Mary + Paul's Classic Wedding Day - 9.27.14

On Saturday, September 27, 2014, Mary + Paul tied the knot at Lebanon Chapel in the enchanting Airlie Gardens in Wilmington, NC. They were surrounded by 70 of their closest friends and family members for the intimate ceremony. Billy Beach Photography was on site to capture all of the special moments and you'll see some of his photos below (as well as a few amateur ones from me). 

Following the ceremony, The British Taxi was hired to transport the bridal party from the chapel to downtown at The RiverRoom . All of the wedding guests were outside along Water Street waiting for the newlyweds to arrive. Everyone cheered as they drove up! It was so precious. Mary + Paul shared their first dance to "Tupelo Honey" by Van Morrison once they got inside the reception space. 

When the formal dances and dinner concluded, it was time to boogie. You know it's a good dance party with DJ Professionals & Video there. I love looking back once the ceremony is over and guests are enjoying the reception to admire our work as wedding coordinators. Mary was very specific about what she wanted on the wedding day and she had a straight vision; Paul had his say on certain things too ;). It was our job to make sure we gave them everything they wanted and more. I love the combination of navy, gold and white. Mary designed the flowers herself so they were exactly how she imagined them. At the end of the day, we were so happy to see the happy faces on all of the guests, especially the Bride and Groom. 

Thank you so much Paul + Mary for having us be a part of your big day. We thoroughly enjoyed your detailed layouts, email correspondence and always positive attitude. :)


Mary's WeddingWire Review: 
"Melissa, of Knot Too Shabby Events, was absolutely amazing! She has defined balance. The balance between guiding and directing to listening and envisioning. End result and absolutely breath taking day! Our planning took place from four hours away, which was far more challenging logistically than I'd thought, though I think that's a great way to describe how the entire wedding planning process was to me...challenging. There were far more details than I'd ever imagined. Melissa kept me sane and grounded through out the process. She was always quick with emails when I needed opinions or had thoughts. She was a tremendous help with reviewing and finalizing our rental and libation order. She was flexible each time we planned our monthly wedding planning trips to line up vendors etc... She was able to be candid and professional with her thoughts, and she really knows her business. The other thing I noticed was she has a lot of respect through out the Wilmington vendors. Ultimately Melissa set up every detail with amazing attention and thoroughness. I tell you, I think for Melissa setting up and carrying out events is a true labor of love! I'm truly touched when I remember the feeling when I saw how beautiful the venue was on my wedding day....that day that seemed so far away! It was a dream. Melissa does her job so well that I actually miss her! Talk about meeting as strangers and becoming friends somewhere along the process! Beyond my imagination! "


Paul's WeddingWire Review:
"Melissa was the planner for our reception, and every detail was exactly as we hoped. She is professional and had numerous suggestions for vendors and schedule that made our wedding day incredibly easy. Of all the vendors needed to make a wedding day happen, in retrospect the planner is probably the most critical - she was on top of every detail so we could enjoy our day. Melissa is fantastic, I would highly recommend her to anyone planning a wedding in Wilmington."

Click on images below to enlarge.

Favorite Wedding Moment:
Seeing Mary nearly in tears as she saw the wedding reception for the first time. It was prettier than she ever imagined it would be and having her loved ones there was the icing on the cake. She was super thrilled about seeing both of the cakes from Hot Pink Cake Stand even more perfect than she pictured! All in all, seeing Mary and Paul so happy was all I needed to know I helped make sure they had the perfect wedding day! 

Vendors
Ceremony Venue: Lebanon Chapel 
Reception: The RiverRoom
Music: DJ Professionals & Video
Catering: Middle of The Island
Photography: Billy Beach Photography
Lighting: The Audio Visual People
Rentals: ETC. Party Rentals
Centerpieces & Bouquet Flowers: Bride
Cake: Hot Pink Cake Stand
Transportation: The British Taxi
Officiant: Penelope Morningstar
Day-Of Coordination: Knot Too Shabby Events
Attendees: 70 guests