Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Wedding Wednesday: Focus on the Coast Weddings

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my post about writing for the newest edition of Focus on the Coast Weddings, a publication based out of my hometown of Wilmington. Drewe, the editor of this amazing magazine, approached me about writing an article not long after our engagement photos were taken. She had worked a bit with Kate Supa in the past, and the timing was perfect as they were planning for the second edition of the magazine

When I was in high school, I always said I wanted to be an editor or a journalist for a major publication. Clearly, my career path took a little bit of a different turn, but it was fun to write an article from my perspective for a wedding magazine. I'm going to share what I wrote below, but if you're in the Wilmington area, stop by our local Port City Javas for a copy, and if you're not and want to see the digital version, check it out here. 


For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved a beautiful love story, and for me, a wedding is the chance to truly capture the most perfect day of that love story. From beautiful florals to finding the perfect dress, I’ve always been enthralled with the makings of a wedding. When the Pinterest-era began, it only cultivated my love of weddings, and I began to envision what my own would one day be like, especially when I found the person I knew I wanted to spend my life with.

Stephen and I first met in college when mutual friends introduced us at a beach music concert. Fun fact - he asked me to dance and I said no, though he eventually won out, and I ended up dancing with him anyway. Flash forward a little while when we started dating. Little did I know then that I was experiencing my last first date or last first kiss, but everything quickly fell into place as a couple, and we moved towards a more serious relationship. We spent the next three years of college together, and he graduated from North Carolina State University on the same day I walked across the Meredith College stage and accepted my diploma.

The next few years were made up of long distance and a lot of moves. We covered what felt like all sides of North Carolina, moving to and around Charlotte, Raleigh, and Wilmington. It felt like we would never get settled into a place that wouldn’t require us to spend countless hours and miles on I-40, but in the winter of 2016, we ended up living in the same zip code after what felt like forever. We’re both proud to now call Wilmington home.

On a warm summer evening in August, Stephen asked me to marry him overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway. The day had been a great one but ordinary nonetheless - a morning spent on the beach with friends followed by an afternoon thunderstorm. We made plans to take dinner out to my grandmother’s beach house for an impromptu picnic on the dock, which I thought nothing of as we both loved spending time there. Before I knew it, dinner had ended, the sun was setting, and Stephen dropped to one knee, asking me to be his wife. As I realized what was happening, I immediately started crying - it was such a surreal moment! What began as an ordinary day became one that will always remain one of my favorites.

Everything about the moment was perfect. My grandmother’s beach house has always been important to me. My Nonny, as she was affectionately called by her grandchildren and our friends, and I spent many hours on that same dock where Stephen proposed, talking about life, love, and everything in between. Sadly she passed away after a battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease before Stephen proposed, but despite that, it felt like she was right there to witness it all. The fact that Stephen chose a place so special to me made the proposal that much more emotional. To top it off, Stephen hid my mom and sister on the top of the balcony to take pictures of the proposal while I stood oblivious below.

After a few days of soaking up the engagement bliss, we delved into the wedding planning process, coming up with ways to make our wedding truly represent us. I’ve been inspired by classic, timeless elements with Southern flair. We will be saying our vows in a Baptist church followed by a country club reception at River Landing, so I’ve been drawn to neutrals and greenery, lush flowers, gold calligraphy, and meaningful details that are representative of us. We met at a concert and both have a love for beach music, so booking a band that allows us to dance the night away with our friends was an important part of our planning. I also have a sincere love of french fries, so our guests may be seeing a little late-night snack or two.

Though our wedding is turning out just like I always dreamed, the most important thing I've learned is that, despite my affection for all things wedding related, the flowers, the dress, and the weather won't matter when August 5th arrives. Whether it's just the two of us or we're surrounded by 300 guests, my wedding will be absolutely perfect because I get to marry my best friend.
Y'all - how cute is my photographer? She is now the staff photographer for FOTC Weddings and does a killer job! She has the cutest Insta so check it out!
 A lot of people also ask me what I do as my full-time job. I'm currently the marketing director for the River Landing companies, which includes a residential gated community and golf course, wedding venues, two restaurants, a hotel and more. I love getting to design as part of my every-day responsibilities, so I loved designing the back cover ad for this issue! (Photo by Kate Supa).
Thanks so much to Focus on the Coast Weddings for letting our love story be a part of the publication! We can't wait to share our wedding in the next issue!
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