C&D Events Planned This Classic Church Wedding in Raleigh
Whitney Davis of C&D Events Planned This Classic Wedding in Raleigh
For Mackenzie and Andrew, a Raleigh native, close friendship grew into a love story in 2013. Both attended East Carolina University, where they became fast friends as their sorority and fraternity partnered for events. After six years of dating, Andrew made Mackenzie a home-cooked dinner – Italian meatballs and spaghetti – and popped the question. For the couple, it was a given that they would tie the knot in their home state. After all, North Carolina was where they met and made many fond memories.
Mackenzie, who used to be a wedding planner herself, and Andrew entrusted Whitney Davis of C&D Events with the planning of their Raleigh wedding. “Our coordinator, Whitney, made planning from Washington, D.C. – where we lived for our engagement – a breeze,” Mackenzie says. “She blocked off entire days where we could come to town and knock out as many planning tasks as possible.” Whitney planned with precision even when the pandemic made lots of changes to the original plan.
“In the final weeks ahead of the big day, the pandemic guidelines were changing so constantly. [Whitney] monitored everything closely and was crucial to successfully changing our wedding venue … with only one month left to go.” Mackenzie adds.
Classic Church Wedding in Raleigh, NC
The couple married at the cathedral at Sacred Heart Church in Raleigh, with the reception hosted at Mia Francesca, the restaurant attached to the Renaissance Raleigh North Hills Hotel, on Aug. 29, 2020.
“We loved how the history and intricacy of the cathedral for our ceremony complemented the warm interior of the restaurant for our reception,” Mackenzie says. The pair felt that for a small wedding during the pandemic, both venues had exactly what they needed. In addition, they loved the atmosphere of the restaurant and reception space, and the convenience it offered. There was no need for wedding guests to travel to get from the reception to their overnight accommodations.
Thoughtful Wedding Day Details
The wedding color palette was classic white and black. Pops of emerald green, Mackenzie’s favorite color, stood out. Her bridal jewelry included a vintage emerald ring gifted by her aunt and a gold and emerald bracelet. Dogwood flowers, the state bloom, were also found in many details of the wedding. Bridesmaids wore white clay dogwood earrings. And the flower adorned invitations, gift wrapping and bouquets.
“Each bridesmaid chose a white dress in their own style,” Mackenzie says. Yet, she had a specific idea for their look. “I wanted a clean and bright aesthetic for our day, and hoped that each dress had a ruffle or some sort of structured element – and my friends sure delivered!”
Despite picking a new reception venue and changing lots of rental details with very little time left until the big day, Whitney’s expert planning made sure the couple was still able to celebrate their love in a timeless fashion. Thoughtful details that created a big impact and careful planning helped the couple enjoy their time with loved ones.
Timeless and Elegant Design from Edible Art Bakery
“Our cake was a show stopper!” says Mackenzie. “We were fairly set on our vision for the cake early on in the planning process.” The frosting matched the frills of Mackenzie’s dress. Plus, the chocolate and vanilla marble fit the classic theme focused on white and black colors. Edible Art Bakery & Dessert Cafè brought the cake to life. “Everyone raved about how fresh and delicious the cake tasted,” Mackenzie adds.
Decor by Raleigh’s CE Rental – Raleigh Wedding Pros
Guests were escorted to their seat with an envelope printed with their name and table number. Inside, Mackenzie painted watercolor portraits of the North Carolina Capitol Building, Sacred Heart Church, ECU and her sorority chapter’s house. And, the couple also wrote a handwritten note for every guest. Rattan chargers and white plates from CE Rental paired perfectly with monogramed napkins and emerald chiffon ribbons. Couches and luxe emerald velvet pillows from CE Rental added lush seating to the reception space.
The reception wasn’t without moments of laughter, too. “It’s these moments of humor, ease and everyone simply being themselves that we remember often and most fondly from our wedding,” Mackenzie says.
Lastly, Mackenzie offers some wisdom for engaged readers. “Be methodical with organization in your earliest phases of planning. It may seem fun to start dreaming of themes, colors and overall aesthetic, but you’ll set yourself up for failure if that vision is outside of what is logistically possible.”
She adds, “I’ve turned to Heart of NC [Weddings] for many years for wedding inspiration. … Heart of NC has made it easy to keep in touch with what local vendors are doing and the most creative approaches to weddings in our area.”
Step back to 2015 when these cuties modeled for a styled shoot!
