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 Brides

7 p.m. Saturday
August 12, 2006
The Bellamy
Mansion
Photos by Tom Sapp
Robin's father, John Meyer of Wilmington,
escorts her down a parth of crushed oyster shells
to her groom waiting at the Mansion's rear steps.
Admiring the first dance are parents John &
Kate Meyer, Bruce & Anna Campbell; and
wedding coordinator Judy Bradley of Eventz!


To keep the mood festive after dark, illuminate the open-air bar, and light garden pathways, Japanese lanterns were hung from the huge magnolias that shade the Mansion’s grounds.

    And to ensure safe footing on steep 150-year-old staircases, strings of miniature white lights were twined among the greenery running up the house’s rear bannisters.
  Battery-powered lanterns made from glass blocks lit outdoor tables.
A Ringing  Farewell
 
The ceremony took place at the foot of the Bellamy Mansion's rear steps.
One summer evening in the Historic District
  Robin Meyer and Chris Campbell, both recent graduates of Clemson University, moved to Wilmington in the summer of 2005 to pursue their careers.
    When they got engaged in October, there was no question that the wedding planned for the following summer would be in Wilmington. After all, Robin is a native Wilmingtonian. And their choice of the Bellamy Mansion was a natural. The pre-Civil War landmark at Fifth and Market streets is just a few blocks from the Campbells’ new home in the Historic District.

Robin Meyer at the altar with her groom, Chris Campbell 		  Return to Cape Fear Trends index

Newlyweds Robin and Chris Campbell on the Bellamy Mansion's staircase.
 
Robin's father, John Meyer of Wilmington, escorts her to the altar.

Chris Campbell with his groomsmen.
Toasting the newlyweds   An outdoor event in the summertime is always subject to rainouts. But despite an overcast day and ominous forecast, ‘Plan B’ to move ceremony and reception indoors wasn’t needed. As tables and chairs were being set up late Saturday afternoon, the sky cleared and stayed blue until nightfall. Heat and humidity, another worry in August, miraculously abated. Guests enjoyed a balmy evening with no need for air conditioning.

  
Robin and Chris do their first dance, watched by parents John & Kate Meyer, Bruce & Anna Campbell, and wedding coordinator Judy Bradley.

  The bridal bouquet and the groom’s boutonniere were white calla lilies. Attendants wore or carried pink roses. Floral designs were from Flowers by Jan.   Robin and her bridesmaids
'The Perfect Wedding'
  The ornate main-floor parlors of the Bellamy mansion were used for the buffet, cake-cutting and toasts. Some tables were set up on the broad veranda for guests who didn’t want to carry food down the steps.

       But most of the reception took place on the grounds. Tables and chairs were set up on the rear lawn. The disc jockey on the back porch played for dancers on a large brick patio, which was lit with portable globe lamps.

  
  Robin feeds Chris a first bite of wedding cake.

  Attendants wore red roses.
   Groom's boutonniere was a white calla lily.
  
Flowers and fruits in season
  Many of the fruits on the buffet were home grown.
Buffet included homegrown fresh fruits from the family’s own trees and gardens.

Lighted centerpieces were home-made from glass blocks, ribbon and magnolia leaves.
Home-made glass-block centerpieces were lit from inside by battery-powered lamps.

 

Vendors for this wedding:
Site: Bellamy Mansion Museum
Wedding coordinator: Eventz!
Catering: personal chef Mark Milner,
    affiliated with Culinary Creations
Flowers: Flowers by Jan
Cake: Apple Annie’s Bake Shop
DJ: Robert Jones, Forever Productions
Transportation: Classic Limousine
Rentals: Party Suppliers & Rentals
Invitations: Cape Fear Images
Photography: Tom Sapp Photography
Videography: Craig Thieman,
    Inspire Creative Studios
Video Editing: Josh Woll,
    Capturing the Moment

Services for parents of the bride:
Hair styling: Head to Toe Day Spa
Makeup: Faces & Training on Location
Dance instruction:
    Babs McDance Social Dance Studio
 
  Colorful lilies decorated the buffet.

   Bridesmaids' bouquets of roses harmonized with groomsmen's boutonnieres.

  

About to make her grand entrance to the dance floor ...
  With its three stories plus basement, the Bellamy Mansion offered plenty of comfortable space for the bride and her attendants to dress.
After the ceremony, Robin and Chris retreated up the front steps for a few private moments inside the house before rejoining their guests in the rear garden.
 		  The newlywed couple retreats up the Mansion's front steps for a few private moments together before rejoining their guests on the rear patio and lawn.
Buffet was served in the Mansion's front parlor.  

A colorful buffet of both hot and cold foods was set up on serpentine tables in the Mansion’s largest main-floor parlor. An outdoor bar served beer, wine and soda. Bottled water carried custom-printed labels with the bride & groom’s initials. 		 

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Campbell make their entrance to the reception.  
    Because its primary mission is preserving and interpreting its historic buildings and furnishings, the Bellamy Mansion imposes some restrictions on wedding parties. They include a ban on throwing rice, seeds, petals -- or even blowing bubbles.
    So Robin and Chris devised tiny ribbon-bedecked wands with jingle bells for guests to ring in unison as they made their exit in a classic 1953 Bentley.

 Tiny jingle-bell wands were used for the couple's send-off, in place of rice, birdseed or bubbles. 		 
A Champagne toast for the couple as they depart in a vintage Bentley.


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