August 2015 Archive

Earlier this year I decided to join the Triangle chapter of NACE {National Association for Catering and Events} and I absolutely love it! Every month I get to meet up with my fellow NACE members to network, chat about event life, and learn from the best in the biz. For our August meeting, I had the pleasure of being the event planner sponsor. I had the opportunity to work closely with our very generous sponsors to plan and design this Personal Branding focused event.

DJ Randy Bennett really set the tone for the event with some great tunes during cocktail hour!

We were very fortunate to have James of Walters & Walters on hand that evening to capture every detail and moment so wonderfully. I love this shot of Kate, our rock star interim programs chair, showcasing the signature cocktail in Party Reflections’ stainless steel martini glasses.

I had so much fun putting together this event design! I worked really closely with North Raleigh Florist to create the perfect look for our tables and they blew me away! The bamboo in silver containers paired perfectly with the grapewood and succulents creating a conversational table. I also incorporated some of Party Reflections newest pieces in our design and let me tell you, I am in love. From the metal round back chairs to those chic textured linens … every detail they provided set the stage for a great evening.

You know me, I am always a sucker for the perfect paper detail. My in-house stationary partner, Confetti Grey, created two different cocktail napkins with metallic foil as well as the rice paper menu cards/questionnaires.

Zinda created an amazing menu with delectable passed hors d’oeuvres, a hearty and to die for family style dinner, and of course a beautiful (and tasty!) champagne cocktail.

Jen and Ashley put together such an informative and entertaining presentation on personal branding. I took away so many great ideas and tips! And many, many thanks to Island Sound for saving the day with our AV needs!!

The final touch for any Asian feast are always fortune cookies!

Planning + Design: Leigh Pearce Weddings | Photography: Walters & Walters | Venue + Catering: Zinda | Speakers: Jennifer Buenviaje with Makeup For Your Day + Ashley Duch-Grocki with ADG Fashion & Wedding Stylist | Music+ Emcee: Randy Bennett with Bunn DJ Company | Rentals: Party Reflections | Floral Design: North Raleigh Florist | AV: Island Sound & Video | Menu Cards + Cocktail Napkins: Confetti Grey

Not only was Anna one of the most beautiful brides ever (that DRESS!!), but she was also such a sweetheart to plan with. She was so sweet to share these kind words:

Before hiring Leigh Pearce Weddings I was very overwhelmed with the idea of planning my wedding and putting together all the details. After hiring her I felt more at ease right away! I was impressed with her knowledge of wedding venues and her desire to help me find the right one. She was also extremely organized, which really reassured me that she could handle all the small details that go into a wedding. I am not a design person and am not able to visualize how linens, flowers and lights will all come together but Leigh made me feel so comfortable that she would take the vision I have and make it exactly how I wanted it. My favorite part of my wedding design Leigh created was the table designs with the flowers, candles and table numbers. It was exactly what I wanted! And as a result, my family, guests and I were able to enjoy the beautiful wedding and have such a great time! I did not have to worry about anything during the reception because Leigh handled it all and made sure things flowed exactly as planned. She also made sure that my husband and I were comfortable and had everything we needed throughout the night. She is a rock star! My advice for those thinking of hiring Leigh is DO IT! Right now! You will be so glad you did. Engagement is a stressful season, let Leigh make your dream wedding come true with way less stress and worry. I promise you that you will be so thankful!

Anna + Jack on wedding day

Alexa’s Photography

Be still my detail loving heart, y’all . Katie and Doug’s wedding was what wedding planner dreams are made of: a sweet as pie couple, warm and welcoming families, stunning venue, rock star event team, and one crazy gorgeous design. I absolutely loved planning and designing this beautiful day alongside Katie, Doug, and Katie’s mom, Lauri. They were always so intentional in their decision making, knowing exactly when to be decisive and when to let the pros take over. Sit back, relax, and savor this beautiful day. And, if you missed it, Southern Weddings featured Katie and Doug’s wedding this week including an interview all about their love story (totally worth the read, y’all)!

I just loved these welcome boxes we put together for K+D’s guests! They featured a welcome program with all of the weekend events, water, a locally made honey almond granola bar, a bottle of Cheerwine, and two state shaped iced cookies (Texas for Katie and NC for Doug).

Carla White, you are too good my friend. Seriously, how stunning is this updo on Katie?

Katie’s Just Priceless bouquet was a mix of peonies, garden roses, lisianthus, ranunculus, veronica, eucalyptus, and amaranthus… just to name a few! We went with a gathered look that felt natural but still oh so lush.

We had not one, not two, but three storms that day. The first two were really just short, heavy bouts of rain. No problem! We dried off chairs and sent guests down to the ceremony site with sunshine pouring down. Not a blip on the radar to be seen for at least another hour or two. Everything was going smoothly — nicely timed processional, lovely music, relaxed guests —until Katie and her dad started to make their way down the aisle. I have never in my life seen a storm roll in so fast and with such ominous, Armageddon like clouds. Thankfully, we made it through entire ceremony without a drop of rain. As soon as Katie and Doug recessed and hopped in their getaway car, every guest as though they could all read my mind leaped up and literally sprinted for the reception space –a good three to five minute walk. Thankfully almost everyone made it inside without being completely soaked (myself NOT included). The funniest part was that Katie and Doug were able to watch everyone flee for their lives while they sat cozily in their car sipping champagne. Just as it should be. 😉

For the reception, we wanted everything to feel natural, organic, layered, and elegant. My favorite details (and there were SO many) were the the fun rattan chargers, the overflowing floral runners, and the textured ice blue linens. After planning so many weddings there, Adaumont Farm has become such a favorite venue of mine and I love the challenge of making each one different than the rest.

Nothing is more elegant or timeless to me than beautifully iced cakes accented with fresh blooms and greenery. Adding a naked cake as the focal point was the perfect rustic touch that we needed.

When your photographer asks you during dinner if you want to go out for more photos, ALWAYS say yes. I just love these moments Ali captured.

Photography: Ali Williamson | Planning and Event Design: Leigh Pearce Weddings | Venue: Adaumont Farm | Florist: Just Priceless | Cake Baker: Elizabeth Ann Pastry | | Videography and DJ: K2 Productions | Caterer: Painted Plate | Rentals: Party Reflections, Partymakers, La Tavola | Lighting: Kenneth Eller | Ceremony Music: Rob Massengale Entertainment | Vintage Car: Fantasy Limo | Bridal Salon: Traditions By Anna | Hair and Makeup: Carla White | Bride’s Shoes: TOMS | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: David’s Bridal |  Menswear: J. Crew | Invitations: Smitten on Paper | Day-of Paper: Confetti Grey | Welcome Box Cookies: Details Cake Design

I am a *huge* fan of these two wedding blogs. Grey Likes Weddings shares fabulously stylish soirees and Once Wed has some of the most beautifully curated weddings around. So, it was a truly wonderful surprise when they both reached out to me to become one of their coveted preferred vendors.  Pop over to my page on Grey Likes Weddings and my page on Once Wed to say hello and take a look around!

I am head over heels for Katie and Doug’s beautiful wedding on Southern Weddings today! Despite the THREE storms we had that day, everything went off without a hitch and their sweet day will go down as an all time favorite for myself and the LPW team. Pop over to Southern Weddings, here, see the full feature and all the amazing creative partners!

Planning with Lauri and Katie was an absolute dream come true! Lauri‘s kind words below are so heartwarming and I definitely miss my planning meetings with these two:

When our daughter got engaged in early January with the hope of getting married in June, I felt thrilled yet a bit overwhelmed since we live in Texas and she and her fiance desired to get married in North Carolina. After interviewing three wedding planners carefully, we chose Leigh Pearce for many reasons. She had great experience and a great track record, her designs were beautiful, she received many extremely positive recommendations and she is from the NC area. However the most important element to me was her energy level, positive attitude and the fact that she seemed to absolutely loves weddings and wedding planning. We couldn’t have been any more pleased. In fact, she exceeded our high expectations by a wide margin.

As a result of selecting Leigh Pearce Weddings for our daughter’s wedding, I was able to truly enjoy the planning process at each and every step. Rather than stressing out over the details, I was able to use my time to focus on our daughter and future son-in-law and to experience this special time planning and choosing items to make their day memorable and meaningful. What we appreciated about Leigh is that she was patient, explained our options and always – without an exception – found a solution to every issue and it was always with a smile. She was extremely responsive, organized, very pleasant and never missed a beat. I didn’t have one bad or trying day during the planning process and was able to not only enjoy the process but the actual wedding itself since I worried about absolutely nothing. It was a dream come true for not only our daughter and her husband but for our family and our son-in-law’s family.

I can’t say enough about Leigh Pearce Weddings. I can guarantee anyone that Leigh will exceed your expectations in every way. She is masterful, creative, organized, experienced, anticipates needs before we realized we had them, is pleasant with a great sense of humor and also very wise and experienced. Leigh is an absolute joy to work with and is likely the best in her business!

Lauri + Katie on wedding day

Alisanda Photography

If you can tell one thing from looking at these moments from Kristen and Ray’s wedding day, it is that they have the most infections, positive energy. Planning with them was an absolute dream and I loved designing every little detail for their timeless soiree. From the stunning blooms to all the branded paper, every detail was the perfect mix of classic, springtime, and fun. It was such a fabulous day — hello sunny and 75!! I could not have asked for a better way to kick off our 2015 wedding season!

Planning + Design: Leigh Pearce Weddings | Photography: Riley MacLean | Ceremony Venue: Duke Chapel | Reception Venue + Catering: Chapel Hill Country Club | Floral Design: Amy Lynne Originals | Rentals: Party Reflections | Band: Adrian Duke Project | Cake + Cookie Favors: Details Cake Design | Invitations + Paper Details: Confetti Grey  | Lighting: Total Production Services | Videography: Mitch McClure | Hair: Angela Gilbert | Makeup: Tiffany Mentrak