Fall Chapel Hill Wedding
Fall Chapel Hill Wedding.
1. Sam and I first met during our freshman year of high school. We went to rival schools and our best friends, Rachel and Logan, were dating at the time. Rachel refused to attend the homecoming dance at Logan's school without a friend. It just so happened that Sam did not have a date yet, so Logan and Rachel concocted a plan to set us up. We very awkwardly went to the dance together and the rest is history! Logan was Sam's best man and Rachel was one of my bridesmaids.
2. After our awkward homecoming dance experience and a few months of dating, we actually broke up. However, just before our junior year of high school we found our way back to one another. Late that summer Sam invited me to join his family for a week-long vacation at Carolina Beach. During that week, we had the opportunity we truly needed to escape our friends and really bond, just the two of us. That was when we both realized we were "the ones" for each other and became best friends.
3. During our junior year of college at UNC Chapel Hill, Sam was officially accepted into the Navy's nuclear program, which meant we would be moving to Charleston for five years after graduation. So for our senior year spring break, we traveled to Charleston to scope out potential apartments. We had made dinner reservations our first night in town and decided to head to one of our favorite spots, Rainbow Row, beforehand. Sam asked if I wanted to take a picture in front of Rainbow Row, to which I responded, "No thanks, we already took a photo in front of it last year when we visited." What a faux pas it would be to post two photos on social media in the exact same location. But Sam was persistent, and even asked an unknowing bystander to please take our photo. As soon as we posed for the photo, Sam got down on one knee, pulled the ring box out of his sock (yes, his sock!), and popped the question. I ugly cried and didn't even take the time to look at the ring, but it was perfect in every way.
4. We drew inspiration for our wedding day from the vibrant fall season in North Carolina and our mutual love for Chapel Hill. Having lived in Charleston for a year and a half prior to our wedding day, we missed the North Carolina autumns. We knew we wanted that vibrant backdrop for our outdoor ceremony in our favorite town. We envisioned an intimate and cozy gathering of our closest family and friends to celebrate our marriage on a crisp day, surrounded by trees and garden-like florals.
5. Sam and I wanted our wedding day to be filled with special and meaningful elements. My cousin, Jennifer, traveled all the way from Boston to be our officiant. I surprised Sam by walking down the aisle to "our song," which became our song during that incredible trip to Carolina Beach. My grandmother was kind enough to share her birthday with us, so naturally we had to lead our guests in singing happy birthday to her during our welcome speech. I surprised Sam with a UNC basketball grooms cake (Go Heels!), and each of our table numbers displayed one of our favorite quotes. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day or a better team of vendors to make it all possible! It was a dream.
Dress Store: Gown Boutique of Charleston//Tuxedo and Mens Attire: The Black Tux//Other: Greenhouse Picker Sisters//Invitation Designer: Tied & Two//Caterer: Rocky Top Catering//Event Venue: The Parlour at Manns Chapel//Makeup Artist: Teighla Norris//Hair Stylist: Teighla Norris//Event Planner: Kast Events//Floral Designer: Kast Events//Event Designer: Kast Events NC//Dress Designer: Martina Liana//Dress Store: Gown Boutique of Charleston//Bridesmaid Dresses: Birdy Grey//Band:Guilty Pleasures Band//DJ: Joe Bunn DJ Company//Linens and Coverings: CE Rental//Equipment Rentals: Cottage Luxe//Calligrapher: Mason Dixon Designs//Photographer: Krystal Kast Photographers
