Lucas & Reese | Topsail Beach, NC

In the Spring of 2024, friends and family gathered in Topsail Beach, NC from Vermont, Montana, Portugal, and beyond to celebrate Lucas and Reese. We coordinated and planned an incredible destination wedding where everyone traveled to celebrate their love and commitment to each other. 

The Venue

They selected Topsail Manor for many reasons, but one of the main ones was because they wanted to have a centralized location to house all of their events and Topsail Manor was the perfect spot for their destination wedding. We were able to house their welcome reception on Thursday, Rehearsal Dinner on Friday, Ceremony + Reception on Saturday, and lastly their farewell brunch on Sunday. Their caterer, Zach, brought his skills and expertise from Dorset, VT and utilized the full catering kitchen to execute multiple meals, including their rehearsal dinner and reception. 

This wedding venue offers eight bedrooms (sleeping up to 26 guests), eight full private bathrooms, two guest powder bathrooms, two spacious living areas, full catering kitchen with commercial appliances, in home theater and game room, two levels of ocean facing decks, large ocean front pool with manicured lawn, as well as an ocean front gazebo with a private beach access. This wedding property is intentional and has everything that was needed to host an amazing event - including an elevator to help with all of the loading and unloading throughout our stay. 

The Food

Trying to coordinate menus for four events at a destination wedding can be tough. That is why we hire professionals to make sure everything is handled correctly and executed well. Zach did an amazing job - all while keeping the centrally located catering kitchen clean and accessible for all of the wedding party who were staying at the house. 

Thursday was a casual but incredible cook out that served Hot dogs + Hamburgers + Grilled Chicken + Shrimp on a skewer + Salads (Pasta, Potato, Broccoli, Green) + Death by Chocolate Trifle

Friday’s rehearsal dinner we served a large charcuterie board + Spring rolls + Wagyu pigs in a blanket + Arancini for the welcome reception. For dinner we served Penne ala vodka w/ pancetta/prosciutto + Chicken piccata + Zucchini + Caesar salad + Garlic bread + baguettes. The rehearsal dinner was an intimate dinner with just family and wedding party. After dinner, we opened up the space for all of the guests who were in town and offered snacks that included Flatbread pizza+ Pulled Pork Sliders + and Mac n cheese. 

Saturday’s cocktail hour started with a raw bar- oysters + shrimp cocktail + Cocktail crab cakes - pitchfork remoulade + Ahi Tuna Nachos + Beef wellington + pork potstickers- sweet chili sauce. The wedding reception dinner was an incredible offering of Parker House Rolls + a Carving station w/ filet + Bernaise or hot butter with lobster + Chicken of statler + Crispy Fingerling potatoes + Asparagus. 

Sunday brunch was orchestrated by family and included bagels + lox + fixings + fruit + local pastries by L&S Prestano Italian Bake Shop. 

While we were coordinating all of these large scale meals, we also had to incorporate breakfasts and lunches each day. Planning ahead and making sure we had all of the groceries and the plans in place made the long wedding weekend flow smoothly. 

The Logistics

Whenever you are doing a very DIY wedding it is so important to delegate and stay organized. Reese and Lucas organized all of the items they were bringing down in numbered tubs with an outline of the contents of each. This helped to quickly locate items during wedding setup, which was key when we were setting up for four separate events. Their friends and family were eager to help out and we found the perfect job for each - whether it was steaming linens, folding napkins, tying ribbons, etc. Pro tip - this can be a little overwhelming in the moment. Understanding what needs to be done and what can be easily delegated is so important to keeping the wedding day running smoothly. 

The Design 

The general aesthetic that Reese and Lucas were going for was simple elegance to accentuate the beauty of their venue and the landscape. Logan, of Logan Cole Designs, arranged beautiful florals despite the heat. They had a whimsical and colorful effect on the wedding aesthetic. The tables were adorned with light blue table runners that complemented the overall design. We loved the nod to the North East and the special touch of using Saratoga Spring water on the tables. The iconic blue bottles popped with function and color. Lucas and Reese sourced oyster shells and hand wrote each of their guests names for seat assignments. 

The Timing 

Reese and Lucas spent the morning with their wedding parties getting ready for the day. They came together shortly before their ceremony for a first touch, opting not to do a first look, but still wanting to take a moment to be present together before their ceremony. Reese did choose to do a touching first look with her dad. Their mid afternoon ceremony was scheduled around the tides with wedding party and family portraits promptly and efficiently following so that everyone could enjoy cocktail hour. Our newlyweds took a few extra minutes to relax on the beach with a bottle of champagne and just each other before joining the rest of their guests.

The Details

Lucas and Reese chose to honor some of their loved ones who had passed away or could not attend their wedding celebration with some photographs and notes. Nodding to the notes, they decided to ask their guests to write them a message to put in a bottle for them to read on their next anniversary.

The Takeaway

This destination beach wedding was filled with intention from start to finish. This includes intentional room for pivoting from the plan as needed and making adjustments as we went. With so many moving parts and pieces and having all wedding planning happen from a distance, flexibility is an incredible wedding allowance to afford yourselves. Lucas and Reese were involved but also able to hand over the reins and let me and the rest of their team manage their destination wedding so they didn’t have to. When you take the time during the planning process to think through all of the logistics and ideas, it makes your wedding day smooth and feel effortless. 

The Team: 

Wedding Venue: Topsail Manor | @topsailmanor

Wedding Photography: Michael & Deanna Photography | @michaelanddeannasing

Wedding Planning & Coordination: Nancy Ess Events | @nancyessevents

Wedding Florals: Logan Cole Designs | @logancoledesigns

Wedding Photography: Chef Zach Baker | @zach.baker802

Wedding Rentals: Perfect Touch Rental | @perfecttouchrental

Wedding Hair: Rachel Triller | @racheltriller

Wedding Cake + Brunch Pastries: L&S Prestano Italian Bake Shop | @lsprestanoitalianbakeshopRee