Wedding Festivities on Azalea Festival Saturday

April 12, 2014 was the perfect day for Kate and Nolan Shoffner's wedding ceremony and reception. It also happened to be Azalea Festival Saturday, which is one of downtown Wilmington's largest street festivals of the year. It's celebrates everything we know and love about Wilmington - the beach, the spring, the local artist, vendors, and azaleas, all while bringing the community together for a 4-day celebration. The weather couldn't have been more gorgeous for their outdoor beach ceremony held at Fort Fisher.

The RiverRoom was rented for the wedding reception. The room was decorated with a beachy theme with carolina blue and grey linens provided by L & L Party Rentals. Gorgeous pink hydrangeas were spread throughout the room adding a feminine touch to the decor.

Guests arrived to the riverfront deck via Wilmington Trolley Company following the beach wedding ceremony. Cocktail hour was on the deck, where Middle of the Island Catering served some light appetizers, as well as beer and wine. The deck was setup with cocktail table and a couple additional round guest tables.

After enjoying the sun and some cocktails, David of DJ Professionals directed the guests inside for the rest of the reception. Brittany of Orchid Island Events did an amazing job decorating the room just as the Bride and Groom envisioned! Brittany is one of the best wedding coordinators in town and we love having her at The RiverRoom! The small guest list of 40 allowed for plenty of room for dancing and dining. We used round tables but put a rectangular table in the center to mix it up.

I love the driftwood incorporated into these pretty tablescapes! This was designed by Orchid Island Events for the bride and groom table.

Kissable Cakes made the cupcakes for the big day. They had the classics - chocolate and vanilla. A real hit with the kids too! The Audio Visual People hung the elegant Edison lights from the high ceilings of The RiverRoom. Ben Treece was the photographer with Treece Photography and did a great job taking the perfect photos for the Bride and Groom. He even posed all of the guests together at the end for a group photo (something that not every photographer thinks to do!)

Kate and Nolan were no strangers to the dance floor, along with their children! They danced the night away! And then, what better way to end the night than fireworks overlooking the Cape Fear River? Because it was Azalea Festival Weekend, the City of Wilmington hosts a beautiful firework presentation from the USS NC Battleship. We had time for a couple last songs after the fireworks and then Kate and Nolan said their farewells to all of their loved ones! Congratulations to you and your beautiful family! #shoffnerpartyof5