Google+ Real North Carolina Wedding: Katie + Matt, Part I - Southern Weddings

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Em + I had to smile when we saw today’s adorable navy bridesmaid dresses from Monique Lhuillier. Last week’s post on the coveted blue dress revealed that y’all think, as one reader so eloquently put it, that “navy bridesmaid dresses are soo hot right now!” We couldn’t agree more. The bride, also in Monique Lhuillier, looked stunning and reminded me how much I love short-haired brides. (They always look so Southern to me!) And for those of you wondering how the gents should dress to complement ladies in blue, take a look at Matt and his dapper attendants: khakis and blazers, all the way! Scott Piner photographed Katie + Matt’s North Carolina wedding at the Bellamy Mansion Museum, and Lindsey Cheek (who now works for Salt Harbor Designs) served as planner extraordinaire! Blooms courtesy of A Beautiful Event.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met in 2005, the summer before Matt’s senior year at Appalachian State University, in Boone, NC. I was up at App visiting a friend for the weekend. That Saturday afternoon, we both happened to be hanging out at “the dam” on the Watauga River. While our friends were hanging out on the rocks below, neither one of us could sit still and ended up doing flips off the dam. Matt admits that he wanted to meet the girl in the orange bikini and Chaco’s (that would be me). Let’s just say, the feeling was mutual, so we met. For the rest of the summer, we saw each other about every other weekend. That was the beginning of what turned out to be a five-year, long-distance relationship.
Describe the proposal. My whole family had gathered for dinner to celebrate my twenty-fifth birthday. Matt had asked my father for permission to marry me, in advance, but they had agreed to keep it a secret because my mom would likely ruin the surprise. We all sat down for dinner and Matt only waited about 3 minutes before standing up to address the group. He was extremely nervous and we knew he had just signed a contract for his first house, so we thought he was going to share the news about that with everyone. I was excited for him, but before I knew it, he was asking me
to marry him. Needless to say, I said “yes”(actually, I said “thank-you”). I was super surprised and excited! He gave me his great-grandmother’s diamond. After he proposed, we invited other in-town relatives and friends to join us. It was certainly a celebration with dancing in the family room, complete with The Platters playing “With This Ring,” in the background.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Charming, relaxed and fun.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: I loved that both the ceremony and the wedding were outside and I loved the laid-back feeling of the wedding. My mom and a dear friend made burlap runners for all of the tables. My mom hand painted signs that she and my uncle made out of old wood scraps. She also made one large sign that listed all the cities represented by our guests and the distance of each city from Wilmington, NC, where we were married. It was a big hit and great source of conversation for our guests.

Written with love by Katharine
13 Comments
  1. avatar Katherine {flower & honey} reply

    Her dress is beautiful! And I love the sign with all of the cities listed. Great idea! :)

  2. avatar Katie reply

    Gorgeous! Very elegant and simple. Love the venue!

  3. avatar Tweets that mention Real North Carolina Wedding: Katie + Matt, Part I « Southern Weddings Magazine — Topsy.com reply

    […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by annarouth and Marissa Kloess, Southern Weddings . Southern Weddings said: Today's @ScottPiner bride answers our navy dress dilemma with @M_Lhuillier + khaki! So stylish and oh-so-southern! http://su.pr/2felXr […]

  4. avatar Maggie reply

    Katie and Matt have the most beautiful smiles!

  5. avatar Lori reply

    Love the way the groomsmen complement the bridesmaids– I really like the blazers+khakis with the groom in all khaki! What a gorgeous wedding- I’m looking forward to seeing part II.

  6. avatar Melissa W reply

    A true southern wedding, for sure! Beautifully shot, Scott!

  7. avatar Exclusively Weddings reply

    Exclusively Weddings wants to thank Katie & Matt for selected us as your stationery vendor. The bride and groom choose a classic wedding invitation in a soft white, for their wedding nuptials. They wanted to keep it simple with an elegant font, selecting Shelly Script.

    http://www.exclusivelyweddings.com/Weddings/Classic-Couture-Bright-White

    Congratulations Katie & Matt!

  8. avatar Jen reply

    I would love to know what Monique Lhuillier style dress Katie was wearing! So classic. Thanks!

    • avatar Katie Breeding reply

      Jen: I’m sorry I just now saw your question about the style of my gown! It was was actually loaned to me by one of my very best friends (and bridesmaids)! She got married in Alabama earlier in the year and was a life saver when she offered me her wedding dress! I’ll have to ask her about the name of the style, but I know she got it at a place called Low’s in Brinkley, Arkansas.

  9. avatar Suz reply

    I was there (my brother is the super tall groomsman) & it was awesome! Everything turned out beautifully including (especially!) the bride. The decoration and food was wonderful too, as were the firefly drinks served out of large jars.

  10. avatar Weekly Round-Up « Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] and blue wedding here and here Katie + Matt’s laid back outdoor wedding in North Carolina here and here And what’s a round-up without sharing some great opportunities? 2011 is Barry C […]

  11. avatar Monthly Round-Up :: February 2011 « Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] again this month, as Sierra and I chose Katie + Matt’s Monique Lhuillier bridesmaid dresses (here + here) and Katharine chose Alison and Manny’s, available from Dillard’s! (More here + […]

  12. avatar Southern Style :: Short Hair Brides « Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] here), next two photos Lauren Larsen, Merge Weddings, Scott Piner (see more of this Southern beauty here + here) and Rebekah Westover. And last, but certainly not least, is the long bob. This modified […]

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