He said he still does very large weddings and has developed quite a following for those weddings, which he does travel to do.
“ I’ ve done everything from Sea Island to the Swan Coach House in Atlanta … to everywhere in between. But I really have loved doing weddings in Moultrie,” he said.“ I’ ve gotten to know people by whether they’ ve been in a wedding or they’ ve attended a wedding. That’ s really how I’ ve gotten to know so many people here in town, prior to coming here.”
As he loves weddings and has become known for them, I asked Corey if he had a favorite type or style of wedding.
“ I think, one thing that has set me apart, I have not yet arrived by any means … but, I think, that I have stayed true to the traditional Southern wedding,” he said.
He said he’ s hired for his taste level and creative talents and his ability to create a space in a memorable setting but he was not“ recreating the wheel” on what was timeless and beautiful.
He said he liked to create weddings, that when his clients children looked back at their parents’ wedding photos, in 30 years, they say,“ Mom and Dad I want that same thing at my wedding,” and it still be relevant.“ I think that as much as I am a creator and a designer and a florist and a planner, I’ m also a story teller,” he said.“ It is my opportunity to create a space that reflects my client, where they come from, what they believe in, what’ s important to them.”
He added that 99.9 % of the time, for his clients, it was a deep love of Southern culture, a deep love of family and clinging to the traditions of the Old South and the traditions that Moultrie is rooted in.
“ And I think that’ s one reason why I am so attracted to Moultrie is that people still … people, here, still want to entertain. They throw very large baby and bridal showers. They pull out their best. When they have people over, they enjoy setting the table,” he said.“ All of the things that I love, and admire and have been doing for years. I am surrounded by like-minded people who do the same.”
He said they appreciate beautiful things and use them, which is important because, if it’ s a family piece, it was not intended to sit in a butler’ s pantry or a China cabinet.
“ Those pieces are meant to be used and enjoyed, with great care. To me, it’ s a great way to remember someone, too,” he said.
At a wedding or party, or event a person could use their great-grandmother’ s punch bowl and, then, it was like a piece of her was with them on the day, he said, which was a great way to honor her memory.
With Corey’ s experience as a wedding planner, I asked him what advice he would give a bride-to-be.
“ I think my advice to anyone that is recently engaged would be, as cliche as it sounds, is to be true to yourself. Remember that, at the end of the day, this special day is about you and the person that you are marrying. Don’ t try to be something that you’ re not just to impress your friends and family,” he said.
48 MoultrieScene JULY 2025