Raleigh Event Archive

The quote from the movie Gatsby, “A little party never killed nobody,” was definitely the heartbeat of this event theme. And boy did we party!

This was the second Guilford Green Foundation (GGF) gala I have had the pleasure of being a part of and to say it gets better every year is an understatement. The theme for the gala this year was Speakeasy meets Gatsby and I’ll say, I think we knocked it out of the park! From the downtown restored warehouse to the music to the flowing champagne, every detail was meticulously planned by the amazing committee and myself (shout outs to come!).

Before we get into the fun details and lively party, it is worth noting that the party was amazing but the cause in which we came together for was the true shining star. If you aren’t familiar, GGF creates unity through programming and philanthropy that advances equality and inclusion for LGBTQIA communities. In short, the gala raises thousands of dollars every year to support these organizations and programs and I am so proud to say that we exceeded our goal!!

Event Design: Leigh Pearce Events | Photography: Katie Klein Photography | Catering: 1618 On Location | Venue: Cadillac Service Garage | Accommodations: Proximity Hotel | Floral Design: Plants & Answers| Musical Direction: Jessica Mashburn | Rentals: Southern Event Rental | Vintage Rentals: The Prettiest Pieces + Triad Stage | Lighting + Sound: Audio + Light | Paper: Party Chick & Paper | GGF Gala Planning Committee: Evelyn Day, Nancy Vaughan, Sarah Poole, Jessica Mashburn, Evan Olson, Tony Doles, Debbie West, Ivey Ghee, Sabrina Jones, Leigh Anne Kincaid, Stacy Calfo, Leigh Pearce and so many more!

**GGF Friends: If you want to see more photos from the gala, please visit http://www.enjoyphotos.com, and fill in the following information:

Username: GGF Gala 2017

Password: 14179

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Leigh Pearce is the owner and creative director of Leigh Pearce Events, a boutique event planning and design company specializing in luxury weddings and highly personalized corporate, social, and charitable events. LPE is based in Greensboro, NC, and serves Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Durham, Asheville, Wilmington, and the rest of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and destinations beyond with impeccable and exclusive event experiences. Connect with Leigh today at 336-552-5645 or [email protected] about your special event.

When the ladies at Southern Weddings Magazine asked for my help for their V9 launch party, I was beyond happy to oblige! I simply adore the magazine and knew that anything those talented ladies had dreamed up would be amazing. I chatted with Marissa about her initial ideas to create a love letter wall based on the key editorial in the latest issue. From there, we collaborated on this lovely, interactive wall that was such a fun edition to the party!

My dear friend, Anna Paschal Photography, tagged along for the party and I am so grateful for her helping hands. We started with this beautiful white wall from Paisley + Jade and added ribbon then soft blue envelopes with mini white clothespins (no easy feat as many calculations were made for perfect lines!). Next up, Serendipity Designs Raleigh added the final touch – a lush greenery garland and fresh blooms. The result was stunning and is such a great idea to translate into escort cards or a guest book at a real wedding. File that one away, friends!

Jessica of Simply Jessica Marie reached out to me a few days before the party with a top secret surprise for the SW ladies. She had painted this beautiful portrait of them and needed the perfect spot to place it. I knew this sweet little writing desk was the perfect home for her artwork.

Loved working with these two talented ladies, Marissa and Jessica!

Here are a few more sneak peeks of the party from the fabulous AJ Dunlap for those of you that weren’t able to join us!

Love Letter Wall Planning + Styling: Leigh Pearce Events | Photography: AJ Dunlap | Vintage Rentals: Paisley + Jade | Venue + Catering: The Carolina Inn | Floral Design: Serendipity Designs Raleigh | Calligraphy + Artwork: Simply Jessica Marie | Swag Bags: Bash Bags, Belle and Union Co., All She Wrote Notes, The Paisley Ribbon, Laurel Calligraphy, The Virginia Artisans, Canvas HQ

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