Katie and Jay's Spring Chapel Hill, NC Wedding under the trees at the Forest Theatre and Carolina Inn

As we are wrapping up our final events for the year, we are looking back on some of the AMAZING weddings we've witnessed. Katie and Jay's wedding from this past May was no exception. These two planned from afar but knew they wanted to bring it full circle and say "I Do" in the place where it all began .... on campus at UNC-Chapel Hill at two of the most iconic event places, The Carolina Inn and Forest Theatre!

We had the joy of working with Katie and Jay for a little over one year. We planned in length the design and feel of the wedding weekend. They wanted to make sure the wedding reflected their fun-loving, energetic, and classic personalities and of course wanted to show their friends and family the beauty of Chapel Hill. As the wedding week approached we had all our details down and everything we could control was planned out. Guests were welcomed at the hotel with gift boxes filled with local NC items from popcorn to cookies and even a local beer - Trophy Wife and Trophy Husband .. how cute! The one fear for any couple and of course their vendors, when hosting an outdoor ceremony is the weather! It's the one part of the day you can't 100% control. Do you know where I'm going with this? The morning of the wedding arrived and I checked ALL the weather apps hoping what was forecasted earlier in the week was no longer relevant. As planners, we are constantly preparing and thinking about what could happen and how we may need to adjust, so after seeing the radar and the likelihood it will rain during the ceremony and even after the wheels started turning. In collaboration with some other key vendors (photographer, videographer, and florist) we determined our absolute final time we had to make a decision on whether to use our backup space or take our chances to keep the ceremony at Forest Theatre. We thought of ways to adjust the timeline in order to capture all the important moments of the day. Katie and Jay wanted to keep their day somewhat traditional, so they originally opted to not have a first look. After learning of the options due to the weather, they decided to adjust and do the first look. If you ask them now they will tell you they are so happy they were able to do one AND get the most dreamy ceremony pictures at their ideal location! Katie and Jay were absolute ROCKSTARS that day and deserved every magical moment that day!

It was a picture-perfect moment, standing on the theatre stage in front of their family and friends. In true weather fashion, as Katie and Jay were finishing their vows, the softest mist started coming down. We couldn't help but laugh. All the guests were shuttled back to The Carolina Inn just before the rain fell harder. They were greeted in the black and white hallway with refreshing cocktails and mouth-watering apps! The doors to the ballroom opened and the party continued. When I say the dance floor was packed all night, I mean it was PACKED for a solid 2+ hours straight - it may have helped that there were some dancing loving Cubans in the crowd :)

A big thank you to the amazing and talented vendors that helped pull off the perfect ceremony (and reception!). Check out some of our favorite images from Pamela Jahnke and this highlight video from Twenty-One Films!

Thank you to our incredible vendor team!

Event Design/Planning: Gina @asouthernsoiree

Photography: @pamelajahnkephotography

Video: @twentyonefilms

Venue: @thecarolinainn

Florals: @wateredgardenflorist

Cake: @ashleycakesnc

Band: @nightyearsofficial

Rentals: @cottageluxe & @ce_rental_raleigh

Stationary: @ifitspaper

Makeup: @themakeupaddictstudios

Transportation: @ecostyle_transporation

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