This next little number is the kind of affair that just makes you happy. Happy, because love is just so darn wonderful and so are traditional ceremonies held near your childhood home followed by an uber-gorgeous reception that just screams vintage chic. Add in beautiful blooms from Amy Lynne Originals and an entire gallery of pretty from Nancy Ray Photography and that’s a joy that can’t be beat. Get your smile on in the full gallery.
From Becca Rose of Rebecca Rose Events… Kate and Mike’s wedding ceremony took place in her family’s church, located right near her childhood home. Kate’s mother pulled off a wonderful surprise that only a small handful of us knew about in advance. Because there was no little boy to serve as a ring bearer, one of Kate’s adorable nieces was recruited for the task. What Kate didn’t know was that the printed programs would be changed to read “ring bear” after she gave approval on the proof so that her niece could carry Kate’s childhood teddy bear down the aisle with the rings. Adorable! Kate has impeccable taste and wonderful grasp on fashion. She loves soft neutrals with the occasional punch of color. The coral shoes worn by some of her bridesmaids were the perfect reflection of her preferences. From the start she described her ideal wedding reception as “vintage chic.” To create Kate and Mike’s desired vintage chic reception environment in the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts (a very contemporary space), we had ivory fabric draping and hundreds of feet of greenery garland – infused with soft gray hued seeded eucalyptus (at the last minute so that it was fresh!) hung in a criss cross lattice pattern from the wooden ceiling beams. We used pieces of vintage lace over simple linens in a palette of soft gray and apple green with a few coral accents to give just the right punch of bolder color.
Great food and beverage presentation and taste were high priorities. Guests enjoyed passed spa water with cucumbers and watermelon lemonade at cocktail hour in addition to craft beers, wine and cocktails. Kate and Mike couldn’t possibly let their wedding date (Cinco de Mayo!) go unnoticed, so for the dinner stations, the caterer introduced a gourmet taco bar to the mix. Late night snacks were served during the dancing portion of the evening and guests enjoyed mini buffalo chicken paninis with house baked spicy kettle chips. In addition to wedding cake and cupcakes, guests enjoyed scooping goodies into their own individual little bags at the candy bar. In keeping with the vintage concept, Kate selected candies that all served as a throwback to a former era, such as Sugar Babies, Pop Rocks and candy cigarettes!
On the heels of her mother’s fun surprise with the ring bear earlier in the day, Kate pulled off a surprise of her own as well later that night. Halfway into the reception, she and Mike left the room, donned fedoras and re-entered (after she changed out of her Monique Lhullier gown into a custom designed party dress created for her from her mother’s wedding gown) to surprise the guests with a choreographed, synchronized dance. Only the planning team and the DJ knew this was happening and it was perfectly executed! The party dress was definitely a story-worthy item, so we made sure to tell the story. Kate’s mother’s original gown fit her like a glove, but it wasn’t quite her style. Before her friend cut it up to recreate her party dress, Kate’s family photographed her in the original gown. At the wedding reception, we displayed photos to show the transformation of her mother’s gown into a modern party frock for Kate. Kate used signs to provide narration to the story in each photo and the result was fantastic. She danced the night away in that dress and wore it for her exit with Mike at the end of the wedding.
Wedding Photography: Nancy Ray Photography / Ceremony Venue: Bethania Moravian Church in Bethania, North Carolina / Reception Venue: Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts in Winston-Salem, North Carolina / Event Planning + Design: Rebecca Rose Events / Floral Design: Amy Lynne Originals / Catering: Holly Tate Fine Catering / Wedding Cake: Dioli’s Trattoria / Reception MC: Melissa Lamkin / Lighting + Sound: K2 Productions / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier via Nitsa’s Apparel / Reception Wedding Dress: Custom Design / Bride’s Veil: Nitsa’s Apparel / Bride’s Shoes: Seychelles / Bride’s Jewelry + Bridesmaid and Flower Girl Necklaces: Erin McDermott / Hair: David Simpson of Tease Salon / Makeup: Bella Upstyles Co. / Wedding Rings + Earrings: Deva
