Southern Weddings

When Emily told me Jessica + Neal’s North Carolina nuptials as photographed by Cunningham Photo Artists made for the perfect summer wedding, I had no idea how right she’d be!  The Cliffs at Walnut Cove proved the ideal venue for this outdoor mountain wedding.  How magical does the reception tent look under that towering oak tree?  We love how the fruit accents (check out those lime slices in the centerpieces and the fresh clementines and lemons decorating the four-tier Icing on the Cake confection) complement the bright oranges, pinks and greens of the Aria Floral arrangements and how the bridesmaids’ bouquets seem to be bursting with seasonal color and freshness.  (Side note: the ladies’ custom-made silk sheaths in shimmery orange and pink just might be my new favorite!)   Designer Shay Brown really captured the rustic outdoor feel Jessica + Neal were going for with an authentic tree stump cake stand and tiny, tree-hanging votives.  P.S.  How stunning does the bride look in her ruched Melissa Sweet trumpet gown? 

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met through mutual friends three years ago after an Alive After Five concert in Uptown Charlotte. At the time, we were both seeing other people. A year or so later, several of us started getting together for dinner and concerts and Neal and I became good friends. We had so much fun together! That summer, Neal had several people over to his new house for swimming and a cookout on the 4th of July, when our friendship took a turn… 

Describe the proposal: I thought Neal and I were going to the beach for the weekend with our good friends, who happened to know Neal planning on proposing. Neal had to be out of town that Friday and his flight from New York back to Charlotte was delayed. He called and asked me to meet him at his house. When I arrived, I was already feeling very rushed since we had a five hour drive ahead of us and would be leaving during rush-hour. Neal slowly made his way down the stairs with a huge smile on his face and said, “I’ve played a trick on you.” I looked at him puzzled and asked what he meant. He told me that we were not going to the beach but that he could not tell me where we would be going. I quickly realized we were heading towards Asheville, NC where we took a trip together in August of 2007. We arrived at the beautiful Grove Park Inn & Resort and spent the day sight-seeing and lounging by the pool. That evening, Neal wanted to go out to the terrace and watch the sunset. We were having a great time people-watching and enjoying the beautiful evening. When it got dark, Neal asked me if I knew why he brought me there. I began to quickly answer, but he cut me off and said “Let me tell you why.” He spent the next half hour recounting how our friendship turned into a relationship. Hearing all the key points of our relationship from Neal’s perspective was the sweetest moment of my life! He finally said m “That brings us to tonight” and slipped his hand in his pocket and got down on his knee. I can’t recall exactly what he said at that moment except the “Will you marry me?”  

What was the design inspiration for your wedding? The outdoors and mountain scenery! We wanted our wedding to be intimate, elegant and romantic but with a laid-back mountain feel to it as well. We both wanted to have the wedding at a place that provided incredible views of the mountains during the ceremony and reception.

Favorite design element of your big day: Since everyone made the trip out of town, we tried to make it into a big wedding weekend. We hosted a North Carolina BBQ welcome and rehearsal dinner for all wedding guests at a privately-owned farm outside of Asheville. We also hosted a Farewell Brunch on Sunday before everyone headed out of town.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I purchased my gown at J. Major’s Bridal Boutique in Charlotte, NC. I selected a Melissa Sweet strapless, ruched, ivory Taffeta trumpet gown with asymmetrical lines. I actually brought in a photo of the dress from a magazine into the boutique and, luckily, they had the dress in-stock. I loved it from the minute I put it on; it just felt right. I went to two other boutiques but my mind kept going back to the Melissa Sweet gown. The next week, I went back to J. Major’s and ordered the gown.

Describe your wedding flowers: I wanted brightly-colored flowers to match our wedding colors (orange, pink, lime green and chocolate brown) and that’s exactly what I got!

Describe your wedding cake: We had the best wedding cake! The cake had two flavors: chocolate with raspberry filling and carrot cake with cream cheese filling (one of Neal’s favorites!).

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? A special moment for me was when my father saw me for the first time. He came over and looked at me and tears started rolling down his face. It was just between the two of us and not captured on film, but I remember every detail of those first few moments together.

Congratulations, Jessica + Neal! The SW girls wish you many more years of happy memories!