Southern Weddings

Sometimes the bride really does know her own wedding best, and Sarah’s description of her North Carolina wedding as a truly “enchanted” affair is spot on the money!   Special thanks to Dixie Pixel Photo for sharing this magical wedding with us.  Indeed, the couple’s twilight nuptials in a secluded forest at The Garden Retreat (complete with flickering lanterns, hanging dragonflies and a vintage Claire Pettibone gown) were fairytale perfect.  The hopeless romantic in all of us here at SW loves how the bridesmaids, in flowy moss green dresses from Melissa Sweet, and the flower girls in hair wreathes from Blooms at Biltmore Park call to mind the wood nymphs and fairy princesses from our favorite childhood stories.  Want to hear more about this international couple’s happily-ever-after ending?  Check back to see how Sarah, a North Carolina native, and Kevin, a New Zealand national, who met while living abroad in London, celebrated wedded bliss with their closest friends and family!

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story. I had just moved to London from Tennessee and Kevin had just moved to London from New Zealand. Coincidentally, we both were planning trips to Spain. We found each other and decided to go to Barcelona together and had a great time exploring Spain. Once back in London, we bonded over conversations about missing our dogs, adjusting to British life and loving hot chocolate.  After four years of falling more and more in love, we got engaged!
Three adjectives that describe the day are:  Enchanted, emotional and fun.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding invitation? To give our guests a taste of our vintage forest wedding, the invitation was shaped like an antique locket. On the front of the gold locket was a cardinal and a kiwi to represent where Kevin and I are from. The locket opened to reveal an evening forest scene along with all the wedding details our guests needed.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress:  I knew I wanted a dress that would have a vintage style to fit in with our forest destination wedding.  I came across Claire Pettibone’s dresses and fell in love with the designer.  I had a hard time making up my mind because all of her designs were gorgeous . In the end, I decided “Helena” was perfect and I was even lucky enough to find it at a sample sale at Kelly’s Closet in Atlanta.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The most memorable moment was standing with Kevin at the ceremony in the beautiful forest surrounded by the people who love us best.

I’ve got to thank Whitebox Weddings for finally getting me in the Fall spirit!  Caroline + Matt’s intimate reception at the Barn at Fearrington (a local favorite here in North Carolina) is rustically romantic and wonderfully personal.  The soft lighting from flickering candles and tiny twinkle lights set such a warm and inviting mood that I almost wish I had been among the couple’s many happy friends and family.  And while the bride and groom put taste before appearance when it came to selecting their delicious three-tiered buttercream wedding cake, the master pastry chefs at the Fearrington House Restaurant, with the help of some ribbon, sugared fruit and fiddle ferns, succeeded in making one of the most beautiful cakes we’ve ever seen!  Happy Thursday and, most importantly, happy Fall (for real!).  

Describe your wedding cake: I had been to so many weddings where the cake looked much better than it tasted so we decided that taste was paramount. To fit with the holiday season, we had spice cake with buttercream icing. Our pastry chef and florist added beautiful sugared fruits and fiddle ferns.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The pinecone placecards that my mother and sister-in-law spent hours putting together! I also loved having our favorite Christmas carols played during the ceremony. Our processional was Greensleeves, which always puts me in the holiday spirit.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? We took our pictures before the wedding so Mel and Sarah, our photographers, arranged a “first look.” They had Matt wait for me holding my bouquet with his back turned. I will never forget the look on his face when he turned around and saw me in my dress for the first time. I think I fell in love with him all over again!

Three adjectives that describe the day are: Warm, memorable and loving.

What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? I am finishing my fellowship and we will be relocating. We are looking forward to experiencing a new city together. We also are proud new parents and are enjoying every minute with our little girl!