Summer is here, and so is wedding season.
Seriously, who doesn’t love a good wedding? All the dancing, food, laughs and love - it’s the best. I love seeing the unique ways each couple chooses to celebrate their relationship.
I typically offer day-of services and come into the planning process only a few weeks before the wedding to ensure the day runs smoothly so the couple can just focus on having fun. You can learn a little bit more about that here. This is exactly what I did for Lindsey and Schuler in May.
Lindsey and Schuler are an incredibly sweet couple who got married on May 18 - I know, we’re a bit late with the recap, but we just got pictures in and I am in love! So let’s relive the day:
I met Lindsey through the mom of a friend and we both decided we were a perfect fit for each other. My goal with the wedding was to make sure the day of Lindsey and Schuler could just focus on each other and their friends - behind the scenes, I’d be making sure everything stuck to schedule and went off without a hitch.
The pair was married in the gorgeous Belk Chapel at Queens College in Charlotte. We couldn’t have asked for a more romantic setting - it was absolutely beautiful. Then we all headed over to Byron’s South End, a stunning, rustic looking wedding venue that I’ve instantly fallen in love with. The lights, wood and other details inside the venue are show stoppers and I could barely keep my eyes off it all - except Lindsey looked devastatingly beautiful in her dress.
As far as weddings go, this was a fairly easy one! Lindsey and Schuler were so laid back and I had an incredibly fun time working with them. One of my favorite things about this wedding was working with Best Impressions Caterers to do something a little different for food. Rather than a buffet or a plated dinner, we did food stations throughout the room.
Guests were able to enjoy barbecue, shrimp and grits, sliders with fries, and a veggie station, and having the food in stations encouraged guests to walk around and enjoy the venue as well as catch up with each other.
Any time I’m working on a wedding, I’m reminded you have to go with the flow a bit. There will inevitably be hiccups, and it’s something as a planner I need to embrace. For example, the shuttle bus bringing the bridal party from the ceremony to the reception venue took a very long, roundabout way to get there. It meant the party was a little late and our timing was just a bit behind, but overall, this didn’t affect the night at all.
Sometimes, taking a deep breath and accepting things are going to go wrong is all you can do on a wedding day!
In addition to going with the flow, Lindsey and Schuler’s wedding reminded me it’s good to approach it creatively. For example, the reception venue didn’t allow sparklers due to safety. This meant Lindsey and Schuler couldn’t do a sparkler exit - something popular and cute that a lot of couples are doing lately.
Rather than let this small detail ruin their day, they decided to do something I’ve never seen before and that I absolutely loved - a ribbon exit! Guests held pieces of different colored ribbons on sticks alongside the exit path and waved them around as the bride and groom made their way through.
This was such a unique, fun touch. The different colors made the exit so vibrant and was much easier to coordinate with guests than lighting sparklers! It’s a detail I’d encourage any couple to look into.
Lindsey and Schuler’s wedding was a romantic, fun celebration of their love. I’m incredibly touched they allowed J. Leigh Events to be a part of their day.
Congrats to the bride and groom!
Vendors
Ceremony Venue: Belk Chapel at Queens
Musicians: Dean's Duet
Florist: Renfrow Farms
Reception Venue: Byron's at South End
Caterer: Best Impressions
DJ: Split Second Sound
Photographer: Ashley Louise Photography
Month-of-Coordination: J. Leigh Events
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