Anna + Josh's May Wedding in Southport - 5.9.15

Anna + Josh married at Trinity United Methodist Church in Southport, NC on May 9th, 2015. The bridal party was escorted to the church by Wilmington Trolley Co., where Michael Gillman was able to capture timeless moments of Anna and her bridesmaids’ before the big moment. The church was decorated with large ferns and baby breath wreaths creating a unique “southern garden” flair. The bouquets & boutonnieres were a mix of cream and blush colored roses that were beautifully arranged by Whole Foods. The ceremony was accompanied by the lovely church pianist Cathy Furpless, which added to the traditional southern feel of the day. As the ceremony began, I was pleasantly surprised to see the bride and groom’s mothers sit next to each other - you don’t see that every day! Josh + Anna's have their moms to thank for their union since their mothers have been best friends for 20+ years! The families would vacation together in the summertime and it wasn't long before Josh saw the beautiful, young woman Anna had grown up to be. What a great way for Anna + Josh’s family’s to express their blessing. It was refreshing to create such a simple yet elegant atmosphere; sometimes less really is more in such a traditional church!

As the ceremony came to an end, guests were invited to take the trolley to the Southport Community Building to enjoy cocktail hour. They then had the option to order signature drinks or a beer from the beer garden that Josh built out of palet wood with "Josh" and "Anna" beer taps. They even had "Josh" champagne and "Anna" wine. River Landing had appetizers ready to go with lots of amazing stations for dinner. The chicken and waffles on a stick were killer! Anna + Josh's guestbook was interactive. The photographer brought a Polaroid camera to snap pictures of guests enjoying the cocktail and dinner hour. Then, guests signed the images underneath with a short message. What a fun and easy way to create a guestbook for the newlyweds! I know Anna + Josh will appreciate the magical (and sometimes funny) moments that were captured of their friends and family on film.

The reception continued to have a simple yet elegant feel with a tasteful color scheme of blush, white, cream, seamist blue and gray. Each table was decorated with a seamist linens, romantic lace runner topped with a silver organza runner. We used the bridesmaids' bouquets in a tall silver vase with a small succulent on each table scattered with pearls around each arrangement, creating a classic yet effortless look throughout the venue. A few of the tables had tall candelabras with large florals to balance out the overall look in the reception space. Anna's aunt created the flowers used throughout both venues with an exception of the bouquets and boutonnieres. 

While everyone was eating dinner, I had my eyes on the stunning 5 tier homemade cake. Anna's mother, Gwen, made this gorgeous cake!  It was decorated with charcoal gray sparkles and lace trim, not to mention garnished with blush colored roses. Can you blame me? After the cake was served, DJ Adam of DJ Wilmington invited everyone to go outside to witness Anna + Josh’s first dance as husband and wife. They chose the song “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran and as cliché as this sounds, it really felt like they were the only people in the room! Anna also shared a special dance with her step-father before Josh shared a touching dance with his mother. Guests were then welcome to the dance floor for the good luck dance and to celebrate for the rest of the night.  Due to Tropical Storm Ana's unexpected visit to the coast, we rented a tent from 3 Cheers Party Rentals the day before the wedding so we could continue the party outside into the evening. However, the extreme wind from Tropical Storm Ana caused us to take the last 30 minutes of dancing inside but this quick change didn't stop any of the guests from having a blast until the very end! We felt so lucky to be a part of such a beautiful reception in such a perfect little town! We are so happy for you Anna + Josh, we wish nothing but the best!

Anna's WeddingWire Review:
"Melissa was very helpful. She was easy to get in touch with and always had answers to my questions! She made my wedding day relaxing and perfect."

Click on images below to enlarge.

Favorite Wedding Moment:
Anna & I grew up together as next door neighbors in Southport so I was sad when she moved away in late elementary school. Years later, I found out Anna was planning a wedding in Southport with another childhood friend, Josh, so I couldn't be more ecstatic when they asked me to be their wedding planner! It was such a fun day working at the wedding seeing so many familiar faces. 

Vendors
Ceremony Venue: Trinity United Methodist Church
Reception Venue: Southport Community Building
Ceremony Music: Church pianist - Cathy Furpless
Reception Music: DJ Adam with DJ Wilmington
Catering: River Landing
Photography: Michael Gillman Photography
Lighting: Edison lights & chandeliers from Bride
Tent Rental: 3 Cheers Party Rentals
Rentals: ETC Party Rentals
Flowers: Whole Foods of Wilmington
Cake: Mother of the Bride - Gwen
Transportation: Wilmington Trolley Co.
Hair + Makeup: Misty
Officiant: Pastor Jeff Gardner
Month-Of Coordination: Knot Too Shabby Events
Attendees: 125 people