“I looked at places to preserve my dress in Brunswick, Savannah, Charleston, and Atlanta, but once I found Oceanside Cleaners in Jacksonville online, I was too impressed with their customer service to take it anywhere else.”
Bride Calli
When was your wedding?
We were married on April 30, 2022.
What was the name of your venue and why did you choose it?
Our venue was the Cedar Lodge on Honey Creek in Waverly, Georgia. I wanted an indoor venue so I didn’t have to worry about day-of weather, but I also wanted to incorporate the beautiful views that coastal Georgia had to offer! A lot of my family was coming in from out of town, and I wanted to showcase the beautiful state I met my husband in. Cedar Lodge had a versatile space with stunning views and a large indoor space so it fit our needs perfectly.
How long did it take to plan your big day? Any vendors you’d like to recognize?
We were engaged for a full year prior to getting married. It was just enough time for us to secure the dream team:
Photography: Tamara Gibson
Videography: Avalon Entertainment (Ryan Blount)
Catering: Halyard Restaurant Group
Hair & Make-Up: Felicia Cammon & Sally Barnes
Cake: Serendipity Bakery
Flowers: A Courtyard Florist
Jewelry: Jodi Murphy with McPherson’s Jewelry
Who is the designer of your gown and where was it purchased?
The designer was Badgley Mischka and I purchased it from Bridals by Lori in Sandy Springs, Georgia.
When did you know that your gown was “the one?”
Are you ready for some juicy gossip?? I bought this dress in April 2019…when I was engaged to someone else!
When we arrived at the bridal shop, I had envisioned a completely different gown. I wanted something sultry, sophisticated, lacy, and form fitting. I had already tried on over 50 dresses at seven other shops before I made it to Bridals by Lori. We were sifting though their massive selection, and my mom picked out an embellished ballgown…of course, I scoffed at her choice and said I’d try it on just to humor her.
I tried on about 10 other dresses before putting on the one my mom picked out. None of them were right for me, so I finally turned to her selection. From the moment I slipped my foot into the dress, I knew it was it. I didn’t even need to look at it in the mirror, I knew it right away! The attendant helped me pull it up (it was huge!) and secured all of the buttons. The room was too small to fit the entire dress, but I knew it was THE ONE! Sure enough, I stepped outside and we all had “that moment” filled with happy tears and smiles. I tried on a few more afterwards because I was SO doubtful that this dress, the complete opposite of what I had envisioned, was going to be the one I chose. I even went to two more bridal shops the next day! But nothing compared to the Badgley Mischka ball gown—we went back two days later and bought it!
I had serious doubts after I bought it because I knew my (ex) fiancé wouldn’t like the dress. He’d whine and say it was “too poofy” or “not sexy enough,” but I loved it so much, I couldn’t help it. But I had really bittersweet thoughts about buying it because I didn’t think he’d appreciate it.
Now here’s where it gets spooky. When I came home from Atlanta that weekend, I went out for a bite to eat and asked my best friend, Adam, if he wanted to see the dress I bought. I was hoping for some reassurances since I knew my (ex) fiancé wouldn’t like it. He turned his head, rolled his eyes, and said he’d “see it when he was supposed to.” A few months after I bought the dress, I called off my wedding because I knew he would be my FIRST husband, not my ONLY husband…so almost one year into our engagement, I had to call 300 people and tell them it was a mistake.
We obviously went our separate ways, but I kept the dress hidden in my closet ever since. I had called off the wedding just as it was finished being made, so I couldn’t return it—and I loved it too much to sell it. Just a few months after the break-up, my friend Adam fought and crawled his way out of the “friend zone” and we got married in 2022! When we got engaged, I asked him if he would mind if I wore the same dress…he knew how much I loved it. He was SO excited that HE would be the one to see it…and I think he secretly knew it would be him since our dinner all those years before!
I got the perfect dress AND the perfect man. I am so damn lucky.
Why did you want to get your gown cleaned and preserved? Why did you choose Oceanside?
I was so in love with my dress and wanted it to be kept in the best condition it could be! I looked at places to preserve my dress in Brunswick, Savannah, Charleston, and Atlanta, but once I found Oceanside Cleaners in Jacksonville online, I was too impressed with their customer service to take it anywhere else. I had called with questions and sent an email with even more…and everyone got back to me quickly and with such enthusiasm! I immediately felt comfortable with their entire team and knew my dress would be in good hands.
How did you and your husband meet?
My husband, Adam, and I worked together for Halyard Restaurant Group. I was tending bar at one restaurant while he was the executive chef at another. We worked an event together, enjoyed some late night Waffle House after work, and shared a wonderful friendship for over a year before we started dating.
What is your favorite memory from your wedding day?
Exchanging our vows—my husband is a man of few words and he NAILED his vows. They were so thoughtful. Our entire ceremony was everything I hoped and dreamed my wedding would be.
What made your ceremony feel extra special?
Our love. Nothing else mattered. Everything could’ve gone wrong—the venue could’ve burned down, the weather could’ve been horrendous, my dress could’ve been ripped to shreds, the food could’ve sucked. As long as I had my husband, the day would be as I’d always pictured it. And I’m convinced that because I kept that mindset, nothing went awry.