Molly and Patrick’s Sweet North Carolina Church Wedding

Molly and Patrick went on their first date a few days after graduating from neighboring colleges. Both had moved to Winston-Salem—he for graduate school and she to start job hunting. They spent most of their time together until they left for different cities and took their relationship long-distance.

Four years later, in August 2013, when out to dinner with friends, Molly cracked open her fortune cookie to read, “This coming Friday will be an exciting tie for you.” Though it was pure happenstance, Patrick did end up popping the question that Friday, on the beach, with the ring tied to Molly’s dog’s collar and family joining them to celebrate after she said yes.

On July 26, 2014, even more family and friends joined them in making their day extra special. It began with a ceremony at Home Monrovian Church, followed by a reception at Forsyth Country Club. “We wanted our venues to show the charm and historic side of my hometown,” Molly says. As for the palette? Anyone who knows the bride knows that her favorite color is pink. So with shades of blush, coral, ivory, and gold, they set out to design the most personal soirée they could.

The stationery suite, designed by Rebecca Rose Creative, was kept traditional. Letterpressed onto thick ivory cotton paper, the pieces were bundled together with a thin gold ribbon and slipped into an envelope with a soft pink liner. 

Loved ones were welcomed to town with boxes highlighting the couple’s beloved Winston-Salem. A custom map depicting the wedding location and other landmarks important to Molly and Patrick was included, as were local Moravian candles, mini bottles of Texas Pete hot sauce, Salem Kitchen cheese straws, and Mrs. Hanes’ sugar cookies.

“Patrick doesn’t write too many handwritten notes, but he knows that I’m very sentimental and love that kind of thing,” Molly says. “So he wrote the sweetest note, divided between five envelopes, which I read before our first look. I don’t know how long it took him to write it, but I started crying after the first sentence.”

Molly wore an heirloom opal pendant that every bride on her mother’s side has worn for decades as her “something old.” She borrowed a pearl bracelet from a close family friend and earrings from her mother. She also put a silver sixpence her mom had gotten in London into her shoe for good luck—and to round out the saying of “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe.”

An embroidered label with the bride’s monogram and the wedding date was ordered from Initial Impressions and sewn into the gown.

The couple opted to do a first look, so Patrick patiently waited, facing the opposite direction, for his bride to come tap him on the shoulder to turn around. “It was then, when I saw her in her wedding dress for the first time, that I realized it was actually going to happen, I had somehow found a way to marry the girl of my dreams,” Patrick says. “When I first saw her that day, our entire relationship flashed before my eyes, starting with our first date. Finally seeing her in her dress made it all real for me, and I realized she had chosen me as her partner for life. Not to mention that she looked so amazing!”

Patrick wore a custom tuxedo from Liles Clothing Studio. Molly donned a Rivini gown she got at Nitsa's Bridal Salon, topped off with her mother’s Alençon lace blusher veil, which in turn was topped off by a crown of seed pearls borrowed from a dear friend.

Molly carried a bouquet of various garden roses, nerine, godetia, astilbe, tuberose, and dahlias, made by Amy Lynne Originals.

Molly’s paternal grandmother loved gardening and always included a sprig of rosemary in letters she wrote, along with her signature stamp on the envelope that read “rosemary for remembrance.” In her memory (and in memory of the bride’s maternal grandparents), a sprig of the herb was included in every program. The bride and groom asked that guests keep their sprigs and to keep them in their prayers.

Molly’s godson and Patrick’s friend’s daughter served as ring bearer and flower girl, respectively. They preceded the bride down the aisle—she entered on the arm of her father to bagpipes playing in sync with an organist.

The couple spent a lot of time planning for their wedding service and selecting scripture. “Ave Maria” and “The Lord’s Prayer” were sung, traditional vows were exchanged, and the ceremony concluded with the hymn “Sing Hallelujah, Praise the Lord” before the benediction.

It was important to Molly and Patrick that their 4-year-old King Charles spaniel, Lucy, make an appearance at some point during the festivities. “One of my favorite moments of the day was coming out of the church and seeing her at the bottom of the stairs,” Molly says. “She was wagging her whole body—it was perfect!”

Lucy, like the bridal party, accessorized with an assortment of pink flowers.

Bridesmaids wore Amsale gowns and carried pink and white bouquets.

The gents spruced up their lapels with boutonnieres of petite roses and seeded eucalyptus.

After taking a red double-decker bus to the reception site, Forsyth Country Club, the 350 guests kicked off the party. A tent was set up on the terrace outside of the ballroom, overlooking the golf course, and boasted tables set with arrangements of roses, peonies, and eucalyptus, under garlands of seeded eucalyptus and other greenery. 

Double-sided foam cozies were personalized with the couple’s names and a silhouette of them and their pup.

A couple of years prior to their nuptials, Molly had seen Pampelonne rosé lime sparkling wine cans and mentally filed that away. When it came time to plan the wedding, she recalled the pink-and-green cans and knew they were too perfect not to incorporate into her big day.

A pink drink was on the menu for cocktail hour—the Summer Watermelon Sparkler.

The couple saved a special bottle of bubbly for the occasion, and opted to use linen napkins embroidered with their monogram during cocktail hour.

“My Kind of Girl” by Buddy Greco played as the newlyweds took to the dance floor.

Patrick’s ring was engraved with “My Kind of Boy,” and Molly’s with “My Kind of Girl,” as a play on their first dance song.

Inside the ballroom, dinner tables were covered with sparkling linens and topped with a mix of high and low centerpieces comprised of garden and spray roses, hydrangea, stock, silver-dollar eucalyptus, nerine, seeded eucalyptus, Queen Anne’s lace, godetia, and Hypericum berries. 

During the classic Southern-style reception, everyone dined on a slew of passed appetizers, including bacon-wrapped scallops and stuffed mushrooms, then visited stations for their main course. Later in the evening, trays of mozzarella sticks and marinara sauce (in shot glasses), mini sliders, and hot Krispy Kreme doughnuts were passed.

Molly says her 92-year-old grandfather is the life of every party, and the wedding was no exception. “He had a ball and led everyone in a few of his favorite songs at the reception,” she recalls.

A Swiss dot pattern decorated the five-tier cake, which alternated between lavender-lemon and vanilla cake (paired with caramel buttercream). The confection was made by Cakes by Chloe.

That wasn’t the only sweet on offer, though. In a nod to their dog, there was also a “Lucy’s Treat Table,” which included a variety of candies and bags to make goodie-filled “doggie bags.” 

“It was awesome walking out of the reception to a long line of friends sending us off,” Molly says of the sparkler-flanked exit.

Ceremony Location: Home Monrovian Church

Reception Location and Catering: Forsyth Country Club

Event Planning, Design, and Styling: Rebecca Rose Events

Flowers: Amy Lynne Originals 

Photography: Nancy Ray Photography

Stationery: Rebecca Rose Creative 

Calligraphy: Carole Murray 

Cake: Cakes by Chloe 

Music: The Maxx 

Rentals: Hauser Rental Service [tent and chairs]; La Tavola [linens]; Nüage Designs

Videography: Iron Kite Films

Lighting: Sound Illusions Events

Hair and Makeup: Colleen Kelly 

Transportation: Holiday Tours Inc.; Royal Limousine