Destiny and Ethan’s wedding day was a magical tale for the ages. When Ethan proposed to Destiny, it was a “no brainer” what kind of wedding they wanted.

“My inspiration for my wedding was Lord of the Rings. It’s my favorite book series with an amazing love story, not just romantically, but the love between friends. I wanted to feel like Arwen marrying Aragorn. My husband loves all things British and wanted a bit of a British feel, so it was the perfect theme.”

When Cherish, of Divine Inspirations Weddings, heard the bride’s vision of a fairytale celebration combined with British tones, she went to work to bring to life an experience that the bride and all her guests would remember for years to come. She knew that The Atrium was the perfect venue because of the “Secret Garden” feel. “We wanted to create something unique and surprising–something that had not been done in that venue. We wanted everyone who stepped through those doors to immediately see and feel like they were in another world. We wanted details that would be spotted all night long,” Cherish stated.

In a magical fusion of fantasy and elegance, this breathtaking Lord of the Rings themed wedding transformed a Wilmington, North Carolina venue into an enchanting Middle Earth inspired garden.

The Divine Inspirations Weddings Team created large trees to line the venue and cover the industrial Posts, with serpentine tables snuggled against them, styled with lush whimsical garden style floral arrangements in deep burgundy and eggplant hues. Guests dined beneath the canopy of trees and soft draping, with custom menus of acrylic and moss, and table names that paid homage to beloved locations from the legendary tale. The bride herself embodied Elven grace, wearing a flowing gown sourced from Ireland, complete with a sage green cape—a nod to the ethereal elegance of Arwen and Galadriel. She even had a small sword specifically made for the cake-cutting ceremony! A tartan was added around her bouquet for a nod to the British side of the groom’s family. While a drizzly day can sometimes ruin a wedding, it only added to the whimsical ambience of this couples’ magical day.

Destiny and Ethan’s advice for brides is, “[…] to hire a full-service planner. A lot of the stress of planning a wedding was relieved with a planner and I was able to enjoy the time up to it preparing for the wedding.” When the bride and groom had their venue reveal, the bride remarked “I absolutely loved the design! It felt like I walked into a fantasy land the moment you walked in the venue!”

Guests were amazed at the transformation of the venue and could be heard throughout the night saying how much it felt like they stepped into a Lord of the Rings world. 

When asked what her favorite part of the day was, the bride said “My favorite moment of the day was standing up there next to him in front of the arbor. I was so excited to be getting married to an amazing man with the support of our closest friends and family.”

The bride’s dream of wanting to feel like Arwen marrying Aragorn was fulfilled. As Arwen says to Aragorn, “I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone,” could be felt in every moment between Ethan and Destiny on their magical day. While you don’t need to take a trip to Middle Earth to have a fantasy wedding, getting to marry the love of your life in a breathtaking Lord of the Rings styled wedding is a fantasy in and of itself.