Amber and Rayon's Dade City wedding was a stunning and sentimental celebration set at the bride's family home. Guests witnessed a lakeside ceremony before enjoying a delectable meal of comfort food and dancing under a canopy tent lined with romantic twinkling lights.
“I would describe it as a springtime Florida farmhouse. My dad has a beautiful farmhouse-style property in Dade City. Having my wedding at a family home was so special. Every time I visit my dad, I get to relive little moments of the wedding,” the bride beamed. “We chose dusty pink, rose, and olive green for our colors. They are my favorite colors, and I thought they were fitting for an outdoor wedding. Our wedding was on Easter weekend, and my favorite color is pink, so our theme had to include farm tables and pink florals.”
The Charlotte-based bride recognized the value of hiring a seasoned wedding planner to help keep the planning process organized. The Olive Tree Weddings provided services that were invaluable, impressing the couple with their caring personalities and professionalism.
“We were looking for affordability. I initially didn’t want to have a wedding at all, so I didn’t want to spend a ton of money on planning. I was so lucky to find The Olive Tree Weddings, who were affordable but also did incredible work!” Amber raved. “Looking back, the things I valued most about Amanda were her reliability (they were such a fun team to work with), flexibility, attention to detail, masterfully dealing with hiccups and chaotic guests, and great relationships with vendors. My planner was amazing in dealing with the chaos of having extra people show up.”
The pair personalized their wedding menu to reflect their heritages, serving cultural dishes and family recipes that were sure to please their 150+ guests.
“I grew up in Tennessee and Texas, and my husband is from Jamaica, so the food and drink menu reflected our southern and Caribbean roots with BBQ, mac n’ cheese, and Jerk chicken,” the bride detailed. “My father-in-law made his famous rum punch, which was a hit.”
The bride sought a photographer who would focus on capturing the emotions of the day and the events as they unfolded rather than snapping too many images of decor. Rachel from Rachel Elle Photography channeled her years of experience and warm demeanor to help guide stylish group shots and candid images throughout the celebration.
“I loved the shots by Rachel Elle Photography,” Amber gushed. “She was also wonderful at navigating my family dynamic and accommodated my own lack of interest in the more frivolous ‘fluff' like details shots, which I really appreciated.”
“Amber and Rayon are beautiful, down to earth, and so in love,” Rachel Lee, owner of Rachel Elle Photography, beamed. “Their private estate wedding was warm and welcoming, with thoughtful touches placed throughout the family estate to ensure the guests felt comfortable and were having a wonderful time. Capturing their day and working with such an incredible couple was an absolute dream!”
Amber and Rayon wanted to gift their guests special keepsakes to remember the day while also providing a beautiful and fun experience that evening. The Gala Photobooth's stylish setup was the perfect accent to their outdoor soiree, entertaining guests with gorgeous snapshots as an alternative to a traditional wedding favor.
“We didn’t want to do favors, so a photo booth was something that guests could enjoy and take home with them. The quality was great, so I would use The Gala Photobooth again for other events,” the bride beamed. “I loved the greenery wall and neon light, as it added fun flair while also fitting into an outdoor wedding scape. They were on-time and friendly, and the photos were stunning.”
Being surrounded by all of their favorite people meant so much to the bride and groom, but it was the ceremony that will forever stand out in Amber's mind as holding her favorite memories of the day.
“Walking down the aisle with my dad was the most memorable moment. It was the moment when I could see all my family and friends who showed up for our special day, and I was overjoyed,” the bride recalled. “The ceremony was quite funny as well. I said ‘I do' too soon before the officiant gave me the queue!”
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
I didn’t do a bachelorette trip, but I did have a girl's night / mini bachelorette party the night before my wedding (risky, I know); We had dinner at Jacksons, then went to 511 Franklin. Since I didn’t do a trip, my girls really went above and beyond to make it special. I also planned an IV from Drip Hydration for the next morning (10/10 recommend) so I recovered and felt great the next morning.
The proposal:
Each year in November, I host Friendsgiving. My birthday was on the Friday night before Friendsgiving, so Rayon took me out to a “birthday dinner” at Fahrenheit, a rooftop restaurant in Charlotte. When I got there, all my close family and friends were there, and I had no idea they were in town, so I knew this wasn’t a normal birthday.
After dinner, Rayon proposed on the rooftop with the Charlotte skyline in the background, and Friendsgiving the next day served as our engagement party!
What did you look for in a photographer?
I loved the shots by Rachel Elle Photography. She was also wonderful at navigating my family dynamic and accommodated my own lack of interest in the more frivolous ‘fluff' like details shots, which I really appreciated.”
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
We delayed our honeymoon to summer 2024. We are going to Europe and making a few stops (London, Paris, and Amalfi). We didn’t do a registry and instead did a honeymoon fund, so we are so thankful to our friends and family for helping us make this trip!
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
I would describe it as a springtime Florida farmhouse. My dad has a beautiful farmhouse-style property in Dade City. Having my wedding at a family home was so special. Every time I visit my dad, I get to relive little moments of the wedding.
What were your colors?
We chose dusty pink, rose, and olive green for our colors. They are my favorite colors, and I thought they were fitting for an outdoor wedding. Our wedding was on Easter weekend, and my favorite color is pink, so our theme had to include farm tables and pink florals.
What did you look for in a wedding planner?
We were looking for affordability. I initially didn’t want to have a wedding at all, so I didn’t want to spend a ton of money on planning.
I was so lucky to find The Olive Tree Weddings, who were affordable but also did incredible work! Looking back, the things I valued most about Amanda were her reliability (they were such a fun team to work with), flexibility, attention to detail, masterfully dealing with hiccups and chaotic guests, and great relationships with vendors. My planner was amazing in dealing with the chaos of having extra people show up.
Why did you choose to incorporate a photo booth?
We didn’t want to do favors, so a photo booth was something that guests could enjoy and take home with them. The quality was great, so I would use The Gala Photobooth again for other events. I loved the greenery wall and neon light, as it added fun flair while also fitting into an outdoor wedding scape. They were on-time and friendly, and the photos were stunning.
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations?
Our florist exceeded my expectations. The arrangements were gorgeous and exactly what I wanted.
