A professional planner hosted her own $50,000 backyard wedding
Katharine and Caleb met almost eight years ago on Bumble. After their first date at a brewery in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, they fell pretty hard for each other, and it didn't take long for things to get serious. They dated about 7 years before Caleb asked Katharine to marry him. He proposed at Katharine's parents’ house—the same place they would later get married! As a wedding planner, Katharine of Katharine Mann Events chose to host a 14-person wedding captured by Megan Travis Photography and Cara Lee Video at her childhood home to keep the celebration small and personal. Her mom's garden, which she has worked on for many, many years, was the starting point for the design. Katharine wanted the day to feel natural and organic, as if the flowers by Green Bee Floral Designs came straight from the garden that morning and boy, did she hit the mark.
Wedding gown-inspired color palette
The color palette was inspired by Katharine's wedding gown, which had watercolor flowers along the bottom. The vendors pulled soft pastel shades from the dress—blush, lavender, peach, and light blue—and incorporated them into the flowers, décor, and details throughout the day.
Styling the "best dog"
Quincy, Katharine's college dog who now lives with her parents, got all dressed up to match the mother of the bride, wearing a bandana made from the extra fabric after Katharine's mom had her dress hemmed.
Unique bridal style: watercolor dress
The bride wore a stunning dress by BHLDN accented with muted yet colorful floral details.
On trend: mixing patterns
The bridesmaids wore equally as lovely, patterned dresses in a colorful muted palette of pinks, blues, and greens.
Fun tradition: dig up the bottle!
One of the most memorable moments from the day, was digging up a bottle of Buffalo Trace bourbon that the bride and groom had buried exactly one-month prior to their wedding day to keep inclement weather away. Everyone at the wedding, including their Officiant Heidi, took part in sharing a drink straight from the bottle. It was epic!
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Vintage butterfly motif
While sourcing décor, Katharine found vintage plates with butterfly motifs and decided to incorporate a subtle butterfly theme into the pastel design.
Reception design: greenhouse and garden
Because of the summer heat, dinner needed to be indoors in her parents’ air-conditioned living room, but she wanted the space to look like a greenhouse instead of a traditional living room. Green Bee Floral Designs and Si Events transformed the room with greenery, hanging lanterns, and layered floral arrangements, creating the look Katharine envisioned.
Bringing the honeymoon into the meal
For the wedding dinner, the couple hired Native Root Catering as their private chef to create a special coursed meal experience. They wanted the evening to feel intentional and relaxed, so a plated, multi-course dinner was the perfect post ceremony activity. Since the newlyweds were heading to Italy for their honeymoon, they chose Italian wines to pair with the meal, bringing a touch of the trip into the celebration.
Sample: the perfect curated menu
The carefully selected courses included ahi tuna with soba noodles, an open-face Caprese, spinach tortellini, grilled swordfish, and venison medallions. During dinner, the bride and groom invited family to give toasts—it was a beautiful moment to share a meal together filled with so much emotion.
Greenhouse-inspired wedding cake
The couple ended the night with wedding cake, cannolis, and local gelato.
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- Wedding Photographers: Megan Travis Photography
- Flowers: Green Bee Floral Designs
- Wedding Films: Cara Lee Video
- Hair, Makeup & Beauty: Kaitlyn Elizabeth Styling
- Event Planning & Design: Katharine Mann Events
- Wedding Dresses: BHLDN
- Officiants: Weddings by Heidi
- Cakes & Catering: Native Root Catering
- Cakes & Catering: Artsy Cakesy
- Lighting, Entertainment & Photo Booth: Sound Illusions Events
- Paper Goods & Calligraphy: KME Paper Co
- Paper Goods & Calligraphy: Calligraphy by Carole
- Groom & His Men: State and Liberty
- Rentals: The Prettiest Pieces
- Rentals: Party Reflections
- Rentals: BBJ Linen | La Tavola Linen