Katie + Joe's Elegant Saint Thomas Wedding - 1.24.15

Katie + Joe wed at the lovely Saint Thomas Preservation Hall in downtown Wilmington, NC on Saturday, January 24, 2015. I've always wanted to work with a January bride so we can play "January Wedding" by The Avett Brothers at the reception. (If you don't know the song, go listen now. It's one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands.) The ceremony took place in the old church now event venue with about 140 guests. We tied gray and navy ribbons on the chairs lining the aisle and used the tall flower arrangements for the reception guest tables along the aisle. The ceremony took place upstairs, then guests moved downstairs for cocktail hour as we quickly flipped the space for the reception. 

The reception looked beautiful with navy linens and pretty flower arrangements from Beautiful Flowers by June. Half of the tables had a trio of white flowers in vintage vases while the other half used the tall arrangements we used lining the aisle previously. This was a great way to save cost on flowers for the ceremony and reception. There were a lot of cute, personal touches at this wedding that I really liked, such as the antique ladder we used to hang the escort cards. Instead of giving away party favors, Katie + Joe decided to donate to their favorite charity in honor of all their guests.

Matt McGraw Photography was hired to photograph the big day, including a first look between the bride and the groom before the ceremony. They even had time to stop at one of their favorite downtown watering holes, The Husk, before they tied the knot. Speaking of tying the knot, they actually tied a knot together during the ceremony. Instead of a unity candle or sand ceremony, they shared a piece of rope and tied a knot to represent their forever bond and love for each other. Being "Knot Too Shabby Events", I especially thought this was a cool moment. 

Dinner was prepared by the infamous Middle of the Island Catering. Then, we enjoyed a variety of mini cupcakes from Creative Cake Design by Tammy Hodge. I made some mad-lib and words of wisdom cards that we had at each place setting for guests to fill out for Katie + Joe to later enjoy. I can only imagine what some people may have written!

After dinner, we all hit the dance floor thanks to Jason of Absolute Best DJ Service. These folks knew how to shake it! We had such a great time with Katie, Joe and their loved ones! This was Knot Too Shabby Events' first wedding at Saint Thomas Preservation Hall and we really enjoyed working in this great space. We look forward to working there again in the near future! Congratulations Katie + Joe! We wish you all the best!

Katie's The Knot Review:
"It was an absolute pleasure working with Melissa while planning our wedding. We met multiple times during the planning phase and I never felt rushed during any of our meetings. She took the time to listen, envision, and lend new ideas. She was always quick to answer any questions I had via email. The day of our wedding, she ensured that everything was done perfectly with the help of her assistants. She pulled a very long day for our wedding and never complained once! She is fabulous at what she does and is sure to amaze you too! Her services are affordable and very worth the money spent! Melissa was the sweetest, hardworking Wonder Woman behind the scenes of our wedding! Everything was perfect! She handled everything on our big day and everything ran so smoothly because of her. I was very comfortable working with her and contacting her throughout the planning phase. Melissa and her team do exceptional work to make your day everything you've dreamed of and more!  I highly recommend Melissa for any of your event planning needs!!"

Click on images below to enlarge.

Favorite Wedding Moment:
Seeing Katie for the first time on her wedding day. I always build a close bond with my brides but I especially loved Katie. She treated me like more than just a wedding vendor - we were friends. She always asked how my day was and we really cared about each other. We spent a lot of time prior to the wedding talking about the wedding, life and love so when I saw her looking absolutely stunning in her wedding dress on the big day, I wanted to cry. She was and is so beautiful. Now I see one of the reasons Joe married her! I didn't have the pleasure of meeting Joe until the day before the wedding but I really enjoyed getting to know them both! They are just two super sweet people perfect for each other!

Vendors
Venue: Saint Thomas Preservation Hall
Ceremony + Cocktail Hour Music: Guitarist Trey Hamlin
Reception Music: Absolute Best DJ Service
Catering: Middle of The Island
Photography: Matt McGraw Photography
Lighting: High Performance Lighting
Rentals: L+L Tent + Party Rentals
Flowers: Beautiful Flowers by June
Cake + Cupcakes: Creative Cake Design by Tammy Hodge
Officiant: Joe Harrell
Transportation: Wilmington Trolley Co.
Month-of Coordination: Knot Too Shabby Events
Attendees: 140 guests