Stephanie and Dan's Awesome Rustic Casual Wedding at The Sutherland!

Stephanie's parents contacted me in February of 2010 to book me for Stephanie and Dan's wedding on May 7, 2011 at The Sutherland. I married their daughter, Brittany, in 2009 at the Preston-Woodall House and they wanted to make sure they got me for Stephanie's wedding. I was delighted!

When Marty and I arrived for the big day, this cute little sign greeted us. There was great attention to detail at this lovingly and carefully planned wedding. Their theme was Rustic Casual and their color scheme was pink and orange so I made a new prayer stole to wear to match their colors.

 

The wedding box contains  a bottle of wine and unread handwritten love letters Dan and Stephanie wrote to each other and sealed--to be opened on their first anniversary to remind them of this wonderful day and how much they love each other.

The Cupcake Shoppe provided these tasty looking cupcakes and a small cake for the bride and groom to cut for the customary cake-feeding of each other at the reception.

 

Sweet little nest of Mr. and Mrs. eggs with sprigs of fragrant honeysuckle.

Burlap bags of coffee were favors for the guests to take home with them.

 

 Bride and Groom's colorful table with another nest of Mr. and Mrs. eggs! 

Rocky Top Catering catered the event and the menu is just right for this playful wedding theme.

Inside the house on the dining room table, the beautiful bouquets await the bridesmaids and the bride. The Purple Poppy  in Wake Forest provided all the beautiful florals.

A favorite DJ of mine is Jeff Simpson with Simpsound DJ and Lighting Services. He was also the DJ at Brittany and Will's wedding and Stephanie's mother, Lisa, persisted until she got him booked for this wedding. May is prom time and DJs are in big demand! This was his first wedding at The Sutherland and he was duly impressed with the beauty of the estate. At the rehearsal on Friday before this wedding, The Sutherland was setting up for a prom for Home Schools for the second year in a row. A gorgeous setting for an elegant prom.

Guests milled around on the Bride's Patio before being seated for the ceremony.

Jennifer Jones (and assistant Donna) was our wedding director from The Sutherland. She and Jeff are going over the cues. I don't know what the deal with their hands is!

Stephanie's dress was gorgeous and perfect for her. It was slightly off white which complemented her skin color and so light and fluffy!

 

The flower girls, Savanna and Ava, managed to stay up on the altar with us the entire ceremony. Ava, the younger one, had a good time playing with her hair from time to time and Savannah would remind her to pay attention! Our Matron of Honor is Stephanie's sister, Brittany, and one of the groomsmen is her husband, Will. They are expecting their first child in August. Also expecting is their older sister, Jennifer, (not in the wedding party but sitting in the front row) and she is expecting in August also, as well as another of our bridesmaids. We decided that we will have a group baby blessing ceremony for them all, including Ava and Savannah, later this year! That will be so much fun!

We had a very special parents' blessing for their parents. Mark and Lisa, Stephanie's parents, and Mike and Heidi, Dan's parents have been married 29 years! Congratulations and thank you for providing such wonderful models of marriage for your children!

 

After telling the guests how Stephanie and Dan met and the story of their courtship, it was time to exchange their vows and rings. Then they locked the wedding box with the wine and their love letters.

 

 The crowning moment of the wedding! A good kiss, Dan!

Nicole Faby is our photographer. We have done several weddings together. She is expecting a baby too! I have seen some photos that Nicole has done of babies that rival the famous baby portraits of Anne Geddes!

Stephanie and Dan, I know that your love and dedication to each other will ensure a wonderful marriage! Congratulations! I look forward to seeing you and your family again later on this year at the baby blessing ceremony as we welcome your new nieces and/or nephews!