‘Tuscan Cowboy’ Inspired Wedding at Duke Mansion

Roger & I met in November of 2017 on a cruise. Most people ask “Was it a singles‘ cruise?” The answer is no, just a Princess cruise that sailed around several caribbean islands. However, we did meet on the Regal Princess which was christened as the Love Boat. They even play the theme song when you leave a port. We specifically met in the disco on the first formal night. It was hard to miss Roger and his friends since they were wearing Cowboy hats. He and a friend asked my friend and I to dance with their group which consisted of Roger and three married couples. After that night, we saw each other here and there but it wasn’t until our last day when we were about to get off the ship that an exchange happened. One of his friend’s took a picture of my friend and I. At that point my friend says, that’s a great photo can you text it to me. She then says, text it to Yvonne too. Roger then says, well I don’t have her phone number for which she replies “I’ll give it to you.” Always good to travel with a wing woman. (She is one of my best friends and was the maid of honor at the wedding). Once we were off the ship Roger & I texted for about a week until he called me. After that initial call we spoke every night for a few hours until he invited me for a visit the first week of January 2018. You see at the time Roger was living in Charlotte, NC and I was living in Phoenix, AZ. By the time we saw each other again and after so many hours of conversation it was pretty obvious that something special was happening between us. In the next few months we started talking about marriage. We purchased a ring in May and at that point it was up to Roger to figure out where the proposal would happen. On June 23rd, 2018 I was in Charlotte for a visit. He told me that we were going to meet his business partner and wife for dinner. As we left our apartment he said he heard music and wanted to check it out. We live in a multi unit building that has a pool on the 7th floor and a large patio called the overlook on the 8th floor. On the door of the overlook it had a large sign that said “Private event.” I told him that we shouldn’t enter but he assured me that it was ok. When we opened the door to go outside there were flowers everywhere and music was playing. He looked at me and said “this is for us.” Keep in mind it was a Saturday in June so we had quite an audience at the pool. Everyone was very respectful and super quiet. After Roger got down on one knee and proposed and I of course said yes everyone applauded loudly. In October of 2018 I moved to Charlotte. For the next year or so we took some time to really get to know each other. In 2020 the pandemic hit and everyone knows the rest of that story. When it was over it was time to figure out where we wanted to get married. After looking at several venues we decided on the Duke Mansion. We chose June 24th, 2023 which would be 5 years and one day since our engagement. Our wedding weekend was magical. It started with a welcome party on Friday night for all of our out of town guests. We had it at one of our favorite restaurants as a thank you to everyone who had traveled to support us on our special day. Everyone had a fantastic time getting to know each other as there were friends and family from all over the country who had never met. Part of our story also involves a car that Roger wanted since he was 15. When we met I asked him if he had ever test driven it for which he answered, no. Once he did he couldn’t get it out of his mind and had to buy it. When we decided we wanted a personalized plate we chose “Nevrsetl.” It’s about waiting for the right person and never settling until you find them. We are living proof that love can come at any age as long as you remain open to it.

Yvonne wore a Sareh Nouri gown with customized sleeves that she purchased from Ladies of Lineage.

Duke Mansion provided a delicious duo plate featuring filet and jumbo lump crab cakes.

Subtle animal print was incorporated in the luxury linens along with exposed wood tables and western themed runners for the cowboy touch. The tabletop rentals were light and feminine with bright florals and purple accents. More masculine touches were added with leather backed dinner menus and etched leather table numbers, again - a subtle nod to the Cowboy. The ceremony featured large baskets of florals en masse, a nod to Tuscany and we set up the chairs runway style, so there wasn't a bad seat in the house. We also used beautiful garden bistro chairs vs. the standard folding chairs to also play into the Tuscan garden vibe.

The wedding cake was a gorgeous 4 tier cake featuring beautiful florals.

The seating display was a custom built wall painted in the most beautiful shade of lavender. Felt cowboy hats hand calligraphed with guests names and table assignments were hung on the wall with the heading "Hang your hat, stay awhile". The walls were accented with the same gorgeous florals and showcased the bride & grooms personal cowboy boots with an etched leather emblem in the middle featuring their monogram.

The groom surprised the bride with a custom painted Louis Vuitton jewelry case. Inside he had placed wedding day jewelry for her to wear. The painted customization included their wedding date and cowboy boots.

Just as we were about to say our vows we had a tiny little rain shower. We like to think that it was all of our loved ones who had passed on and couldn’t be with us sending a special blessing.