1. Real Weddings

Maureen & Tommy: A Traditional Wedding in Winston-Salem, NC

Maureen Sheehy and Tommy Elrod didn’t need drama to enhance their romance. The accountant (Maureen) and football coach (Tommy) took a steadier route.

Maureen Sheehy and Tommy Elrod didn’t need drama to enhance their romance. The accountant (Maureen) and football coach (Tommy) took a steadier route. They met in graduate school at Wake Forest and became fast friends. The Bride Maureen Sheehy, 28 The Groom Tommy Elrod, 30 The Date May 7 After more than three years of dating, Maureen and Tommy went for predinner drinks at Graylyn, a 1932 estate and conference center that was originally a private home. As they were walking along the grounds behind The Manor House, they arrived at a footbridge where Tommy got down on one knee and pulled out a beautiful diamond ring. After Maureen happily said yes, the newly engaged couple celebrated over dinner and talked about what they wanted for their upcoming nuptials.

The Reception Decor
Tables that were not decked with the bridesmaid bouquets were topped with pink and green–striped or polka-dot vases filled with pink roses, greenery, and baby artichokes. Table names, spelled out in Maureen’s signature colors, were inspired by the Kentucky Derby (Triple Crown, Mint Julep, Secretariat, Smarty Jones), which took place on the same day.
When it was time for cake, Maureen and Tommy sliced into a three-tiered confection covered in white buttercream and adorned with pink rose petals and green ribbon.
When talking about the reception with her florist, Maureen said she wanted “something fun…a contrast to the formal ceremony.” Pink and green were chosen as the wedding’s official color scheme, and the hues permeated all the details.
The Food
The Escort Cards
The bridesmaids carried pink roses that saw a second life as centerpieces.
The bride walked down the aisle in a strapless chiffon gown with a satin underlay. Maureen’s cathedral-length veil was teamed with custom-made beaded hair combs, while her ultimate accessory -- the bouquet -- was a mixture of pink roses and white hydrangea.
The bridesmaids wore apple green knee-length Saeyoung Vu Couture dresses.