for the day, just as we had done so many times before. 

Another favorite memory of mine was right before I walked down the aisle, standing with my precious dad. Some of my favorite photos captured from that day are of us laughing and chatting right before they opened the church doors. I loved having those moments of feeling like a little girl again with her daddy. 

One of my most fun memories was when John Samuel and I got up on stage and sang “Sweet Home Alabama” with all of our college friends. This was so much fun for both of us, as we had sung that song so many times over the years, and got to share in it on our wedding day! 

Tell us about your wedding cake.

Jessica Cameron designed our cake, and it was absolutely exquisite. Her attention to detail is unmatched and just like with every other aspect of our wedding, she sought to tell a story, a story that showcased our love but also what we love most. The cake she designed had different tiers that displayed different elements of our stories. She incorporated birds, natural elements of trees and flowers, all intricately hand-piped, displaying a true work of art. 

Did you include any family heirlooms or special traditions?

Family heirlooms were so important for us to incorporate throughout our wedding weekend. My maternal grandmother passed away when I was younger, and my sister and I were both extremely close to her. For my rehearsal dinner, I carried her white hand-beaded wedding clutch from the 1940s. On my wedding day, I wore her Diamond Pearl drop earrings that she also wore on her wedding day. 

John Samuel’s parents gifted him a white linen handkerchief with a note written in blue stitching— he wore this on the inside of his tux pocket, along with the monogrammed cuff links I gave to him as a wedding present. 

Did any of your wedding pros deliver a standout experience? Let us know the details!

Every single one of our pros was phenomenal! Our videographer, Prescott Van Leer, John Gandy Events, Catherine Taylor, Jessica Cameron, Morgan Warmack, and every other vendor. We could not have had a more amazing team that made our whole wedding process absolutely seamless!