Purple Passion

March brought Milyeri and Neil's wedding: an elegant event in the heart of Durham which we'd been planning for just over a year. Milyeri is a Duke grad and a savvy New York lawyer and Neil is a gregarious South African whom Milyeri met while studying abroad, so we had a lot style and inspiration from which to draw ideas.

Milyeri's dream for her wedding was to have a sophisticated and expertly executed three course served dinner, an incredible band that could play everything from Luther to Mary J. (and all things in between), and a breathtaking room bathed in her signature color, purple. While I think we succeeded on all counts, nothing was more stunning that day than Milyeri, a timeless beauty who looked like she stepped out of Hollywood's golden era.

Enjoy a few photos below, mostly courtesy of our lighting guru, Dave Watson. Thanks for the gorgeous pics, Dave!

Milyeri and her bridesmaids, in amazing hand-made dresses. Check out the vertical bow on the backs of them!

Had to include a fabulous lounge area, of course.

Chandeliers placed strategically throughout the room brought down the massive height of the ceiling and added to the feeling of it being an elegant dinner party with just a splash of drama.

Crystals were hung from the tall, branchy arrangements placed in the cocktail hour on the bars and escort card table.

Purple crystal Waterford flutes for the bride and groom.

A shot of the room: we used 72" round tables, gold chiavaris with ivory cushions, gold rimmed china, three different varieties of centerpieces, and gorgeous menu cards printed with each guest's name at the top (in lieu of separate place cards). Tables were named for some of the couple's favorite songs. Fete accompli!