Real Wedding Weekend: Amy & Marshall

As long as Amy had dreamed of getting married, she envisioned an outdoor, autumn wedding at her family’s second home on Lake Toxaway, NC. Since she was fifteen years old, her family spent summers, holidays and random weekends making memories at the lake with family and friends. She thought it would be the perfect place to show her guests why Lake Toxaway held such a special place in her heart.

The ceremony was held on the tee box at the Country Club with a reception following at her parents’ home. In both settings the event was designed to enhance the natural beauty of the surroundings as opposed to trying to create something different.

The family’s eight year old dog, Ally, was a greeter at the ceremony. She also loves being at the family lake home and was decked out in festive attire to greet their guests. After the wedding, Ally was taken to the reception where she was able to join the party for a little bit of fun. She was a huge hit and the wedding would not have been the same without her presence!

I worked closely with the bride to design a script for her invitations that would reflect her simple, yet elegant style. We then engraved the calligraphy, in chocolate, on handmade Belgian stationery. The paper is so gorgeous and one of my favorites. It has a rich, yet rustic flair with its texture and deckled edges and complemented the engraving beautifully. The suite set the stage for the beautiful event to come.

Amy’s couture wedding gown was designed by Justina McCaffrey. Two veils were created using the same lace used in the dress, one as a train for the ceremony and a shorter version for the reception. McCaffrey also designed a short jacket made of the same lace that the bride wore during the reception, as it turned out to be a chilly, fall evening.

The wedding party was transported from the ceremony to the reception via the Miss Lucy, a boat belonging to the Lake Toxaway Greystone Inn. It was a great, fun time for a champagne toast with the wedding party and a wonderful way to really incorporate the “lake” into the wedding. Definitely a highlight!

The cake was five layers with alternating round and petal shaped tiers. It was covered with white vanilla buttercream icing with a choice of three cake flavors - vanilla butter cake with vanilla buttercream and chocolate ganache filling, brown sugar pound cake with hazelnut praline filling and spice cake with cream cheese filling. One of my most favorite parts of the cake was the stand – it was made from the trunk of a tree that was once stood the family’s yard at the lake. The table was covered with moss and the caked placed on the tree trunk. Yet another simple touch that was very natural and blended in with the surroundings.

This was one of my favorite weddings of those I have worked on as I love juxtaposing rustic with elegance. This event was the perfect union of both from beginning to end. ...and the bride and her mother were an absolute joy to work with!

Invitations - A Fine Line

Photography - Charles Bordner

and various photos from the bride's friends

Flowers and design - Karen Purvis