A Sophisticated Rustic Wedding at The Fair Barn in Pinehurst, North Carolina

Stephanie De Contreras (24 and a marketing manager) and Thomas Mewherter (30 and a small business owner) met online on Match.com. After just one date, the two were inseparable. "After getting to know each other, we realized that we actually had a few friends in common," says Stephanie. "We’re both convinced we would have met eventually; we just sped the process up on Match!" Thomas proposed on Stephanie’s 23rd birthday at her mother’s home in Apex, NC. After getting ready for dinner, Thomas pulled Stephanie into the living room and gave her a birthday card to open. It was a sweet card with a sticky note covering the bottom part of the message. When Stephanie peeled back the paper, Thomas had written “Look Down.” When she did, he was on one knee with a ring in his hand. They caught the whole thing on hidden camera and Stephanie’s brother was waiting around the corner with a camera to take photos right after the proposal. It had already been arranged to have dinner with Stephanie’s extended family and then go out in Downtown Raleigh with all of her friends from college, so the night turned into a great celebration with all of the couple’s close family and friends.When it came to planning their wedding, the couple combined rustic elements like a barn setting, mason jars and twine details with shimmering gold accents, elegant chandeliers and bright floral arrangements to highlight both of their personalities and backgrounds. The wedding colors were purple, grey and gold and were reflected in everything from the tablecloths to the napkins, floating candles, and menu cards. Sentimental pieces were incorporated in various ways. The bride's bouquet was wrapped in purple lace fabric from a dress that belonged to her grandmother and was pinned with her "little" sister's sorority pin. Letters, instead of numbers, were used to mark the reception tables,each letter standing for something special to the couple. Each table had a small gold frame with an explanation of what the letter stood for, providing a glimpse into their life together.