One thing I love about destination weddings, is that couple’s often ask me to cover the Rehearsal Dinner or Welcome Party.  Many times, destination clients like to make an entire weekend out of the wedding festivities and welcome guests with a party or rehearsal dinner to welcome them to their destination.  The atmosphere at these events are usually fun, relaxed and everyone has a bit of a “vacation mood” since they are in a fun location.

I also love covering rehearsal dinner’s because I get to know who-is-who within the family and wedding party the night before the wedding.  This really helps with knowing the key players and who should be a focus in my photos.  Friends and family will also toast the couple and I love hearing all of their stories from how they met, to what they were like growing up or in college.  It’s fun to get to know some new details about them and make those qualities shine in their photos.

But, you don’t have to have a destination wedding in order to book me for your Rehearsal Dinner.  Plenty of local clients hire me to capture the Rehearsal Dinner, often when the wedding has a huge guest list and the Rehearsal Dinner is more intimate with family & wedding party only.

Here was one of my favorite rehearsal dinner’s from last year - Georgia & Scott’s Rehearsal at Piermont Cottage in Highlands, North Carolina.  It was so sweet and intimate and had so many fun details.  Enjoy!

Rehearsal Dinner Location: Piermont Cottage

Catering: Old Edwards Inn

These two are the cutest and I had so much fun hanging out with Angela & Matt for their engagement session.  Can’t wait for their spring wedding in Atlanta with Toast Events!

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The tables at this wedding were extrordinary!  So many details, and no two tables were the same.  The cotton blooms & baby’s breath were prevalent throughout, but each table had their own feel with different types of candles, teacups, vintage antiques, etc.  Loved the rustic, wood tabletops from Epting Events!

Another lovely detail that matched the bridesmaids bouquets were these large poufs of baby’s breath in simple, tall glass cylinders.  So lovely.

The ambiance in this old barn was to die for!  I loved the old, rustic chandeliers and all of the beautiful candlelight.  Tip: Remember to use LOTS of candles and large candles to set the ambiance like this.  Small tealights just don’t do it.  Get varying heights of light to light up the table, centerpieces as well as your guests.  I love the bottom, left photo here of the couple kissing at their seats with the tall votive lighting them.  Beautiful!

One of my favorite details were all of these beautiful cakes!  No frilly fondant here, just simple, iced, deliciousness.  {P.S.-The guests raved over these cakes because they tasted SO good!} Classic City Confections did a beautiful job with these.

Truly southern, was this Coke Float and Krispy Kreme White Spot dessert table that was setup late-night for the guests.

Natalia & Levi ended their beautiful evening with a sky-lantern send off.  It was a beautiful sight - all of the lanterns lit by family & friends going up into the night sky.

Thanks again goes out to all of the talented vendors who participated in this beautiful event:

Planner: (bride) Natalia Perkins, Epting Events www.eptingevents.com
Designer: (bride) Natalia Perkins, Epting Events www.eptingevents.com
Ceremony Venue: Tucker Plantation www.tuckerplantation.com
Reception Venue: Tucker Plantation www.tuckerplantation.com
Florist: MG Floral www.mgfloral.com
Wedding Cake Baker:  Classic City Confections www.classiccityconfections.blogspot.com
Caterer: Epting Events www.eptingevents.com
Bridesmaid Dresses: Paul & Joe Sister www.net-a-porter.com
Bride’s Dress: Casablanca from La Raine’s Bridal Boutique www.larainesboutique.com
Hair Stylist: Scoobie West www.scoobiewest.com
Makeup Artist: Scoobie West www.scoobiewest.com
Bride’s Shoes: Max Studio www.ideeli.com
Bride’s Jewelry: Kenneth Jay Lane (earrings) www.ideeli.com
Bride’s Veil or Hair Accessory: Brenda’s Bridal Veils and Dkdesignshawaii (hair flower) www.etsy.com
Bride’s Other Accessories: Belt from Daniel12 via www.etsy.com
Groom’s Fashion: Indochino www.indochino.com
Groomsmen Fashion: their own black suits
Paper Goods: Red Table Stationary www.redtablestationery.com
Rentals: Epting Events
Linens: Epting Events & Cloth Connection.  Antique lace linens and napkins heirloom. Table runners were screen printed by Satisfactory Print Shop www.satisfactoryprinting.com  using graphics from Wedding Chicks (www.weddingchicks.com)
Ceremony Décor (any noteworthy items): Mantle from Woodstock Antique Market. Rug and pitcher are heirloom.  Wreath and log from Bart Scott and Leigh Frazier at Epting Events. Program board was DIY.
Reception Décor (any noteworthy items):  Cake mugs from Anthropologie (www.anthropologie.com), heart pine table tops from Epting Events (www.eptingevents.com)
Lighting: Monogrammed gobo from Epting Events (www.eptingevents.com) and Live Event Solutions (www.liveeventsolutions.com) using graphics from Wedding Chicks (www.weddingchicks.com)

Be sure to pick up a copy of the new Southern Weddings Magazine now on newsstands to see this wedding as well as a ton of gorgeous Southern inspiration for your wedding!

Location is everything when it comes to taking portraits of my bride & groom.  I love to find somewhere special, somewhere that is beautiful, peaceful and gives them a little bit of alone-time on their big day.  I love that Natalia & Levi took extra care to make their portrait time special.  They did do a “First Look” earlier in the day before the ceremony, but they also knew how important it was to take portraits in the best light at sunset - and have a little time to themselves after the ceremony.  We had an abundance of beautiful fields with tall grass, horses and miles of wooden fences to work with.  It was nothing short of beautiful.  My favorite part, was that Natalia & Levi setup their very own table out in the middle of the field with champagne and goodies to nibble on before heading to the reception.

I absolutely loved Natalia & Levi’s ceremony out in the fields at the plantation.  Guests entered through a path of wooden fences and were greeted with a beautiful, oversize chalkboard which acted as their wedding program.  It was beautifully written & drawn to reflect the overall design of all of the other wedding elements.  The display also featured an old steamer trunk of her grandparents with a family quilt that acted as their gift table.  Smaller chalkboard signs pointed guests to the field where the couple said their vows amongst the tall grass.

The bride & groom stood in front of an antique fireplace mantel that eventually became a part of their new home.  It was decorated with a beautiful wreath, flowers and an antique water pitcher.  An antique rug was placed where the bride & groom stood and said their vows.

Another one of my favorite details was this little kids area on the sides of the ceremony.  Quilts were topped with bins of old toys as well as little treat bags for the kiddies.  It was so cute and the kids just loved it!

At the end of the ceremony, the bride had a big surprise for her mother - a choir performing her favorite song!  She was so surprised as the choir (who was seated amongst the guests) all stood up and started singing.

The cocktail hour was held in a small courtyard between two of the old barns.  An old, antique stand-up bar provided guests with Natalia & Levi’s signature drinks, the “Dixieland Delight” and the “Steel Magnolia”.  The guests mingled amongst high tables, benches and chairs while some played yard-games such as cornhole.  One special detail was the jars of deep-fried, black-eyed peas, a southern specialty!