Katherine and Logan’s wedding has been one of my all time favorites to plan. Katherine and I hit it off from the first time we met, and had so much fun working together to make their big day the day of her dreams. Check out her thoughts on the wedding, and the planning process!
Why did you choose the venue you chose?
“I fell in love with Summerfield Farms before I ever stepped foot on their beautiful property. My sister actually sent me a wedding video of a couple who got married under the Little Tree and said, “You have to get married here!” Mind you, I was not even engaged at this point (minor detail!) but I knew instantly that it was the venue of my dreams.
Fast forward 6 months – Logan and I are freshly engaged (one week to be exact) and Summerfield Farms was the first and only venue we toured together. I looked at him at the end of the tour and said “Do you love it?” and with a smile he said “yes” and that was all I needed to hear. It so perfectly captured both of our tastes and personalities, combining rustic charm with modern elegance. And when you look at the massive oak tree lovingly referred to as the “Little Tree” sitting in the middle of a gorgeous pasture, you can’t help but envision your ceremony and the details of the wedding almost start to plan themselves.”
Any other vendors you chose for a special reason?
“I would say thank goodness for Instagram when it came to vendors! I am such a detail person and would spend hours looking at photos and reading vendor reviews. I came across a wedding that Carly Marie Events planned in Greensboro, NC and loved that the wedding was not only absolutely stunning, but no detail went unnoticed. Carly and I met for a cocktail and I hired her on the spot (well, she hired me too – it is definitely a mutual partnership!)
One of the best parts about working with an amazing wedding planner is that they probably have amazing vendor recommendations as well. Carly recommended our caterer (who also did our rehearsal dinner because we loved them so much), photographer (who was absolutely incredible to work with and one of the kindest people ever), florist, rentals, and hair and makeup team (hands down best hair and makeup in the Triad).
Another vendor that was very special to me was our officiant, Heidi. We did not know Heidi prior to asking her to officiate our wedding but part of our package with her included pre-marital conversations leading up to the big day. These sessions gave us an opportunity to get to know Heidi and talk through all the feelings, emotions, worries and excitement surrounding not only the wedding day, but the marriage we were about to enter into. It not only brought Logan and I closer and solidified our commitment to each other and our upcoming marriage but allowed Heidi to craft the most sincere, personal, and heartfelt wedding ceremony I have ever heard.”
What was your favorite part of wedding planning?
“Honestly, all of it. I have dreamt about my wedding day since I was a little girl and for me, the wedding planning process was all my hopes, dreams and wishes coming to fruition. Every time I met with Carly or any of our vendors, I was a giddy ball of energy and when we checked something big off of our list (décor, seating chart, menu, etc.) I would feel this huge surge of excitement! But that also speaks to the incredible team of vendors we were working with. They made our wedding planning process so easy and fun.”
What was your least favorite part of wedding planning?
“The guest list and anyone who says different is not telling the truth – just kidding! But for me, that was one thing I really struggled with. If it were up to me, I would invite everyone I have ever known but that would have completely blown our budget!
Speaking of budget, that was another difficult part for me. Like all brides, I vacillated back and forth between “it’s just one day – I want it to be everything I ever dreamt of” and “It’s just one day – I don’t need to spend every dollar we have!” Luckily for us, we had Carly to offer sound advice. She was great at helping me decide what was important and worth the money and what we could do without. It’s so important to have that person you trust, helping you make those difficult decisions.”
Did you have a theme or “vibe” that guided your planning?
“FUN. We said from the very beginning that we wanted our guests to walk away from our big day saying “that was the most fun wedding I have ever been to!” We tried to let that theme be the guiding force in every decision we made. We wanted a band that would have the dance floor packed all night, fun drinks and awesome food, and a venue that would wow our guests. I believe we checked all of those boxes!”
What did you want your guest experience to be?
“Our theme and guest experience definitely went hand in hand but we really wanted our guests to know that we had thought about them and their experience at our wedding. It wasn’t just our day, but everyone who was there to support and celebrate us. Carly helped us walkthrough everything – from the second they stepped foot on the venue to the sparkler sendoff – there wasn’t a piece of the night that we didn’t think through.
We had welcome bags for every guest, shuttles that brought our guests to and from the hotel to the venue, transportation from the entrance of Summerfield Farms to the ceremony site, welcome cocktails under the little tree, large outdoor games for kids to play, glow tubes to dance with, and late-night snacks and waters…these are just a few of my favorite “guest” things.”
What was your favorite moment of your wedding day?
“Seeing my Dad in my wedding dress before the ceremony. It is one of those special moments that you playout in your mind but when it actually happens you’re completely overwhelmed with emotion – more than you ever thought you could be. It was like we didn’t even have to say what we were thinking. Through our tears, smiles and hugs I knew we were both saying, ‘I love you, I’m proud of you, and I can’t believe this day is finally here.'”
What was your favorite personal detail or item on your wedding day?
“Anyone who knows Logan and I knows that we love our sweet dog, Kevin, more than anything in the world and really wanted him to be a part of our special day. One of the ways we did this was by ordering custom cocktail napkins that had Kevin sketched on them with our wedding date. They were subtle gray napkins with Kevin’s image embossed in silver and our guests loved them. I saw so many snapchats with the Kevin cocktail napkins!
We also had a table at the wedding reception that was called “Generations of Love” and displayed wedding photos from our close family and friends’ weddings. It was funny (because who doesn’t like looking at throwback wedding photos!) but also a sentimental way for us to recognize those people we love, admire and look up to in marriage and life.”
What was your favorite part of the décor on the wedding day?
“Carly and I really wanted a unique way to display the table seating and in one of our meetings together, we drew up this large display with acrylic sheets that listed each table. I asked Carly if she had seen it before and she said, “only in my head” – ha! But I trusted her so much that I knew it would work and it would be beautiful. Carly handled the actual stand, greenery and putting it all together and my Mom and I made the acrylic sheets with all the guests names printed on them. It turned out even better than I imagined and I was so happy that we helped create something that was such an important part of the reception.”
What was your first dance song?
“Our first dance song, “Stand by Me” reiterated the promise we made to each other to always be there; goods days and bad. We have long called ourselves a team and are without a doubt each other’s biggest cheerleader, supporter, and confidant. “Stand by Me” just seemed to encompass all of that.”
Planning – Carly Marie Events
Venue – Summerfield Farms
Photography – Alexa Stutts Photography
Catering – 1618 On Location
Flowers – Blooms & Thistle
Band – Night Years (East Coast Entertainment)
Rentals – Party Makers
Transportation – Holiday Tours
Officiant – Heidi Gessner
HMU – Blush & Bobby’s
Videographer – 77 Films
Bride Dress Designer – Romona Keveza
Bridal Salon – Nitsa’s Bridal Salon
Bridesmaids Dresses – AMSALE
Groom + groomsmen outfits – Michael Kors
Bride’s shoes – Badgley Mischka
Bride’s jewelry – J. Crew
