LaurenJames &

STORY BY LIESEL SCHMIDT PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRANDI ANDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY

The phrase “timing is everything” couldn’t be truer when it comes to love, and when Lauren Berry and James Mack met in high school, the timing wasn’t right… nor was it when they both ended up at Troy University. Nine years after their first meeting, they were finally ready for one another; and after two years of dating, they were ready for forever.

“James had invited some friends from out of town to come stay with us at the beach for the weekend, and he told me that we were going to eat at a nice restaurant that night,” says Lauren, describing that unforgettable April night. “I got dressed up and ready to go, and on the way, James told me he wanted to drive through Gulf State Park to show our guests the park. He suggested we get out and take a picture, and next thing I knew, he was down on one knee!”

Just over a year later, on May 20, 2023, Lauren walked down the aisle at Coastal Arts Center in Orange Beach to meet James at the altar, wearing a fit-and-flare gown with a plunging neckline, sheer bodice adorned with sequined, beaded and chiffon appliques and a chapellength train. After exchanging vows, the couple was pronounced married—though not without some memorable moments along the way: “My dad tripped over my dress as he was giving me away during the ceremony,” Lauren recalls with a laugh. “Also, the week of the wedding, I started feeling sick. I completely lost my voice the night of the rehearsal dinner and was diagnosed with laryngitis the morning of the wedding. After some meds and ‘vocal rest’ for the majority of the day, I was able to say my vows.”

Post-ceremony, the newlyweds joined their guests for an on-site reception at CAC, where they dined on a delicious selection of Cajun favorites. The festivities were made even more special by the live wedding illustrator (Amy Lee Illustration) out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, who did live sketches of the guests as a favor from the wedding, and the musical talents of Lauren’s “absolute favorite cover band,” The Park Band.

After dancing, dinner, and cake that included a delicious groom’s cake from Sugar House Custom Cakes, the newly married Macks were sent off to honeymoon in Antigua. Back home in Orange Beach, the couple look forward to all that life together brings.