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Jackie & Zack
July 10, 2010 at Graylyn
By Monica Young  |  Photography by sadie higs photography
 
Ceremony, Reception & Catering Graylyn
Officiate Reverend Henry May
Photography sadie higs photography
Wedding Director Joanne Stanley
Invitations Design Christine Cannon Martin
Calligraphy Carole Murray
Gown Nitsa’s Apparel
Bridesmaids Dresses White House Black Market
Hair SilkRoad Salon
Formalwear Men’s Warehouse
Flowers Floral Visions Design Studio
Cake Regi Originals
Music/Entertainment Ceremony: Elegant Ensemble; Reception: Leggz
First Dance Song “Come Away with Me”  by Norah Jones
Accommodations Marriott, Winston-Salem
Honeymoon/Travel Costa Rica
Transportation American Limousine and Holiday Tours
Favors White chocolate Bavarian pretzels from Long Grove Confectionary; Parasols from Beau-Coup.com
Reception Décor K2 Productions

Jackie Fitzgerald’s parents moved to Clemmons in 1999. As a young professional, Jackie was enjoying New York City, but decided to follow the rest of her family south after her sister and her fiancé moved to North Carolina, too. While out one night in Charlotte, Jackie, who is in corporate communications with Bank of America, met Zack, a consultant with SunGard Financial Systems. Five years later, the pair married at the Graylyn estate in Winston-Salem in an event that brought northern friends and family down for elegant southern hospitality.
 
"The minute we got engaged, my parents told us we had to see Graylyn. We came to Winston-Salem the next weekend, and it felt right immediately. It was such a unique space. We knew it wouldn’t feel like any other wedding we had ever been to."
 
One element that especially appealed to Jackie and Zack was that if it rained on the day of their wedding, the interior of Graylyn would still make a lovely place for a wedding. As their day approached, the forecast did not look as if the sun would shine in their favor. During the week before, Jackie was distraught that thunderstorms seemed imminent.
 
“I was so resigned to it by the time of the rehearsal dinner. However, as the guests arrived, there was such great energy that it didn’t even matter anymore,” said Jackie, recalling the moment that she realized that they weren’t gathered for the weather but for the wedding.
 
As it turned out, the evening of their wedding was a beautiful, raindrop-free, mild evening. They had feared that the dangerously hot weather would take a toll on guests so Jackie spent an “insane amount of time online” researching and ordering parasols. This thoughtful consideration of their guests’ comfort ended up making for beautiful wedding pictures as guests shaded themselves from the evening summer sun.
 
Zack watched as Jackie came down the aisle in a gorgeous strapless Rivini gown from Nitsa’s.
 
"I found it [the dress] the first day at the first store, which surprised me. I love shopping and thought I’d milk this and explore every option. Another surprise was that the ones I thought I would like weren’t the right style for me"
 
“Since this gown was part of a trunk show and wouldn’t be at the store the next week, it just felt like fate. We did visit another store before buying it, but Nitsa’s was such a wonderful experience,” recalled Jackie.
 
The bridesmaids’ dresses all came from White House Black Market and were of different designs. Jackie wanted simple, affordable, elegant dresses since everyone was traveling to the wedding from different cities. She instructed the five bridesmaids to choose a black satin, knee-length dress from the White House Black Market in their area. Ironically, every woman chose something different because the stores carried various styles in the fabric.
 
Both the bridal gown and black bridesmaids’ dresses made the floral designs pop. When it came to planning this aspect of the wedding, Jackie felt flummoxed.
 
“I was dreading choosing flowers because I always heard they were so expensive.”
 
 I didn’t know what I liked and what I didn’t. I had no vision, but my florist, Wayne Hurst of Floral Visions Design Studio, made it so enjoyable.
“They have such energy and passion that they inspired me to come up with ideas I love. I didn’t even know I had opinions about some of the elements until they put it together for us,” said Jackie.
 
The flowers turned out to combine vivid red and vibrant hot pink roses along with fragrant, delicate peonies in an attention-demanding color combination. Hurst recommended echoing the same dramatic color selection for the bridesmaids’ bouquets, and they carried similar versions of Jackie’s arrangement. The tables, however, were set with towering glass cylinders filled with white flowers. The arrangements were surrounded by white candles for a truly elegant sense.
 
As Sarah Shinsky of sadie higs photography snapped wedding preparations coming together, Sarah visited Jackie as she was getting ready. Sarah showed the pictures to Jackie, who teared up. She remembered thinking, “I can’t believe this is my wedding.”
 
Both Jackie and Zach had their special individual moments captured since sadie higs photography uses the talents of husband-and-wife team Sarah and Jordan Shinsky. Sarah spent the entire morning chronicling the girls’ side getting ready while Jordan photographed the fellows.
“They both got great candid shots that really told the story of our wedding day, and it gave Zack and I a chance to see what our other half was up to before the ceremony,” said Jackie. “They did an excellent job with the formal wedding shots – but where they really excelled was in their candid shots documenting the day, and they were really creative in how they captured important details like the dress, rings, flowers and venue.”
 
Before the wedding, wedding director Joanne Stanley, stayed true to the desired timeline, allowing Jackie, Zack and guests to enjoy the festivities. People danced to the incredible band, an essential feature that Jackie and Zack wanted for their guests’ enjoyment.
The reception hall was draped in flowing white panels with white paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling. The ethereal effect, achieved by K2 Productions, transformed the room into a magical setting. New York relatives were treated to a taste of Southern cuisine, many commenting that they had never had grits before, much less shrimp and grits together.
 
"Getting it right was important. For the entire wedding, we were lucky to have partnered with vendors who shared the vision for our day."