Happy Friday!! Today’s featured wedding is full of gorgeous decor, fun details, and the sweetest stories. Make sure you scroll to the end to read the questionnaire from the bride! I love the story behind her wedding shoes!
“I first met Troie & Michelle the Monday before their wedding. We met in downtown Pinehurst at Dugan’s Pub with Nicole, their Wedding Planner. After over a year of planning and then COVID re-planning, a possible hurricane was going to change their plans once again. Michelle and Troie were wonderful through it all and, with tears in Michelle’s eyes and Troie’s reassuring “go-aheads” they pressed on with their dream of a celebration on his family’s private farm. From there the chance of rain went from 90% to 40% and we were all 100% in on making this wedding day fabulous. And it was so much more than fabulous. This couple is amazing…more so than I can possibly describe through words. They exude so much joy that you can’t help to burst out in laughter and shed a few tears. Their family and friends gathered to witness their “I do’s” and it is quite apparent how loved these two individuals are. Troie had two best men…identical twins that he grew up with and shared so many moments with…their roast was the sweetest in history. Michelle’s mother, father, and stepfather all shared how these two were meant to be together.
There were too many favorite parts of this day…the first looks with the brother and father were so precious. Troie was stunned by his bride during their first look…then circled around her in amazement with an excited “Go-ahead!”. Their ceremony was moved up by 20 minutes due to rain and the rain held off until the first kiss (YAY!). There was their first dance, their garter removal (where I honestly thought Troie consumed the garter), and Troie’s singing Motley Crue’s “Without You” (which I still have in my head…thanks). It was truly an amazing day and one of my favorite weddings of all time! Troie and Michelle, congratulations! Here are a few of my favorites…here is too many years of singing, laughing, and being a joy to everyone you meet.”
Q: Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style, or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?
A: Where to even begin?? I wanted our wedding to be light and simple. Our color palette was neutrals, blush, light/eucalyptus green and gold accents. I love the elegance that a touch of gold can bring so I wanted to incorporate it into statement pieces throughout the wedding. Throughout our relationship, we have created the phrase “mint 2 bee” and a meaningful twist on “meant to be.” We use “mint” because that’s what it sounds like when Troie says it (he has a southern accent and I don/t) and “bee” in honor of Troie’s late father who went by the nickname Bumblebee. Our signature cocktail was “mint 2 bee” mules, wedding hashtag #mint2beeBarker, and I wore mint-colored shoes with bees on the heel. It was fun to incorporate these little details into the wedding as well.
Q: Let’s talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?
A: Most of our decor was rented but I did DIY the signage. We used different shapes and sizes of gold geometric lanterns as the main focal point on many of the tables and around the altar and lounge area. I love the geometric look; it’s sleek and eclectic at the same time. The ceremony was very simple with white chairs, a copper arbor with greenery, and gold lanterns at the base. The reception area was outdoors under a white gable tent. We used a mix of rectangle tables with blush linens, round tables with white linens, and cocktail tables with slate blue linens. Another little touch that I added was with the table numbers. Troie and I both love math. He minored in math in college and I have a master’s in math. I found vintage multiplication flashcards at a thrift store and turned them into table numbers!
Q: What were the florals like at your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces, or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?
A: I wanted the florals to complement the decor without being the focal point and I think it worked perfectly!! The tables were all slightly different, some with floral arrangements, some with geometric votives, and others lined with greenery garland mixed with geometric votives. I also loved the way we used greenery to accentuate the signs and little details throughout the wedding. My bouquet a gorgeous combination of blush and white flowers with pops of wild greenery. I wanted to save money on bridesmaids’ bouquets and opted for a single stem flower with greenery surrounding it and it looked absolutely beautiful!
Q: Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment, etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?
A: We added many little “mint 2 bee” touches as I mentioned in question 1. We used Barbox Co for our bar and it was a hit!! Especially since we got married on a farm, serving drinks out a converted horse trailer really added to the aesthetic. We also put a lot of thought into our music. Troie and I are big music people and it has played a huge role in our relationship. We used old vinyl records as our guest book and had a mix of Iive and DJ’d music throughout the night. Troie even surprised me and sang “Without You” by Motley Crue with his uncle on the drums! That was a highlight for sure!!!
Q: Let’s talk fashion. How did you both choose your wedding day look? Describe the looks in detail.
A: Troie is a very simple guy when it comes to fashion and I wanted him to feel comfortable on our wedding day. We opted for a light “linen” blue suit for him and put the groomsmen in a darker blue so that he really stood out. For my dress, I had fallen in love with Madi Lane bridal gowns early on so I went straight to a retailer who sold their dresses. The silhouette of my gown was much more form-fitting than I originally thought I wanted, but mixed with the draped sleeves I loved how elegant and detailed it looked. The mocha-colored underlay accentuated the large lace florals on the dress and fit perfectly with the color palette of the bridesmaids mismatched dresses.
Q: How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.
A: Oh this is my favorite story! We were both stationed at Keesler Air Force base for training in 2017. One particular day, I was finishing a workout at a Crossfit gym in Biloxi. the whole class was already done with the workout but I still had a half-mile run to complete. Suddenly as I was walking outside to start the run a tall handsome man came up and started running next to me. I thought “oh no, this guy thinks I’m so pathetic,” but actually he was looking for a chance to talk to me! For the next 4 months, we spent as much time together as possible, including PBR and pizza every Monday night after the gym. It was one of those Mondays that Troie asked me to dance for the first time to Tennessee Whiskey which then became our first dance song at our wedding. The military moved us to opposite sides of the country after training and we were in a long-distance relationship for just over a year. During that year Troie invited me to Emerald Isle, NC for a beach vacation with his family. I thought it was odd when he also invited my mom, but then on the last day of the week, Troie took me to the end of the Bogue Inlet Pier and asked me to marry him! His family and my mom were there as well. His brother played Tennessee Whiskey on his phone and Troie’s mom passed out mini whiskey bottles with a mint and a little bumblebee glued to them!
Q: What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
A: For me it was the first look for sure. We are both very emotional people, so I knew Troie would cry when he saw me, but honestly, his reaction was even better than I could have ever imagined. Between tears he yelled “WOO!” and “Go ahead!” and “I get to marry you!” I felt like all the stressful moments and uncertainties leading up to our wedding day just disappeared at that moment. In addition to planning our wedding during a pandemic, Troie also left for an overseas deployment in March 2020 that was supposed to only last three months but ended up being six months. There was a time where we weren’t even sure if he would make it home in time to get married!
Q: Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you’d like to share with other couples planning their day?
A: 1. For Brides: Get your groom as involved in planning as he wants to be. Have the conversation early. Get an idea of what things he wants to be involved in and what things he doesn’t care about. He may have more opinions than you think- and they are just as important as yours! 2. Make a list of must-have or must-do things for your wedding EARLY. Refer back to that list often, it will help get you back on track if you find yourself lost in the little details. 3. R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Towards each other and yourself. Love yourself enough to speak up if you have a concern, but love the other person enough to address difficult topics with love.
Vendors
Other: Barbox // Cinema and Video: Story Focused Media // Transportation: Kirk Tours & Limousine // Beauty: Bella Rae Beaute // Shoes: Modcloth // Musicians: Melon Belly // Caterer: Rocky Top Catering // Floral Designer: Jack Hadden Floral and Event // Other: Greenhouse Picker Sisters // Equipment Rentals: CE Rental // Lighting: Ward Productions // Event Designer: Vision Events // Photographer: Jennifer B. Photography // Second Shooter: Photography by Tiffany
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