Tracy & Casey's wedding (inspired by Disney)

Let the Magic Begin!

Theme:

Our wonderful clients, Casey and Tracy Dugan came to us with a unique theme in mind for their October 7, 2011 wedding- Disney World! However, not a bold colored theme- park concept-more of an underlying hint of the softer, magical and romantic side of Disney World. The couple was actually engaged at Cinderella’s castle on a family Disney trip! From the start we knew Tracy wanted everything to work together but not in a matching kind of way. No mono-chromatic color scheme here! “I didn’t want people to feel like they are at a wedding, but a place with friends having a good time. Vintage, romance, Disney and family were the themes I wanted tied together,” says Tracy. So we began designing the event in a setting of blush pink, ivory, champagne and pops of peacock blue and marigold.

Ceremony:

The evening began at Hillwood in Davies Plantation, in front of the old Manor house. Guests were greeted by a valet service and then handed custom programs that housed hand-made ribbon wands (made by the bride and her mother) with instructions for them to “wave at the kiss.” The ceremony décor was very natural and included lots of textured plants such as cotton and hay- along with flowers. No two arrangements or bouquets were alike. The Bride’s grand entrance was made to the tune of “When You Wish Upon a Star,” by a White Horse drawn Carriage- one more detail that added perfectly to our theme. And to top it off- it was a total surprise for the groom!

Reception:

Following the ceremony, vintage signs pointed guests towards the cocktail party. Half way there, they were greeted with a signature drink called “Pirates of the Caribbean” complete with sword-skewered fruit. Inspired by the Disney park maps, guests were also handed personal maps (created by Natalie Chang Designs) showcasing the layout and food options at the cocktail party and reception. The Alice in Wonderland inspired “Mad Hatter Cocktail Party” was the perfect beginning to this fun reception. Guests enjoyed the games in the whimsical lit area or could relax on the porch in a setting made of vintage benches and sign the guest book quilt (also created by the Bride and her mother). Long tables dressed in burlap linens with hand-made vintage fabric runners (made by the mother of the bride) were used to make the reception more family-style. Romantic flowers, cotton, succulents, moss displayed in milk glasses, garden boxes, silver vases and other vintage inspired containers were used as centerpieces all designed by Haute Horticulture. Giant fabric rosettes used as chair backs flanked the ends of each setting.

Enhanced lighting set the ambiance for the venue and a special gobo light of the wedding monogram lit the dance floor. That monogram was also used on the game boards for cocktail hour, napkins, invitations, and photo sleeves guest took home with their picture from the event.

Food:

As for food- one of the most important factors in a reception- we opted for stations and each was named after Disney Restaurants or places that were special to the bride’s family. “The Laughing Place Saloon” was scripted on a large vintage mirror along with the bar menu and displayed behind the iron and dark wood bar. Such a fun detail that was custom for this event and the bride could actually use it again in her home after the event since she purchased it with this in mind. The catering was done by Ziparo’s and featured the following stations:

“Mama Melrose”- an interactive pasta station,

“Pecos Bill’s Tall Tale Inn”- a gourmet filet mignon and chicken slider station,

“Tamu Tamu Refreshments”- various fruits and gourmet cheeses and

“Boulangerie Patisserie”- the dessert station included the wedding and grooms cakes by “Oh My Ganache Bakery” and an array of cake balls made by the bride’s friend Gretchen Tayloe. The grooms cake was a replica of the couple riding their favorite roller coaster ride in Magic Kingdom- “Big Thunder Mountain.”

Closing:

At the end of this magical evening as guests got their cars from the valet, a final parting gift was left in their front seat – a small pumpkin with a poem written by the bride that read: "As the clock strikes twelve and the magic ends, Cinderella’s carriage becomes a pumpkin again. What a magical time and it’s all because of you. With love from the Dugans…Bibbiddi Bobbiddi Boo"

What a note to end on! With a wedding full of this many special details- no guest will soon forget how magical the evening truly was. We hope this wedding story inspires you to add special touches to your day and plan it full of memorable details!

Happy Planning!

-The Butterflies

We would like to thank our vendors who helped us to bring the Magic to life!

Wedding gown – Blu by Mori Lee from Ballew Bridal
Bridesmaids dresses– Alfred Sung

Groom/Groomsmen/Ushers/Father of the Bride – suits by Joseph A Banks

Cake Balls – Gretchen Tayloe of Dulcitas Gourmet Treats

Bride hair – Myn Le from Juve Salon (wedding) and Amy Hicks from Capelli’s
Bride and Bridesmaids makeup – Kendrick Simpson from Juve Salon

Ceremony/ reception- Hillwood at Davies Manor, Bartlett TN

Band- Almost Famous

Caterer- Ziparos

Invitations/Paper & signage- Natalie Chang Designs

Photography& Videography- Creation Studios

Cakes- Oh My Ganache Bakery

Rentals- Classic Party Rentals, Mahaffey Tent & Party Rentals, Mosaic Party Linens

Floral design- Haute Horticulture

Spiral Ceremony

We absolutely ADORE clients who trust us to get creative! This was the case in a recent wedding we did at The Brooks Museum of Art. The client wanted something ethereal and unique for her ceremony in the front plaza. We had a lot of space and nothing structurally to play off of. She did not want a tent, but more of a light and airy frame with some fabric swagged to create a contained ceremony site. The result: a spiral ceremony!

We had the chairs arranged in one large spiral, with the altar in the center on a raised stage. The center aisle was the walkway created by the spiral, so the bride and her party got to wind their way through every single guest.  Everyone got a wonderful view of the bride and this made her moment walking down the isle that much more spectacular. Around the outside of the spiral we set up white columns and swagged fabric between them. This made the space more intimate and enclosed yet still light and airy. We created a chuppa-like structure around the raised altar and draped it with fabric and flowers.

Kevin Barre, owner of Kevin Barre Photography captured all of these wonderful images. He was great to work with on this day and adapted very impressively to our non-conventional ceremony set up! Check out more of his photos:

Above is a close up of the columns framing the spiral as guests began to arrive.

This is the altar area in the center of the spiral. The trees in the background made for a gorgeous backdrop! The altar was open from all sides so guests had a 360 view of the couple's vows. The spiral isle was drenched in rose petals to up the drama!

The ceremony area as guests began arriving. 

The bride and her father making their way into the spiral! They wound their way through each guest during this very gorgeous and intimate procession.

We had a great time creating this look! Special thanks to Classic Party Rentals, The Brooks Museum and Kevin Barre Photography!

Eventfully yours- Addie