Take two sweethearts (a gorgeous former cheerleader + a handsome professional basketball player), a stunning Trump National Golf Club setting and a team of vendors that know a thing or two about throwing a fabulous party and the results are this: a breathtaking classic meets modern affair with some of the prettiest details you will ever see. See it all captured by Cade Bowman right here.
Although I don’t consider myself a girly girl, I have been dreaming of my wedding day for my entire life. Those dreams varied between a tented outdoor event a la “Father of the Bride” to a lavish Italian destination wedding. The realities of a wedding budget and a large guest list made us really have to focus on what was important to us. I love the look and feel of outdoor weddings, but the fear of bad weather was too overpowering for us to commit to. Thankfully, we found Trump National Lakefront Ballroom, which, with its floor to ceiling windows overlooking scenic Lake Norman, gave us that feeling but kept the 200 person ceremony, cocktail hour and reception weatherproof.
My now husband did not have strong opinions about much. We discussed what he cared about at the beginning (venue, food, drinks, music and CAKE), and we made sure he was involved in all of those planning decisions. As for everything else, I ran with it!
When we first toured Trump, it was being completely renovated. It used to be a very rustic, elegant location with a lot of exposed wood beams, stone, etc. When Trump purchased, he brought the glitz and glam that he’s known for. This was not exactly my style, but I ran with it and made sure that our decor wouldn’t feel out of place. I decided on black, white, gold, pinks and corals for the color scheme. The venue already featured a lot of these colors, so I didn’t have to spend a lot of money bringing in linens or chairs. This was sort of the theme of the planning process for me: make it look amazing, but as affordably as possible. I did this by tackling several DIY projects and being resourceful when finding decor (the internet is your friend!).
Instead of huge floral centerpiece on every table, we focused on our head table, and used single bud vases, candlesticks and bridesmaid bouquets on the other tables. I took inspiration from our invitations and designed our place cards and programs myself, and collected coupons from Vista Print to get them printed. I have an obsession with animal decor (just ask my husband), so I bought hundreds of plastic jungle animals, put a slit in the back with a dremel, and spray painted them gold for place card holders.
We also tried to find interesting ways to interject our personalities. Brendan played four years of basketball at Davidson University, and I was a cheerleader for two at UNC-Chapel Hill. So I designed basketball jersey koozies as guest favors, and our friends and family sent us off with pom poms at the end of the night.
Overall, our wedding day was absolutely perfect. We were surrounded by loving family and friends, and everything turned out exactly as we had hoped. The only thing we wish we could’ve changed? Make the party last a bit longer!
Photography: Cade Bowman | Floral Design: Lily Greenthumb's Wedding & Event Design | Wedding Dress: Bridals By Lori | Invitations: Minted | Bridesmaid Dresses: ModCloth | DJ: All The Right Grooves | Groom's Attire: Men's Wearhouse | Officiant: Reverend Rebecca Nagy | Venue: Trump National Golf Club Charlotte | Ceremony Musicians: The Knot | Linens: Fabulous Events | Photo Booth: Shoebox Photo Booth Rental | Photography - Assistance: Chris Kale