When things get started off with sunset hues as inspiration, you know a treat is in store! Add in the beautiful photographic styling of North Carolina wedding photographer Carolyn Scott Photography and you have the makings for one crush worthy wedding! A palette of Yellow, Orange, Guava, Coral Reef, & Persimmon was worked into every detail from gingham print ties to playful pinwheels which lined the aisles & became a part of the centerpieces. Bridesmaids donned a mixed lot of frocks, each in a sweet coral hue while bride, Laurie C. Chapman, was a whispery vision in her flowing Saja gown. The regal venue that is Graylyn Estate was the final piece of the puzzle, providing the most picturesque of old world estate backgrounds. I am eating up the gentle glam and polished perfection that is Laurie & Dwight S. Blass’ wedding and love even more, the whimsical touches and lighter air!
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Novella of the Bride…
Wedding Buzzwords ~ Summer, Southern, Non-Traditional, North Carolina, Casual Elegance
Specialty Cocktail ~ Champagne Cocktail
Laurie and Dwight met in San Francisco in 2010. Laurie was finishing her second year of dental school at the University of the Pacific. Dwight was working in the Interactive Marketing department at Genentech. They met on OkCupid, an online dating website. Their first date was lunch at Le Med, a restaurant near Laurie’s dental school. Dwight’s parents had flown in to San Francisco that day, but waited patiently at the airport for the date to finish. This obviously turned out to be a worthwhile sacrifice on their part.Although dental school kept Laurie very busy, she found time for a relationship amidst her full clinical and academic schedules. She even found a way to see Dwight during school hours by recruiting him as her patient. He subsequently got his first filling from her!
Following graduation, Laurie moved in with Dwight on a very steep hill in the Noe Valley neighborhood where he’d lived since moving to San Francisco. They lived there until March 2012 when they decided to move to West Virginia for new jobs and to be closer to family. Soon after arriving in Morgantown, WV they bought a house with 4 times the space as their small SF apartment. Currently Laurie practices general dentistry and Dwight is in pharmaceutical sales and marketing. They enjoy their two cats named Brie and Stilton (named after types of cheese). On weekends they ride bikes by the river, visit family and friends, and often times will ski, play, tennis, or hike together.
Overall Theme & Feel On The Wedding Day
Southern Summer Casually Elegant wedding. Mason jars were included in the invitations (artwork drawn by the bride) and as part of the centerpieces. Orange gingham was used in grooms/groomsmen ties and centerpieces. Handmade pinwheels were used in ceremony and reception decorations. Wooden lanterns filled with flowers and a lit candle were the main centerpiece item. Our ceremony and cocktail hour music was provided by a live local bluegrass band, River of Mars. We walked down the aisle to bluegrass covers of the Beatles and Bruno Mars. Many of our guests were out-of-towners and we were eager to introduce them to the South. Our main goal was to make sure everyone had a great time. All of our vendors were so incredibly helpful that everything went off without of hitch and we were able to enjoy our special day.
Our favors were little jars of Apple Butter created by J&R Foods in California (http://www.jandrfoods.com). The bride and groom came up with most of the ideas and design elements with much help from Etsy, Pinterest, and Google. We don’t know how people did weddings without those technologies. Our florist helped guide and finalize the centerpiece design and floral elements. The venue was already so beautiful that we did not need many decorations! Items from Etsy included: orange gingham ties and bowtie, cake toppers, ring bearer pillow, floral hair pins worn by the bride (a piece of the wedding dress worn in her hair was her version of the veil idea), and templates for the programs and menus.
A Little Help From Their Friends ~ The bride’s grandmother sewed the orange gingham centerpiece items. The groom’s aunt, who owns a floral business, did the flowers.
Bride’s Favorite Moment: “Our first look! The groom was completely taken by how beautiful his bride looked.”
Vendor Love
Photographer: Carolyn Scott Photography | Venue: Graylyn Estate | Wedding Dress: Saja | Shoes: Nina | Hair + Makeup: Trend Setters | Groom’s Attire: Jos A Bank | Invitations: Invitations Only | Transportation: Black Tie Limousine | Music: A&A DJ Services, River of Mars (live bluegrass band) | Lighting: A&A DJ Services | Florist: Artfully Arranged | Caterer: Graylyn Estate | Baker: Cake and All Things Yummy | Wedding/Event Planner: Carrington Clevenger-Buck with Erin McLean Events