A Celebration of Color and Texture Completed With Locally Sourced Blooms at Walnut Hill

Lauren Megerdichian
July 24, 2024
Categories: Real Weddings, The Blog, Whimsical

[section title=”The Planning”]

[field title=”Wedding Colors”]The bride and groom didn’t hold fast to particular wedding colors, but rather were inspired by wildflowers, which offered a joyous mix of a lot of color. This is also why the bride and groom were set on Arika’s photography style, which they knew would capture the color exquisitely! The bride’s two inspiration photos were from a colorful spring wedding Arika had shot, which Bowerbird Flowers and Apothecary had provided the florals for.[/field]

[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]The couple wanted to make choices that were authentic to them and cultivated a down-to-earth, homestead, garden feeling. This looked like dresses that were all different colors, mix-and-match tablecloths and napkins, varying shapes/sizes/colors of budvases, wildflower seeds as favors, and an outside ceremony. [/field]

[field title=”Proposal Story”]We grew up going to church together. Our brothers were best friends! We reconnected at my brother’s wedding, and I asked for a lesson in chicken sitting, as my ECON 101 professor had asked me to chicken sit for her over the summer! The rest was history! He told me there was a ripe watermelon in our garden, so I walked out to check. After a closer inspection, I knew it wasn’t ripe, but when I turned around he was on one knee![/field]

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[board_carousel title=”First Look”]

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[section title=”The Fashion”]

[field title=”Wedding Gown”]The bride wore Jenny Yoo’s “Elliot” gown, paired with Made with Love’s pearled veil. She wanted something elegant, timeless, and polished, to stand out among the bursting array of colorful flowers and flowery dresses.[/field]

[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]The bride knew from the start she did not want her girls in typical bridesmaid dresses. She wanted something the girls would wear again on other occasions and that would surprise her guests. Additionally, the bride didn’t want to see herself reflected in the bridesmaids’ dress choice, but rather wanted to see the personality of each individual bridesmaid reflected in the dress they chose. The bride did not specify color, length, or material, but let the girls’ creativity run wild. She did help balance things out to make sure there was a good mix, but that took very little input. The bridesmaids were quite nervous about the whole idea, and kept asking the bride for more guidance, but everyone’s leap of faith played out on the big day. The bride did a reverse first look with her bridesmaids, since she was so excited to see them all together and see how her vision had become a reality.[/field]

[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]Like the bride wanting a very sleek, classic look for herself, the guys wearing tuxes was exactly the sharp, suave, elevation needed to balance out the whimsical wildflower dresses. The juxtaposition was marvelous.[/field]

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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Party”]

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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]

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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]

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[section title=”The Details”]

[field title=”Food & Drink”]Over 25% of the guests attending the wedding had some sort of dietary restriction or preference. Food is our love language, and we wanted to love our guests well by providing them with food that they could enjoy. We were able to accomplish this intense goal with Rocky Top Catering. For passed hors d’oeuvres, we chose crispy chickpea & zucchini fritters (V+), caprese skewers (V), bacon wrapped stuffed pimento cheese dates (GF), and vegan portobello flat bread (V+). Dinner began with a plated garden salad. The buffet options included summer squash and cucumber salad (GF, V+), haircot vert amandine (V+), lemon and rosemary roasted fingerling potatoes (GF, V+), vegan paella (V+, GF), and honey brined chicken breast (GF). On My Way Bartending provided the drinks. Our signature cocktails were their Spicy Margarita, Brunch in Manhattan, and Why Not, but we had fun providing our own unique names for these drinks. The liquor behind the bar was Basil Hayden, Botanist, Patron, Tito’s, and Glenmorangie 10 Year. We also had all NC craft beer: Fullsteam’s Biscuit Wheat Beer, Highland Brewing’s Gaelic Ale, and Ponysaurus’s Pilsner. For wine, we offered Kendall Jackson Chardonnay, Guy Mousset Côtes du Rhône, and Bel-Aire Champagne.[/field]

[field title=”Florals & Decor”]One of the things that made this wedding truly come together was trusting our florist 100%. We told Diane at Bowerbird Flowers and Apothecary that we wanted to support local farmers by sourcing flowers locally. We sent photos of the bridesmaid dresses, linens, and invitations, we picked out the bud vases and yellow taper candles, and then we got to sit back and relax knowing they would curate stunning floral arrangements. We had no idea what it would look like until we saw it on the morning of our wedding, but that’s why we hired a professional – so we didn’t have to think about it! And the photos speak for themselves. Bowerbird has such an artistic eye; their florals were magnificent, and Arika is an artist with her camera, capturing color beautifully. I also had my bouquet preserved with Bonnie’s Blooms, which I’m so happy I did![/field]

[field title=”Wedding Cake”]For dessert, we had the incredible opportunity to support two friends that are currently growing their businesses. Bere’s Pastry provided the main cake, which was vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream and marble cake with caramel buttercream. Wheatless Woosters Bakery provided the chocolate cupcakes, which were our gluten free and vegan option.[/field]

[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]Our two scripture passages came from theologian and friend Dr. Ellen F. Davis’s book, Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture: Amos 9:14-15 and Hosea 2:16a, 9-22, 23b. We chose classical wedding songs for the ceremony (Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, the Air from Handel’s Water Music, Pachelbel’s Canon in D, and Mendelssohn’s Wedding March), but more personalized songs that meant something special to the us for the reception. We also committed to dancing together during all three of the slow songs played during the reception, in addition to our first dance and private last dance, which enabled us to savor and share in the celebration together. We were married by all four of our siblings, who are part of the North Carolina and Western North Carolina United Methodist Conference.[/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #1″]The bride & grooms big brothers were best friends growing up and to this day! They gave a toast together during the wedding that was incredibly funny & sweet.[/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #2″] We had a memento from all our deceased grandparents at our wedding, to honor their love for us and the impact they had on our lives: a three-pearl necklace the mother-of-the-bride wore, which the Bride’s maternal grandfather had given her maternal grandmother; a tie that the father-of-the-bride wore, which belonged to her paternal grandfather; a wheelbarrow from the Groom’s maternal grandfather; and a garden trowel that belonged to his paternal grandmother.[/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #3″]Amid wedding planning, we also were renovating our entire house, which we wanted to share with our close friends and family. So, we hosted our rehearsal and rehearsal dinner there (catered by Luna’s Rotisserie and Empanadas), which felt like such a blessing poured out onto our newly renovated home as we began married life together.[/field]

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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]

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