December 2016 Archive

This wedding has everything that makes my wedding planner heart go pitter patter: a wonderful and fun couple, blush and bashful details as far as the eye can see, and fantastic vendor team. It was one of those weddings and planning experiences that I wish I could relive over and over again — and I actually get to! This time with Lauren’s sister, Taylor; and so far, it is shaping up to be just as amazing!

Thinking back to earlier this year on the most perfect May day, Lauren and Thomas tied the knot with 200 of their closest family and friends at Lauren’s home church. Later they danced the night away at the Forsyth Country Club and it was one rockin’ party. I am so excited to finally share this beautiful day and some of my favorite details thanks to Samantha Laffoon’s talent. Enjoy!

These Badgley Mischka’s are the perfect bridal shoe — not too white, a touch of texture, a bit of bling, and jussstttt the right height.

Hands down, these bouquets are my all time favorite! I even included some of these photos on my own wedding inspiration board. Jen of Green Bee Floral Design is brillant and added just the right amount of pink to the bridesmaid bouquets while only giving Lauren her requested “whisper of pink.”

Highland Presbyterian never disappoints! Just look at all that architectual detail.

After the ceremony, guests moseyed over to the reception for hors d’ouerves and cocktails on the terrace of Forsyth Country Club. We tented this area in case of inclement weather (which we had during the ceremony!) as well as the bright May sunshine.

Charlie Band kicked off the reception with some favorite oldies tunes and the party officially started. From there, guests dined and danced all evening! The food station menu offered a variety of selections from a vegetarian display of balsamic grilled vegetables and hummus to primavera pasta and shrimp and grits to crab cake and pulled pork sliders with shoe string french fries. The showstopper of the menu was definitely the beautiful four tier wedding cake from Delicious Bakery.

Planning + Design: Leigh Pearce Events | Photography: Samantha Laffoon Photography | Ceremony Venue: Highland Presbyterian Church | Reception Venue + Catering: Forsyth Country Club | Floral Design: Green Bee Floral Design | Band: Charlie | Hair + Makeup: Carla White | Rentals: Party Reflections | Cake: Delicious Bakery | Get Away Car: Fantasy Limo | Invitations: Minted

Rankin and Brent’s wedding was one for the record books. Amazing couple, picture perfect weather, a stunning Sperry tent, luscious blooms … there is no wonder that Carats & Cake reached out and asked to feature it! You can see the full feature on C&C here and my detailed recap with all the details and memories here. Happy Thursday!

What a treat to see one of my favorite events on the AFR Furniture Rental blog yesterday! My friend, Aundrea, shared some of her top design tips and the High Point Furniture Market launch party I designed for Highway to Home | Eric Church by Home Meridan was featured! Check out the full post here!

I loved planning and designing our November NACE meeting at the PNC Club in Durham! If you aren’t familiar with NACE, it is the National Association of Catering and Events. I am a member of the Triangle Chapter and it is truly one of the best decisions I have made in my business. Not only have I made so many wonderful friends and participated in some amazing networking opportunities, but I have met so many professionals that have uplighted and inspired me. If you are an event professional in the Triangle or Triad of NC and are interested in possibly joining NACE, please reach out to me! I would love to answer any questions you may have and  or have you join us at a meeting to see what we are all about.

Back to our November meeting! Not only was it our National Election Night, but it was also our NACE election night for our new board. Pair that with our ballpark location and our Americana theme was born.

We kicked off our mingling with some fun sips and bites feautring a red, white and blue cocktail, Southern pimento cheese bites, and Maryland style crab cakes. And how FUN are these cocktail napkins? Swoozie’s for the win.

No need to check your phone for the latest election coverage — we had TVs dialed into CNN for the most up to date news.

Stephanie at Floral Dimensions is simply brilliant. She took our theme and created these fun and unique floral designs.

We couldn’t host a part at the ballpark without serving up some popcorn! We served up classic butter popcorn along with Durham’s Mad Popper popcorn in blue (blueberry) and red (cherry).

After some mingling, our two NACE presidential candidates gave speeches sharing why they would be a great leader for our board and chapter before members went to the poles — well pole — to vote.

Bull City Hospitality created such a fun menu for our meeting! The menu was a fusion of iconic American bites and ballpark staples. At our hot dog station, we served four kinds of dogs: the Old Faithful (classic fixin’s), Chicago style, Carolina Style (my fav), and Western style. Next stop was our slider station. We featured everyhing from a Carolina BBQ sandwich to a Hawaiin Chicken sammie to an All American beef slider to a Portland portabella sub. Last but certainly not least, a decadent dessert station featuring New York State of Mind cheesecakes and Slice Pie Company’s State Fair Blue Ribbon Apple Pie.

Meet our new 2017 NACE Board! I am so excited to be Special Events Co-Chair with my friend, Erin McLean. We can’t wait to start planning the annual gala and fundraiser!

Planning + Design: Leigh  Pearce Events | Photography: Walters & Walters | Venue: PNC Triangle Club at Durham Bulls Athletic Park | Catering: Bull City Hospitality | Floral Design: Floral Dimensions at Academy Court | Rentals: American Party Rentals | Pies: Slice Pie Company | Popcorn: Mad Popper

I absolutely loved planning with Chelsey and Bill for their July 2016 wedding for so many reasons. From their mustard yellow and grey color palette to their trusting in my vision and recommendations, it was an effortless process and resulted in the party of a lifetime. This group knew how to par-tayyy and I think the snaps from my friend, Vesic Photography, attest to that!

The ladies started the day downtown at their hotel getting dolled up with Carla White + team before heading to the church for a traditional 2 PM Catholic ceremony at Our Lady of Grace. One of my favorite churches in Greensboro, hands down!

Chelsey and Bill decided to do a first look prior to their ceremony and read letters from one another. So sweet!

Our Lady of Grace is stunning on it’s own so we went minimal with decor in the church. We brought a pop of personality with the ceremony programs, tying them back to the design of the invites from Smitten On Paper.

Because the ceremony was a tad earlier in the day, we planned for a break between the wedding and the reception. Guests were invited to our favorite local spot, 1618 Midtown (formerly known as 1618 Wine Lounge) for drinks and a reprieve from the heat. After the ceremony, the bridal party hopped on a party bus and headed to Fisher Park for some photos before heading to the reception.

When I think of a hot summer day, I think about Chelsey and Bill’s wedding day. It was bordering on 100 degrees with sweltering humidity. You know, just your typical North Carolina July day! To keep guests comfortable, we created lots of shade for cocktail hour, installed multiple high powered fans, and kept ice cold drinks flowing. Of course, anyone that was uncomfortable was welcome to come on inside but most guests were enjoying the NC sunshine and fun! For their guest book, Bill built a custom Jenga set. Guests were able to sign the pieces and it provided some extra fun for cocktail hour.

Designing with this color palette was so refreshing! I partnered with Just Priceless to create a natural look that Chelsey loved for florals with our more modern color palette. April from Tender Love and Cakes created the most beautiful cake with a cascade of custom sugar flowers. It was even more lovely in person!

I am always trying to mix up floor plans for venues we work at frequently. No one wants the same ol’ same ol’ and I’ve been dying to do another dance floor down below at Rev Mill. Most weddings put their cake in this area, which isn’t my favorite use of the space. I had this vision of Hooman shooting through the lights and Chelsey and Bill looking up at their guests during their first dance .. and as you can see, I totally delivered on that vision!

Side note: if your photographer asks to steal you away during the reception, say yes!

Chelsey came to me during planning and said she had this idea for hula hoops during dancing. There is a funny story behind them between her, Bill, and some of their friends .. one of those “one time at the bar” stories that always lead to some laughs. The hoops were the perfect touch for dancing photos that Hooman always captures so well!

Hello, gorgeous! Talk about a snazzy get away car.

Congrats, Chelsey and Bill!! You two are the life of the party and I absolutely adore you both!

Wedding Planner + Event Designer: Leigh Pearce Events | Photography: Vesic Photography | Ceremony Venue: Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church | Reception Venue: Revolution Mill Events Center | Caterer: Pepper Moon Catering | Florist: Just Priceless | DJ: K2 Productions | Rentals: Southern Event Rental | Lighting: Kenneth Eller | Transportation: A Formal Affair | Cake: Tender Love & Cakes | Hair + Makeup: Carla White | Invitations: Smitten On Paper 

It’s true. Tents are my jam. As we approach 2017 and wedding planning for next year is abuzz, here is some inspiration for your tented wedding. Pinterest away!!

If you are planning to have your ceremony outdoors and don’t have a viable indoor back up plan, reserve a tent in advance in case of inclement weather. Also, it comes in handy to make sure all your design details will work well inside or out of a tent. I love this grand entrance we gave to Katherine and Nathan’s wedding tent – we created an outdoor church.

Whitebox Photography | See more from K+N’s farm wedding here

Hello gorgeous! Nothing will make your guests’ jaws drop like a beautiful Sperry pole tent. The signature high peaks and flags on these ionic sail cloth tents are my absolute favorite.

Kemper Fant Mills | See more from R+B’s at home wedding here

If you decide to go for a more traditional frame or structure tent, draping and chandeliers are the perfect accent to create a custom look.

Michael Moss | See more from M+E’s plantation wedding here

You may be thinking that you just need a tent in case of rain, but I recommend them rain or shine especially in the summer. They give your guests a reprieve from the sun and heat. You can install fans to help create a breeze or even side walls and an air conditioning unit. Your guests will thank you!

Alexa’s Photography | See more from C+C’s Badin Lake wedding here

Think about your floor plan. Plan out your focal points and high traffic areas like stage, dance floor, food stations, bars, and the like to ensure proper flow. Don’t forget to think about your entry and exit points and making them well defined.

Boonetown Story | See more from S+C’s travel inspired wedding here

One of my favorite ways to customize a tent design is to lay down flooring. The options are endless (hardwood, carpeting, patterns, oh my!) and your female guests will appreciate their heels not getting stuck in the grass.

Kemper Fant Mills | See more from R+B’s at home wedding here

If your venue comes with a tent, make sure to get a complete list of all the amenities and rentals that are included or available for upgrade. Think fans, lighting, dance floors, side walls, tables, chairs, and the list goes on. Knowing what items the venue can provide to you vs. what you will need to secure on your own will save you time and money down the road .

Perry Vaile Photography | See more from J+M’s Summerfield Farms wedding here

Nothing transforms a tent more than fabulous lighting. Chandeliers, twinkle lights, cafe lights, lanterns.. your options are endless. For this wedding, my wonderful bride, Katherine, wanted to dance under the stars but because of her large guest list and the unpredictable weather, that wasn’t feasible. Instead, I proposed a clear top tent with twinkle lights to create a starry effect. It was absolutely stunning and even more impactful in person.

Whitebox Photography | See more from K+N’s farm wedding here

If your wedding is completely off the grid (no main buildings around to support your needs), don’t forget about additional tents you may need. This could be everything from ceremony to cocktail hour to dinner to dancing to kitchen to restrooms to storage to marquees.

Whitebox Photography | See more from K+N’s farm wedding here

Still feeling a little overwhelmed? I would love to chat with you about making your tented wedidng stress free and beautiful. You can send a note through our handy contact form, call (336-552-5645) or, because I like to make things as easy peezy as possible, you can send an email or connect via social media with the icons under my photo on this page. Can’t wait to hear from you!