Tented Weddings Archive

Noel and Tom were married earlier this year in Greensboro, NC at Sedgefield Country Club on a picture perfect day! This wedding is truly out of a scene from an enchanted garden. In fact, Noel and I were actually inspired by a famous Monet garden painting that drove a lot of our design and tied in perfectly with our color palette of navy, hydrangea, cream, blush, and peony.

Noel kept her bridal party small – just her number one gal and daughter, Madison. They each had coordinating bouquets of garden roses, peonies, ranunculus, and jasmine vine.

One of the things that sets Sedgefield Country Club apart is the stunning lawn in front of the club. It’s the first thing you see when you drive up and is the go to spot for ceremonies. We added a clear top tent with antique white chandeliers and soft draping to create an intimate feel while also keeping the beautiful view. Our focal point and WOW factor of the whole ceremony was the unbelievable floral archway created by Just Priceless. We added a few small personalized touches like an Arnold Palmer station (to keep guests cool and as a nod to Tom’s love of golf) and custom aisle markers with a favorite scripture.

Live music greeted guests as they entered the ceremony tent featuring a mix of classic and modern music. Tom is an avid golfer and has a great sense of humor so before the ceremony started, a family friend had a “call to tee” to kick of the processional. 

Noel and Madison were escorted to the ceremony site in a vintage 1965 Rolls Royce. Our something blue!

What a heartfelt ceremony! A family friend officiated on behalf of Noel and Tom before they each read their own vows. It was very important to both Noel and Tom that Madison was included in the ceremony. A sand ceremony was the perfect fit for them!

After the ceremony, guests entered the club for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Servers tray passed asiago stuffed potatoes, bacon wrapped shrimp with clover honey, miniature crab cakes with remoulade sauce, and caprese skewers.  My favorite cocktail hour detail were these custom napkins. Tom is a HUGE Bruce Springsteen fan so we *had* to find a way to include The Boss in the wedding.

Jamie Lynn Photography did a beautiful job with Noel and Tom’s portraits. It was HOT y’all and you’d never know looking at these.

The paper for this wedding is easily one of my favorites of all time. Amanda Day Rose created a delicate floral pattern inspired by our design that we incorporated throughout. It was very important to Noel to include scripture in the tablescape in some way. I worked with Amanda to create 5×7 menu cards that listed the menu on the front with a beautiful scripture print on the back. Guests took them home as a favor! Speaking of the menu, guests enjoyed a plated dinner starting with a fresh Summer berry salad of baby spinach, candied pecans, fresh strawberries and blueberries, and local goat cheese drizzled with a champagne vinaigrette. For dinner, guests were treated to a choice of French chicken breast with a butter caper white wine sauce served with risotto and Parmesan asparagus; a New York strip with a port wine reduction served with Yukon gold mashed potatoes and Parmesan asparagus; or asparagus, rainbow chard, baby carrots, cauliflower, and haricot verts over quinoa with lemon compound butter.

Our reception design was feminine, slightly vintage, and elegant with vibrant flowers and mixed metals. I love how all the elements came together from our mercury glass table numbers to the luxurious linens.

If you haven’t noticed yet, the florals for this wedding were the centerpiece of the design. I worked closely with Maxie B’s to translate that into a delicate sugar flower design combined with a rosette design that Noel loves. It tasted even better than it looked! The layers were a mix of lemon almond buttercream and devil’s food cake.

Noel wanted to include some golf touches for Tom and one day I had a light bulb moment. There is a patio outside of the ballroom that we didn’t quite have a plan for. Knowing that this was a family friendly reception with lots of children, I proposed to Noel that we have putt putt on the patio! She loved it and it tied in perfectly with our customized golf ball favors. It was a HUGE hit!

Point200 captured the day beautifully on film! Kick back and enjoy!

Noel and Tom, thank you so much for allowing the LPE team and I to be a part of your wedding experience!

Planning + Design: Leigh Pearce Events | Photography: Jamie Lynn Photography | Videography: Point200 | Venue + Catering: Sedgefield Country Club | Cake: Maxie B’s | Floral Designer: Just Priceless | Rentals: Southern Event Rental, The Prettiest Pieces, Eventful | DJ: K2 Productions | Vintage Car: Sterling Carriage | Lighting: Kenneth Eller | Hair + Makeup: Laura Bray Hair + Makeup | Invitations: Invitations by Dawn | Day of Paper: Amanda Day Rose | Custom Ceremony Signs: Design by Laney

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Leigh Pearce is the owner and creative director of Leigh Pearce Events, a boutique wedding planning and design company specializing in luxury weddings and highly personalized 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 wedding experiences. Connect with Leigh today at 336-552-5645 or [email protected] about your special event.

What a fun treat to see Olivia and Scott’s lovely Summerfield Farms wedding on Carats and Cake today. Hop over to see the feature here!

Photo: Anna Paschal Photography

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Leigh Pearce is the owner and creative director of Leigh Pearce Events, a boutique wedding planning and design company specializing in luxury weddings and highly personalized 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 wedding experiences. Connect with Leigh today at 336-552-5645 or [email protected] about your special event.

This may be my favorite blog post ever.. it’s not everyday that you get to share *your own* wedding on your wedding blog! Style Me Pretty was so kind to feature it last week (see that post here) and I’ve finnnnnnnally narrowed down my favorite images to share with y’all. I’ve shared some of my favorite details and moments along the way but before we get into the pretty, I wanted to say one more thank you to our amazing vendors that made our day so special. Anna, Carla, Karina, Gabby, Stacy, Stacy, Mario, Shannon, Shannon, and Carol, Bryan and I can’t thank you enough!

After tossing around some ideas about destination weddings, my high school sweetheart, Bryan, and I decided on a local wedding with a small guest list of only 65 of our closest family and friends. We chose the Weir-Jordan House in downtown Greensboro for our venue and set the date for October 22, two days after our 14 year dating anniversary.

 We loved everything about the Weir-Jordan from it’s Southern antebellum feel to it’s rich history (it is one of the oldest houses in Greensboro). It checked every box for us — an outdoor ceremony space, a spot for a tent, and an amazing in-house caterer.

Some of my favorite fashionable details were my pearl necklace (that I still wear regularly!) and my shoes. My two favorite movies are Steel Magnolias and Father of the Bride. My mom, sister, sister-in-law, and best friend hosted a Steel Magnolias themed bridal shower for me, complete with red velvet armadillo cupcakes! As an homage to Father of the Bride, I was on a mission to find some cool sneakers and fell in love with these lace high tops from Anthropologie.

Funny enough, Bryan is the one that brought up the idea of a first look! In all my sharing about my work, he must have picked up a thing or two. There is an upstairs, private, Charleston-esque porch at our venue that was an ideal location for a first look. Although we decided not to give each other wedding gifts, I surprised Bryan during our first look with my dad’s gold cuff links. He passed away a few years ago and I thought it would be the perfect way to have him there in spirit. After our first look, we hopped in the car for photos at a favorite local spot, The Proximity Hotel. We really enjoyed having some alone time together before the craziness set it. We highly recommend it!

Next step – select our bridal party! We ultimately decided not to have a large party — all of my girlfriends are married with children or pregnant so I wanted to make the day as relaxed and enjoyable for them as possible. We all got ready together and it was SO much fun. Surprisingly, my best friend from high school went into labor in the middle of the night before the wedding and obviously had to miss the wedding. I took my wedding dress and crashed her newborn session a few weeks later so we could have pictures together! My sister was my maid of honor and looked beautiful in her Jenny Yoo gown .. the fabric and layers of her dress tied in with mine perfectly. My mom’s gorgeous navy dress and sapphire earrings added just the amount of sparkle we needed! Doesn’t she look fabulous? Bryan’s best man, in true Southern fashion, was his father. They looked so dapper in their black tuxedos!

Our sweet flower girls are two of our favorite people in the whole wide world. They looked like little princesses in their tulle and satin dresses complete with flower halos!

Our ceremony was absolutely perfect and by far, my favorite part of the day. I loved our music selections: an instrumental version of Rivers and Roads by The Head and The Heart for our parents and wedding party and an instrumental version of Amarillo by Morning by George Strait, my dad’s favorite song. We had two special readings. A scripture reading by one of our very best friends as well as poem read by Bryan’s sister. We walked back down the aisle to a mash up of Ants Marching and Ode to Joy.

After the ceremony, we sent our guests inside to warm up and for cocktail hour and dinner. Stacy with Savory Street Catering created an amazing custom menu for us! Some of the highlights were pulled pork and collard egg rolls with mango chutney, crab hush puppies with Cajun aioli, butternut squash ravioli, beef tenderloin with white cheddar grit cakes, and mini tomato pies.

For our design, we kept everything elegant, timeless, and classic. Our florist, the Farmer’s Wife, has always been our family florist so it was a no brainer to work with Stacy on our wedding. She is truly like family and created floral magic for us! Maxie B’s made my wedding cake dreams come true with our stunning cake (and Bryan’s dream come true with a layer of Devil’s food cake!). One of my only major must haves was a clear top tent with big chandeliers and a black and white dance floor that I could twirl on. Mission accomplished!!

After dinner, we danced the night away! Our first dance was “You & Me” by Dave Matthews Band. We have been to countless DMB concerts so it was only fitting that we danced to Dave. The chorus is also perfect for a few twirls!

Later in the evening while cake was served, we offered a few more desserts. Bryan has a serious sweet tooth and is, hands down, the biggest Pepsi addict you will ever meet. We offered ice cream float shooters along with cake.. three kinds: Pepsi, Sundrop, and Cheerwine. So good!!

We ended the night with a glowing sparkler exit and hopped in a London taxi cab headed for O. Henry Hotel. It was the perfect day and we couldn’t be more grateful for the experience!

Planning + Design: Leigh Pearce Events | Photography: Anna Paschal Photography | Venue: Weir-Jordan House | Catering: Savory Street Catering | Rentals: Party Reflections + Southern Event Rental | Hair + Makeup: Carla White | Cake: Maxie B’s | Floral Design: The Farmer’s Wife | Wedding Dress: Southern Bride | Mens Attire: Gordon’s Menswear | Bride’s Sneakers: Anthropologie | Bridesmaid Dress: Jenny Yoo | DJ: Mario Parker

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!

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Insert all the heart eyes for these two!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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!