Fabulous places to Host a Wedding In New Bern, North Carolina

We love being wedding planners and designers in New Bern, North Carolina. We feel so fortunate to have a vibrant downtown area, with many different options for wedding venues.

I have to say, my favorite is Tryon Palace, and one of the reasons for that is that we are one of the teams contracted to plan weddings there. Also it is a beautiful venue and offers five different gardens to choose from and also the History Center which offers a large indoor space. One of the historic homes also is available for two hours before your event for a place to get ready.

For receptions in the gardens, a tent will be needed, but The French Bee will help you with that, so don’t fret. You will also need to think about tables, chairs, and linens.

There is no on property catering and Tryon Palace works from a preferred vendor list, so you will be able to pick one from the list.

https://www.tryonpalace.org/hosted-events/weddings

Another venue downtown New Bern, is the Jarvis at 220. It is perfect for smaller receptions, 75-120 guest will fit very nicely. For a ceremony and reception you would need to have a smaller amount of guest to make best use of the space. What is wonderful about the Jarvis, is that it has 4 bedrooms and really fun basement. You are able to rent the entire house out for the weekend, Which will give the Jarvis suite to get ready in, the basement to have the rehearsal dinner or just to hang out, a tent in the back courtyard. The tent is a basic tent, if you would like to fancy it up, The French Bee can help you with that. And all of it is really lovely and the inn keepers are anxious to attend your every need.

There are no catering facilities at the Jarvis, but they do have a small kitchen for one of the many New Bern Caterers to work out of.

https://thejarvisat220.com/events/

If you would like to have a church ceremony, New Bern offers a wide variety of churches for weddings. Some are more difficult than others if you are not a member of the church. At the French Bee, we know which ones require you to be a member and which ones do not. So if you would like to contact us, we would be more than happy to help you with that.

https://newbernnow.com/new-bern-places-of-worship-and-churches

A really interesting venue is the Craven arts council building. It has really interesting architecture and also offers art for your guest to look at and have conversation starters. It has no catering facilities, but there are some wonderful caterers in downtown New Bern who can accommodate your needs there. It is best suited for guest list of 100 or less.

https://www.cravenarts.org

If a waterfront wedding is what you are after, and you don’t mind a few people or boats going by, you can always choose Union Point, under the gazebo or in front of it. Be prepared for wind. You can rent it through the City of New Bern. You will need to bring everything you need, all there is here is a great view.

https://www.newbern.com/union-point-park.html

If dancing is what you want then there is venue that is also in downtown New Bern called Stanley Hall. This is a great place for a reception, with maybe the ceremony in one of the lovely gardens around town. This is an upstairs ballroom. They have tables and chairs that can be used. Although most people rent chairs due to individual tastes. It has a small warming kitchen for caterers. Be mindful about loading in and out, step stairway or a very small elevator

https://stanlyhallballroom.com

New Bern is very lucky to have some wonderful restaurants that can accommodate wedding receptions. Depending on the size of your guest list will help when choosing one over the other.

The Chesea restaurant has a large banquet room upstairs that can accommodate up to apron 150 depending on the style of reception that you choose. They have everything in house such as tables, chairs and in house catering

https://www.thechelsea.com

Another option in downtown New Bern is Cypress Hall restaurant. They have a small room in the back for aprox. 50 people or less. They also offer a buyout where you can rent the entire restaurant out for the evening, but you have to guarantee a minimum amount of money spent. They have to justify closing the restaurant down for an entire evening.

https://cypresshallrestaurant.com

New Bern has so many options for an entire wedding weekend. The French Bee would be thrilled to help you locate your perfect wedding spot. Please contact us, so that we can get started!

hello@thefrenchbeeevents.com

What does a Wedding Planner really do?

I have to say when I got married back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth, wedding planners really hadn’t evolved yet. I was your typical 23 year bride who only worried about the dress, the bar, and how many friends I could invite. The day of the wedding, everything was beautiful and everything went smooth as silk! Who needs a wedding planner, right?

After 20 some years of marriage, my parents decided to downsize and the kind of people they are, they kept every file ever made. So when I got this giant box from them, I just sat it in the corner for awhile. One afternoon I decided to look through it. There is the file, was my wedding file that my mother had compiled, no lie it was about an inch thick. I had no idea she had worked so hard, and the day of was so hard for her. There were designs, timelines, proofs of invitations, news paper write ups and various invoices. WOW She was my wedding planner and I didnt even know it.

I called her that very moment and asked if she had enjoyed my wedding. Of course she said “yes” but as the conversation went on, I realized that she really didnt enjoy it the way she should have. She was like a duck, smooth and graceful on top and paddling like hell underneath.

So that is why at The French Bee we ask you to be guest at your own event. My business partner, Christa, says the only reason that you were a watch is that may complete your outfit. So in order for a wedding to go off like silk, there needs to be inch thick file somewhere, just like the one my mother made for me.

People always ask do we really need a wedding planner, we have the person at the venue and they said they would have it covered. Let me explain a little of what we do and hopefully you will see why you need a wedding planner.

1. One of first questions we ask, is how many guest, venues, and then BUDGET. We are not trying to be nosey and find out how much money you have and maybe how much we are going to make. (believe me no one ever got rich from wedding planning ) We want to know your budget so that we can break it down into categories and help you find each vendor in that category that fits your style and budget. We have had some brides come to us in a panic, because they had already spent a big percentage of their overall budget on one thing and now they didnt have enough left to allocate for other things. We dont want you to do that. So that is why we ask that question.

2. Next we will show you how to use our online tools, that help you with checklist, guest management, design boards, layouts, and budgets. We will ask you to start to upload inspiration pictures to your design board. We will never copy someone else’s design, we just need to plug into your taste and wants. Also we will keep you realistic, we may say that picture is stunning, but it would cost __, Have you thought about doing something similar to fit more into your wedding budget.

3. After all this discussion, our designers will come up with a wedding design board that will work within your budget. It will show you colors, layouts, table linens, event rental furniture, flowers, lighting, draping. Basically every detail of the look of your wedding. And if you want to change it, it is a lot easier to change it here, on paper than in real life.

4. We will help you with your save the dates and invitations, and since we are intimate with the design of your wedding, we will be able to help you maintain the cohesiveness that will make your wedding reflect the same story of you and your fiancé throughout the planning process.

5. We will leave you alone for bit, while you go through the trials of wedding dress shopping, but we wont be able to wait until we see it!! All the weddings we do, and we still love the dress!

6. We will make sure you are on task with all the things you need to be doing, such as making your wedding website, we will be booking your blocks of hotel rooms and working out schedules for your transportation to get all the bridal party delivered where and when they are supposed to. WE also will be reviewing all your vendors contracts and reminding you when payment are due

7. We also will be working on coordinating all the signage at your wedding, such as welcome signs, table charts, signature drink signs and whatever else you may need. Are you tired yet?

8. Then after you RSVPS come in, we will sit down with you and go through the timeline for the entire weekend. Even down to who gets make up and who gets hair done. We will make sure all your vendors have this timeline in hand and understand it. We will also confirm their times to show up and take down, when we share the time line with them.

9. The night before we will run the rehearsal, and provide everyone for an itinerary for the weekend, so everyone know where to be and what time.

10. On the day of, someone from our company will be at your venues to ensure everything is happening as it should be and someone else will be checking on Wedding party to make sure everything going as planned, such as the groomsmen are back from golf and getting ready. We will be with you to tell you when to walk down the aisle and when to cut the cake.

11. Last of all, we will make sure everything is taken care of after your big exit. We will make sure all the vendors are paid and everything is taken down and venue is closed up.

So it is a full time job, but we love it! We are honored that couples allow us to be part of such a special day in their lives. We usually become very close with our clients and as happy as we are to see them celebrating their big day, it is a little bitter sweet, to see them leave.

Tips for an Outside Wedding

Have you always dreamed about being married in a beautiful garden, mountain side, or beachfront location? I agree it can be magical, but there are some tips that we have learned as wedding planners that you should think about to help you plan that magical outdoor wedding.

Big number one, you have to have a rain plan! You also have to be prepared to make that decision as well. Depending on how large and complicated your wedding is, will determine when you will have to call it. For a large wedding, The French Bee ask their clients to call it on Thursday between 10am-12:00pm ( for a Saturday wedding) There are a lot of changes to tackle and we need at least that much time for these. This is where your wedding web-site comes in handy, you will want to put your new location and address there. Also you will need to let people know via word of mouth and ask people to spread the word.

If the area where you are being married is typically buggy like it is in New Bern, North Carolina, it is a good idea to have a company come spray the day before the event so your guest aren’t on the menu.

When deciding on exact spot where you will be married, take the sun into account. You do not want your guest blinded by the sun. If it is going to be hot, you might want to find a place in the shade to help keep things cooler.

Try to find a spot where chairs can sit somewhat level. It would not be good for a guest to take a tumble because the chair was not stable.

You also might want to consider some sort of refreshment before the ceremony. When guest arrive at an outdoor wedding, they typically do not go straight to their seats and sit down. They will stand around and chat and if it is hot, it is always nice to have something to drink. If you do not want them to have an alcoholic drink in their hand during your ceremony, you might want to offer only non-alcoholic drinks.

It is a really good idea to have some sort of host to greet your guest, offer them a drink and when the time comes for your guest to be seated, your host can ask them to take their seats, or help get the ushers to start exporting people. Even though people have been to a hundred weddings and you think that they will know what to do, it is always nice to have someone organizing this, so that the wedding stays on time and seams flawless.

Try to time your wedding in those months where the weather is pleasant. No one wants to sit in the heat in August or freeze in February.

So yes, an outdoor wedding is beautiful, but there just some issues that you have to be aware of and deal with, inorder for it to be a perfect wedding

What it is like to get Married at Tryon Palace

The French Bee events is so lucky to be one of two dedicated event planners for Tryon Palace. Tryon palace is located in New Bern, NC and was formerly called Governor's Palace, and, was the official residence and administrative headquarters of the British governors of North Carolina from 1770 to 1775.

Tryon Palace offers a wide array of choices for wedding ceremonies and receptions. The number of guest the couple would like to have helps determine the site decisions. Wether it be on the South Lawn, a large lawn behind the palace with a view of the river or the Stanley house Gardens, a lovely little garden tucked behind the Stanley house with dual gazebos and a fountain as the focal point.

So typically on most wedding days, most of our clients will choose a place to have hair and make up done. Sometimes at one of our local New Bern B&Bs or at their personal home. It is always fun to have a little bit of munchies catered and brought in, and if you are up to it, a mimosa would hurt either.

At the Appropriate time, we will have transportation, maybe our fun New Bern Trolley, for you to one of Tryon Palace historic homes, where you can start pictures and start putting on that perfect wedding day ensemble.

At the same time The French Bee events will make sure that your guest are being ushered into their seats and the string quartet or whatever music is chosen is playing and being heard though out the gardens.

We will have a special place for Groom and best man to stand, just before they walk out to wait for you to walk down the aisle.

Next, we will make sure that all family members are escorted in a sequence that has long ago been decided upon.

We will time it perfectly as your attendants walk down the aisle and your guest wait for you to appear. The French Bee will make sure you have the appropriate pause so that everyone can stand and see you and you photographer will be able to get the shot of the two of you when you first see each other.

After the ceremony, Tryon Palace has a multitude of choices for your reception, maybe a chandelier lit tent or a temperature controlled large hall that is always a hit to have a band and dance floor in.

All your friends and family will help you celebrate long into the evening before we will help you make your grande exit, maybe with sparklers or rose petals.

We really wanted to share some of our favorite moments from some other weddings we have done at Tryon Palace. We hope you like them as much as we do. For more info go www.thefrenchbeeevents.com

Interesting Ideas on how to exit your Wedding Reception

Couples have enjoyed planning fun exits from their wedding reception for many years. Everyone seems to do something different. In some weddings, the bride will change clothing before exiting her wedding, usually it was a traveling suit or something similar. Especially if they were to leave for their honeymoon, immediately after the reception.

Now we use the exit as a way to say goodbye to the couple and send them away with well wishes. Also it makes great opportunities for photo opps.

One of the most changeling task is getting everyone in one place to stage the exit. Towards the end, people have been drinking a lot of the time and are having a fun time, and not in love with idea of leaving. So make sure you leave yourself some time to get everyone together. It will take several tries, trust us.

So make sure the couple hangs back and waits until everyone is ready with whatever is going to happen.

1. Consider leaving in an unique motor vehicle, such as a vintage car or motorcycle! This is great for a swift and steady exit that is sure to leave your guests thrilled and intrigued. Making for some adorable and or sexy photos, this send off is becoming increasingly more popular. If renting a vehicle, be sure to clear all of the details with your wedding planner beforehand for a smooth return process. 

   
   2. Another idea is throwing dried flowers.
   This is a great event incorporates all of your senses. Sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Delight your guests' olfactory systems and delight your sights by having dried flowers tossed instead of the traditional rice. An eco-friendly way to get sent off, dried flowers are not only biodegradable, but they smell absolutely wonderful. 

3. Marriage can allow you to reach higher heights. If your sense of luxury calls for it, a helicopter send off can be crazy cool! If you or your spouse has connections, this could be a wonderful send off leaving your guests awe-struck and in wonderment of your love. Be sure to check if your venue allows for this to take place before coordinating.

4. Another send off idea is to have streamers. You can have guests hold handheld streamer sticks and wave them as you and your spouse exit the venue. Coming in a variety of colors and styles, this is a simple send off idea that is both cost conservative and beautiful. 

5. Leaves

Hosting a fall wedding? Similar to throwing dried flowers, this could be an affordable and colorful common rice alternative. Gather some leaves from your local area, this allows for you to leave(s) your wedding with flair! 

6 Elevator Exit

Just like a Lifetime Holiday movie, consider doing an elevator exit if your venue calls for it. This is a dramatic send off idea that will make for some memorable photos.

7. Smoke Bombs

Exit your wedding in the colors of the wind with smoke bombs. Another increasingly popular send off, this is sure to leave you and your spouse with beautiful photos and colorful memories. A word of caution, if the smoke bombs are used improperly they can stain clothes.

8. Sign-Off

Sign-off with a banner of your love. If you have a particularly crafty bridal party or family member, this can be a simple and unconventional exit idea. Whether you run through the banner like you're at the end of your courtship marathon or you and your spouse dance away into the night underneath the banner, this is sure to make for a memorable moment. 

9. Butterflies

Releasing doves is so last century! Consider releasing butterflies instead! Flutter off into marital ecstasy with this beautiful send off. 

10. Fireworks

Give your guests dinner and a show! Another luxurious send off is to have a fireworks show. This can include common sparklers, or you can arrange for an actual fireworks show to light up the sky. If you're close to the water or in a remote location this could be an extraordinary send off considering the reflections of the light on the water. Either way, explode into married life with this fun and exciting exit idea. 

11. Horseback

Who said horses were only an exit strategy for the Victorians? Not you! Consider riding off on horseback into the sunset with your new spouse. A great idea for the more equestrian couples out there, you may want to practice riding sidesaddle before your big day. 

12. Boat

Sail away into the seas of love. Be sure to check beforehand with your venue that your wedding party is allowed out on the docks. Whether on a gondola, a speedboat, or a canoe, riding away in a boat is a very unconventional send off idea for those being wed next to a body of water. 

13. Paper Airplanes

Not into confetti or rice? Consider getting crafty and having your guests make and throw paper airplanes! You can purchase special colored or designed paper and have it setup as a wedding activity or have them pre-made. Although, this may not be a good idea if you're planning for a lot of children at your wedding; you don't want anybody getting their eyes poked out!

8 ways to make sure your Reception and Rehearsal Dinner have a different Flair?

Lately many weddings are having large rehearsal dinners. Couples main worries are that they will feel too similar to each other. There are dozens of ways to make sure the both have their own unique and individual feel.

1. For the Rehearsal dinner, do not use the same color palettes as the reception.

2. The Rehearsal dinner should never be more grand than the reception

3. If possible host both events at different venues

4. If you are having table assignments at the reception, let people decide where to sit for themselves for the rehearsal dinner

5. You may want to consider letting the rehearsal dinner have a more fun, jovial atmosphere

6. Choosing totally different music, perhaps in entire different genre, will also give both the events a very different feel.

7. You may choose to invite less people to the rehearsal dinner, maybe just family and wedding party. That will definitely give a different and more intimate feel. (although if people have traveled long distances, you should do something for them for the night before, even if it is an after dinner party)

8. slideshows, or videos may be incorporated at the rehearsal dinner . Some of your guest may enjoy seeing you as were dating each other or even you as children.

Feel free to think outside the box, to create different feels and atmosphere at both events. Just something to keep in mind while planning.

The Search for your Wedding Venue

When it comes to planning the perfect wedding, nothing sets the tone or affects more pieces than finding the correct venue. The challenge is that there are thousands of questions to ask and things to look for, not to mention that someone else's perfect wedding venue might not be yours.

Start With the Basics

You, your fiancé, and family might need to discuss a few things before you start to look for a venue. While everyone's perfect wedding venue is a little different, there are some common threads about what makes them great. 

We'd be lying if we didn't tell you that we thought the next step would be to hire a fantastic professional wedding planner( such as us at The French Bee Events). Not only will they help hold all the pieces together during your planning, but they'll also be invaluable from the beginning. Local planners typically know the features, capacity, and dos and don'ts of venues in the areas they serve. If you have specific wants, they can help guide you to places that might allow for those.

Where To Start Looking

There are hundreds of amazing wedding venues for you to choose from. A simple internet search can also offer you more options in the specific region you want or places of any particular style. While you're doing your research, it's important to ask many questions to best understand how your event will play out.

Things To Consider

Some of the main questions you will need answered:

1. Will the Venue accommodate the number of guest that you will have. You do not want it to be too small or too big.

2. Does the venue fee fit into your overall budget, Make sure that the fee doesn’t claim too large of a percentage so that it makes the other items in your budget feel tight.

3. Does the venue allow you to have they type of ceremony or reception that you want.

4. Does the venue help in creating the atmosphere that you want to feel at your wedding.

5. Are you allowed to have your wedding at the time that you want.

6. Is the venue opened for long enough for you to set up and take down.

Truthfully, no two wedding venues are ever the same. They all have different physical plans, catering options, and rules and regulations. So, don't be afraid to ask something you haven't seen mentioned on their information or heard them tell you on your site visit. Something as simple as bringing in your own caterer, providing your own liquor, or having candles might be a deal-breaker for you!

If you consider an unconventional wedding venue, there might be lots of new considerations, as opposed to a hotel or banquet hall. You might need to take parking into account, or the site might require the installation of a tent for your wedding reception.

One of our favorite things to do at The French Bee Events is to help couples find their perfect venue. We are one the on-site planners at Tryon Palace in New Bern and it has many different sites to choose from, but we also realize that the palace may not be the best fit for everyone. So we have extensive knowledge of most of the venues in Eastern North Carolina. Please contact us if you have any questions that we can help with.

6 Vintage Engagement Ring Trends To Shop, According To Experts

According to The Zoe report, You can always tell when someone is wearing vintage — the item is unique (thanks to an unusual cut, print, or color) and also imperfect, but a little wear is what makes it distinct. This is especially the case when it comes to vintage engagement rings. From the Victorian-era to art deco, choosing to buy an antique ring means you have the chance to share in the rich history of the sentimental piece on your finger — it doesn't get more special than that.

There are many reasons to shop for a vintage ring, One is the original nature of each ring, most are unique and hand-crafted, On a deeper level, modern consumers crave objects that aren't mass produced. "We sit all day in front of a computer, and while it's pretty amazing that a computer can make a ring, nonetheless it pales in comparison to a ring hand-crafted by a skilled artisan." Plus, there's a romantic aspect to buying vintage. "There’s a story to each. Most of the time we don’t know the story with a particular ring, however, with that said it evokes the possibilities of a storied past."

And, of course, sustainability plays a role in the popularity of vintage engagement rings as well. "Beyond looking for something beautiful, many people share a commitment to a green lifestyle,. Shopping vintage is an eco-friendly and conflict-free way to shop, as the purchase places little to no additional strain on the environment. Vintage pieces are made with materials mined long ago, thus ensuring that the environmental and social impact is minimized

Different era’s reflect different styles, for instance, Art Deco (1920s – 1930s) Engagement rings from this era often featured bold geometric designs with a larger stone set in the centre of a border comprised of round and baguette cut diamonds or of coloured gemstones.

By the 1940’s, only gold was used due to all the platinum being used int the war. People began to view diamonds as the stone of choice for engagement rings, thanks to De Beers successful marketing campaign.

Common engagement rings of the 1970s were chunky, set in gold, and meant to make a bold statement. The diamond rings of this time mirrored its fashion – floral and colorful, with lots of personality. The sleek fashion of the 1960s was over and brides of the '70s were all about glitz, flower power, and fun.

So different styles represent different eras. Why not pick a style that represents you. Have fun looking at some the vintage rings that we have choses to show.

Interesting Ways to Make Your Wedding Unique

As Wedding planners, and floral designers, We understand that each couple wants their wedding to be unique and different from all their friend’s weddings. At The French Bee, one way we handle this problem is that we send out a very extensive questionnaire about the couples interests, hobbies, backgrounds, likes, and taste.

At this point, we create a design based on these answers , season, venue and budget. We may have found out that the couple likes to hike in the mountains with their dogs. So why not use different stones from the trails to make placecards for guest to find their seats, or use framed photographs of different views on each table and use that to name the table so that your guest can use that name also to find their seats. If the dogs are a big part of the couples lives, maybe, have cookies made in the dog likeness and give as guest favors.

We may have found out that another couple got engaged at Tiffanies. It would be amazing to design everything around that unmistakable Tiffany blue. The centerpieces could be made out Tiffany Boxes and the appetizers could be served in ring boxes.

So I am sure that you are getting my point at this juncture. So the secret to unique weddings is to make about you and your fiancé. You want it to reflect your story and your tastes. Not all couples just off the top of their heads can tell you their story. So that is why at The French Bee we ask to have the questionnaire filled out. We want to really get to know our couples, so we can help create that one of a kind weddings. We use that questionnaire to pull out the little details, that no one else has thought to ask, so we can put those touches on your wedding that will have your guests commenting that you are so clever and how in the world did you ever think of that.

So that is how you make your wedding unique. You must make it about you and your fiancé. As I am sure that your story is not the same as anyone else, your wedding will be like no one elses. So I am not saying dont look at pinterest, and other wedding inspiration sites, but when it comes down to designing your wedding, you have to put some of yourself into the mix or it will look like that pinterest wedding, that I am sure that you have been to. Your guest will remember your wedding long after it is over, because you really made it personal and eventhough it is tough, you open up a bit and let them see what got you to one of the most important days of your life.

The French Bee is honored to be published in The heart of NC Weddings

Early summer, The French Bee and Thornbury Brides, Cynthia Rose photography, Small Batch, Scarborough Fair, The Jarvis, Famous Bakery, White Birch Rentals, Lipstick before Igoe, Bryan Wayne, Jackson Miller, and Jordan Hathaway all collaborated on a styled shoot. It spanned over two days, and six locations. Wow! it was a ton of work. It was like we were planning three weddings and it was HOT. Next time we won’t be doing an outside shoot in Eastern North Carolina in late June.

All the vendors felt so passionate about New Bern being a wedding destination. We wanted to get the word out. So what better way to have an article in a Magazine. The planners from The French Bee had met Jenna Parks, the owner and editor of Heart of NC Weddings at conference in Chapel Hill and reached out to her to see what she thought of the idea. She said she was on-board.

We wanted to show what New Bern could offer a wedding couple. We started at The Jarvis, a B&B in the getting ready stages, on to several shots at The French Bee’s home office. The next day we shot the “ceremony”in Tryon Palace’s Latham Garden, the cocktail hour in Tryon Palaces Hawks Garden and dinner in Peached Allie, then onto dancing and cake cutting at The Stanley House Gardens.

We wanted the style of the shoot to look timeless but a little cutting edge as well. We used a dried lunaria bouquet, also known as money plant to give a very etherial look. Our palate was the softest of blush, whites and nudes. We even kayaked and braved alligators to cut river grasses in the smaller parts of the Neuse River and jumped through road side ditches to cut cattails. By foraging for local growth, we brought the beauty of the area into the wedding design.

Our Models, Jordan Hathaway and Jackson Miller were amazing. They both are so pretty and talented, the made modeling look easy, when it is exactly the opposite. They had to look like a couple in love and they had just met that day. We had so much fun with them. It was like playing Ken and Barbie, the best was when Jackson started playing the baby grand piano at The Jarvis and Jordan just hopped on top to listen to him play. It made a great photo opp.

We really hope that this fabulous article will bring more couples to New Bern, so they too, can experience how wonderful of an area we have and see all the things we have to offer. We love our area and know all the nuances to pull off the most spectacular events. All of these vendors are so passionate about what they do and will not accept anything less than excellence. If you are interested in hosting a wedding that is beyond your expectations and dreams in an area that has so much to offer, such as lodging, waterfront venues, golf, boating, great restaurants and that historical feel, please reach out to The French Bee and we and our team of vendors will go to work for you to create an unparalleled event, that reflects you and your story.

The French Bee is honored

Aisle Planner, a company who publishes wedding advice and also offers software for planners has featured The French Bee Events in their real weddings blog. You can find the article in the following link,

https://www.aisleplanner.com/inspiration/story/3937/a-fall-palace-wedding-in-new-bern/

The couple was one of our favorites. We really enjoyed styling, and planning their wedding. We knew that the wedding had to be unique and very fashion forward, as the article states. We saw the dress and begged for the wedding ceremony to start at 6pm, which is one of the most formal times for weddings. A dress like that commanded candlelight, and elegance, that would be difficult to achieve with an afternoon wedding.

We decided with the couple to make the entire reception feel like everything was awash in a warm amber glow. Using a rental company out of Raleigh, North Carolina we had the entire back wall of the North Carolina History Center drapped in white organza and up-lit with that amber glow. The French Bee used 10-15 various types of candles on each table. The effect was glorious!

The flower palette complemented the amber lighting and charcoal grey velvet bridesmaids dresses. A big array of nude toned flowers were used. The French Bee’s in house florist used quicksand roses, toffee roses, and several varieties of white garden roses. All kinds of grasses were used as well. An enormous chandelier was made out of pampers grasses, and lunaria and hung 30 feet over the reception made quite the statement as a floral focal piece.

The wedding just turned out beautifully. The catering was great and the band out of Raleigh, NC played until the wee hours of the night and the guest really had an amazing time.

That’s when you realize that all the hours of planning, designing and creating a wedding pays off. You realize that you have helped someone with one of the most important days in their life and helped them attain their dreams and visions.