Saidah and Julian | June 25, 2016

Guests often struggle with what to wear to a wedding, especially when it includes a ceremony on the beach.  Long dress or short dress?  Suit and tie or khakis and a collared shirt?  The bridesmaids are wearing pink, does that mean I need to choose a different color?  White is out . . . don’t want to upstage the bride. What about black . . isn’t that the color of mourning? What exactly is “beach formal?”

Miss Emily Post may disagree, but I like the idea of setting specific dress codes for guests on wedding day.  Guessing is stressful. Personally I like instruction (and included dress code information on my wedding invitations). If you want guests to wear a jacket please specify, if not let them know a collared shirt is ok.  Most guests appreciate a little bit of direction.

When it comes to color typically guest try to avoid the brides pallet, but how do you know what colors she’s using? As a general rule the bride’s colors are typically splashed across the invitation and wedding website. If you don’t know, it’s ok to ask.

What are my thoughts on creating a color palate for bridal party and guest alike? Love it! I’m a big fan of the new monochrome trend. It makes your guests feel like they are part of the wedding party and results in great pictures. Just give plenty of notice and stick to colors or hues in a common wardrobe.

I loved the way Saidah’s vision of navy wedding came to fruition.  It certainly created a cohesive and nautical look.  Perfect for a ceremony on the beach!

Location: Wrightsville Beach, Access #2

 

Stacey & Chris | April 24, 2016

When you work a ceremony where the couple has this much fun, loving your job is easy. Yes, wedding planning definitely involves a lot of time and details, but when the big day arrives its best to relax and enjoy. However, this is often easier said than done.

For many brides the ceremony is the stressful part. Walking down the aisle with every eye on you can be a bit intimidating. Tripping over the dress, getting tongue-tided during the vows and botching the first kiss in front of family and friends are frequent worries all brides share. However, these worries rarely materialize.

My advice… sweat the details during the planning process, it will definitely pay-off.  However, when the big day arrives, relish the moment. Stacey and Chris certainly did, everyone did (including our crew)!

Location: Holiday Inn Sunspree Resport, Wrightsville Beach

Stacy & Lee | April 16, 2016

Trading the safety and predictability of an indoor ceremony for a spectacular setting only mother nature can provide does come at a risk.  However, with countless picture perfect nuptials and more than a few last-minute miracles under my belt I can generally say the odds are pretty good if you plan a beach wedding in North Carolina it will most likely happen on the beach.  Nevertheless, every now and then mother nature throws us a curveball we just can’t work around.  Hours of relentless rain, unyielding gale force winds and yes even the occasional hurricane may foil your vision of the perfect seaside ceremony, but it doesn’t have to ruin your wedding.  On days like this its best to order another glass of champagne, try and relax and trust your vendors to handle it.   

Standing inside Stacy’s beach house a few hours prior to the ceremony, all seemed well.  It was a perfect 81 degrees and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, but down at the shore it was a different story.  With 20mph sustained winds and blasts of sand whirling about we all agreed it was time to consider other options. 

Although a veranda wedding wasn’t exactly what the bride had envisioned it turned out to be the perfect alternative.  In the safety of the dunes about 100 yards from our intended location we found just enough wind to give our flags some movement, but not enough to tussle the brides hair.  Not bad for a last minute Plan B!

Location: Wrightsville Beach, NC

 

Natalie & Jason | April 2, 2016

Yes wedding planning is primarily the bride’s domain, but the best weddings are those that take both people’s ideas into account. After all, marriage is all about teamwork. So if your groom is interested in being part of the process, let him and if he isn’t, encourage him to become involved.

Giving your groom special
projects that cater to his interests can really help get him in the wedding spirit and excited about the planning process. It will also show that you value his opinion and trust his judgement. Of course I’m not suggesting handing over full reign of vision and decor, but most grooms are more than capable of helping out with a few specific projects and appreciate being asked to participate.

Natalie and Jason’s seaside ceremony was the perfect mix of her vision and his ingenuity. She handled the music, flowers, food and reception decor. He helped out with the wedding ring selection and directional signage which included a nod to his favorite pastime, fishing!

 

Location: Holden Beach, NC