This past Spring I participated in a vendor fair in my sister's town of Goldsboro, NC. It was a fair put on for women owned businesses, and I thought I'd be a great idea to get some promotional materials together and see how advertising would differ away from my home base. I figured the fair probably wouldn't yield anything, but I'd get to spend the weekend with my sister, passing out brochures, ring pops, and pitching my business. Then I met Sally (and I'm so glad I did!). Her daughter was getting married in November, and she would really rather not be responsible for all the wedding day scheduling and set up. Also, the bride Katherine is a current PhD student at Clemson (my alma mater). It was a perfect fit.
Seven months, a few meetings, and one early honeymoon later, I was able to coordinate Katherine and Lucas's wedding at the Terrace Room in Goldsboro on November 12. Sally, Katherine, and their friends and family had worked hard to put together a fun and social wedding, and guests enjoyed all the extras they put into the night.
It all started with a traditional service at St. Stephen's Episcopal church. Immediately following the ceremony, the couple did a church exit complete with guests throwing beautiful fall leaves up in the air around them. It was sweet, very seasonally appropriate, and quite adorable. From there, guests walked down Center Street in Goldsboro to the Terrace Room, an awesome little gem of a venue complete with plenty of space, high ceilings, a fantastic balcony, and historic charm. There, they enjoyed drinks and appetizers until the couple and bridal party were introduced and the formal reception began.
Dinner consisted of heavy hors d'oeuvres, and as guests ate and mingled they had the opportunity to have a caricature portrait done by a caricature artist as a take home favor. This was a fantastic and fun addition to the evening. The portraits were not only a great favor, but the artist served as a form of entertainment for guests as they took breaks from the always full dance floor.
The bride and groom included all the traditional elements of the night: first dances, toasts, bouquet and garter tosses, cake cutting, etc., while keeping things modern with the station style dinner, live artist, and then the late night, indoor s'mores bar that had guests lining up to grab a marshmallow.
Katherine and Luke, seeing the smiles on your faces all night long made me so happy to be a part of your big day. Congratulations on your marriage. Typically I would say "enjoy your honeymoon," but I know because of grad school and medical residency schedules, you already took a fabulous European vacation (I'm so totally jealous). I wish you both nothing but happy years ahead, especially years where you can live in the same city!
All the best,
Libby