Classy Carolina Club Wedding with a Captivating Cuban Flair

College Sweethearts Seal the Deal with a Kiss at Carolina Club, a Classic Chapel Hill Wedding Venue

Michelle Sutton was born and raised in Chapel Hill. Never would she have imagined that the cute Cuban classmate in business school at The University of Texas at Austin would one day propose to her beneath the vintage vines of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Coker Arboretum. After immediately saying yes, followed by champagne toasts serenaded by local musicians in the UNC botanical gardens, Michelle & Javier Armenteros got right to wedding planning. The Carolina Club was an obvious first choice when it came to finding the perfect Chapel Hill wedding venue that could accommodate 300 guests with 5-star service. Michelle & Javier reserved the entire Carolina Club for their special day. The classic Chapel Hill wedding venue hosted a lovely cocktail hour in the downstairs restaurant and bar, followed by an elegant reception in the spacious grand ballroom.

Bride and Groom speak at Carolina Club wedding under the UNC Old Well replica during Chapel Hill wedding reception Anagram Photo

Engagement Ring on a newlywed monogram invitation in watercolor
Formal Wedding Invitation Suite in off white with Green and Gold Accents for a Chapel Hill wedding, by Anagram Photo

Some of the Best Chapel Hill Wedding Vendors Make a Lasting Impression

When asked about wedding planning, Michelle said, “I referred to Southern Bride and Groom’s vendor list the weekend after we got engaged! It was the first place I looked to find the most reliable vendors.”

Michelle & Javier prioritized local vendors from Southern Bride & Groom Magazine to give their Chapel Hill wedding a true North Carolina essence. Makeup for Your Day, a talented team of makeup and hair stylists based in Raleigh, gave Michelle a flawless wedding day look. Michelle’s softly curled hair and makeup were simply breathtaking. Last minute accessories such as a cathedral length veil and traditional southern white gloves completed Michelle’s angelic bridal attire.

The wedding party got ready for their big debut in The Carolina Inn, a Southern staple of Chapel Hill. Javier wrote a sweet love note full of promises to his bride before their first look. Meanwhile, the groomsmen played with their personalized bobblehead dolls!

Bridal Party in Pink Silk Robes getting ready at The Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill by Anagram Photo
HAIR AND MAKEUP Makeup for Your Day | LOCATION The Carolina Inn
Groomsmen Gifts of Custom Bobbleheads line a window sill at Chapel Hill wedding by Anagram Photo

Getting Ready for the First Day of Forever with Bella Bridesmaids Raleigh

Michelle looked stunning in an Oscar de la Renta bridal gown, whose intricately detailed v-neck transformed a classic dress into a chic gown. Bridesmaids adorned in burgundy Jenny Yoo dresses from Bella Bridesmaids salon in Raleigh. The chosen color palette of burgundy, ivory, and gold was inspired by the couples’ love of nature and the fall season surrounding their Chapel Hill wedding venue. Together, this bridal party was a Chapel hill born, bred and drop-dead gorgeous!

Tre Bella Flowers of Durham, NC designed the bridal bouquet with a mix of large ivory blooms to complement Michelle’s timeless gown. Meanwhile, the bridesmaid bouquets, ceremony flowers and reception arrangements included splashes of Carolina blue and other pastel colors with gold ribbon, vases and stands.

Bridal Party styled by Makeup for Your Day and carrying Tre Bella white bouquets pose in maroon Jenny Yoo gowns from Bella Bridesmaids Raleigh at The Carolina Inn Anagram Photo
HAIR AND MAKEUP Makeup for Your Day | BRIDESMAIDS GOWNS Jenny Yoo from Bella Bridesmaids | BOUQUETS Tre Bella
Groomsmen pose in black tuxes outside at The Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill Anagram Photo
LOCATION The Carolina Inn

The ceremony took place in St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Chapel Hill. Family, friends, and God were all present as the couple made their precious vows to one another.

Just Married at Saint Thomas More Catholic Church in Chapel Hill by Anagram Photo
Chapel Hill wedding portrait bride in Oscar de la Renta with Tre Bella bouquet and Makeup for Your Day styling Anagram Photo
Bride in an Oscar de la Renta v-neck lace bodice gown holding a white and green bouquet by Tre Bella Anagram Photo
Armentos and Sutton Wedding in Chapel Hill Family and Wedding Party Photo by Anagram

Fun Event Details and Cuban Food Traditions Spice up the Carolina Club Wedding

Michelle & Javier’s Chapel Hill wedding affair with Cuban flair was made possible with the incredible design of Carolina Club. Tablescapes appeared grandiose covered in white linens with gold plates and lantern escort cards, crystal-clear glassware, and Tre Bella Flowers, bathed in candle light. Boxwood wall displays from ThemeWorks, a decor company based in Raleigh, were decorated with strands of North Carolina gold pine cones and leaves. White gloved Carolina Club employees served glasses of champagne through the holes of the boxwood wall displays in a magical cocktail hour that earned oohs and ahhs from the guests.

The imaginative chef at the Carolina Club combined Michelle’s Southern hometown taste with Javier’s vibrant Cuban appetite to create deliciously unique appetizers, cocktails and a three-course dinner. Appetizers included mini Cuban sandwiches, plantain chips, croquettes and ropa vieja — muy deliciosa!

Elegant Tablescape with High Floral arrangements of greenery with white and purple accents at Carolina Club wedding in Chapel hill by Anagram Photo
Wedding Tabletop with Centerpiece of white hydrangea pink rose and purple floral accents by Tre Bella Flowers at Chapel Hill wedding by Anagram Photo
Newlywed Monogram Ice Sculpture and food display at Carolina Club wedding venue in Chapel Hill NC Anagram Photo
VENUE AND FOOD DISPLAY Carolina Club
Bride and Groom Chairs at Carolina Club Chapel Hill Wedding Venue that say Better Together and draped in woven linen Anagram Photo

A UNC Themed Wedding Cake Finds a Home Under a 10-foot Replica of the Old Well at the Carolina Club Chapel Hill Wedding Venue

For dessert, Michelle & Javier cut into a multi-tier vanilla and chocolate caramel cake made by a local Chapel Hill bakery. The classic white cake was covered in hydrangeas and topped with a miniature replica of the Old Well, the symbol of UNC-Chapel Hill. The happy couple even cut into the cake inside of a 10-foot replica of the Old Well, provided by the Carolina Club! This Chapel Hill wedding venue makes this Old Well replica available for rent for its wedding couples. Rumor has it that drinking from the Old Well will bring UNC-Chapel Hill students a 4.0 GPA, but perhaps it also brings a lifetime of happiness for newlyweds?

UNC Chapel Hill Old Well replica Carolina Club Wedding Cake display Anagram Photo
VENUE AND OLD WELL REPLICA Carolina Club

Salsa Dancing the Night Away with One of our Favorite NC Wedding Bands – Liquid Pleasure Super Show from ECE

Chapel Hill-based wedding band Liquid Pleasure Super Show set the mood for the reception and kept the party going all night long. SB&G Preferred music booking agency ECE – formerly EastCoast Entertainment – recommends this fabulous wedding dance band for local Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill weddings. Liquid Pleasure played a special Latin dance set which included reggaetón, salsa, merengue and “Despacito” to add Cuban flair to the Southern Carolina Club wedding.

Groom, Javier Armenteros says Liquid Pleasure made the reception unforgettable, “Dancing with my wife on stage with them was one of the highlights for me. The dance floor was packed all night which is exactly what we had hoped for. I can’t thank them enough!”

At the end of their perfect wedding day, Michelle & Javier Armenteros exited the Carolina Club wedding venue through a tunnel of friends and family shaking yellow maracas. Thanks to Southern Bride & Groom and extraordinary local vendors, this Chapel Hill wedding with Cuban flair at the Carolina Club was a dream come true.

Kid dance to Liquid Pleasure East Coast Entertainment ECE wedding music live band Carolina Club Anagram Photo
Bride onstage Liquid Pleasure ECE East Coast Entertainment Wedding Music Chapel Hill Carolina Club Anagram Photo
custom Glow Stick Batons with Wedding Hashag being used for Limbo Dance at Carolina Club wedding with ECE East Coast Entertainment Liquid Pleasure in Chapel Hill Anagram Photo
Wedding Exit with Maracas at Carolina Club wedding in Chapel Hill Anagram Photo
Just Married Rickshaw Ride at Chapel Hill wedding Anagram Photo

Do you want a wedding weekend full of music this captivating? Read our MUSIC WEDDING TIPS by the booking agency that brought this amazing band to Carolina Club.

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