Allison Mabry and Wilson Harvey Brockinton’s meet-cute is straight out of a romantic comedy. The two first crossed paths in 2011 at a tech company where she was working in IT service sales and he had just started as a recruiter. “It was both of our first jobs out of college,” she explains. “I was Harvey’s career mentor.”
After their office friendship turned into a full-fledged relationship, Allison and Harvey dated for four years until one December morning, after spending Christmas with her family in Florida, Allison was driving to Charleston to meet up with Harvey and his family for a holiday brunch. “He told me to throw something nice on and to be ready as quickly as possible, but I still didn’t have a clue,” she says. As they walked into the empty parking lot of the Yacht Club (it was closed), Harvey’s hands started to shake and that’s when it finally dawned on Allison that he was about to pop the question. “ ‘Allison Amanda Mabry’ barely came out of his cracking voice, and he immediately got down on his knee,” remembers Allison. “I believe he said more in those moments, but I don’t recall anything other than throwing my arms around him and crying ‘yes!’ ”
When deciding on the venue, the bride knew exactly where she wanted to tie the knot right from the start. “I only looked at the Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta,” she says. “I knew I wanted something formal, ornate, and a venue that required little to no decorating or decision making in general.” She enlisted Lisanne McDearman of Watermark Weddings for help. “She truly made the process seamless and so enjoyable,” she adds.
Even though Allison was convinced from the get-go that she wanted a strapless lace look for her big day, she eventually changed course after trying on a crepe sheath dress by Pronovias. “I grew to love Provonias during my fourteen wedding dress appointments,” she laughs. “I booked a train to New York City to visit the flagship store, and I found my dress there with Harvey’s sister, Heyward, and a good family friend. The fifteenth time was a charm!” As for the veil, Allison went with the one her mother had worn when she got married over 40 years ago—it had been hand sewn by her grandmother. She finished off the look with a pair of diamond and pearl drop earrings that had a been a high school graduation gift and a double-strand pearl bracelet that had been a college graduation gift, both from her godmother Lena and both Mikimoto.
When the big day finally arrived, the couple exchanged vows at the All Saint’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, at the very same altar where the bride had been confirmed. After that, guests headed to the Piedmont Driving Club for the reception, where Allison and Harvey danced to Stevie Wonder’s “Hey Love” for the first time as husband and wife, and later an emotional surprise awaited the bride. “My grandmother passed away in 2009 and her favorite flower was blue hydrangea,” Allison explains. “There were gorgeous blue hydrangeas on the wedding cake in her memory. It was so special to me; I was moved to tears upon seeing it.” As the night continued, the Atlanta Showstoppers ensured the wedding was one big, continuous dance party. “They were phenomenal! Harvey ended the night on stage, singing the end of “Shout,”” she says. “He was a huge hit! I think he must have practiced!”
