“If you love lace and gold, then you will fall in love with this destination lakeside wedding in Lake Lure, North Carolina. Gina and Chad’s summer wedding was overflowing with sophisticated DIY details, and this bride really took DIY seriously! She designed nearly everything for her wedding, including the tablescapes, flowers, cigar bar, s’mores by the fire, and her very own bridal floral halo. Her impeccable style resulted in the most lovely wedding and al fresco reception we’ve ever seen!” – JoPhoto

What is your favorite wedding day memory?

One of my favorite aspects of the wedding were the S’more Bar and the Cigar and Bourbon Bar that we created. Being from an italian family food was a necessity (lots of it!) and catering was one the areas we SPLURGED. Since it was a small wedding, we wanted our family and friends to be involved in the entire day. It started with homemade omelets, fresh pastries, local fruits, and bottomless mimosas and it ended with the a 4-course dinner that included antipastas, caprese salad, ravioli, trout and, of course, the cannoli.

What did you DIY for your wedding?

Our wedding included many DIY projects from the bouquets and decor to the invitations and jewelry. Gold spray paint was my best friend for the 4 months leading up to the wedding. We made many trips to thrifts stores where we would search for decor pieces to transform. For our flowers we decided to order online through FiftyFlowers.com and create our own centerpieces, flower crowns, and bouquet. As a graphic designer, I designed all the details of the wedding, from the invitations to the monogrammed tumbler gifts, even my jewelry!

Inspiration Behind Your Event?

My family was planning a lake vacation and they mentioned to us “Why don’t you get married at the lake!” With 4-months before the wedding and never even seeing the house we started the planning process. We wanted it to be an intimate wedding with only family and a few close friends. Since we were on vacation it was a week of fun for guests and family. When choosing the feel for our wedding we wanted the feeling of a romantic lake party drizzled with gilded glam. – Gina, the bride

Event Credits

Photographer: JoPhoto // Venue: Private Lake House // Dress: Tatyana Merenyuk // Makeup: Doll Box Productions // Jewelry: Gilded Honey // Live Band: Jeff Thompson // Film Lab: PhotoVision