Madison is one of the most creative, bubbly and friendly girls I’ve had the pleasure to spend time with, and her new hubby Zach is her perfect counterpart, with his calm, kind, funny nature. They’re the kind of couple who live their life for Christ; they met at church, starting out as friends who had no idea they would one day be married, and were sure to center their wedding around their faith, just as they center their relationship around God.
I met Madison over a year before her wedding, while I was setting up for Dakota & Andrew’s wedding. Madison was not only a guest at Dakota & Drew’s wedding, but she created all the beautiful calligraphy signs for their day, so we had the chance to chat and get to know each other. After the wedding, we followed each other on Instagram and I cheered her on when she and Zach got engaged in January 2019. Before I knew it, Madison was excitedly and anxiously calling me to ask if it was crazy to book the very first venue she toured, and followed the question up with “Oh, by the way, I’d love to hire you for my wedding!”
Even though she was already certain she wanted to work with me, we set up the standard consult to chat details before they booked me; when we got to the coffee shop, I excitedly greeted Zach like an old friend before realizing that he had no idea who I was – I forgot I’d only ever seen him on Madison’s Instagram! We had a good laugh, took care of the contract, and dove into the details. They decided to hire me for partial planning, which meant they could email with any questions throughout the process, and they definitely made the most of it! Type A, hyper-organized, creative Madison was my ideal client, keeping me in the loop on every decision and trusting my advice and expertise.
By the time wedding day rolled around, Madison & Zach were the absolute opposite of bride- and groom-zillas. Although they had a very specific vision for their wedding day, Madison let me know she had total faith that I’d bring her vision to life. And so, on August 3, 2019 in the industrial-chic Chatham Station, we set about creating Madison & Zach’s dream wedding.
Before the ceremony began, they opted to do a first touch (instead of a first look), holding hands in prayer and reading love letters they’d written each other. Madison also did the sweetest first look with her dad, step dad, and brothers. As we lined everyone up for the ceremony, there seemed to be no nerves, just joy and laughter. In fact, the entire ceremony was so joy-filled, Madison literally did a happy dance at the alter. To incorporate their faith, the ceremony was officiated by the pastor of their home church, and a friend led a worship hymn, inviting all guests to join in.
After the vows, the couple ran off with the photographer to get some beautiful sunset photos in a park in downtown Cary, and guests were invited to the patio of the venue for cocktail hour while the vendor team flipped the space.
To kick off the reception, the wedding party and couple were introduced, and we went straight into the first dance, followed by parent dances. Madison honored both her dad and step dad with dances (love!), and then it was dinner time! Tables were set with greenery, floating candles, and bridesmaid bouquets, and the look was tied together with dusty blue linen napkins.
Toasts followed dinner, and then it was time to cut the cake and open up the ices stand on the patio. Guests spent the rest of the night on the packed dance floor, snacking on popcorn favors, and lighting up the party with glow sticks.
The Vendors:
Venue: Chatham Station
Wedding Planner: Beauty & the Budget Events
Photographer: Hayley Gastiger Photography
Caterer: Mister & That Dang Woman’s Catering
Desserts: SweetWater Ices
Florist: Bushel + Peck
Officiant: Geoff Bradford
Band/DJ: Dow Oak Events – Kameron
Ceremony Musician: Randy Linhart
Rentals: CE Rentals | Capital Events
Bartender: The Happiest Hostess
Bridal Shop: Bridal Boutique of NC
Groomswear: Macy’s
Hair & Makeup: Jade Marion Hair
Stationer: Jane Butler
Calligrapher: Madison, the bride!
10/10 Would Recommend Working with Stephanie!
Stephanie was the perfect person to help plan our wedding! We did the partial planner package with her, and I couldn’t imagine a better counterpart (other than my husband, of course!) in planning our wedding!
She was perfect in affirming our decisions, providing guidance when we weren’t sure which direction to go, and assuring confidence in all of the details! – Madison & Zach