This post has a special place in my heart as today is our 2nd wedding anniversary! It was the start of a beautiful marriage and business partnership. It is the Wedding Weekend that went from almost disaster to unforgettable!
One Week Until Wedding
If you've read our Origin Story post, you'll know that one week before our wedding day, we experienced a series of crazy and unfortunate events that forced us to be our own wedding coordinators! You can check out the post here, but today, we are going to focus on all the fabulousness!
Welcome Party
We were extra and created welcome bags for each of your out-of-town guests, which was nearly all of them! Each bag had a small bottle of water, snacks, chocolate, maps of Southern Pines and Pinehurst, and a welcome note that had wedding weekend details. And because so many of our guests were from out of town, we knew the standard rehearsal dinner was not going to work for us!
Wedding Planning Tip:
The rehearsal dinner guest list traditionally includes the wedding party, their significant others, your officiant and his or her partner, and any family members who will be a part of your professional (grandparents, parents, etc.). It's also a nice gesture to invite out-of-town guests.
We still had a rehearsal dinner for our wedding party and immediate family at The Sly Fox Pub in Southern Pines, but we also had a dessert social back at the hotel where most of our out-of-town guests stayed.
The Wedding Colors
The winery had natural beauty all around us, so to complement the gorgeous views of the vineyard, we went with a dusty blue!
For the Bridesmaids: Each chose their own dress. I ordered swatches in our colors from Azazie for each lady and asked that the dress just be long!
For the Groomsmen: Navy pants, white dress shirts, and brown shoes! We gifted each guy with brown suspenders and navy bowties.
Wedding Planning Tip: I loved including swatches for our wedding party so they had multiple fabrics in the same shade to reference when they went shopping for their attire!
You can also ensure your wedding party has all the details with an "info card." Create your own or you can download my template off Etsy and add your details!
The Wedding Details
I love all the little details of a wedding! I spent months working on our DIY decorations to help save money because I knew there were other areas I wanted to splurge on! It's all about balance, but with a little effort and an organized mind (and patient fiance), all the details came together!
Wedding Planning Tip: If you are doing your own decorations, take "mock" pictures of how you want to have them displayed at different tables and areas. This is a huge help to Wedding Coordinators or anyone who is helping decorate your big day!
Centerpieces: My favorite part of our centerpieces was including a fun fact about us as a couple on each table! At the bottom of the frame, we added the quote, "Stop by the other tables to learn more fun facts, and meet a new friend or family member while you are there!"
It was a fun and unique way to share our story and get our guests mingling!
Other Fun We Included | |
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Memorable Moments
I did a first look with my bridesmaids and my father. I saved the first look for the groom to be as I walked down the aisle.
Unplugged Ceremony! Not only did we have a sign about it, we put it in our programs, and had our pastor announce our wishes for NO CELL PHONES OR CAMERAS before the ceremony started! We asked them to be in the moment with us and promised to share ceremony pictures with everyone!
We asked out photographer capture our First Kiss from an angle where we see our guests' faces and not the back of their heads!
We had "ring security" rather than a ring bearer. My godson loved this! He felt official with his briefcase and sunglasses. (Note: The rings were with the best man! The briefcase was for show.)
We had a small cake we shared with our immediate family, but we also had a dessert table with three types of cupcakes (Lemon drop, Chocolate, and Red Velvet) and cannoli's! The cakes were done by The Bakehouse, and the cannolis were included with our caterer, The Taste of New York.
Instead of the DJ announcing our wedding party, we (bride and groom) introduced them after the toasts! This was a lot more memorable and fun for us to tell a little bit about why this group of friends and family were so important in our lives!
Morning After Brunch! This was the perfect end to a wonderful weekend! We reserved a section at one of our favorite breakfast places, Sizzlin' Steak or Eggs in Aberdeen and enjoyed brunch with our family and guests who were still in town!
The Wedding Vendors
I've said it in other posts, but I will ALWAYS say it again! Great vendors make great weddings! I would recommend these vendors to any couple looking to have an amazing wedding day!
Venue: Cypress Bends Vineyard
Catering: A Taste of New York
Bar: Lavish Liquors
Cake: The Bakehouse
Photographer & Videographer: Evians
Flowers: Jack Hadden
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