Inspired by the elegance of Versailles, this North Carolina estate wedding captured by Demi Mabry Photography is one for the books! Blair’s layered tulle gown is perfection and oh so chic! The lush table runners make such a statement and, paired with the opulent florals and gold detailing, make for a dreamy Old World look.
I have never wanted a large wedding and was really between having a 10-person wedding in France or enjoying the day with 50 of our closest family and friends in the town we are from. Of course, we chose the latter, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t try to bring a little of Versailles to an iconic southern location in Charlotte, NC that I have always loved. The goal was to bring as much opulence as possible with the gold, intricate plated details, linens, flowers, champagne, champagne, and more champagne. I wanted to feel exactly like Marie Antoinette in her prime, and that was fully accomplished!
I’d say the majority of women think about the white dress that they will get married in. I also had those thoughts of that white dress but also wanted something different. I didn’t know what that “something different” was because bling or lace is just not my style. I tried on the Vagabond Smoke (grey) dress just for fun because…. well why not? I was immediately in love because of the dramatic tiered train, corset style top, and the color was out there but not too much. I tried on maybe 3 or 4 more dress, all in white, and nothing else compared! I could not get my dress out of head and was excited about the shock that people would have once they saw me come down the aisle in a grey dress.
When it comes to the bridesmaid’s dress, I wanted something that was simple but also made them all look fabulous! White was the color that just matched my color dress perfectly without potentially changing the hue of my dress in pictures which was okay with me!
The most important thing Cannon and I wanted to keep in mind when planning our wedding was we wanted the day to be as easy as possible and for all of our guests to have the absolute best time. Yes, the day is all about celebrating us but to Cannon and me, celebrating us means everyone eating, drinking, dancing, and just thoroughly enjoying themselves to the fullest.
The morning leading up to the ceremony, actual ceremony, reception, and after party were all a dream that I relive over and over in my head and when I go through all our photos. There were a couple of times that Cannon and I were just able to be by ourselves and enjoy the moment that we were in. One of these times was when our guests were eating dinner, we decided to do a private cake cutting to just be in the moment, laugh, and enjoy each other.
There were a couple things that I was knew I wanted when it came to flowers. I knew that I wanted to keep the color palette to a minimum and to incorporate topiary trees into the ceremony /reception design. Versailles gardens are filled with these types of topiaries and these would just help bring that vibe to life along with being able to keep/plant them after the wedding. The remainder of the flowers I then left up to the florist and the wedding planner. If I clearly communicated my vision of wanting an elaborate tablescape with flowers, candles, extravagance, etc then I trusted their ability. The flowers were STUNNING and they nailed the Versailles vision!
Again, these vendors do this every day and know way more about their specific field then I do so I truly trust the expert. I said I wanted all white with added texture and dimension. I wanted them to feel free to add where they thought it needed some breakup and it turned out beautifully! Cannon was mostly into the taste of the cake rather then the look so we had 2 different flavors. One that was heavier for the actual displayed cake and then one that was super light and fluffy pink champagne flavored in the kitchen. Both were served to guests as a last course and were amazing! We can not wait to eat our saved top layer on our 1-year anniversary!
The one piece of advice that I could give another bride is just to know that it is inevitable that things go wrong the day of but in the end if you have a vision, pick a great vendor team, and focus on just being in the moment and staying positive then your wedding day will be the day that you have always dreamed of. Let the little things go and focus on being with your friends and family as this is a night youll remember forever. When I first sat down with our wedding planner, she asked us “what do we want our guests to leave our wedding thinking and feeling”. I think this is a great place to start and will make you think of aspects of the wedding that are most important to you.
Photography: Demi Mabry Photography | Venue: The Duke Mansion | Planning: McLean Events | Floral: Blossom Bay Designs | Stationery: Olive Paper | Calligraphy: Calligraphy by Kim | Cake: Kathy Allen Fine Cakes | DJ: Split Second Sound | Linens: Party Tables Linens and Drapery | Rentals: Evermore Event Co. | Hair and Makeup: Beauty Asylum | Dress: Vagabond Bridal from Lovely Bride Charlotte | Groom’s Attire: Alton Lane | Submitted by Published + Pretty via Matchology
