Built on Generations of Love

At Mia Bella Grand, Alyssa Burdette and John-Daniel Franklin created nuptials fit for royalty but tailored to family.

Alyssa Brooke Burdette & John-Daniel Chase Franklin
White Oak | 6.28.2025

WRitten by taylor maple
Photographed by Sarah Irvin PHotography

“John-Daniel makes me feel like a princess,” Alyssa Burdette says of her new husband, John-Daniel Franklin. This feeling is what pushed her toward a storybook aesthetic, diverging from moodier decor she might have originally favored. She scoured Pinterest for inspiration, where she found spring pastel colors, mismatched bridesmaids’ dresses, and styles that reminded her of the popular show Bridgerton. It clicked—this was what their wedding should look like. She even embraced the theme outside of the big day. “I actually had a Bridgerton-themed bridal shower,” she says, complete with period-appropriate gloves and fans.

What the couple ended up curating for their wedding day—with the help of florist Designs by Barb & James and planner Gail Camp Ray—was, in Alyssa’s words, a vibe that ultimately crossed Bridgeton’s romantic, Regency-era class with the excited energy of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” music video. And Mia Bella Grand enabled them to pull it off beautifully. The estate-style venue boasts a beautiful main house, a barn, pond, and acreage that serves as home for many animals, a huge covered pavilion and veranda, and timeless charm. “You don’t even have to do much to Mia Bella,” Alyssa says. “It’s so regal and beautiful anyway.” 

It was ultimately the only venue the couple toured, and they couldn’t see themselves getting married anywhere else.

an easy joy

The day of the wedding, what Alyssa and John-Daniel really cared about was having fun. “I was like, ‘I don’t want to look back and think about drama or money or stress,’” Alyssa says.

Mia Bella Grand’s planning team ensured that the decor was in place and no set-up or tear-down was needed from the couple or their families. “I didn’t have to bring anything other than myself and my dress,” Alyssa remembers. “They really provided the best space for us to literally just show up and have fun.”

The couple opted for private vows ahead of the scripted, more traditional ceremony they’d have in front of their guests. The choice was also made for ease—Alyssa’s not much of an extrovert, and they wanted to say what they wanted to say without feeling everyone’s eyes on them. “There were just some things we wanted to tell each other and not be nervous in front of everybody,” she explains. “And I feel like, when you do it privately, you don’t feel like you have to hold back emotion.”

During the traditional ceremony, guests heard an eclectic playlist consisting of everything from Tyler Childers to Lana Del Rey hits—another aspect that brought the couple joy and just felt like them. Music was a huge part of what they’d connected over in the first place, and it’s only grown more special to them under each other’s influence. “He has turned me into such a country fan,” Alyssa says. “And I have also turned him into a girly pop music fan.” This lovingly curated playlist followed them into the reception, where no one wanted to leave the dance floor all night.

anchored in family

Alyssa and John-Daniel always knew they wanted to go big with their wedding. They wanted to take their time planning, ensuring everything was just as they wanted it and making sure that, most importantly, it was a place their families could have a ball. “We didn’t want to cut corners,” Alyssa says.

There were nods to family ties throughout the day, imbuing the air with sentimental reminders of all who came before. The flower arrangements incorporated pink roses, just like the ones that spring from a bush Alyssa’s grandfather planted for her. One of the photographs they took in the woods of the venue grounds replicates a photo Alyssa’s parents took on their wedding day. The dance floor opened up with a slow song to bring even the most timid dancers out: “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley, which was the first dance Alyssa’s parents shared at their wedding. 

And at the welcome table, guests saw photographs of both Alyssa’s and John-Daniel’s parents and grandparents on their wedding days. When the couple was first getting to know each other, they slowly realized that they both came from a long line of happy marriages, including both sets of parents and all four sets of grandparents. 

“I think that’s something to showcase,” Alyssa says. “Not in a bragging way, but in a way that says, ‘We are able to have this union because they did.’”

Alyssa and John-Daniel made choices that they hoped would allow them to be as comfortable as possible during the wedding and reception so they could focus on each other and the people around them. And looking back, they feel like they succeeded. “It was kind of like a celebration of not just us, but of getting to see everybody.”

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