A black-tie wedding is considered a classic evening event with a formal dress code, and oftentimes, it comes at a high financial cost. Wedding prices increase quickly based on your guest count, especially when it comes to providing food and drink for guests. If you love the elegance and attire of a black-tie wedding but don’t have the budget to go all out, an intimate guest count may be the perfect balance to create the right aesthetic for your special day.

Our goal with this Vintage Black Tie & Pearl Styled Shoot was to show that elopements can be any formality, and this cocktail-style black-tie experience is a great way to get fancy without feeding steak to 100+ guests. The ceremony and cocktail reception were set in an upscale garden setting, with black and white details accented by pearls and gold for a simple, elegant look. Along with a sweetheart table, cocktail tables, and a dance floor, traditional details such as a cake cutting and first dance were included.

Vendor Team

The Vintage Black Tie & Pearl style shoot was sponsored by ElopeNC as elopement inspiration. All featured items and services were graciously donated by the following incredible vendors. The prices listed are estimates provided by the vendors to reflect what a couple could expect to spend on this 5-hour elopement, with 10 guests in attendance. Total elopement cost: $14,000-$16,000

Sponsor: ElopeNC (*ElopeNC members)
Venue: Key Rose Estate $4,500
Planner, Stationer: Designs by Lady Vye $1200-$2100
*Lead Photographer: Maria Sollecito Photography $650
*Florist: Green Thumb Floral Boutique $3,200
HMUA: Flawless Visions Bridal Suite $600
*Baker: Curbside Cakery $200
Bride Attire: Together As One Bridal Boutique $1660
Groom Attire: JT’s RSVP Suits and Tuxedos
DJ + Dance Floor: Five Star Entertainment $2000
Jewelry: Diamonds Direct
Rentals: Saam’s Party Tents and Rentals (price included with venue)
Associate Photographer: Anna Danielle Photography

An intimate, elegant, outdoor wedding venue

Key Rose Estate is a venue in Fayetteville, NC that, “specializes in black tie and elegant weddings and elopements.” The venue, recently purchased and given fresh life by Jessica Quiroz and her husband, is a fully outdoor venue with a long hedge garden featuring fountains set between two Tudor-style buildings, reminiscent of the rural countryside of England or France in days long past.

“What we enjoyed the most about this shoot,” florist Aften Solomon of Green Thumb Floral Boutique shared, “was viewing the property on Key Rose Estates. The outdoor venue is extremely beautiful and elegant, with so much character and scenic beauty!”

Not only did the venue set the scene for this vintage elopement experience, but the black, white, and gold details created an elegant black tie design throughout the venue, contrasting beautifully against the lush green setting. According to Green Thumb Floral Boutique, “All of the floral arrangements were inspired by the Vintage Black Tie and Pearl theme. Neutral tones accented the lush green landscape of the gardens with a very grand and upscale look but yet simple and compact as a collective key feature for the event.”

Associate photographer Anna Danielle Photography also felt that, “The location was great. Key Rose Estate is perfect for small weddings. Brides have a space to get ready, and there is enough outdoor space for a good number of guests while still feeling like a very intimate and secret location.”

Vintage elopement attire, jewelry, and bouquet

Our model bride and groom, a real-life couple, got ready in the venue’s dressing suite. The newly-renovated bridal suite featured an open area with large counters, multiple back-lit makeup mirrors, windows that let in natural light, and a large, elegant gold-framed mirror. 

Hair and makeup stylist Carmen Johnson of Flawless Visions provides “professional on location luxury bridal makeup and hair services.” She created a beautifully soft and elegant bridal look and did light makeup touch-ups for the groom. 

Together as One Fayetteville provided the bridal gown and veil. Bridal shop owner Cindy Harrington selected this bridal attire because, “The theme displays a soft intimate inspiration with class.” The Annika Wedding Dress (Morilee style #5872) had a sheath silhouette, lace bodice, wide straps, and a V-cut open back. JT’s RSVP Suits and Tuxedos provided a black tuxedo with a white shirt, black bowtie, and black button covers.

While the couple got styled and dressed, lead photographer Maria Sollecito Photography captured the details. Maria wanted to participate in this vintage black tie styled shoot because, “I do alot of elegant styling and posing. I was able to use my large soft box and be more creative with the detail photos.”

The paper details, provided by Designs by Lady Vye, were white with an elegant black script and accent designs, and included invitations, RSVPs, programs, and menu cards. Jewelry from Diamonds Direct included a double halo pearl and diamond ring, a freshwater pearl Y necklace with multiple pearls, freshwater pearl drop earrings, and an alternating pearl tin cup bracelet. These simple and elegant jewelry pieces, with the pearl halo ring in particular, created a lovely vintage bridal look.

When the couple was fully dressed, the groom was escorted outside to a hidden garden before a first look. Maria Sollecito said, “Since the bride had a form fitting dress, I was able to use my posing knowledge to accentuate her figure.”

“Our floral recipe for the bridal bouquet,” Green Thumb Floral Boutique shared, “turned out to be very tasteful and aesthetically pleasing, artfully designed specially for ElopeNC’s Vintage Black Tie styled shoot! The bridal bouquet was also very lightweight for the bride to hold during her photo session for the event. We incorporated eco-friendly, aromatic Baby Blue eucalyptus to add texture and elegant Italian Ruscus greenery for dimension to garnish the focal point and outer regions of the bride’s classy bouquet.

“The focal flower featured in our floral design for her chic bouquet were premium white Playa Blanca garden roses which have an abundant petal count, creating fullness and beauty! We also layered her bouquet with standard select white hydrangea as the base blooms featured in her garden style bridal bouquet. For the secondary blooms in her bouquet, we utilized novelty white Snow Flake spray roses. For the groom’s boutonniere, we also included Baby Blue eucalyptus and Italian Ruscus greenery. His boutonniere had novelty white Snow Flake spray roses as the focal flower in the design which created a very classy and debonair feel that accented and contrasted the color of his formal wear for the event!”

An intimate garden ceremony featuring pearls and gold

An intimate ceremony design was set up at one end of the garden, with a water fountain as the focal point. Gold chiavari ceremony chairs were set for 10 guests in two rows, with strands of pearls draped from the chairbacks. 

“Two tall exquisite arrangements displayed in the garden at the alter were elegantly designed with white novelty Larkspur cut flowers, premium white Playa Blanca garden roses, standard select white hydrangea, Italian Ruscus, Baby Blue eucalyptus and Robellini palms to add depth to the contemporary centerpieces,” according to Aften.

Formal cocktail reception for an intimate guest list

Outside the main garden on the front lawn of Key Rose Estate, a small tent was set up by Saam’s Party Tents and Rentals, which is a regular part of the venue rental. At the center of the tent was a dance floor provided by FiveStar Entertainment, who said, “We felt that our black and white dance floor set the tone for the ‘vintage black tie’ and the black and white centered theme.” Weddings of any size can include dancing and revelry, and we enjoyed creating a space where the couple could share a formal first dance.

“Because it is black and white, it brings more focus to the couple,” Maria Sollecito Photography said. “They also do not have to focus on matching and coordinating colors. Black and white is also better for skin tones. Too much red or blue may create a color cast on the couples skin.”

Centered on one side of the dance floor was the Sweetheart table, which was designed and set up by Designs by Lady Vye. The linens were black, with black and gold-sequin napkins secured by gold leaf napkin rings. Place settings consisted of gold chargers, gold flatware, printed menus, and stemmed glassware, as well as Mr and Mrs champagne flutes. Gold and clear candleholders were place alongside a small floral table arrangement to complete the tabletop.

In front of the sweetheart table, sitting on the grass, was a gold and glass riser featuring a large white floral arrangements. “The extra large sweetheart table arrangement was designed with a triple floral oasis tray as a special component of the mechanics, to add length to the low table centerpiece,” shared florist Aften. “The arrangement was designed with white standard select hydrangea, premium white Playa Blanca garden roses, and Nagi greenery. This created a stunning conversation piece for the couple during their reception scenery!” We were also able to repurpose the ceremony floral arrangements to add an extra impact to the sweetheart table.

Two cocktail tables were set on either side of the dance floor and included small flower arrangements that were designed with the same floral ingredients as the bridal bouquet, with an additional greenery called Nagi for a more bold and fuller look. One of the cocktail tables featured a beautiful, pearl-inspired wedding cake.

Curbside Cakery, who provided the 2 tier wedding cake, shared that “I had to hand place the edible pearls. The pearls are a sprinkle that is made of sugar. To get the white very bright, I added a drop of purple to counter active the yellow from the butter.”

Can you have a classic wedding aesthetic with an intimate guest list?

Designs by Lady Vye shared, “I feel the total look of this styled shoot was very complimentary of the Vintage Black Tie & Pearl. It held a lot of classic elements with modern day twist that still embraced the “vintage” essence. This look gives a lush look for an reasonable price.”

Green Thumb Floral Boutique said, “The styled shoot would be good inspiration for a couple choosing to elope because they could focus more on their personal, intimate experience on their wedding day, rather than the guests, wedding party or preparations for the ceremony and reception.”

“The overall theme of the photoshoot was beautiful,” says Anna Danielle Photography. “A very classic look that I believe many brides can relate to. It shows that even at an elopement, you can still have a classic and elegant wedding.”

“If you are thinking of eloping, don’t skimp on it,” Jessica of Key Rose Estate said. “It can be just as stunning even if it’s just the two of you. No reason to not have it all even if you are eloping.”

A perfect wedding is a day when you commit your life to your partner while feeling like the best and most perfect version of yourself, surrounded by people who make you happy, in a setting that feels comfortable, with decor that reflects your relationship. It was with this experience in mind that we designed this intimate Magical Vineyard Vow Renewal at Davesté Vineyards for a couple who is shy but loves to get dressed up. All details focus on white, silver, gold, champagne, and crystal to let the beauty of the greenery and vines pop, and to bring in the couple’s love of magic, subtle gold Harry Potter details were included.

Vendor Team

The Magical Vineyard Vow Renewal style shoot was sponsored by ElopeNC as elopement inspiration. All featured items and services were graciously donated by the following incredible vendors. The prices listed are estimates provided by the vendors to reflect what a couple could expect to spend on this 5-hour elopement, with 10 guests in attendance. Total elopement cost: $7,700 – $8,700

Sponsor: ElopeNC (*ElopeNC members)
Venue, Bar: Davesté Vineyards
Planner: Eva of *Emily Katherine Events $1,000
Lead Photographer: *Southern Belle Photography $2,000
Florist: *Power Petals $1,010
HMUA: Beauty by Haley Garber $500
Baker: The Icing & The Cake $375
Bride Attire: Char Bridal $1,800
Groom Attire: SF Tailors $858
Chair Rental: American Party Rentals $50
Place Settings: Southern Vintage Table $100
Keepsake: *Cirque91 Co
Stationery: Kaleh Sampson Designs
Jewelry: Diamonds Direct
Associate Photographer: *Through Lindsey’s Lens
Models: Stephanie & Matt Milosh of *Beauty & the Budget Events

Vineyard Inspired Elopement Design

Davesté Vineyards is a beautiful property in Troutman, NC, right outside of Statesville, that has a log cabin tasting room, covered patios, a pond and waterfall, rolling hills with large trees, and a trellis that’s perfect for a wedding ceremony. Near the rows and rows of grape vines sits a white barn, where the wedding party has the top floor to get ready.

With this lovely venue as the backdrop, our team designed a Magical Vineyard Vow Renewal that would be beautiful and classic while including subtle details to personalize the experience. The vineyard harvests its grapes in late summer, so the rows were full of ripening vines for this early-August elopement. Because ElopeNC Founders Stephanie & Matt Milosh were celebrating their 5-year anniversary in August 2022, ElopeNC members said they were happy to have them as models, and the setting was perfect for a day of dress-up with vendor friends. The Miloshes’ first away trip was to a vineyard, they were married outside in the summertime, and their pets are named Dobby & Bellatrix, so they were perfectly suited to the occasion.

“I think it’s great for people to see that vow renewals are just as special and meaningful as a wedding,” planner Eva of Emily Katherine Events shared. “You are celebrating your love and commitment to each other and it’s a beautiful occasion that should be recognized. Also, if there were certain things you want to do that you weren’t able to do at your wedding you have the chance to do those things now! I hear a lot of couples say they wish they had a more small and intimate celebration. It’s never too late!”

Hannah Bell of Southern Belle Photography says, “I think this design would be great inspiration because it shows how couples can incorporate their interests and passions without those details overshadowing their day. The couple’s love for Harry Potter could certainly be felt throughout the design but it complimented their love & shared interests instead of distracting from it. You can work geeky/nerdy details into your elopement or vow renewal while still keeping the design timeless and beautiful. Vineyards are also one of my favorite places to shoot elopements and Davesté Vineyards in Troutman knocked it out of the park! They had so many gorgeous backdrops for photos including the pond and the vines. Davesté had enough trees to offer shady portrait locations even before golden hour (which I think any photographer and couple would appreciate)!”

A Vow Renewal invitation suite by Kaleh Sampson Designs included silver and gold foil details and a custom watercolor design of the venue tasting room, inspired by the magical vineyard vow renewal and created by Cirque91 Co. The invitations were accented by silver and deep teal envelopes with envelop liners. Personal details like a Time Turner, a Hufflepuff pocket watch, and a dark green velvet vow book were photographed alongside the invitations and jewelry provided by Diamonds Direct. Jewelry consisted of a large Emerald-cut diamond engagement ring, diamond crescent hoop earrings with a vine design, a gold vine pendant necklace, a diamond bangle bracelet, and a men’s band with a square inlaid diamond. Additional fun details included a copy of The Half-Blood Prince, opened to “The Unbreakable Vow,” and a stuffed Niffler hoarding the jewelry.

Elegant Elopement Attire

As vendors began setting up around the property, styling began in the dressing suite on the top floor of the little white barn. Model bride Stephanie has a diverse European background with dark hair, a semi-fair complexion, and a medium build. Hair and makeup artist Beauty by Haley Garber customized an upstyle for the bride based on the client’s facial features to frame her face, as well as to compliment her gown, the weather that day, and the overall vibe that was desired. This ensured a long-lasting, clean, boho hairstyle ready for the day and night. Long-lasting Temptu airbrush makeup was used, with other customized, high-quality products based on skin needs. Stephanie’s natural makeup style lasted all day, even through sweat, and her braided updo featured one of Haley’s signature hair flowers.

When styling was complete, Stephanie donned the attire provided by Char Bridal, based in Statesville, NC. The chic ivory mermaid wedding gown with bold floral lace embroidery was designed by Martin Thornburg (Style 220270_Daryn); the sleeveless dress included a curved V-neckline, a low back with covered buttons, and a semi-cathedral train. The veil was from Ansonia Bridal Veils, style 146IV. The ivory veil with floral appliqués along the bottom blended in so well with the dress and enhanced the magical vineyard aesthetic!

Groom Matt has a Scots-Irish background with fair skin, brown hair, and a reddish-brown beard, with a larger build. SF Tailors, based in Cary, NC, provided a fully custom-made bespoke suit and shirt for Matt. Owner Daisy saed, “I wanted to design a cool suit with some special accents to show some options that might not occur to people otherwise. I loved designing this suit! It definitely added some details I hadn’t tried before, and I loved working with a plus-sized groom.” The suit was in light tan, with cream suit pockets and shoulders. The shirt included his initials on the shirtsleeve and a message on the inside jacket lining that said, “True love stories never have endings.”

Hannah Bell says, “I also loved the groom’s Hufflepuff cuff links and custom suit by SF Tailors. These personalized details were subtle but reflected Matt perfectly.”

First Look at a Vow Renewal

“Stephanie & Matt never had a first look at their own wedding so it was important to them to have one at their vow renewal,” photographer Hannah shared. “I thought it was really sweet that when Matt couldn’t tie his tie, Stephanie stepped in and did it for him while he closed his eyes so it wouldn’t ruin the surprise. Seeing them have the first look a bit later was so special because they got to create a moment that they had missed at their wedding.”

Fully dressed, Stephanie & Matt took their flower details from Power Petals before the first look by the pondside. Denise of Power Petals said, “Silver bouquet and boutonniere holders called tussy mussy holders were chosen to bring the magical sparkle with a vintage vibe.” Along with the bouquet and boutonniere, she also provided the ceremony design, table greenery, and floral accents for the cake. The floral designs included privet branches, pokeberry, hosta, and white zinnias.

Private Vow Renewal Ceremony

The private vow renewal ceremony took place at the vineyard’s wood terrace facing the pond. Florist Denise said, “Greenery of privet was used to simulate the property grape vines; these branches have small young green berries that add elegant texture with the movement of the branches. Surrounding white zinnia with hosta leaves provided a gathering point for the privet branches and the flowing white sheers floating in the background. Hosta was also used in the bouquet, adding movement to an otherwise structured arrangement.”

“Another detail that I adored,” Southern Belle Photography said, “was the green leather-bound book the couple used to write their renewed vows in. I’m a sucker for tangible things, so hearing them read their vows out of a physical book instead of from a phone or a piece of copy paper was a reminder that their love has lasted and isn’t temporary.”

The decor elements were designed by Eva of Emily Katherine Events, a sustainable wedding planning company based in Durham, NC. Eva said, “It was fun creating a look that was whimsical and beautiful with quirky elements. When adding in personal themes like Harry Potter or Disney or whatever fandom you’re a part of, there is a fine line in trying to keep things in the realm of elegance and not childish. I think we succeeded!”

Dinner Table in the Vines

An intimate dinner followed the magical vineyard ceremony, with a long table for 12 set up in the vines. Eva shared, “It was the first time I went thrifting for decor items and it was so awesome to see what you could find. The tablecloths were actually curtains we found at TJ Maxx – you never know what’s out there! It was so fun to see everything come together! We got creative with the table set up and tried to keep it whimsical and still sparkly to keep with the diamond birthstone inspiration. Usually, tables are very vibrant, but the subtle golds and silvers really caught the eye when mixed with the crystal accents from the salad plates, water goblets, and candle sticks. It was fun to do a more toned-down setup color-wise but still have that wow factor we were looking for.”

To bring in more natural elements to coordinate with the grape vines and ceremony design for the dinner table in the vines, Denise of Power Petals said, “Adding privet branches with a touch of pokeberry to the table allowed the crystal to pop and take the lead for the table setting. The branches also made it seem as though the grape vines flowed from the trellis across the table. Elegant, earthy, and magical.”

Emily Katherine Events worked with American Party Rentals to secure folding wooden reception chairs, and the place settings from Southern Vintage Table included vintage silver chargers, dinner and salad plates, flatware, and goblets, along with vintage glass candleholders and bobeches. To complete the place settings, custom place cards created by Kaleh Sampson were set at every guest seat. Hannah Bell says, “I liked how the table settings included not only a wand for every guest but also a place card with their name & Hogwarts house. It was a more intimate detail that showed the couple knew their guests, which made the reception more personal.”

A Dessert Table with Personal Details

A dessert table with personal details for decor was set up on the tasting room patio. Model couple Stephanie & Matt displayed their magic wands, a pink and lace album from their original wedding, and a drawing of their pets, Dobby and Bellatrix, that says “Let’s Stay Weird and In Love.” These were special ways to reminisce during their vow renewal and include their furbabies.

Dessert was provided by The Icing & The Cake, including a cutting cake with gray and white marbled fondant and an edible silver sequin border, topped with a wooden cake topper that said Always with the Deathly Hallows. A macaron tower with Vanilla and Earl Gray macarons sat atop a vintage white cake stand and was decorated using flowers provided by the florist. “I wanted to show how you can use a small cutting cake and other dessert option to look elegant and appropriate for the event,” the baker shared.

Eva of EKE says, “I also brought some Harry Potter items to add to the magic aspect of the magical vineyard! I used a lot of Harry Potter elements in my wedding and honestly have a lot of Wizarding World items around the house so I was happy to bring some of those items to help add to the magic of the styled shoot. We also liked the idea of using a lot of crystal/acrylic items to give a slight illusion of floating objects. You can see those types of decor throughout the shoot.” In particular, we loved Eva’s Elder Wand cake-cutting set that had “Always” inscribed, as well as an acrylic quote sign that read, “Ginny Weasley: ‘It seems silly, doesn’t it? A wedding given everything that’s going on.’ Harry Potter: ‘Maybe that’s the best reason to have it.'”

Nighttime portraits with magical lighting

The evening ended with nighttime portraits around the property, including in the vines, rolling hills with a large tree, and the picnic area covered with market lights.

Photographer Hannah said, “While I always have an authentic, vibrant, true-to-color style, I do stay flexible and try to reflect the mood and atmosphere of the day and let it fuel my creativity. My work often tends to be more bold and full of contrasts, but with the theme and the gorgeous light at Davesté Vineyards, I chose to embrace a softer, more airy photography style for most of the day. That being said, I still got some of my signature night images in at the end of the night and that made me happy too!”

“This shoot showcased another unique way that couples can truly make their wedding day or vow renewal day their own,” stylist Haley shared. “If hiking a trail or a cityscape isn’t your scene, there are no rules saying you can’t have a beautiful intimate elopement at a vineyard where you can share wine and celebrate with those you are closest with.”

Through Lindsey’s Lens
Photography