I love a good invitation picture, and today, thanks to Theo Milo Photography and Twenty One Films, I’m getting one (and so many other gorgeous photos in The Vault). From the pretty illustrated invitations to all the handpicked details, this North Carolina wedding is full of magic—and Southern hospitality to welcome guests from all over the country!
From The Bride…Raised just outside of Raleigh, I always knew I wanted to get married in my hometown church, just an earshot from the house I grew-up in. Something I did not know was that I would be calling New Jersey home when my Dale proposed. Luckily for me, my New Jersey native was happy to tie the knot in the land of the pine, and the planning began!
Being that many of our quests would be seeing North Carolina for the first time, it was important to us to make them feel at home. From gift bags filled with Texas Pete and Burts Bees to chicken and waffles hors d’oeuvres, we worked hard to incorporate some of the best things North Carolina has to offer.
In addition to honoring NC, we still wanted the weekend to feel like us and showcase all of the things we love so deeply: food, music, the outdoors, our family history and most of all, each other. Looking back at our wedding day, we did just that. We hand-picked each item on the menu and each song on the playlist. A piece of my late grandfather’s favorite blue tie was sewn into my wedding dress and the lace from my mother’s veil was wrapped around my bouquet. Dale spent the moments ahead of the ceremony testing out the guitar I gifted him and the moments after enjoying a cigar from our cigar bar.
Having spent most of the night on the dance floor, or lost in our own little world, we were thankful we had an amazing photography and videography team to capture all those little elements and moments that were so special to us.
Our wedding day would not have been possible without our hard-working vendors and love and support from friends and family.
To reflect our love for the outdoors Dale and I chose an outdoor venue for our November reception. We selected deep greens mixed with soft peach and hints of gold as our colors throughout the weekend. These shades could be seen in our lush flowers, hand-written place cards, menus and linens. Our classic rock band kept the dance floor packed and when folks needed a break they slipped over to our cigar bar (complete with personalized gold foil matches). The evening ended with a desert bar, including make your own s’mores, pies on a stick, whoopee pies and other goodies all displayed on a table handmade by my father. I wore a strapless Jim Hjelm dress with a custom crystal belt for a little bling, which was also reflected in my shoes and jewelry. Dale, was in a Calvin Klein tuxedo. I wore a blue topaz bracelet from Dale and my great grandmother’s wedding band — a something “old” and “blue.”
Dale and I ended our magical day with a sparkler exit before taking off for our honeymoon in Hawaii.
Photography: Theo Milo Photography | Cinematography: Twenty One Films | Event Planning: Nicole Goodrich | Floral Design: Simply Elegant Floral Design | Cake: Main Street Grille | Ceremony Venue: St Catherine's Cathedral | Reception Venue: The Sutherland, Estate & Gardens | Catering: Unforgettable Food Affairs | Makeup: Perfection By Patricia | Hair: Beauty Bar Boutique | Band: Adrian Duke | Transportation: Blue Diamond | Rentals: CE Rentals