“Market day in the Shire”
That’s how Ellen & Jayton described their vision for their spring wedding at The Rickhouse, and we loved helping to put this look together!
We LOVED working with Ellen & Jayton, because right off the bat they wanted to create a day that was totally custom and 100% them, a beautifully custom spring wedding! Together they love gardening, books, and Lord of the Rings, so it was exciting to merge these passions together in their wedding design. When we first started planning they knew they wanted to include live plants in their decor, and to showcase spring colors like sage green, muted teal, and redbud purple. We toyed with the idea of using vegetables in the decor, but in the end landed on potted herbs, family knickknacks, vintage books, and bud vases with locally grown spring flowers! Rachel Writes created a super cool design for the Rickhouse’s chalkboard, featuring the White Tree of Gondor and making our nerdy little hearts oh so happy!
Ellen got ready at the Rickhouse with her five party members, who all donned raspberry dresses in different styles from Azazie. Ellen herself wore a stunning Nevaeh dress from Wear Your Love, a sustainable wedding gown designer who uses organic cotton and focuses on waste reduction in their designs. Her aquamarine engagement ring and wedding band were both from Diamond’s Direct, and we love that the color of the stone was incorporated into the wedding colors as well!
Jayton and his party wore navy suits from Menswearhouse. When they arrived at the Rickhouse, Ellen & Jayton had their first look on the patio overlooking the Historic Durham Athletic Park before taking more photos with their wedding party.
Colorful paper lantern stars and lit up cherry trees added an air of festive magic to the Rickhouse for Ellen & Jayton’s wedding ceremony. The bridesmaids carried lanterns instead of bouquets, and Dean’s Duets played “First Time Outside” from The Secret Garden as Ellen walked down the aisle. Nothing gets us more emotional than movie soundtracks played on live strings. Except maybe seeing the groom’s son wrap fabric around the couple’s hands for a hand-fasting ceremony! This was truly a beautifully custom ceremony by NC Secular Weddings!
Event Flouret did an amazing job incorporating herbs, berries, and even dried lemon slices into Ellen & Jayton’s personal flowers! They designed the bridal bouquet, boutonnieres, and wreaths for the front doors. The rest of the flowers were picked up from local farmers at the Durham Farmer’s Market, and we displayed these in bud vases collected by the bride. Each table was named for various herbs rather than numbered, so guests found their names on a seed packet and went to the table with the corresponding herb! And we love all the knickknacks that Ellen collected, some belonging to family members, that we included in the centerpieces along with the plants, flowers, and books.
The rest of the evening comprised of tasty food, heartfelt toasts, and sweet dance moves. Jayton & Ellen showed off their moves in a choreographed first dance to “Collapse the Light Into Earth“, and then Emerald Empire Band got the dance floor going! And everyone (including us) enjoyed the greek yogurt cheesecakes from The Refectory Cafe.
Big thank you to all the vendors who helped bring this “Market Day in the Shire” theme to life!
Venue & Bar: The Rickhouse
Planner: Emily Katherine Events
Photography: Stephen Thrift Photography
Band: Emerald Empire Band
Musicians: Dean’s Duets
Catering: The Catering Company of Chapel Hill
Dessert: The Refectory Cafe
Florist: Event Flouret
Rentals: American Party Rentals
Lighting Rentals: Brite Creations
Hair & Makeup: Parlor Dry Bar
Officiant: NC Secular Wed, Cynthia Wooten
Ellen’s Gown: Wear Your Love
Bridesmaid Gowns: Azazie
Invitations: Paper Culture
Suits: Men’s Wearhouse
Rings: Diamond’s Direct
Dance Lessons: Fred Astaire
Chalk Artist: Rachel Writes
