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!

For years, I have read over and over again that most married couples meet through working together.  (This is really working out for me working at SW with a staff of all women!)   If you don’t believe me click {here} to read more. Or just read on to see proof.  Carolyn + Chad met while both working for the same company in Raleigh, North Carolina. They tied the knot this past summer in Wilmington. Ceremony held at {St. Andrews on the Sound Episcopal Church}.  Reception at the lovely {Porters Neck Country Club}. Floral design by {Always in Bloom}.  And what a lucky couple!  The bride is a long-time friend of phenomenal photographer, {Jessica Claire}, who flew out from CA to shoot their wedding. Thanks so much, Jessica, for sharing this beautiful wedding with us! 

From Jessica: Carolyn and I have been friends for about ten years now. When I look
back on the past decade (whoa, that makes ten years sound longer,
doesn’t it??), I am shocked and amazed at how much I’ve grown up and
changed. When Carolyn and I met, I was so lost with my life. I had just
left the first college I attended, and was coping with the fact that I
would not be one of those people who went away to school, fell in love
with it, and graduated in four years. At this point, I had completed a
year and a half, and the only thing I knew for sure is that there was
no way I wanted to return after Christmas break. So I didn’t.

So when I was creating my 101 in 1001
list, “Shoot Carolyn D’s Wedding” (#98) was sure to make the list! I
knew somehow that she would be the first to get married–the question
was, to whom?! When Carolyn first told me about Chad, she had her
doubts about whether they would become serious or not. But it wasn’t
long before the conversations changed from “maybe he’s the one” to
“when will he ask??”. I knew then that the wedding would not be far
away! Chad is an amazing person–a real gentleman. He is considerate
and makes sure that everyone around him is comfortable. He is an
awesome cook, a stellar fisherman, and probably a great boat captain as
well–his true love (second to Carolyn, of course). I was so happy for
these guys,and so excited to be part of the wedding.

Tell us your story… Chad and I worked together at the same company. After crossing paths a couple of times and hanging out one night I began to develop a crush.  We ended up meeting out with some friends in town and began to date.
Describe the proposal: Chad had been telling me for weeks before Christmas that he would be buying me diamond earrings. I couldn’t for the life of me understand why he would put his money into earrings instead of an engagement ring. We decided to exchange presents before we both went our separate ways for the Christmas holiday.  I gave him an electric toothbrush and a GPS running watch. He got me some perfume, He then handed me a pretty black jewelry box. I opened it up…..It was earrings…..with bent posts. He wouldn’t let me look or touch them, he put them in my ears and then handed me a card. He had written really sweet things in the card and at the bottom there was a little tab. When I lifted the tab it said there is one thing you should know, your earrings are fake, I looked up and he was on his knee with a beautiful ring. The rest is history. (The earrings were from Kmart.)
What attracted me to my husband was: Listening to Chad talk to customers on the phone while selling technology and sound so confident doing it.   It was something that reminded me of my father while I was growing up, and I knew it was a quality that I wanted in a husband. 
Why do you love your husband?  His caring and has a need to help others. His ability to make me laugh, his thoughtfulness, and his ability to make me a better person.
What attracted me to my wife was:  Her eyes and smile.  Carolyn and I met through some friends at work and after seeing her at work and out for dinner and sporting events, I figured it was time to mix business and pleasure.
A date we went on that well always remember: Chad: We had a lot of great times while dating…the most memorable being a Saturday date in Sunset Beach, NC.  I was invited to spend the day with Carolyn’s parents and relatives for a cookout and introductions.  Her father and uncle were sporting hats with our company logo and we immediately hit it off.  I was using a really cool beach chair that was a hit with the beach crowd.  So many people came up to ask where to get one that we ended up laughing about all the window shoppers on the beach.  Needless to say, everyone in the family has their own similar beach chair now!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress:  My dress is a Tara Keely wedding gown.  I purchased it from the Victorian Rose in
Raleigh, North Carolina.  I tried a couple dresses on and this
definitely was not my favorite (I thought they were too poofy). I left
that day going home to analyze the pictures, with an idea in my head of
what dress I was going to choose.  When I got home, there were more
pictures of this dress than any others, it looked amazing, every time I
looked at them I got this funny feeling, I LOVED IT.  So I went back
the next day, tried it on again, and that was it, the perfect dress.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase/verse/or line? We didn’t, we had an Episcopal ceremony and used the traditional vows.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Carolyn: Probably the wedding ceremony and vows, and dancing with my father.  Chad: My
sister started crying as soon as she came down the aisle in the bridal
party!  Also, the food and cake and definitely Carolyn in her dress
were favorites.

Check back shortly for more from Carolyn + Chad…