Chestnut & Vine Day-of Wedding Coordination

Weddings For Real Podcast #32: Day-Of Wedding Coordination with Erin McCauley with Chestnut & Vine

This week I had the honor of being a guest on the popular Weddings for Real Podcast hosted by Megan Gillikin, owner of A Southern Soiree Wedding & Event Planning. I had so much fun talking with Megan about how Chestnut & Vine came to be and my approach to day-of wedding coordination. I even got to share a bit about my destination wedding to exotic Indiana and the time I had to coordinate 5 different transportation companies for the guests of a single wedding.

You can listen to our conversation here!

Samantha & Parker’s Merrimon-Wynne Wedding Featured in Three National Publications

Chestnut & Vine Day-of Wedding Coordination is excited to announce that our clients Samantha & Parker’s gorgeous Spring wedding at Merrimon-Wynne is featured on two online publications! A huge thank you to Ellen LeRoy Photography for submitting her stunning photos for these articles on Borrowed & Blue, Elysian Bride and The Carolinas Magazine. It has been a joy to relive Samantha & Parker’s special day!

Emily & Kyle’s Fall Wedding | The Matthews House | Cary, NC

As soon as I met Emily and Kyle, I knew that these two were already a strong, supportive team, and when they became husband and wife on October 8, 2016 at The Matthews House in Historic Downtown Cary, NC, it was obvious to all in attendance that these newlyweds have what it takes to weather through any storm that crosses their path. Despite an uninvited wedding guest, who went by the name Hurricane Matthew, Emily and Kyle threw a festive, heartfelt wedding celebration that their family, friends and day-of wedding coordinator will never forget. Not once did the bride and groom let the stormy weather dampen their enthusiasm. Even with a power outage in the main house during cocktail hour and hurricane force winds whipping through the breezeway outside the ceremony and reception hall, never have I seen a bride and groom smile more on their wedding day than Emily and Kyle did. As you will see in their wedding photos below, their smiles and positive attitudes were contagious and felt by every person in the room. Kyle and Emily put together an all-star wedding team that didn’t miss a single beat and made sure that the party inside was just as high energy as the storm outside.

Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Travlos! It was an honor to coordinate your wedding day, and thank you for making my first experience in a hurricane an absolute blast!

All Photos Courtesy of Rachel Linder of Blue Barn Photography

In accordance with an old Southern tradition that wards off rain, the bride’s parents buried a bottle of bourbon on the grounds of The Matthews House one month before Emily & Kyle’s wedding day. While the bourbon might not have kept the rain away, we can thank it for keeping the power on in the reception hall while the rest of Historic Downtown Cary was experiencing a blackout.

Emily’s Bridesmaids get their first look at the gorgeous bride

Kyle & Emily’s Private “First Look”

Emily & her Dad went all out for their Father-Daughter Dance – big, happy smiles run in the family!

Not even Hurricane Matthew could stop these newlyweds from having their Grand Sparkler Exit!

And Emily & Kyle live Happily Ever After…

Emily & Kyle’s All-Star Wedding Team

Ceremony/Reception Venue: The Matthews House – Cary, NC

Photographer: Blue Barn Photography

Floral Design: Tre Bella Florist

Day-of Wedding Coordination: Chestnut & Vine Day-of Wedding Coordination

Catering: Empire Eats Catering

Bartending Service: On the Rocks Bartending

Chalkboard Design: Chalkboards by Julie

Hair & Makeup: Hair & Makeup by Ashley Mooney

Cake Design: Simply Cakes

Officiant: Reverend Rick Edens

Reception Entertainment: Bunn DJ Company – Frank Meldau

Ceremony Music: Carolina Harp – Marilyn Weinand

Transportation: Triangle Car Service

Kristi & Doug’s Summer Wedding at Duke Chapel & Washington Duke Inn – Durham, NC

When I met Kristi and Doug at the April 2015 Southern Bridal Show at the NC State Fairgrounds, I knew immediately that I wanted to work with this lovely, sweet natured couple. Doug’s willingness to attend a bridal show with his winsome fiancée spoke volumes for how much this couple loves each other and will work well together as a team. So, I was thrilled when they chose Chestnut & Vine to be their day-of wedding coordinator.

Their story began when Kristi, who met Doug during her employee orientation at Duke Hospital, invited him to attend Sunday mass with her at the iconic Duke Chapel. By the end of the evening, Doug happily clued into the fact that he was on a date and astutely asked her if she would like to go out again. The two have been inseparable ever since.

When it came time to plan their wedding, Doug and Kristi had their hearts set on getting married in the very church where they had their first date, but as luck would have it, Duke Chapel was booked a year in advance and about to begin an extensive restoration project which would delay their wedding an additional year. Not to be deterred, this undaunted couple camped out in front of Duke Chapel for three days in North Carolina’s merciless summer heat and joyfully walked away with a July 2016 wedding date. As it turns out, their long engagement was worth the wait because their dream wedding venue, the renowned Washington Duke Inn, was available on the very same day.

One year later on a gorgeous, sunny afternoon in July, Doug and Kristi were married in the Duke University Chapel before friends and family who traveled from near and far to celebrate their big day. Kristi’s bridesmaids all wore blush-colored, floor length gowns of their own choosing. The mix of dress styles, patterns and colors were a stunning backdrop for the gorgeous bouquets of English Roses and succulents superbly arranged by Bea Miller and her team at Floral Dimensions. The newly restored Chapel organ filled the sanctuary with its rich, melodic tones as Kristi was escorted down the aisle by both her Mom and Dad and again when Kristi and Doug recessed out of the Chapel for the first time as husband and wife.

Later in the evening the guests were greeted by the newlyweds as they arrived to the cocktail reception outside of the Washington Duke Inn’s Presidents Ballroom. After a delicious dinner prepared and served to perfection by the Washington Duke’s Catering Staff, Kristi and Doug invited all of their guests to join them out on the dance floor. Never have I seen a bride and groom effortlessly dance together more than Doug and Kristi did that night, which set the tone for a high-energy, unforgettable evening of fun hosted by the one and only Randy Bennett from Bunn DJ Company. When the time came to send the newlyweds off to begin their life together, the guests formed a tunnel of twinkle lights for the couple to run under as they made their grand exit in a decorated golf cart driven by the bride herself.

Congratulations, Kristi and Doug! You could not have planned a more elegant, flawless wedding that celebrated who you are and will become as you journey through your life together.

SPECIAL THANKS TO BRIAN MULLINS PHOTOGRAPHY FOR SHARING KRISTI & DOUG’S STUNNING WEDDING PHOTOS

Kristi & Doug’s Wedding Team

Ceremony Venue: Duke University Chapel

Reception Venue: Washington Duke Inn

Photographer: Brian Mullins Photography

Day-of Wedding Coordination: Chestnut & Vine Day-of Wedding Coordination

Floral Design: Floral Dimensions

Catering: Washington Duke Inn

DJ: Bunn DJ Company – DJ Randy Bennett

Cake Design: Sweet Memories Bakery

Hair & Makeup Design: Makeup for Your Day

Transportation: RDE. Raleigh Dream Limos

I am a Diehard Cubs Fan and Proud of It!

I often wondered if I’d ever see today. My beloved Chicago Cubs are playing in the World Series for the first time in 71 years, and I could not be more thrilled to see this dream come true. Over 30 years ago my dear friend, Marnie (who was a bridesmaid in my wedding), introduced me to a handsome 2nd baseman named Ryne Sandberg, and thus began my first longterm relationship filled with feelings of hope, admiration, heartbreak, disappointment, joy, and blind faith that better days are just a spring training season away. As a kid I collected baseball cards, rarely missed a Cubs game on WGN, faithfully listened to the gospel of baseball according to announcers Harry Caray and Steve Stone, and proudly attended a Cubs game at Wrigley Field before a night game was ever played. My Dad contends that to this day he has never seen a bigger smile on my face than the day I attended my first ballgame in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, and every detail that I soaked in that day from where we sat (behind the Cubs’ bullpen), to who stood on the pitcher’s mound (Rick Sutcliffe and Lee Smith), and who hit the winning home run (the one and only Shawn Dunston) still plays in my memory like a highlights reel. And of course I was completely giddy when I got to see my crush “Ryno” in person with my very own eyes.

In an interview earlier this week, fellow Cubs Fan Bill Murray perfectly expresses what it means to be a Cubs Fan and is dead on when he says, “To root for a team that never won, it’s just character building.”

I am proud to be a Diehard Cubs Fans because we:

Are Devoutly Loyal. While fans of other sports teams openly question my sanity for cheering on a team whose own fans endearingly call them “The Lovable Losers”, my devotion towards my Cubbies has never once swayed. There is no such thing as a “Fair Weather Cubs Fan.” We support our team no matter the score or our place in the division standings;

Understand the importance of Relishing the Moment because we never know when the next “W” might come along. It could be tomorrow or it could be next month, so you had better appreciate and celebrate today’s victory while you can; and

Are Eternal Optimists. In my hometown, a common conversation starter is “How ’bout them Cubs?,” and whether you are commiserating with a fellow Cubs fan over the team’s string of bad luck or engaged in an animated disagreement with a rival Cardinals fan, it’s pretty much a guarantee that the conversation will end with the Cubs fan confidently stating with a gleam in his/her eye, “Wait ’til next year!”

This 2016 Cubs Team is a true blessing that is so much fun to watch, and a text I received this week from Marnie sums up exactly how all of us Diehard Cubs Fans are feeling this season, “For all the fans that have come and gone and never saw what we might see, I am grateful.” Me, too, Marn!

So it is with great pride and feelings of good fortune that I ask to all who will listen, “How ’bout them Cubs?!” No need to wait for next year. Next year is finally here!!

Samantha & Parker’s Spring Wedding at Merrimon-Wynne – Raleigh, NC

In April 2015 at my first ever wedding show, I had the good fortune to meet Samantha and her Mom, Bonita. They came to the wedding show specifically to find a day-of wedding coordinator, and the three of us hit it off immediately! Samantha was a day-of wedding coordinator’s dream because when we met for our initial meeting she had already booked her venue, florist, band, photographer, and purchased her dress – and her wedding was still 13 months away! Over the next year I had the pleasure of getting to know Samantha and her fiancé, Parker, while helping them coordinate the details that made their wedding extra special. When I met their extended family at the ceremony rehearsal, it was clear to see where they get their festive spirits and kind hearts.

Samantha & Parker were married on May 21, 2016 at the Merrimon-Wynne House in downtown Raleigh and were one of the first couples to hold their ceremony and reception in the venue’s brand new Carriage House. Samantha’s vision for an elegant yet lively wedding reception suited the Carriage House perfectly. So, it is with great pleasure that I share with you Mr. & Mrs. Parker Hawkin’s unforgettable wedding day!

All photos courtesy of Ellen LeRoy Photography.