December 20, 2025

Real Wedding: Zessie Johnson & Scott Monk

As featured in the June 2026 issue of Modern Luxury The Atlantan, Zessie Johnson & Scott Monk’s festive December wedding was filled with sentimental touches and experiences shared with family and friends gathered at Barnsley Resort for their winter nuptials. The couple’s inspiration was a “Ralph Lauren inspired Christmas with Southern flare,” featuring black watch plaid and winter earth tones of navy, green, chocolate brown and mixed metals.

As Shared by the Bride

“What made our wedding so special is that it truly felt like us. It brought together everything Scott and I love most. Our friends, our families, our two dogs, and most importantly, each other. Every detail was intentional and personal, from the pheasant feathers to all the greenery, creating a setting that felt like a destination wedding without ever having to leave home.

Barnsley has always felt like a little escape from the world for us. It is peaceful, charming, and intimate, with everything within walking distance. Everyone could unplug, slow down, and just enjoy being together. Having our dogs, Bogey & Dodger, stay with us and be part of the ceremony made it even more meaningful. It would not have felt complete without them.

We really wanted it to feel like a full weekend experience. Thursday night we all met at Barnsley’s Biergarten as guests started arriving. Friday morning, I had the sweetest bridal luncheon while the boys went clay shooting, and that night we gathered everyone together for our welcome dinner. It felt less like a wedding schedule and more like a long, joyful weekend with the people we love most.

One of my favorite details was the seating chart for the reception. Each place card included one of our grandmothers’ dessert recipes. It was such a simple but meaningful way to honor them and share a little piece of our family traditions with everyone there.”

Vendors

Thank you to these incredible vendors who brought this wedding to life.

Barnsley Resort: Venue, Catering & Overall Event Design
Party Bound: Lounge, Dance Floor, Custom Fabrications
Quest Events: Draping & Chairs
Table Made Co: Plates
I do linens: Table Linens
Mad Sun Studios: Day of Signage
Gardner Creative Co: Wedding Crest:
Personal Collections: Head Table Plates & Staffordshire Dog Figurines (Bride’s Grandmother’s Home)
Unique Floral Expressions, Buckhead: Florals
Laurie Duncan, The Cake Lady: Wedding Cake
Invitations: Paces Papers

Wedding Couple Attire