A Romantic, Natural Wedding at Airlie Gardens and Bakery 105 in Wilmington, North Carolina

Despite their current residence in San Francisco, UNC Chapel Hill alumni Lauren Porter (27 and a digital media professional) and Marcus Lindroos (28 and a senior associate at Adams Street Partners), returned to North Carolina to say “I do” under a 400-year-old oak tree. “Airlie Gardens was the perfect setting for our guests to enjoy Wilmington’s beautiful coast and Southern charm,” Lauren says. The couple’s dog, Bailey, was on hand as the honorary flower girl, and she even made a surprise appearance on the couple’s garden-inspired invitations. Lauren asked her bridesmaids to wear dresses from previous weddings or events they already owned and loved. A live painter captured the couple’s ceremony, which incorporated Quaker traditions. A black-and-white dance floor and disco ball made the couple’s intentions clear to dinner guests. “I really cared about our band and our bar,” Lauren says. They hosted a cocktail hour both before and after the ceremony and included craft beer from the various cities in which they’ve lived on the menu. As for dancing, guests kept at it with the help of late-night Chick-fil-A.