April 13, 2010 by Tabitha
Photo Courtesy of Chris Van Atta Photography
The obvious reason is that we have the best of two-worlds—majestic mountains in the western region and a beautiful coastline in the eastern region. However, North Carolina also offers many other things in between making it an ideal wedding destination for both Carolina brides and out-of-state destination brides.
The allure of North Carolina is in part because of its southern charm and hospitality, which is the icing on the cake. Of equal appeal, North Carolina is the home to a host of private estates, including historic plantations and venues, vineyards and wineries, botanical gardens, farms for barn weddings, and a few secret jewels that are all perfect for hosting a weekend long of wedding events with your closest family and friends.
I was born and raised here in Eastern North Carolina and through the years have grown to appreciate the beauty of my native, especially our beaches. I have decided to re-launch a blog series where I will introduce you to places to host a destination wedding in North Carolina.
Tomorrow, I will introduce you to an island here on our coast that was once one of our best-kept secrets. However, destination brides are becoming to privy to this treasure. Can you guess what island I am referring too? If so, take a guess by commenting.
Photo Credit: Chris Van Atta Photography, a destination wedding photographer based in Wilmington and Asheville, NC. Please be sure to visit his website and blog.
Tags: destination weddings, outdoor weddings
Categories: destination weddings, outdoor weddings •
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March 8, 2010 by Tabitha
Last year, I wrote a six part blog series about “Outdoor Wedding Essentials.” Considering that spring starts this month and some of you will be hosting an outdoor wedding and/or are planning an outdoor wedding for this summer, I thought it would be a good idea to highlight those outdoor wedding essentials.
In that series, I discussed the following:
- the importance of checking city ordinances, especially if you are hosting a beach wedding or your wedding in a public garden or park, or a tent wedding
- the importance of having a backup plan and what that plan should include
Do you have a plan in place for your outdoor wedding? Who’s going to handle the logistics?
Tags: outdoor weddings
Categories: outdoor weddings •
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March 8, 2010 by Tabitha
Last year, I wrote a six part blog series about “Outdoor Wedding Essentials.” Considering that spring starts this month and some of you will be hosting an outdoor wedding and/or are planning an outdoor wedding for this summer, I thought it would be a good idea to highlight those outdoor wedding essentials.
In that series, I discussed the following:
- the importance of checking city ordinances, especially if you are hosting a beach wedding or your wedding in a public garden or park, or a tent wedding
- the importance of having a backup plan and what that plan should include
Do you have a plan in place for your outdoor wedding? Who’s going to handle the logistics?
Categories: outdoor weddings •
5 Comments »
July 26, 2009 by Tabitha
I love mason jars and they remind me so much of my grandmother. She used them to make jams and preserves, to pickle, can or store various foods. Heck I even remember drinking lemonade and sweet ice tea out of mason jars when we were children.
So, naturally I am inspired that many brides are wanting to incorporate them into their wedding design. One of the most awe-inspiring ways I have send them used is as lighting–candle holders and lanterns.
Here are a few inspiring ideas I found on the Internet and wanted to share with you of how you can use mason jars as lighting for your event.
In the photo to the left, the designer used a manzanita branch as the base and then adorned it with rose pomanders and hanging mason jar candles.
What I love about this is that the designer combined both the flowers and the mason jar candles. Truth be told the design would have looked very nice with either the mason jar candles or the rose pomanders alone, but the designer took it a step further by using both. Don’t you just love it?
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This is a simple, elegant and inexpensive way to decorate your wedding ceremony using mason jars. I really like the idea of using mason jars as aisle decoration whether it’s to hold flowers or candles, though I really like the candles a lot because of the warm and romantic ambiance it creates. On that note, candles for an
outdoor wedding ceremony work best if your ceremony will take place in the late evening.
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This is another great way to use mason jars to add lighting to an outdoor wedding. Now, just imagine if you setup a lounge area under a tree like this that has been decorated with mason jar laterns and kissing balls. Here’s a visual for you.
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What I like about this last photo is that it peaks one’s interest or curiosity. It’s like what’s that over there and as you can see the mason jars serve the same function as your typical candle holders, providing the perfect lighting to attract guests to this focal point. In case you are wondering, those are glass ornament favors, which have been displayed on grapevine trellises. Lovely idea!!
Tags: event design, outdoor weddings
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July 14, 2009 by Tabitha
As mentioned a couple of days ago
here, I have decided to launch a new blog series where I will highlight places to host a
destination wedding in North Carolina each week. Naturally, I have decided to start with destination wedding locations in Eastern North Carolina primarily because I am based here in the eastern region.
First up on my list is a treasure located in Manteo, NC which is a town located on Roanoke Island in the Outer Banks. The reason I have decided to start with Manteo is that I recently had a bride email to ask if I knew of a place on the coast where she could host a garden wedding. The first place I thought of was Elizabethan Garden.
Elizabethan Garden was founded by the Garden Club of North Carolina, Inc. and is located on the same site where the first colonist settled, hence the name “Elizabethan”. The garden is open seven days a week all year long. The place is truly a “jewel.”
The setting is so beautiful and is a great location to host a garden wedding on our coast. Whether you are looking to have a small and intimate wedding of 20 guests or a large
outdoor wedding of up to 400 guests, Elizabethan Garden features several locations on-site to host both your wedding ceremony and reception, including a “16th century-style gazebo that overlooks Roanoke Sound,” a perfect backdrop for your wedding. In addition, they do have an indoor reception facility that will accommodate up to 100 guests. To learn more about the “jewel” of Roanoke Island, please
click here.
Photo Source: Elizabethan Garden
Tags: destination weddings, outdoor weddings
Categories: destination weddings, nc wedding venues, outdoor weddings •
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June 18, 2009 by Tabitha
As mentioned
here, this week I wanted to feature a couple
venues where you can host a barn wedding here in North Carolina.
Next on my list of North Carolina wedding barns is The Barn at Valhalla located in Chapel Hill, NC. This barn is truly a treasure and is set in a very natural and serene setting.
Featured below is a fall wedding that took at the Barn at Valhalla shot by
Silvas Photo, an awesome photography and videography studio owned by husband and wife team, Honey and Briar. They are based out of Charleston, SC and serve bridal couples worldwide. Please be sure to check out their
blog!
How beautiful is that walkway!
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What I love most about this venue is this gorgeous outdoor fireplace. It is the perfect focal point for an outdoor wedding and it’s very warm and inviting. Wouldn’t you agree?
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Finally, this is a photo of the inside of the barn. The Barn at Valhalla is a great wedding venue to host a green wedding, outdoor wedding, fall wedding, or a combination of them all.
Tags: green weddings, outdoor weddings
Categories: green weddings, nc wedding venues, outdoor weddings •
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April 6, 2009 by Tabitha
This post will conclude my series on
outdoor wedding essentials. The last, but certainly not the least, outdoor wedding essential is that you need to hire a wedding day specialist to manage the logistics and setup the day-of your wedding.
By hiring a
wedding day specialist, he or she will be able to assist you with pointing out logistical problems beforehand as well as be equipped to troubleshoot issues that may arise the day-of your wedding.
I am intentionally keeping this post short because I will talk more about the importance of hiring a wedding day coordinator in this week’s new blog series, DIY Wedding Planning, where I will address a couple concerns and offer you more practical advice. Stay tuned!
Tags: outdoor weddings
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