a gorgeous wedding

this wedding over on Style Me Pretty is so stunningly gorgeous!



I could just get lost in the grey dresses, orange flowers, and simple yet sophisticated details. So beautiful! Go check out the whole gallery!

perfect weekend, perfect wedding, perfect couple

What a great weekend for a wedding this past weekend was! James and Jessica tied the knot this past Saturday at the gorgeous Rosa Lee Manor in Pilot Mountain, NC. Jessica knew what she wanted her special day to be from the beginning, so it was easy to bring her vision to life. Today I have some pictures from the set-up to share with you. I did double duty as a bridesmaid as well, so we'll have to wait for the professional pictures from the super talented Kim with Fusion Fotografix for the real deal pictures. And to see the full set-up, ha! But I wanted to share a little with you today!


These pinwheels made a path, along with mums, from the parking site to the ceremony site and then to the reception site. This picture does not do them justice.


Handmade programs in the baskets!


This pictures needs no words. So beautiful!


We marked the parents/grandparents seats with handmade bunting.


A table for guests' to leave messages for the couple in their scrapbook and on quilt squares.


A banner on the back on the bride & groom's chair!

Congratulations James & Jessica! Such a beautiful day!

Monogrammed Beach Bag {wedding shower gift}

Here's a beautiful striped beach bag I had monogrammed and gave as a wedding shower gift with a monogrammed beach towel and a matching clutch. This bag style has quickly become my favorite go-to bag because you can use it for anything! I used mine for my carry-on last week and of course I take it to the pool and beach regularly!









{all bags available for custom order, starting at $35. Choose your fabric, trim, etc. Monogramming available for $10 extra.}

we scout wednesdays {weddings}

hmmm...any excuse to talk about our wedding is a good excuse to me! It's we scout wednesdays over at Scoutie Girl and I couldn't be more thrilled that the theme this week is weddings! I started this little blog well after the wedding and haven't had an excuse to share pictures of stories here yet.

I'll start with the only snafu of the day and then the details!

 A story to remember: the only detail that did not go as planned was the cake. I had ordered a four tier cake, all different flavors, in a light turquoise with fondant gerbera daisies splattered over the cake. The baker got rear-ended while delivering it, and my cake ended up in pieces all over the back of her delivery vehicle. My aunts ran out to the local grocery store and bought this cake so that we would have something to cut on our wedding day!

I loved every minute of planning the wedding. Not once did I feel stressed or overwhelmed and I loved researching all the different possibilities and DIY projects. We knew from the moment we got engaged that we wanted an outdoor beach wedding close to my family's beach cottage in Emerald Isle, North Carolina. We chose the Dolphin Ridge club because of it's simplicity and because it could hold our 125+ guests. We rented 6 large beach cottages within walking distance of the club for the wedding party and families. All events were local and we rented a shuttle for the rehearsal dinner and party the previous night.

 I'm a huge fan of color, so I incorporated all my favorites into the day - bight pink, turquoise, lime green, yellow, and orange.    One of my bridesmaids told me she thought I was nuts when I told her that the bridesmaids dresses would be pink and turquoise, but when she saw them she absolutely loved them.  

 The boys wore khakie seersucker suits with turquoise ties {even the ringbearer!}.  The flowers were mixed bouquets of the wedding colors with a focus on gerbera daisies. 

 I either made or customized the favors {flip-flops with our initials on them and koozies}, the programs, and the guestbook {a scrapbook that followed our path to the wedding with spaces for personalized notes from the wedding guests}. We had an awesome selection of comfort/real food including chicken tenders, shrimp and grits, and roasted potatoes. We had a dj and a band so there would not be a lapse in music at any time during the celebration. These images were captured by our fantastic photographer, Leslie Ann Mills.  I wouldn't do anything differently and wish we had another excuse to throw a huge party!

Oh happy day!

Fashion Friday Home {Outdoor & Parties}

A little different approach to Fashion Friday today.  One of my favorite things about wedding and party photo shoots is the inspiration I get for decorating, both indoors and outdoors.  My lovely sorority sister, Elissa Keno, recently stylized a stunning Bohemian inspired wedding shoot (shot by the talented Kellie Kano) and let me tell you, the inspiration for a casual chic outdoor space is endless!







I want the table, chairs, china, glassware, flowers, and bunting in my back yard stat! Add some friends, yummy food, good spirits, music and the Crystal Coast breeze and you've got the perfect evening. Ahh, hurry up spring!

Check out more of the lovely shoot on Elissa's blog, Annabelle Lane.

a beautiful party

you must check out this simply beautiful and fun rehearsal dinner over at Style Me Pretty. I want to teleport myself right to the middle of the awesomeness!

A Wedding Giveaway over on Style Me Pretty

Engaged? Getting engaged soon? Know someone who is engaged and is totally stressing about the cost of a wedding?  Well, then you need to check out this fantastic Wedding Giveaway over on Style Me Pretty.  The prize is a full wedding to the winning couple.  You can nominate yourself or a couple you feel deserves this wonderful prize, how fantastic is that?!?

Real First Post

So, my heart must not have really been into in January since I find myself back in more than 3 months later! I'm going to give it an honest go this time around.

This blog will be about what I've been doing, both in my life & in my part-time job as creator/president, etc of Perfect Chance Memories. I'll also update you on any cool new sites & fun creative stuff I see out & about.

So, here goes. This weekend we went to Summer & Neal's beautiful wedding at the newly finished Pavilions at the Angus Barn in Raleigh and let me tell you, this place is gorgeous! I love a venue that is so pretty in its own right that hardly any decorations are needed. The building structure is open air & looks like a big, glorified barn. So much better than a tent, but with the same natural feel. And the grounds! Who could get enough? The landscaping was perfect, not over or under done. There is a big brick patio right on the lake perfect for an outdoor ceremony. This will become one of the premier spots in Raleigh for weddings. I did not take any pictures of the grounds, but check out their website -www.thepavilionsattheangusbarn.com

I did however take some pictures of the details that Summer added to event. Her flowers were perfect - simple & absolutely beautiful! Here are some close-ups:

These torches lit up the brick walk-way to the fire pit:

I love, love, love this color rose. Hopefully this picture will blow up nicely so I can frame it & put it in my house!


This is a fun picture of the lights hanging from the Pavilion. So rustic & perfect for any kind of decoration!