I’m so excited to share this stunning Northshore wedding. Kellie and John-Paul both grew up and went to school on the Northshore before heading out of state for College. Kellie is now a painter and art teacher at Perry Central High School in Augusta, MS and John-Paul, a medical student at William Carey College. They met in Hattiesburg, MS at T-Bones coffee and record store—a sign of their mutual love of music.Their wedding is filled with a love for their friends and family but most importantly for each other!
All photos are courtesy of the fabulous, Arte de Vie and there is a list of vendors for reference at the bottom of this post.
Kellie + John-Paul
Just before Christmas on December 20, 2014, Kellie Gutterman, daughter of Kathryn Kite Gutterman and Scott Gutterman, married John-Paul Tortorich, son of Kayla and Ralph Tortorich at St. Joseph Abbey followed by a reception at the Gutterman’s beautiful family home on the Northshore in a day filled with love, friends and family.
How did John-Paul propose?
When John-Paul and I first started dating, we would take a lot of walks around the Southern Miss campus. He would break from studying and I would take a break from painting. Southern Miss has tons of beautiful live oak trees and on our breaks we would sometimes climb up into the trees. He proposed in one of the trees we would frequently climb on our breaks from working.
What made your wedding special?
There were so many little moments that made our day really special, but one of the most beautiful things about a wedding is bringing people together. It was truly a blessing to have both of our huge families and friends there to celebrate. It was amazing to see them all bonding and having such a great time together.
Did you have a wedding planner?
Yes, Johna Costa planned our wedding. She was amazing and very easy to work with. She made all of the details come together to make our day a complete success; there are not enough words to express the gratitude we have for her!
How many dresses did you try on?
Just a few. When I went to try on dresses, there was one inspired by the Rococo style that I fell in love with online. The store had one left and thankfully, it was my size!
Did you give each other traditional bride/groom gifts?
John-Paul gave me these adorable cat shoes that I wore to the reception, and I surprised John-Paul by getting on stage with the band and playing the song Angel by Jack Johnson on the ukulele.
What was your favorite moment of the ceremony?
My favorite moment of the ceremony was being up on the altar with John-Paul. It felt very private even though we were not alone.
At the end of the reception, the bride and groom departed by boat amid an aisle of lit sparklers and fireworks over the Tchefuncte River.
What was the most fun detail of the reception?
I think it would have to be the hula-hoops and the groucho marx glasses—both have always been a part of my life and it was a fun way to show personality.
What was your favorite detail?
I thought our floral arrangements were gorgeous and they were very fragrant.
Tell us about the cake.
The cake was simple—our cake topper was a sculpture of my two cats, John-Paul sculpted it and I painted it.
Vendor Information:
Ceremony Venue: St. Joseph Abbey
Reception Venue: Gutterman Residence
Bride and Bridesmaid’s Dresses: BHLDN
Groom and Groomsmen’s Suits: Men’s Wearhouse
Caterer: Gallagher’s Grill
Photographer: Arte de Vie
Videographer / Photo Booth: Studio Vieux Carre
Hair and Makeup: Air Blow Dry Bar and Salon
Invitations: Impression Paperie, calligraphy by Ramona Persons
Band: The Soul Rebels and Daniele Spadavecchia
Cake: The Cocoa Bean Bakery & Café
Florist: Ambiance Flowers
Tents: The Tent Man
Production and Lighting: Tony “T-Rock” Jachim, Live Nation and Don Drucker, Pyramid Productions
Transportation: A Luxury Transportation and All Southern Livery
Accommodations: The Southern Hotel and Courtyard Marriott
Do you want to feature your wedding in Sophisticated Woman Magazine and on SophisticatedWoman.com? Email editor@sophisticatedwoman.com for details.
