Anytime a Carolina wedding comes our way, we know it’s going to be an instant charmer. And with all that southern charm alongside a sense of easy elegance, it’s not hard to see why this bash set at The Balcony on Dock was a complete and total hit. Salt Harbor Designs put together all the beautiful blooms and Theo Milo Photography caught every last chevron-inspired detail. It’s a wedding we just know you’ll want more of, and you can find it right here.
From the Bride…My husband and I met and fell in love in Wilmington, North Carolina, and when he proposed we both immediately knew that’s where we wanted to get married. We wanted our wedding to reflect our love for this beautiful coastal community. We started the planning process by selecting our ceremony and reception venues. For our ceremony we chose The Little Chapel on the Boardwalk, a church located across the street from the ocean. At first we had a difficult time settling on a reception venue because Wilmington offers so many wonderful locations, but when we saw The Balcony on Dock, in downtown Wilmington, it instantly became the obvious choice. The building dated back to the 1840s, and we loved the historical feel of the exposed brick walls, hardwood floors and large windows overlooking downtown. We chose a gray and white color scheme, and incorporated chevron print throughout our design. Our invitations from Bon Bini Print and Design featured a rendering of Wilmington’s historic riverfront drawn by my dad.
I originally wanted an all lace dress, so when I chose a ruched dress by Romona Keveza, I decided to incorporate lace into my veil instead. I wanted to honor the memory of my grandfathers, who both passed away, by stitching fabric from an old pajama shirt and necktie into the lining of my dress. The bridesmaids wore JCrew dresses in aged driftwood, sandals from Fibi and Clo, and handmade necklaces. Our pictures were very important to us, so we decided to do a “first look,” which allowed us to spend plenty of time before the ceremony getting great shots, and plenty of time afterwards mingling with our guests. Our photographer, Theo Milo Photography, suggested the NC Arboretum as a spot for pre-wedding photos. It was one of our favorite parts of the day! The weather was beautiful and the gardens were gorgeous.
After our ceremony, our wedding party made the 8 mile trip from the beach to downtown in a restored trolley. We enjoyed horderves and cocktails under edison lights on The Balcony’s patio. At some point, I saw a youtube video of a ukulele player covering Billy Jean, by Micheal Jackson, and thought that live ukulele covers would make for a pretty cool cocktail atmosphere. After cocktail hour we made our way to The Balcony’s third floor dining room. Salt Harbor Designs decorated the space beautifully with large lanterns and floral centerpieces that included hydrangeas, brazilla berries, and lambs ear. A few of my favorite touches were our “cupcake in a jar” wedding favors, a made-to-order mashed potato station and a signature key lime martini cocktail. We ended the night by making a grand exit in a vintage British Taxi.
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Wedding Photography: Theo Milo Photography | Ceremony Venue: Little Chapel on the Boardwalk | Reception Venue: The Balcony on Dock | Floral Design: Salt Harbor Designs | Cake: Nickis Cakes | DJ: Active DJ Entertainment | Invitations and Welcome Bags: Bon Bini Print and Design | Ukulele Player: Kent Knorr | Guest Favors: Perfectly Frosted | End of Reception Transportation: The British Taxi | Rentals: Party Suppliers | Lighting: High Performance Lighting | Wedding Dress: Romona Keveza via Traditions by Anna | Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew in “Aged Driftwood” | Bridesmaids’ Necklaces: Handmade | Bridesmaids’ Sandals: fibi and clo