Charming Garden Chic Wedding in Charlotte

Dawn and Candy were introduced by a mutual friend at a barbecue in 2007, forming a connection that would end up carrying them over the altar of matrimony in this gorgeous garden chic wedding.

It was during a birthday trip to New Orleans where Dawn surprised Candy with a romantic proposal. Having the “Good Morning Beautiful” text messages that she’d sent to Candy over the course of their relationship compiled into a book as a birthday gift, it was there on the last page where Dawn placed an image of the engagement ring and a request to spend the rest of their lives together…

Wedding Couple: Dawn & Candy
Occupations: Logistics Manager & Program Financial Analyst
Wedding Location: Charlotte, North Carolina

How did they meet? Dawn’s best friend is a mutual friend of Candy’s and introduced them at a bbq in 2007.

Tell us about the proposal. Dawn surprised Candy with a trip to New Orleans for her birthday; secretly inviting the close friends & family who she knew would want to share in her surprise proposal plans. She had a book made with some of the “Good Morning Beautiful” text messages that she’d sent to Candy over the three years that they’d been together. Dawn presented the book at the Riverwalk on the Mississippi River as a “birthday” gift. Candy perused the pages lovingly recalling all of the sweet messages from across the years. On the last page of the book, Dawn had a picture of the engagement ring and a written request to spend the rest of her life with Candy. #swoon

Describe your wedding attire. If we had to name our wedding style we’d say romantic garden party chic. Is that a style? Dawn opted for a sleek look with Merlot colored slacks & vest while Candy opted for a blush & rose gold A-line full-length gown with a dramatic cathedral length veil. Candy’s attendants wore varying full-length dresses in the same merlot color as Dawn’s vest & slacks while Dawn chose simple tan slacks and Merlot suspenders and bow-ties for her attendants.

What was the wedding shopping experience like for you? Our planner, Emore Campbell, made a lot of our “shopping” easy! She was able to lend her list of preferred vendors in the industry that helped us check off many of our wedding needs early on.

Tell us about the wedding planning process? From the moment Candy said yes, Dawn & Candy both knew that they wanted a professional to help them plan their perfect day. After interviewing several planners in the area, Candy came across Emore’s information on The Knot and instantly liked the vibe. Emore Campbell Events was their first wedding “purchase” and that made planning easy.

Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding? Neither Dawn nor Candy is strictly traditional so they wanted to incorporate things in their wedding that might otherwise be considered different or against the grain. One such ritual was the hand-fasting ceremony, a Celtic non-religious ceremony where they committed to each other by having their hands tied together with braided cords. The ceremony ended with them actually “tying the knot” with the cords that bound them together.

What is your best memory from your wedding? After the wedding, Dawn & Candy both were met with extreme surprise when several of their guests took the time to write thank you notes and mailed or left them at their doorstep thanking them with words like “your ceremony made us want to be better,” “best wedding I’ve ever attended,” and, “we left thinking about how we could love one another more.” Knowing that they help fill the world with a little more love even for a few short hours in one day…this was by far the best memory.

What is the best wedding advice you can give to engaged couples?Continue to remember the reason you’re here in the first place. The love and your commitment to each other, above all, is paramount. Don’t let the stress of the planning make you lose sight of that.