Backyard Bliss

ELIZA JAMESON & NICK MARIN • SEPTEMBER 16, 2023 
Family residence & Lake Toxaway Country Club

Georgia natives Eliza and Nick both attended the University of Georgia in Athens where they began to get to know each other during a six-week study abroad in Austria. The pair traveled across Europe with a group as friends, then later started dating in their senior year before moving to Atlanta. 

While on a family trip to Italy to visit the bride’s brother who was also studying abroad, Nick and Eliza’s entire family took her by surprise by coordinating a surprise proposal in Florence. “I could not believe he pulled it off and my whole family kept the secret for the first two days of the trip. I had no idea it was happening and even told friends leading up to it that it was not going to!” recalls the bride.

The couple both grew up going to the lake, so wanted to celebrate with their closest family and friends getting to enjoy everything Lake Towaway has to offer. With the gorgeous backdrop of the lake for the home ceremony followed by cocktail hour and the reception at Lake Toxaway Country Club, the event felt like a true backyard wedding, “It was sort of like our own private camp weekend on the lake!” Eliza says. 

In true lake life fashion, Nick and Eliza both did separate polar plunges the morning of and hopped aboard the Miss Lucy (an old fashioned trolley boat from The Greystone Inn) to take them to the reception as Mr. and Mrs. 

Guests shared a limoncello toast as a nod to their engagement in Florence, then laughed how they perfectly timed the ceremony (by accident!) to be during halftime of the Georgia Bulldogs football game. The game was on during the cocktail hour for any diehard guests who were interested in watching before dancing the night away. 

Details
Wedding planner - TOAST Events
Photographer - Julia Wade Photography 
Videographer - Paros Films
Hair & Makeup - Erin Ryser
Florist - Floressence Flowers
Band - Pure Party Band
Wedding Cake - Lush Cakery
Stationery - Mango Ink