Details are my jam!  I wanted to gather some amazing talent in Wilmington and focus on the pretty little details that make a wedding stand out!  
A successful design means that there is a continuity between all aspects of the wedding.  I decided to start at the point where guests would get a first glimpse into what the day may look like.  
Stationery is a great way to set the tone for the wedding.   Rachel incorporated a botanical watercolor design and used natural handmade paper as the medium.  It looks like a deckled edge but it is a natural edge when making paper. 
This design will then be pulled through to the wedding day for table numbers, place cards, programs etc. so spending a little time to ensure this design fits the mood you want to set for the wedding will pay off when making other design decisions along the way. 
The commitment to a design is a huge check off your list but then there are so many other small decisions like type of paper you will print on, will you incorporate a calligrapher and lastly postage!!  All of these decisions can add a personal touch to your invitation suite.   Now to see how we style this stationery with other elements!

Along with stationery and florals some small decor pieces like ring boxes, ribbon, hand picked postage and ring dishes help to elevate the design and enhance the photos that are captured.  A painting was even used as a backdrop for some photos since it fit perfectly within the overall theme of the styled shoot. Trinity with Treebird Photography nailed this shoot and we are already looking at our next collaboration.  

 Collaborators:
Designer: Social Butterfly Events
Photographer: TreeBird Photography
Florist: Eco Chic Blossoms
Stationery: Rachel Marvin Creative
Postage: Little Postage House
Ribbon: Tono & Co
Ring Boxes: Amonie Ring Boxes & The Mrs Box

Taylor & Graham are getting married in 22 days so we thought it appropriate to show their beautiful engagement pictures!  Taylor & Graham love to be near the water & in the water so choosing this location was a no brainer for their photographer!  Taylor has been a dream to work with and I can't wait for her to see her vision for her wedding come to life
​at Marker 137 when they say their I dos!

Location: Fort Fisher
​Photographer: J Christina Photography

A majority of our work is with weddings but every once in a while we get to work with an amazing association and design their fundraiser.  The always generous Paula Corbett offered her home to host the event and we were off
with planning an "Over The Top" event! 
We were raising money for the The Thalian Hall Association so we incorporated a night of magic with great food, entertainment and an auction of some amazing prizes.  Guests were greeted with a glass of champagne as they entered Paula and Albert's home and were led to the backyard which we designed with a modern all white feel.   Maura Kropke was playing musical selections from the plays that would be seen on stage throughout the year which brought guests to the back yard. Guests were able to enjoy the bar while Pine Valley Market passed beautifully presented appetizers like shrimp wrapped with a cilantro flavored cotton candy!!
Food stations were around the yard for guests to enjoy and we finished with night with a Bananas Foster Flambe station!
High Performance Lighting truly stepped it up with the hanging strands of lights throughout Paula's beautiful Oak Trees.  Once the sun went down these lights stole the show!  We also used High Performance Lighting to hang Alissa's silks so that she could perform her Ariel routine for guests to enjoy. 
Again I worked with Design Perfection to provide a design at the front entrance that would catch the guests eye as soon as they pulled up.  Design Perfection was able to provide the bar set up, bistro tables, the food displays and even was able to make and stain 4 matching easels for me on the day of the event!! 
Guests had a wonderful time and more importantly we raised money for a great association!   

Chelsea and Simon were married last September on a beautiful BUT hot day!  When I started working with Chelsea and Simon I actually met Chelsea's mom first since the couple was living on the West Coast.  Chelsea was extremely busy with work so I had a lot of communication with Simon and Chelsea's parents.  Everyone had the same priority which was a great party with phenomenal food and being surrounded by family.  

First we had to tackle the location which was Chelsea's father's home on the waterway!  Stunning views of the water and the sunset was going to be a show stopper but this was a backyard and not a wedding venue.  With the help of some of my favorite wedding vendors we built a venue that felt and looked like an extension of the existing home.  

With having friends and family traveling from across the US and the UK, guest experience was top on the list!  The couple wanted to make sure that their guests were comfortable and were shown what Wilmington has to offer, Food was first on the list! Christi with Pine Valley Market did not disappoint!  She was able to secure delicious oysters that were shucked for the guests along with shrimp and crab claws that were served during cocktail hour.  Guests could also smell Paella being cooked on site which provided a great scent in the air through cocktail hour.  

Entertainment was next on our list and there was never a question, a band must be hired for the occasion!  Sweet Soul Social Club came and kept everyone on the dance floor the entire night! Brandon and his group of talented performers never let us down! 

Working with Design Perfection is always easy!  I am able to come to them with my design for the day and they provided everything I needed for the day including rentals, florals, draping and even a table to hang from the tent to showcase the cake from One Belle Bakery.  

Chelsea and Simon were such a great couple to work with and they trusted the path I was taking them on to provide the perfect day for them.  After spending the day with their friends and family I know how they turned out to be such great people.  

I asked Rachel and Seth about their love story and how they came up with this amazing location for their engagement session.  Read below about this adorable couple and enjoy their breathtaking engagement pictures from Abbi + Callen of The Hearnes Adventure Photography.

How did you and Seth meet? Seth and I met while attending Midway High School in 2010.  He was a senior and I was a freshman.  We immediately became friends but were dating other people at the time.  By the end of the summer we were single, hanging out everyday and were inseparable!  When Seth joined the Navy is 2011 we broke up because he would be so far away but that didn't stop us from constantly being in contact.  After dating other people all the while still checking in on each other while I was in college, I decided to visit him.  I bought a plane ticket to HAWAII to be able to spend 48 hours with him before he deployed.  Yes that was a 13 hour plane ride there and then 13 hours back! 
When Seth knew he would be stationed in California I started looking for a job so that I could relocate with him.  I interviewed for a job and got the job on the same day.  3 weeks later I was living in California and 2 months later Seth joined me.  

How did you choose your photographer?  While looking for photographers I stumbled upon some photographers who specifically focused on adventure photography in Yosemite and other national parks.  When we found Abbi + Callen with Adventure Photography, we fell in love and knew we wanted to work with them. 

How did you choose your location?  Seth and I LOVE traveling, the outdoors and I especially love National Parks (we got engaged in Sequoia National Park) so we knew we wanted this to be a focal point of our pictures.  Abbi + Callen gave us a few suggestions and I chose Taft Point in Yosemite.  I fell for the huge mountainside that we would stand on and since I am not scared of heights I saw the potential for incredible pictures at this location.

Tell us about how the day went?  Getting to Taft Point was actually really easy.  We started at Glacier Point and took pictures there which are the ones with jeans and a sweater on!  I knew I wanted to have one wardrobe change so after changing into a dress behind a large rock (haha), we headed to Taft Point.  Abbi shot most of the pictures while Callen helped pose us.  Seth and I are not the most comfortable in front of a camera so Callen's guidance was most helpful.  We are so happy with all of the pictures we got from that day and highly recommend Abbi + Callen from The Hearnes Adventure Photography.

With your wedding coming up, what are you most excited about?  I am mainly just so excited to have everyone in the same place for our wedding.  Since moving to California, I miss all of my family and friends so much and I can't wait to have everyone together to celebrate!  I have been talking about getting married on my family's farm in the middle of a field since I was 10 years old and in a few months that will happen!

​

Photography Credit to www.thehearnes.com

One flower was the jumping off point of this design and styled shoot for C&C 2018, Lily of The Valley.  In previous years we have made these enormous gorgeous bouquets and this year I wanted something rare, something unique and something stunning on its own.  I knew that procuring Lily of The Valley would be a long shot but Kristy from Eco Chic Blossoms and her incredible wholesaler made it happen.  

From the simplicity of this bouquet came the clean, simple dress of this dress and it fit Mallory like it was tailored for her! Ashley added a simple belt that gave it a little "shoosh"!  Pictures will never do this dress justice, you have to see the buttons trailing down the entire back of the dress and the fabric with its texture is to die for.  Ashley found Stuart this light blue suit and paired it with this great bow tie to complete his look.  The two of them compliment each other so well!

"Come Sail Away" was our theme so shooting the couple near Cape Fear River was perfect.  We were even able to use items like the gold calm shell for the ring shot and a brass compass from Pressed Cotton to help pull that theme throughout the day's design.  

Collaborations with Ashley from ADG Fashion Styling and Brooke with Southern Bee Designs helped to bring together a stationery suite fit for this styled shoot.  In keeping with the theme we kept all the paper elements clean and simple to match the rest of the design.  

Special shoutout to the style team, Tess, Melissa and Ashley for pulling this all together and making this couple look their best for this shoot.  We couldn't do this without you! Lastly we have to thank Mallory and Stuart (or Stu as Mallory calls him) for being the most perfect couple for this shoot.  If you are lucky to be in their presence you are able to witness love in its truest form!

All My Best
​Charyl H Williams 

Styling: ADG Fashion Styling
Make Up: Meraki Beauty
Hair: Melissa Kinnamon Hair
Dress: Coastal Knot
Flowers: Eco Chic Blossoms
Models: Mallory and Stuart Flynn
Photography: Eric Boneske Photography
Stationery: ADG Fashion Styling
Calligraphy: Southern Bee Designs
Styling Products: Pressed Cotton & The Mrs. Box
Rentals: Party Suppliers and Rentals
Draping: DP Etc
Cake: One Belle Bakery
​Entertainment: The 919 Band

Courtyards and Cobblestones Vendors
Designer - Social Butterfly Events
Photographer - Treebird Photography
Bakery - Pink Baking Company
Fashion Stylist - ADG Fashion Styling
Hair - Melissa Kinnamon Hair
Make Up - Meraki Beauty
Jewelry - Melissa Tyson Designs
Florals - The Coastal Succulent
Specialty Rentals - Martha My Dear Rentals
Stationery - Southern Bee Designs
Venue - Belle Vue

 
Collaborators:
Design and Planning - Social Butterfly Events
Florals - Design Perfection
Rentals - Party Suppliers
Specialty Rentals - DP Etc. and Salt Harbor
Catering - Pine Valley Market
Photography - Eric Boneske Photography
Entertainment - Active DJ Entertainment, Folkstone String Band & Justin Lacy​
Transportation - Wilmington Trolley & Azalea Limo
Venue - Airlie Gardens
Graphic Design - Alexis Scott Designs
Desserts - One Belle Bakery