Savannah Soirée
September 25, 2024
Texie Arnold & Fred Bergen Jr.
11.4.23 Ceremony, 3.23.24 Reception
It might not have been love at first sight, but Texie and Fred felt something the first time they bumped into each other on the beach during a Georgia-Florida football weekend. The University of Georgia students knew of one another but had never officially met. “I was on the beach dressed as Willie Nelson in knee-length acid-wash overalls and a bandana,” Texie recalls. “Fred said the nicest thing … ’I must really like you if I’m publicly flirting with you in that outfit.’”
The two remained friends for several years before going on their first date in Savannah, Georgia, Fred’s hometown. Texie, who works at Savannah College of Art & Design, describes Fred as “funny, thoughtful and annoyingly smart.” Fred, a lawyer, appreciates Texie’s humor and creativity.
That ingenuity and wit was evident throughout their reception at the Jepson Center in downtown Savannah. After marrying several months earlier in a family ceremony in Blowing Rock — a special place for Texie’s Charlotte family — the couple knew the museum’s clean, sleek interior would provide a perfect canvas to showcase Texie’s vision. Custom bars featured batik-inspired trompe l’oeil wallpaper. Blending her love for Eastern batik patterns and her mother’s fondness for designer Ralph Lauren, Texie and planner Katrina Hutchins brought in accents of light blush and red. “My mom (who passed away before the wedding) was very much front of mind as I was planning this party,” Texie says. “She had impeccable taste, and I wanted her aesthetic to be represented.”
The menu included Savannah staples such as oysters, shrimp, collard greens and pimento cheese and country ham biscuits. Late night, guests munched on patty melts from a food truck.
Fred and Texie’s first dance? Tina Turner’s “Simply the Best.” Their getaway car? A ghost-tour hearse with the message ’Til Death Do Us Part.’ The couple took their own tour before rejoining friends at a bar. “We set out to have our party be true to our personalities, and I think we were successful,” Texie says.
The Details:
Photographer | Julia Wade
Reception Venue | Jepson Center, Savannah, Georgia
Planner | Katrina Hutchins Events
Floral Design | Harvey Designs, Savannah, Georgia
Dress | Sassi Holford, Ladies of Lineage; Zimmermann (second look)
Beauty | Bride’s Side Beauty, Ridgeland, South Carolina
Caterer | FARM Hospitality Group/Wildflower Café on Telfair Square
Cake | Vanilla + The Bean, Savannah, Georgia
Entertainment | Perfect 10 Band
Rentals | Nuage Designs; Beachview Event Rentals & Design, Savannah, Georgia
Stationery | Olive Paper; invitation and save-the-date artwork by cousin Molly Rohde
Transportation | Hearse Ghost Tours, Savannah, Georgia
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