Ivey & Lyle’s Garden Wedding at Carillon
Ceremony Venue: The Village Green (facing Lake Carillon) at Carillon
Reception Venue: The Village Green at Carillon
Time of Year: Early Spring
From the Couple…
Tell us about the inspiration for your wedding day?
The inspiration for our wedding day was modern coastal meets whimsical garden meets dreamy and fun! We wanted it to match the vibe of an outdoor Spring day near the beach with light pastel colors and a light/airy feel. We wanted it to feel relaxed and not over-done, and I’m so happy exactly that was achieved!
Were there any special purchases or DIY aspects to your wedding? Let us know the details, and how you thought it turned out? Was there a story behind your special purchase, gift, or DIY element?
A personalized watercolor invitation, map and wedding weekend logo that matched the coastal spring feel that included our dog, Chess. One of my sisters designed it. We made the invites on Canva, and we printed koozies through Amazon. Everything turned out so cute! We also made a watercolor bar menu using an Etsy template that was the perfect extra touch to the bar area.
What were the florals like for your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?
We wanted a whimsical feel, so the focus was Spring blooms in beautiful pastel shades mixed with greenery. I love flowers, and I wanted them to be a big part of the whole design, which Tulip did fabulously. They created the most beautiful, dreamy atmosphere! Some of my favorite focal points were the ceremony arch, reception tent entrance, and aisle entry arrangements in rattan baskets. The string lights and rattan chandeliers were the icing on top!
Did you personalize the day in any way (string trio, guest entertainment, etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?
We loved having a band. That made the reception feel extra special and fun! We both have a huge sweet tooth, and I always dreamed of doing dessert in a special/different way than the standard wedding cake. A local baker made our dreams come true with what they did! They had a retro-style dessert trailer with homemade cookies, dessert bars, mini key lime pies, donut holes and cake shots. They also did a small heart shaped cake for us. All of it was so delicious and a hit! [Thanks to Heather at Sweet Magnolia’s Baking Co.!]
Let’s talk fashion. How did you both choose your wedding day look? What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
First, I wanted my wedding dress to be elegant, unique and flirty, but comfortable. I loved having a long, simple veil, simple jewelry, and a dress that didn’t over-power me. I wore light blue heels that were easy to walk in that had a little bit of sparkle to them, which was so fun! My sisters and mom chose their own pastel-colored/floral dresses. I had sneakers to change into for the reception, which was nice for dancing! The guys in our families wore simple black tuxedos. Lyle wore a black tux with a bird-feather bow-tie to add a unique touch.
How did you go about choosing your venue? Is there a special story related to your venue or location?
The beach, 30A especially, has always held a special place in my heart. It holds so many happy childhood memories with my family. It was my dream to get married in the area and have an outdoor wedding. Sometimes, I still can’t believe that dream came true! We actually found Carillon Beach through Instagram searching for venues along 30A, and I couldn’t recommend it more! It was so wonderful being able to be in a small beach community, but not necessarily have a beach wedding. Knowing our friends/family would be able to stay in the community and enjoy the beach/explore nearby 30A communities and see what we love so much about the area made it the perfect place.
Was there anything that helped keep your nerves in check on the day-of? (Besides the glass of champagne!)
Staying in a house right by where we had our wedding was so amazing! It made getting ready, doing the first look, and getting to where we needed to be stress-free! We decided not to do bridesmaids/groomsmen, but our friends stayed with us in our respective houses. My mom and sisters came over for hair and makeup the morning of, and it was so relaxing. It was truly the perfect set-up!
Do you have any wedding planning advice you’d like to share with other couples planning their day?
Having a wedding planner that was there from the start of planning to the end of the wedding day made everything so much easier and made the planning process and day-of not stressful at all! I cannot recommend it enough. Also, being able to communicate how you want the wedding to feel, including words to describe your style/vision is super helpful for getting started in the planning process. Focus on the things you really care about for the day and don’t get too bogged down about decisions on little things that you don’t really care about. Just because something has or hasn’t been done before doesn’t make it right or wrong for your wedding day. At the end of the day, you are marrying your person, and that is the most important aspect of it all! Take in the moments and enjoy it.
From your perspective now- what element impacted your wedding day vision the most? (For example, “I didn’t realize those glow cowboy hats would be so much fun, but they were!” Or, “the upgraded gold flatware made the table setting so elegant. Or, I would splurge on that upgrade again in a heartbeat.”)
I think just the overall feel of how we wanted our wedding to be and how we communicated that with our planner and vendors made the evening perfect! I loved having specials touches like the dessert trailer, flower petal toss at the end of the ceremony, and a relaxed but fun wedding exit of just a tunnel of our guests and a golf cart ride.
What was your absolute most favorite image from your wedding gallery?
Lyle and I on the beach at sunset! It was taken after the ceremony, and I feel like you can see how happy we are by our smiles/looking at each other. It is such a dreamy shot captured on film with my veil also being around us and blowing with the ocean breeze!
Tell us about any standout vendors on your creative team. We’d love to know what you (or your family) thought was “above and beyond!”
Our floral vendor, Tulip and our wedding planner, Renee were so incredible! They made our vision into reality perfectly, and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Our photographer was also amazing! Not only is she the most kind and reliable person, but she is so talented. She truly captured the day in the most stunning, timeless way. We will be able to look back on our wedding day through those photos and see every aspect captured beautifully, which we are so thankful for.
Vendor Credits
Planner: Renee at A Wedding Collection | Hair & Makeup: Caroline Miller and Jenelle of 30a Makeup Artist | Florals: Tulip | Rentals: H&M Event Rentals, Panache Tents | Photographer: Meredith Benton Photo | Videographer: C & Co Productions | Ceremony Musician: Casey, GTS Entertainment Group | Band: East Coast Entertainment, Papa Sol | Catering: Classic City Catering | Wedding Cake: Sweet Magnolia’s Baking Co. | Late Night Snack: Domino’s | Welcome Party Bonfire: Light Me Up | Bridal Gown: Anna Be Bridal Boutique | Groom’s Attire: Jos A Bank | Officiant: Blake Sherman | Ceremony & Reception Venue: Carillon’s Village Green
