Wilmington Wedding ~ Oh So Pretty!
When we first spied this wedding, our first thoughts were … “They’re so pretty … oh so pretty!” All the pretty maids gathering before the momentous occasion of their best friend’s wedding ~ the makeup, the jewelry, the pretty dresses …
… and the bride … oh-so-gorgeous!
images courtesy of DeShelia Spann Photography
Philippe & Emily currently live in San Francisco. He was born and raised there, and she grew up in Indiana. When they chose North Carolina as their wedding destination, a lot of people were asking why. “I grew up going on family vacations to North Carolina to visit my grandparents. I’ve always loved it there, so it made perfect sense to have our wedding there after we decided San Fran was too expensive and Indiana didn’t seem unique enough for the kind of day we wanted to create. The realization that we had guests and family coming from all over the country was the design inspiration for our special day.”
As a graphic designer, Emily has spent the last 7 years designing invitations for other brides. She wanted her invitations to be simple, clean, & fun but also convey a touch of elegance. The charm of the invitations came from the combination of printing techniques that were used. The words in script were printed in metallic foil – silver, gold, and rose gold – while all other words were letterpressed into the different fine colored papers from Crane’s Palette Collection.
The wedding ceremony was held at St. Andrew’s-Covenant Presbyterian Church in Wilmintgon, NC. The reception took place at the Dudley Mansion, located on the Cape Fear River and only a few blocks from the church. Besides being a historical gem, the Dudley has recently been completely refurbished and redecorated. It is a feast for the eyes and could easily serve as the setting for the O’Hara mansion in Gone with the Wind. Guests were able to experience that Southern sophistication while inside the mansion. Philippe & Emily created a fun, relaxed, family-style barbeque atmosphere in the backyard where family and friends relaxed and celebrated.
The reception decor was simply fabulous, designed with beautifully lit tents and cozy furniture. The floor plan showcased the left side for cocktail hour, lawn games, and umbrella tables, the back left for dancing and lounge areas, and the front and back right side for the dinner tent, bar, and additional lounge seating. {See more images in the Style Me Pretty Gallery!} Seafoam bottles were filled with the couple’s signature cocktail and displayed with the straws on a table so that guests could grab one when they first arrived. Edison lights hung over the dance floor and throughout the tent. As a graphic designer, Emily loves all things paper, so she picked out some of her favorite wallpaper patterns and incorporated them into coasters, photo backdrops, favors, & lampshades. Table centerpieces incorporated antique turquoise bottles and candles.
Food stations were set up around the yard: Antipasto Station with cured meats, olives, cheeses, breads, dips, and fruit ~ A deconstructed salad bar where people can create a salad with fresh toppings ~ A starch station with chipotle sweet potato fries, breadsticks, garlic & bacon mashed potatoes, and hush puppies. The chef manned a large outdoor grill where he prepared Grouper, Shrimp and Grits as well as other southern fares for guests. A dessert table showcased the families favorite cakes and pieces as well as the couple wedding cake, a San Francisco Giant’s inspired cake.
The night ended with Emily and Philippe headed off to sparklers and a Rolls Royce. As guests left the venue they were greeted with Light Night Snack filled with two old school Coke bottles, a beef sandwich and potato fries. It was a celebration filled with great family and friends, good food and great decor.
Photography: DeShelia Spann Photography/ Flowers: Jennifer Rose-Sandy, Salt Harbor Designs/ Event Planning and Design: Salt Harbor Designs/ Cater: Marcus, Culinary Creations/ Ceremony Location: St. Andrews Covenant, Wilmington, NC/ Reception Location: The Governor Dudley Mansion, Wilmington, NC/ Invitations: Emily Larson Designs/ Reception music: Brian Hood, Active DJ / Lighting & Power: High Performance, Steve Peterson/ Shoes: Rachel Roy/ Dress: Carolina Herrera Fall 2007 Collection / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: J Crew / Bridesmaid’s Belt: Emily’s mother.
J.Crew is a member of our Look Book. For more information on how members are chosen, click here.
43 Comments about “Wilmington Wedding ~ Oh So Pretty!”
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OMG- WOW!!! Utterly fabulous!!! Love the neutrals/greys popped by such amazing colors!
How beatiful! I love the incorporation of the bright colors with the main theme colors. Definitely creates a more interesting and more modern palette.
And how can you beat a sparkler departure? You can't... :)
Where are the bridesmaids necklaces from???? I'm looking for something simple and elegant like these!
Great shoes!
There's a tag on the necklaces in the photo-- J.Crew.
Love the pedestal frames - any idea where they are from?
Where is the bride's necklace from? It is stunning!
Where did the bride get her necklace? It is stunning!
love it!!! i saw those belts at j. crew, they're adorable!
Those Bridesmaid Belts are fantastic! Does Emily's mother take orders?
That catering sounds DELICIOUS!!
bridesmaid and brides necklaces were all from jcrew.
i love the bride's chunky necklace. i want to wear something similar but with a touch of green on my day this july. do you know where she got it?
whoops- i see from jcrew, thanks :)
Hi everyone! Thanks for the nice comments.
To Becca: My (bride's) necklace is from J. Crew although I had my mom switch out the cord it came with (gray suede) for the ribbon.
To Lyndsey: I loved the way the belts came out too! We got the idea from Rachel on Heart of Light (http://heart-of-light.blogspot.com/2009/06/ruffly-headband-tutorial.html ). My mom would be happy to take custom orders! You can email her at barbarawlarson@hotmail.com.
To Heidi: My event planner (Jennifer Rose-Sandy at saltharbor.com) provided the pedestal frames. I'm not sure where she got them, but they are really great.
Lovely invitations!
Such a beautiful bride and bridal party! Looks like a fun wedding!
Lovely wedding. Where did you find the big mason jars used for sweet tea? I'm having a hard time finding the right ones and those look perfect!
Where are bride's shoes from? They're beautiful!
The whole wedding is stunning! Where are the bridesmaids' dresses from?
What does your wand sign say?
Wonderful pictures!
what a beautiful wedding! wondering who did your hair and makeup? i'm getting married in the wilmington area soon and am looking for someone great!
So very lovely! Classy and elegant, but at the same time simple and fun! Great combination :) Congrats! :)
where did the groom get his suit?
@ Thea- Pottery Barn has the Mason Jar Beverage holders! I bought them for my own wedding :)
Love the expression of the bride as she is walking down the aisle.
Emily, Thank you for the tip about the bridesmaid sashes! They are the perfect accent for the dresses.
Where are the suits from? Love everything about this wedding!
Hi again! Few answers to your questions. . .
Adrienne: Shoes are by Rachel Roy
Anna: Bridesmaid dresses are J. Crew
Elissa: Melissa Kinnamon at Salon Fringe did my hair and Jacey Rogers at jsrcreations.com did my makeup. Both are AWESOME and came to the site of the wedding to do all of our hair/makeup. Let me know if you need any other recommendations. Good luck with your wedding!
Theresa and Veronica: We got the guys' suits from Men's Wearhouse. They are by Joseph Abboud.
Beautiful wedding!! Where did you get your veil? I'm looking for something similar. Thanks so much!
love the color and beauty of the bridemaid dresses. Beautiful fall wedding.
Gorgeous! I love the brides necklace! Are the mens suits rented or bought? Where did you find them?
wow, emily - everything looks absolutely gorgeous, so colorful and elegant! your designs are soooo pretty! looks like it was the PERFECT day! congratulations to you and your new hubby!
LOVE the gray with those gorgeous bouquets! necklaces are killer as well.
Love the colors, so gorgeous!
Absolutely beautiful wedding pictures! Love the necklaces the brides made's are wearing. They are perfect and accentuate their dresses.
I am still amazed by the beautiful wedding pictures, love the chosen colors for your wedding.
Tiffany@ http://www.prayer-bracelet.com/prayer-necklace.html " rel="nofollow">Prayer Necklace
LOVE IT. Where are the straws from?? All I see is paper straws, but I want grey ones just like those for our old fashioned pop bottles, but they would need to be plastic one would think....thanks!
That dress and shoe combination is just stunning. Love it!
I love your http://www.creativeinkinvites.com " rel="nofollow">wedding invitations very creative!
This is just stunning! I adore the invitations! They just suit the event so perfectly. And I love seeing such an obviously happy couple, that really does make the pictures!
I was wondering if you happened to know the style name or number of the shoes? I noticed they are Rachel Roy but am having trouble locating them. Thank you so much!
Hi Emily!
Your wedding is gorgeous! I am wondering how you got all your bridesmaids' shoes to match? Where are they from? Thanks!
So beautiful!! Where did you get the jars for the tea? That is so awesome!