Stunning Watson House Wedding

Lisa and Spencer’s summer wedding at The Watson House was a classic celebration featuring outdoor dining, an arbor dripping with florals, swans swimming in the pond, and a quiet dock behind the house for photos of the newlyweds. With some nautical and Kate Spade-inspired details and pops of pink for color, plus the appearance of their adorable pup, their day was nothing short of perfection. Common Dove Photography captured their celebration!

A stunning Watson House wedding in Emerald Isle, NC

The Proposal

We vacation in Ocracoke, a remote island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, every summer. In high school, we would visit for the day. In college, we would camp out with friends. After college, we stayed in lovely villas and enjoyed the time off from work together.

The night of our engagement, he chartered a private sailboat for a coast around the harbor. We walked on the bow to look at the sunset, and he popped the question! We had a celebratory dinner and drinks at our favorite restaurant to follow.

About the Wedding

I love everything classic – nothing kitschy or trendy. I wanted to look at my pictures in twenty years and not laugh at bygone style. This is what was most important to me throughout the entire planning process.

We actually drove by our future wedding venue almost everyday in high school, on our way to the beach after school. I love the beach, but wanted a setting a bit more unique and elegant for our wedding, which led us to the absolutely beautiful Sound-front Watson House and Gardens. It fused the best of both worlds – waterfront beauty, coastal themes, and timeless elegance.

The Attire

My main goals in choosing my dress were to pick a timeless style that wasn’t too trendy, as well as choosing a conservative neckline that would conceal scarring I have on my collarbone from a car accident. I also LOVE big bows and had to have one on my dress! I chose my dress because of its simplicity of cut, neatly done box pleats, and boatneck neckline. I ordered extra fabric and had my seamstress custom-make a massive bow to my liking!
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Favorite Details

My cake! Cake is my favorite food, and cake tasting was the most fun aspect of the wedding planning process for us! We invited our best man to come with us, and his commentary at the tastings was absolutely hilarious. My cake vendor was such a pleasure to work with, and I had a very unique vision that he executed flawlessly. I wanted my cake to reflect a classic blue china print vase, but with more coastal elegance, and in my wedding color of bright red. I purchased brass swans online and my fiancé glued them to a disc, to make our cake topper. I now have the swans displayed in my home, and they are very tasteful.