{North Carolina} An Emerald Isle Oceanfront Wedding

I am so thrilled to finally share this wedding.  We’re working hard to make The Lovely Find something besides just another wedding blog — we’ve all seen them, and we know what they look like!  We’re taking the time to step back, really appreciate the photography, and listen to the love stories… Chelsea’s wedding at the oceanfront is something so sweet to us, because we’re just honored to share it with y’all.  We asked Chelsea what she loved most about weddings in the South, and this is what she wrote.  Isn’t it the greatest thing ever?

“weddings in the South are relaxed, and draw from natural elements, while still being elegant and beautiful.  They lend to a sense of sophistication without trying too hard, which I love…

John and I met the night of the Derby in Louisville, KY.  My friends and I were in a crowded restaurant downtown.  He pulled me over and said that we could use their booth, since they were getting ready to leave.  I couldn’t hear him, so I sat next to him to figure out what he was saying; he and I ended up talking for hours.  He asked me for my phone number, but instead I gave him my e-mail address.  I was leaving to do an internship in China over the summer and he was leaving for ARMY training for a month.  We emailed back and forth, as friends, while we were apart, swapping stories of the interesting things we were doing and seeing.  Only after coming home did we go out on our first date.  I was a little hesitant, since he lived three hours away in Tennessee, and I lived in Kentucky, but I went anyway.  The date was perfect. It only took a few more dates before I knew that this was the guy I was going to marry. Sometimes, you just know.The look that we were going for with the flowers was an elegant twist on a wildflower bouquet.  We used more freely-growing elements like blue globe thistle and bits of eucalyptus, and then tied it together with antique hydrangea, peach roses, and ivory magnolia.Our colors were really inspired by the beach.  We used a lot of ivory, tan, blues, and greens.  For the décor, we wanted to use all things that were naturally found on North Carolina beaches.  Our centerpieces used sand, shells, and grasses commonly found along the beach.  However, we also wanted to incorporate the Southern culture of North Carolina, and did so in our dress and food selection.My husband and I couldn’t stop smiling.  It was hard to keep a straight face and be serious and emotionally grounded, but I wouldn’t have changed it for the world!  It was so light hearted and fun.  It was perfect.Our cake was perfect.  As with everything else in the wedding, I wanted simple and elegant.  American Dream Cakes in Emerald Isle, NC used a buttercream icing and sprinkled brown sugar on top to give the impression of sand.  I wanted to incorporate natural elements (even on the cake), so we used real shells and starfish, placed carefully on each tier.  For our cake topper, we chose two seahorses facing each other.  I thought it was perfect because seahorses only have one mate throughout their entire lives.  It really symbolized the commitment we were making to each other.  Our cake flavoring was meant to mimic a strawberry lemonade, so we had two tiers of strawberry cake with lemon filling and one tier with lemon cake with strawberry filling.  It was the best cake either of us has ever had.The bar served summery, southern cocktails.  Our signature drinks were a Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka cocktail and a Hard Strawberry Lemonade drink we made with fresh strawberries.  The dinner was just as Southern.  For the main courses, we served Carolina Shrimp and Grits, which were phenomenal, and a Pecan Crusted Chicken and roasted red peppers on a bed of greens with a bacon vinaigrette.John and I plan on making education a large part of our lives together.  John plans on getting his law degree through the military and I am interested in starting my masters in International Business within the next few years.  Traveling is important to us so we will be taking one major vacation together each year.  This year, we are going to be traveling to Mexico to see the Mayan ruins for our anniversary!  Long term, we’d like to start a family and to open an animal shelter together.  We’re both high-energy people so we like to stay busy!Ceremony + Reception Venue: Dream Maker, Salter Path, Blue Water Rentals, Emerald Isle, NC
Wedding Gown: Allure Bridal, New Beginning Bridal, Aurora, Indiana
Tailoring/Fitting/Dressmaker: Csilla Fashion Studio, Louisville, Kentucky
Hairstylist: The Look Hair Studio
Chaplain: Pat McLaughlin, USN
Day of Wedding Coordinator: Melodie Stacy of Louisville, Kentucky
Tent and Event Rental: Crystal Coast Tent & Event Rental
Floral Design: Petal Pushers Etc.
Catering: Floyd’s 1921
Cake: American Dreamcakes
Master of Ceremonies/Music: Steve Calfee of Southern Star Studios
Guitar: Gary Wileage
Handmade Details: iDo by ksoldo
Photography: Cynthia Rose Photography
 Please send any vendor / link information to contact@thelovelyfind.com!