I believe in celebrating every happy occasion and five years of marriage is, without a doubt, a moment to cheers to. So the pics from this anniversary shoot warmed my heart from the start… but it wasn’t just that. These two are what I like to call “relationship goals”; they know what is really important to them, and radiate that confidence and love in every one of these pics by Callie Davis of Nancy Ray Photography. That beautiful energy was captured as they smiled at the oh so pretty Pinehurst and they set the goal for themselves to do the same when they toast to 50 years of wedded bliss in the future… and I can’t wait to see it.
From Carrington Buck, lead planner at Erin McLean Events… Pinehurst is one of the most iconic little towns in North Carolina and is known around the world as the birthplace of American golf. But for us, it’s a little bit more. For Justin’s 30th birthday I gave him a gift that checked off a bucket list item for him, playing Pinehurst Number 2, one of the most famous courses in the country. Justin could eat, live, and breathe golf and be just fine and believe it or not, I could too (I am learning to play – but I love to watch!) Thus began our love affair with the tiny town that we one day would like to call home. From its authentic Southern hospitality, to the perfectly manicured golf courses, and the welcoming rocking chairs of the front veranda of the Carolina, this place embodies everything we love.
So on October 13th of this year, our marriage turned five, so we decided to ask our dear friend, Callie Davis, of Nancy Ray Photography to capture our relationship on camera to celebrate. It took me a little while to land on the right spot that was truly “us”. I kept thinking about Justin and I out in a random field and that almost made me laugh out loud – we are outdoorsy in that we like to have a cocktail on a warm sunny patio or beach somewhere in the Caribbean. Then we thought about downtown Raleigh, the place that we have called home for the last four years, and though we love Raleigh, that didn’t seem quite right either. Then it hit me, Pinehurst. One of the most beautiful, quaint, and peaceful places I’ve ever been but more importantly the place where Justin and I want to celebrate our 50th anniversary – the place we one day want to grow old together, preferably with champagne and plenty of afternoon golf outings.
So replacing playing Pinehurst Number 2 on our bucket list, one day doing this same shoot (Callie, are you up for it?!) when we are celebrating 50 years of marriage together. I hope when that day comes you’ll still be able to see the joy in our hearts – but more so, the love in our relationship – but more so, maybe the whole family we have built over our life together. Bring on the wrinkles!
Photography: Nancy Ray Photography | Styling: Erin McLean Events | Floral Design: Tre Bella Florist | Dress: Lulu's | Shoes: Steve Madden | Hair + Makeup: The Makeup Culture | Suit: Tom James of New England | Men's Attire: J.Crew | Venue: Pinehurst Resort | Top: Topshop
Pick 3 primary colors for each of your designs – A great design starts with three colors that you can add various shades of each into the mix. For the more feminine design I started with pink, gold and white. Select your base colors, wrapping paper in this case, and keep them neutral. I felt that the gold and white were the best neutrals for this design. Then I used various shades of pink for my pops of color and even added in other white and gold textures. For the more woodsy design I started with green, brown and white. I used kraft paper and white wrapping paper with brown watercolor antlers painted on it from minted. Com, as my neutral base. I then added various brown, green and white ribbons and embellishments. Incorporating the variation is the fun part, so trust your gut and go for it!
It starts with great paper – I can’t stress this enough. How many times have you been wrapping a precarious package and the wrapping paper ripped because it wasn’t high quality and couldn’t bend under pressure? To me, it’s worth the investment in high quality and beautiful wrapping paper. Not only are my presents easier to wrap, but they look crisp and the box underneath is hidden completely. Paper Source is one of my favorite sources for wrapping paper. For this year’s gifts I even experimented with their fine paper for the first time and loved them!
You can never have too much ribbon! – My growing ribbon collection is one of my favorite things. In my opinion you can never have too much and there are endless widths, textures, colors and types to choose from. As you begin to create your wrapping paper design and pull your elements together, be sure you have a variety of ribbon to work with. My favorites include raw silk, satin, velvet and cotton ribbon. Blush twine and a new chocolate brown suede ribbon were fun additions to my collection this year.
You don’t always have to tie a bow – While a simple bow can sometimes be the default, challenge yourself to try something new! Maybe that’s simply tying ribbon flat around the package (I like to use double sided tape on the back to hide my mechanics), and adding embellishments. Or perhaps you like the geometric look. For this one I used one continuous piece of twine and tied it around and around the package in various patterns and directions. Sometimes it’s helpful to adhere a little tape on the back in a few places to keep things intact, but the final look is stunning. Even if you default to a bow, try centering it off to one side so it appears in an unexpected spot.
Add fresh foliage – Being a floral designer (as well as an event planner and designer), I can’t resist the opportunity to add fresh foliage to my packages. Here in the Northwest the winter still offers an abundance of foliage from fir, to pine, winterberry, holly, and more. Simply head outside to see what you can forage and slip onto the top of your presents. You don’t need much and you’d be surprised how glamorous it can make your gifts.
Gift tags in various sizes/shapes – It’s crucial to have a gift tag on each of your presents, so we’ve made it easy for you by sharing the exact gift tags we used from Anchored Paper and Co! 
