Southern Weddings

Welcome back for Part II of this lovely North Carolina wedding from the incredible {Jessica Claire}.  Carolyn + Chad’s reception was held at the {Porters Neck Country Club}. The Porters Neck staff took care of the catering, which Carolyn said was “outstanding!”  Wedding cake by Nancy Hearn.  “Best cake I have ever had,” says Carolyn.  “She is an amazing women that bakes out of her house in Wilmington.”  All photography by Carolyn’s long-time friend and phenomenal photographer Jessica Claire. Check out Jessica’s {Blog} for more.  Happy Friday and congrats to Carolyn + Chad!   Aren’t they a gorgeous couple!?

The weather on our wedding day was: Absolutely gorgeous, we couldn’t have asked for anything better. Carolina blue skies and about 85 degrees.  It ended up being a day to remember.

What was the design inspiration for your wedding?  I wanted the wedding to reflect Carolina blue for Chad’s alma mater (University of North Carolina) but also have bright colors, this is why I used light blue Ann Taylor bridesmaids dresses and hot pink and green roses.
Favorite design element of your big day:  The flowers. 
Describe your wedding flowers:  My bouquet was a mixture of pink roses that went from a hot pink to a light pink. It was pinker at the bottom and it gradually got lighter as it went towards the center.  Our bridesmaid’s flowers were hot pink and green roses.  They were my favorite!  The table decorations were green hydrangeas with pink roses in the center and willow coming up out of them for the tall decorations. The rest were the same but sat lower on the table.
Describe your wedding cake:  YUM. Our cake was amazing. It was a four layer chocolate cake with butter cream icing. I wanted something simple and classy. We opted to have flowers on the top and a couple cascading down towards the bottom.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was:  The sparkler exit.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Chad: It sounds terrible but fishing and sporting schedules.  I enjoy hitting the water for offshore fishing and attend UNC football and basketball games as often as possible.  We found a weekend that had no conflicts and set the date.
Were there any special family traditions you included in the wedding?  Chad: The father of one of my groomsmen and a second father to me had recently passed away.  Capt D as we called him, had a neat way of everyone holding hands during the blessing of a meal.  At the Rehearsal dinner and Reception, we had everyone clasp hands and “shake around the love” after saying grace.
Scariest moment?  Carolyn: walking down the aisle, I was shaking
Funniest moment?  The Garter toss, Chad threw it into the chandelier, my maid of honors best friend had to get on a stool and fish it out.
The most unexpected event on our wedding day was: Some family members had a “really good time” and did not quite make it all the way through the reception!!!
Three adjectives that describe the day are:  Beautiful, classy , fun!
What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding?  Don’t forget the small stuff, like programs. You might think you are ahead with booking all of the big stuff, and then all of a sudden those things pop up out of nowhere.
Best advice or most memorable comment someone made to you during the wedding celebration.  Take it slow, the day will be over before you know it, cherish every minute of it.
What’s next for you as a couple?  We will take a year or two to take care of each other, be together as a pair, and then think about having children. We want two!

Congratulations to Carolyn + Chad!  We wish you a lifetime of happiness and joy!