Alissa & Young’s Duke Mansion wedding was the epitome of elegance and class. Every detail was carefully planned and the entire weekend was filled with memorable (and photo worthy moments!) What better way to describe the event than the bride herself, Alissa!
“Style Me Pretty brought me to our venue, The Duke Mansion. A friend in the wedding industry suggested I follow the blog and @stylemepretty on Instagram for inspiration. Young and I were looking for a destination in the US that was easy to travel to for guests all across the country. It was important to us to have several days of activities where our guests could get to know each other. However, with a good deal of physicians in our guest list, we knew it would be difficult to plan a weeklong trip. The Duke Mansion, 15 minutes from the CLT International Airport, with guestrooms on site and a beautiful, classic aesthetic for a wedding was the perfect spot.
Official activities of the weekend included an evening rooftop welcome party, a tacos and tequila brunch, a private rehearsal dinner.. and the main event and afterparty, followed by a farewell brunch. And luckily, although many calls, emails and changes of plans back and forth, we were able to pull off the wedding mostly as planned. Planning a wedding from another state during a pandemic would not have been an easy feat without an incredible vendor team. Our wedding planner, Tiffany McCord of The Black Door Collective, was our eyes and ears on the ground and masterfully helped us pivot and plan as changes and challenges arose. Postponing our wedding one year due to COVID restrictions was alright if that meant getting to celebrate safely with the people we love most in the world. Being able to have most of the guest list we had initially hoped for was the best gift.
It was important that our guests felt pampered and also had a very personalized experience. Having several days of events leading up to the day of the event allowed our guests to get to know each other. It also allowed us to have almost no pressure on the day of the wedding to tend to each guest. I truly didn’t feel the typical “it all went by so fast.” I truly got to soak in every moment.
With my husband’s Korean heritage, we had scripture read in both English and Korean and our fathers blessed our dinner in both Korean and English prayers. I own a marketing agency, so I love the opportunity to design our invitation stationary and signage. There are some incredible wedding stationary artists out there, but this was my own personal touch on messages to our guests. The process was fun for me, and it was so special to see the paper products, menus and signage at the table settings, bar and more.
The beauty of The Duke Mansion allowed us to make more minimalist selections with our decor that really made the architecture shine. We were specific with the florals for the ceremony, that the greenery accent the white structure, and a garland of greenery was placed behind the law row of white chairs for a nice shot during the ceremony. Around every corner was a beautiful spot for photos, and it was extra beneficial that my photographer and videographer (a husband + wife team!) had photographed at our venue before. From what we found, if the venue fits the aesthetic you are looking for, there is much less additional planning and cost. And we loved hearing from guests how personal and easy the weekend was. All of the events were nearby and logistics had been predetermined. All of this left for more time to enjoy my husband, our wedding and our loved ones!”
See the full vendor list for this classic Duke Mansion Wedding below the images.
Venue: Duke Mansion | Coordinator: Tiffany with The Black Door Collective | Photo: Almond Leaf Studios | Florist: Weddings with Barbara | Cake: Delish Cakery | Reception DJ: DJ Rehab | Wedding Hair + Makeup: Sabrina with Look Love
