Vows that Wow: September Edition
Featured In This Article:
When planning a wedding, the endless pinterest boards of inspiration can easily overwhelm even the most intentional couples. For our September Vows That Wow feature, bride Sarah Ann shared how she and her mother navigated the planning process by establishing a single guiding principle from day one: timeless with a twist.
By filtering every decision through this phrase, they curated a celebration that felt thoughtful, cohesive, and enduring rather than bound to fleeting trends.
Southern Tradition, Edited with a New York Eye
Rather than focusing on a single cultural background, the wedding served as a seamless fusion of two places central to the couple’s story: Raleigh and New York.
Having grown up in Raleigh, the bride anchored the weekend in classic Southern elements, a historic chapel setting, black-tie attire, lush magnolias, soft candlelight, and classic white florals. However, because she and her husband, Matt, met and built their life together in New York, they approached these traditional foundations with a contemporary metropolitan lens.
Clean lines, sculptural elements, and a striking black-and-white dance floor modernized the aesthetic. The team at Curated Events Raleigh brought the design to life with elevated tabletop and event rentals that anchored the reception’s polished look. Overhead, Heron Events created a magical, romantic atmosphere with an ethereal display of fairy lights that illuminated the space.
As the night evolved, the celebration leaned into playful New York touches, featuring party props like taxi hats, Statue of Liberty crowns, late-night hot dogs, and custom “I ♥ the Roccos” details. The result was a fresh interpretation of Southern hospitality, classic, unexpected, and completely tailored to their joint journey.
“The details mattered, but how everything came together, and how the weekend made people feel, mattered even more.”
Quiet Moments to Remember
While the high-energy reception kept guests on the dance floor for hours, the standout memory of the night came during its final quiet beats. After the speeches, dinner, and cake, the couple shared a private last dance to “Someone Like You” by Van Morrison. In a room suddenly still under the soft glow of fairy lights, they took a collective breath to absorb the magic of a day that flew by all too quickly, a quiet, grounded finish to an unforgettable celebration.
Other Local Vendors:
Ashley Cakes, Watered Garden Florist, East Coast Entertainment, Abate Photo Film, Makeup x Samara
