November 2016 Archive

Sunflower Inspired Summerfield Farm Wedding {Rachel + Justin} | Greensboro NC Event Planner

When I sat down with Rachel and Justin to chat about inspiration possibilities, Rachel mentioned how much she loved sunflowers and I am pretty sure I stood up (in the middle of a bustling Maxie B’s) and did a jig. Sunflowers with the beautiful backdrop of Summerfield Farms in the summertime? Wedding perfection. More so, it was important to Rachel and Justin that their wedding be intimate, full of dancing, fun games, good food, and, of course, great memories. I’d say we knocked it out of the park! I hope you enjoy these beautiful images from Alexa’s Photography and make sure to check out this wedding feature on Every Last Detail here. Happy Monday!

We were in sunflower heaven thanks to Amy Lynne Originals.

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Rachel and Justin opted to do what we call a “first touch.” They didn’t want to physically see each other before the ceremony so a quick hello, back to back, to calm the nerves was the perfect solution for them.

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When your ceremony spot is this picturesque, less is definitely more.

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I’m not going to lie, chuppahs are one of my favorite wedding elements. Not only do they leave room for SO many design possibilities but the symbolism and traditions behind them are, to me, what weddings are all about. Justin’s mother did an amazing job hand making their cheerful chuppah.

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After the ceremony, guests took a quick hayride to the barn for hors d’oeurves and drinks. FLG served delicious tray pased caprese salad bites and their famous deviled eggs as well as a food station of slow roasted pulled pork sliders with all the fixin’s.

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Insert all the heart eyes for these two!

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After cocktail hour, guests moved into an adjacent tent for a formal plated dinner. For the table designs, R+J gravitated towards simple yet colorful designs so we started with a clean palette of crisp white linens and mahogany chairs. ALO’s bright floral designs paired with our adorable menus and place cards were the perfect accent and really let the menu and conversation shine.

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For dinner, guests first enjoyed a summer salad of mixed greens, fresh strawberries, candied pecans, mandarin oranges, fresh local chevre, and a champagne vinagrette.  Next, for the main course, guests were offered a menu choice of Kentucky bourbon chicken, marinated flank steak with a red wine reduction, salmon with a lemon butter caper sauce, or zucchini cakes with a lemon spinach cream sauce. The Southern sides paired with each entree were a mix of smoked gouda mac and cheese, mashed sweet potatoes, grilled garlic green beans, and corn bread.

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Hello gorgeous. When we started talking about sunflower designs, the first thing that came to my mind was a field full of sunflowers. I expressed my idea to Amy in the way of a escort wall turned selfie station and she created this masterpiece. It was one of my favorite design elements EVER and the guests had a blast using it for photos during the evening!

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When you can’t decide what cake flavor to have, choose them all!!! Continuing our feast, we worked with Maxie B’s to create this delightful cake bar. Guests could enjoy raspberry lady, Oreo, five flavor pound, lemon almond, caramel, Dreamsicle, or strawberry buttercream.

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Planning + Event Design: Leigh Pearce Events |  Photography: Alexa’s Photography | Floral Design: Amy Lynne Originals | Venue: Summerfield Farms | Catering: Fresh Local Good | Cakes: Maxie B’s | Hair and Makeup: Carla White | Invitations: Smitten On Paper | Paper Details: Confetti Grey | Guest Book: Bleu de Toi | DJ: K2 Productions | Officiant: Virginia Wood | Transportation: Holiday Tours | Get Away Car + Accommodations: Proximity Hotel

Gifts Ideas for Your Engaged Friends | Raleigh NC Wedding Planner

The holidays are my favorite time of year (other than summertime at the beach, of course). I love the fellowship, the hospitality, and the cheerful decorations the holidays bring. But most of all, I love giving gifts. If you have any newly engaged friends and family in your life, these are my go to gifts ..  you truly can’t go wrong with one of these (or all if you are feeling extra generous!).

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Mrs. Box: Fact – every gal with an Instagram account has swooned over one of these boxes at one time or another. I love that you can choose the perfect color and monogram accent to personalize this gift. The other wonderful thing about these beautiful boxes are that you are truly giving an heirloom. It will be photographed on wedding day, hold her ring for years to come, and possibly handed down to future generations.

Veuve Clicquot Brut: When in doubt, give champagne. Christmas, birthdays, job promotion, engagement, or just because it’s Tuesday, it is always time for a glass of bubbles. Help your friends celebrate their new life milestone in style with this luxurious bottle of bubbly.

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Southern Weddings Ultimate Bride Bundle: This bundle of joy .. well not that kind of bundle .. is sure to start the bride in your life with all the things she’ll need to plan and celebrate a meaningful engagement, wedding day, and marriage. This bride bundle includes some of my favorite SW items like the Southern Weddings Planner and Marriage Certificate (in the most beautiful gold foil). P.S. This is on sale right now until 11/28!!

Rewined Candle: These candles are my addiction. These Charleston made candles are the perfect gift for any guy or gal. My favorite scent is Champagne .. are you surprised? I also love the new Blanc collection. The Rosé and Chenin Blanc smell like heaven!

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BHLDN Champagne Flutes:  Yay for these festive flutes! They are the perfect accompaniment to a bottle of of bubbles or simply wrapped with a bow on their own. I love that these flutes don’t feel overly feminine and would be the perfect gift for any couple.

Kate Spade Silk Square: A modern day Audrey Hepburn would, without a doubt, have this silk square tied around her handbag or knotted in her hair while cruising down the highway. I love the chic black and white touch and I’m confident your newly engaged gal pal would too.

Featured on Every Last Detail | Greensboro NC Wedding Planner

Seeing our LPE couples on one of my favorite blogs never gets old. Rachel and Justin’s sweet, sunflower inspired Summerfield Farms wedding is featured on Every Last Detail today. You can see the full feature here and stay tuned for my recap early next week!

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Tips for Your At Home Wedding | Chapel Hill NC Wedding Planner

Admittedly, at home and private property weddings are my favorite. They are always deeply personal because the location has a special meaning to you, but they also require extremely detailed logistics like tenting, parking, and more.  Those details can be overwhelming without an experienced event team. Here are my top five tips for your at home wedding:

1. Hire an experienced wedding planner. Not all wedding planners are created equal. At home weddings require a lot of expertise, experience, and hard work. This type of event is not for the faint of heart so your average novice planner may not be able to hand the details as well as an experienced planner. When interviewing planners for your at home wedding, make sure to ask about their experience with this type of event. Ask for examples and photos.

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Alexa’s Photography | Caroline + Chris’ Lakeside Wedding

2.  Budget, budget, budget: The temptation of no venue rental fee sounds like you are saving a ton of money, right? Often in my experience, at home and private property weddings end up being far more than a wedding hosted in a traditional event venue. Every element of the wedding needs to be brought in and this can add a significant amount to your overall budget. Make sure you are prepared for unforeseen costs (although a planner can help with this!).

3. Power and Restrooms: You think you don’t need either, but trust me. 9 times out of 10 you will need to bring in additional restrooms and power. Your average home cannot handle the power needed for your lighting, catering, entertainment, and restrooms. Power is KEY and must be planned for properly by a professional. Also, your two restrooms in your home are not substantial enough for 150+ guests. You do NOT want to deal with plumbing issues on your wedding day.

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Whitebox Photography | Katherine + Nathan’s Farm Wedding

4. Experienced Caterer: Like your planner, you want to work with a caterer that has experience in off-site events. Your property is likely further away from their catering kitchen, food needs to be kept warm longer, they need to know how to possibly cook on site, and the like. Often with at home weddings, the caterer and I work together to build a pop up kitchen in a tent with power, stove tops, etc.

5. Guest Experience: Think about your guests at every turn. Make sure that you provide transportation if parking is tricky. Hire someone to help direct traffic or drive golf carts. Ensure that every area is well lit so no one falls. Remind your guests to dress appropriately for the weather or terrain. Remember you are hosting them in your home so make them feel that way!

Pop Up Dinner with 1618 On Location at Summerfield Farms | Greensboro Event Planner

Anytime my dear friend, Nick, owner of 1618 Concepts, calls me about an event I immediately say “Count me in!” No matter the location or details, there is always a guarantee of interesting people, decadent food, and amazing wine. And this pop up dinner was no exception! 1618 partnered with Summerfield Farms and Robert Sinskey Vineyards for an exciting six course dinner showcasing the farm’s grass fed beef and the vineyard’s phenomenal wines.  A dinner that marvelous called for an equally stunning tablescape design. I enhanced the rustic touches of our barn setting (albeit it is no ordinary barn) by adding in mahogany farm tables, industrial metal chairs, bright natural arrangements, and chalkboard runners. Instead of pesky place cards, I lettered everyone’s names at the top of their place settings. Functional and fun! Dave Wilson of Tigermoth Creative was on hand to snap some details and candids for us — I hope you enjoy these sneak peeks as much as I loved designing this event!

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Event Design: Leigh Pearce Events | Photography: Tigermoth Creative | Catering: 1618 On Location | Venue: Summerfield Farms | Vineyard: Robert Sinskey Vineyards | Rentals: Southern Event Rentals | Floral Design: The Farmer’s Wife

Our Brand Refresh — Meet Leigh Pearce Events!!!

It is official …. Leigh Pearce Weddings is now Leigh Pearce Events!!

Weddings will always be our heart but with a bigger team (coming soon!) it is important to expand our reach from our exclusive full service wedding experience to include corporate and social events as well as wedding day management. That’s right, our much requested service of wedding management is back and better than ever.

North Carolina Wedding and Event Planner

Our beautiful new website is **LIVE** so enjoy a stroll around with your morning coffee. So without further ado, feast your eyes on the lovely new www.leighpearceevents.com!!

Site by my friends at Love Inspired Inc.