Southern Weddings

I don’t know about y’all, but my Instagram feed was full of beaches and lakes this weekend! As if that wasn’t enough to get me extra excited for my own first beach trip of the summer in a few weeks, today’s wedding is a Southern coastal wedding dream come true. Inspired by their mutual love for the water and Robert’s childhood summers at the Carolina Yacht Club, Lara Beth and Robert were married at one of their favorite places. I love how they added just a few sweet, personal details to their already-beautiful venue–with views like this, it certainly didn’t need much!

Thanks so much to Britt Croft for sharing this pretty wedding with us!

Describe your wedding flowers. I got extremely lucky when I found my wedding planner, Teresa Gausman. Not only is she a talented event planner, she is also an amazing florist. My bouquet was an assortment of ivory and blush pink peonies, roses, and hydrangeas. Teresa cleverly hung beautiful pink rose balls from manzanita branches for some of the centerpieces, along with assorted arrangements of hydrangeas, roses, and tulips. She did a fantastic job!

We both love the water and wanted to get married near the beach. Robert spent many summers at the Carolina Yacht Club as a child, and the location was perfect for us. It definitely had the romantic, casual atmosphere that we were looking for.

Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! For my something borrowed, I borrowed earrings from my dear friend Emily. They were beautiful and she had also worn them on her wedding day. For something blue, I had the wedding date and my new initials, LBM, sewn into the inside of my dress with blue ribbon. I had lace from my mother’s wedding dress wrapped around my bouquet for something old. My wedding dress was my something new.

Our favorite detail was the nautical theme that was carried throughout the wedding. The beachfront yacht club set the tone, and we chose soft, coastal colors for the wedding party attire and ceremony/reception decor. The invitations and ceremony programs had a simple anchor placed at the top of them. We also had cups made with our names and an anchor printed on them in seafoam green.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Our reception menu was very Southern. The main course for dinner was fried chicken and waffles, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, deviled eggs, and succotash. These items are always crowd pleasers at Southern weddings, and sure enough, no one left hungry!

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? After the reception, guests lined the walkway of the yacht club and wished us farewell with a sea of colorful streamers. I remember the love and excitement that I felt knowing that all of our closest friends and family members were gathered together for us. With a bottle of champagne in hand and a full heart, we left on Robert’s boat. It truly was a happy day!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. We both went to UNC Wilmington for college and met there through mutual friends. We started dating after college, while I was living in Charleston, SC, and dated long distance until I moved to Wilmington a little over a year later.
Tell us all about the proposal! Robert proposed on his grandfather’s pier at Lake Waccamaw, NC. His grandfather plants thousands of flowers on the pier every year and it is absolutely beautiful! Other family members have gotten married and engaged in that very spot. It is such a special place!
When did y’all get married? April 12, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 275
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. A string quartet played the prelude, processional, and recessional at the ceremony. We kept the music traditional (Canon in D, Trumpet Voluntary, Ode to Joy). Our first dance was to Van Morrison “Crazy Love” because we both love Van Morrison and we wanted a song that was upbeat and easy to dance to.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. We had a four-tiered cake with blush pink and ivory flowers arranged in bunches on top of the cake and between the tiers. There were alternating layers of strawberry and almond pound cake with a cream cheese filling and buttercream icing. It was delicious!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Our biggest challenge was that our wedding was held on the same weekend as a very popular festival in Wilmington. Hotels fill up quickly for this weekend, so we reserved several blocks of rooms almost immediately after setting the date. We did not want guests to have to travel in heavy traffic from the ceremony to the reception, so we decided to have everything at the yacht club. The ceremony was held on the lower deck and the chairs were quickly removed during the cocktail hour to make space for guests during the reception. The yacht club staff and Teresa’s team worked magic to make it happen.
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? We reused flowers from the bridesmaid luncheon and rehearsal dinner at the wedding. This was a huge money saver!
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? Working with my wedding planner, Teresa Gausman, was one of my favorite parts of wedding planning. She had ideas galore and was a dream to work with. She is one of the most creative people I have ever met, and because of her, the yacht club looked stunning!
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? For me, wedding planning went by super quickly. My advice would be to enjoy every minute with your significant other and savor being engaged!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? At some point, we would like to start a family, but for now, we are enjoying this time as newlyweds. We are the best of friends and we grow closer every day.

Photographer: Britt Croft / Planner and Florist: Teresa Gausman of Premiere Events / Venue: Carolina Yacht Club / Cake Baker: Imaginary Cakes / Caterer: Pine Valley Market / Rentals: Party Suppliers / Lighting: High Performance Lighting / Band: The Phase Band / Bride’s Gown: Mori Lee / Paper Products: The Fisherman’s Wife and Kamin & Associates, Inc / Hair and Makeup: Bangz Salon and Day Spa / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Allure / Men’s Attire: Tommy Hilfiger

Written with love by Lisa