A Whimsical Bald Head Island Wedding With Details Inspired by Family Memories And Taylor Swift Friendship Bracelets
The bride's classic white Amsale gown was paired with a cathedral-length Sareh Nouri veil adorned with hand applique flowers.
Mismatched pink bridesmaids dresses, many with floral details, adorned Elisabeth's closed girlfriends. From the bride: Honestly, most of the bridesmaid dresses came from me and my mom’s closets!!! The perfect baby pink is HARD to find. The 2 champagne dresses are from Fab’rik, the layered dress is from STASH Apparel and Gifts, the 3 floral dresses are Sachin & Babi, the ruffle sleeve dress is from Show Me Your Mumu, and the tulle dress is Jenny Yoo!
Touching on the pink hues and joyful femininity of the overall design, Salt Harbor Designs crafted delicate bouquets and table arrangements in the days signature color.
Multiple cakes adorned several tables throughout the reception - most notably the Taylor Swift-inspired butterfly cake at the head table. The main cake, was topped with two puppies.
From the bride.. The puppy cake toppers were a total surprise!!! When I was little, these were two of the toys from my toy box! I didn’t even know we still had them! My mom picked these two dogs in particular because they look like my family’s dogs, Poppy and Bea, that Owen and I are just in love with! Such a cute touch.
The bride's grandfather officiated their ceremony and the benches outside the chapel (where the bride did a shoe change) are dedicated to her late grandmother.
From the bride... When I was really young, my parents told me that my dad’s dad (my Opa) officiated their wedding. I clearly remember thinking how cool it’d be if the same was true for me. I also have distinct memories of sitting in the Bald Head Island chapel growing up, picturing getting married in there myself one day and having it all come true was just as perfect as I had imagined it would be so long ago! A ceremony little me dreamed about!!!
One of the most remarkable things about this wedding was how every part of the reception represented a special moment or person in the couple's life. Each table was uniquely named and had handmade celebratory wands made by the bride's mom. Whimsical props from mini crowns and party hats to seashell headbands and pink glitter frogs came with stories about the bride growing up, details of a family recipe or a favorite memory from the family's many summers spent on Bald Head Island. Napkins were held by Taylor Swift-style friendship bracelets - each one totally unique and made by the bride, her mom and maid of honor.
From the bride... My mom has an obsession with all things Maileg (the mouse brand)! For the past few years, whenever she’s been asked what she wants for her birthday or Christmas she’ll just shout “MICE!!!” So basically my parents’ house is filled with mice decor hiding around. So she had the idea to tell the story of how Owen and I met to the wedding through MICE! She also has a deep love for dollhouses, so since me & Owen’s families are neighbors, it made perfect sense to have mice dollhouses as part of the scene - one representing Owen’s house, the other being mine. She also had scenes of the mice (me and Owen) being born (with baby mice), going to Anguilla (our honeymoon destination), and getting married (yes, she also had Maileg wedding mice on hand).
The couple used the bride's childhood mailbox as their guest book! They also wrote letters to each guest.
From the Bride... My great grandfather on my mom’s side was a postman! He always knew the EXACT date to send a card to ensure it would arrive to us on the EXACT date of whatever holiday he was sending a gift for no matter where we were. Having a postman in the family and getting to visit my grandfather, my brother and I loved mail, so my mom got us both a mailbox to put outside our doors. Anytime we’d get mail, our parents would put it in our mailbox. We’d also just write each other letters to make sure there was always something in our mailboxes :) My mom had the wonderful idea to have my childhood mailbox act as our guest book. Guests wrote letters, sealed them up, and placed them in my white mailbox. When Owen and I got back from our honeymoon, we got to sit and open them together. The cards were filled with advice, jokes, memories, etc. and I am just so glad we have them all to look back on!!!
The golf cart is a Bald Head Island classic. The entire island is car-free, so golf carts are the most common form of transportation. Elisabeth and Owen enjoyed riding in style in a Rolls Royce golf cart adored with a floral wreath for their wedding weekend! After the ceremony, the bride switch shoes to a pair of pink Nike kicks with a nod to Taylor Swift butterflies and a the bride's new name woven into the laces. Owen's groomsmen each wrote him a letter and gave it to him in a monogrammed keepsake box.
Other details. from the bride... A Pez table was also essential. My family has a huge collection of Pez that we have been building ever since I can remember! Every time I am in a store, I can’t help myself but to go check if they have any Pez characters we don’t already have. My mom had these two champagne glasses sitting in her China cabinet since I was little. One was Mickey, the other was Minnie. My parents used these glasses at their own wedding! Owen asked me to be his girlfriend on a school trip to Disney World, so my mom had these glasses at our seats for the reception! Handkerchief around my bouquet: Owen’s mom gifted me this handkerchief with my new initials on it that was made from her own wedding dress!