On the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), Carolyn Cate Tidwell and William Miller McLeane saw their friendship transition into a relationship during the fall of their senior year. Due to the year-round, charming beauty of the campus, Cate remembers UNC as a magical place to fall in love. A few years later, the pair would find themselves back at their alma mater — in the arboretum to be exact — with Will on one knee and Cate joyfully accepting his proposal of marriage. The night began with dinner at Top of the Hill, followed by a stroll through campus, dessert in the arboretum and dancing, and it came full circle with an engagement celebration at Top of the Hill with friends. “I will forever treasure that night,” Cate shares.
PinCate, from Nashville, TN, and Will, from Little Rock, AR, found each other at UNC, a dream school for both of them. After being friends throughout college, they began dating their senior year.
Last May, Cate and Will recited their vows in front of 450 guests at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Nashville. “We think the vows in the Episcopal church are beautiful, powerful and deeply traditional,” says Cate of the couple’s decision to have a traditional ceremony. Cate wore a classic white dress, a veil that was worn by her great-grandmother Percie Warner Lea in the late 1800s (and many women in her family after that), Mary Louise Lea Tidwell’s bracelet, which was gifted to her a year prior to the wedding, and her late grandmother’s ring. While the church reflects their appreciation for tradition and religion, their reception celebrates their appreciation for sentiment, family and history. Held at a spot that holds many special and formative memories for Cate, the reception took place at her childhood home.
PinCate and Will exchanged traditional vows at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Nashville.PinCate donned a lace, trumpet-fit gown with a sweetheart strapless top on her wedding day. In addition to the dress, she found the lace overlay and champagne sash, which brought the look together. After looking in the mirror and feeling like a bride, she said “yes to the dress.” “It wore so well on my wedding day (although I destroyed the bottom while enjoying dancing in abundance in the backyard that night),” Cate remembers.PinThe groomsmen looked dashing in white jackets, which complemented the Carolina blue dresses of the bridesmaids.PinThe bridal party’s blue dresses offset Cate’s beautiful white dress.Pin“Our whole wedding placed an emphasis on sentiment, honoring God, valuing our cherished relationships and celebrating our loved ones. We hoped the whole evening would feel like a true celebration filled with joy and that the reception would be warm, gracious and hospitable to all our friends and family. We wanted it to be meaningful, keeping the heart of what a wedding is all about at the center — the covenantal union of two people before God, committing their lives to one another forevermore,” Cate told us.PinCate’s father, filled with joy, walked her down the aisle to meet his future son-in-law, stealing a kiss before handing her off.PinThe church embodied all of the timeless, classic qualities that Cate and Will admire.PinThe newlyweds exited the church hand-in-hand as Mr. and Mrs. McLeane.PinThe bride, groom and the wedding party made their way to the reception at Cate’s childhood home by way of a trolley.
Dining and dancing capped off an evening of splendor in the backyard of Cate’s family home, which has been in the family since 1948. “Words cannot express how incredible it was to have the most significant people sharing our wedding day with us at my childhood home,” Cate says of the no-brainer decision in choosing the venue. The space was decorated with soft pinks, creams and whites to create the soothing, elegant look that Cate desired.
Guests were treated to Tennessee Ginger Ale (Moscow Mules), Carolina G&T (blueberry basil gin and tonics) and small bites during cocktail hour, which preceded a buffet dinner catered by Something Special (which also catered Cate’s parents’ wedding!). Following the dinner, the newlyweds cut into their wedding cake — and groom’s cake — and shared a first dance as Mrs. and Mrs. McLeane to “Unforgettable,” by Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole. The evening continued with dancing, laughter and joy until Cate and Will ran out the front door, through a crowd of family and loved ones, to their new life together in Raleigh, NC.
PinCate and Will were all smiles on their big day. Thanks to Libby Page, all of the week-of coordination and prep leading up to the big day was taken care of!Pin“The depth of significance and meaning is truly ineffable,” Cate says of celebrating with friends and family at her childhood home following their wedding. Cate and Will shared a private dinner in her sister’s room, entered the reception out of the back door and shared their first dance in the backyard.PinCate’s love of peonies led the selection for the day’s flowers. The soft colors paired perfectly with the bridesmaids’ Carolina blue dresses.PinTennessee Ginger Ale (Moscow Mules) and Carolina G&T (blueberry basil gin and tonics) were served during the cocktail hour.PinThe cake cutting took place in the family dining room, which allowed for a more intimate setting in which only the family and wedding party were present. The cake had layers of sour cream pound cake and chocolate truffle cake with caramel icing in the middle and buttercream icing on the outside.PinThe pair danced to “Unforgettable,” by Nat King Cole and and Natalie Cole.PinPinThe backyard was outfitted with tents and lights for the wedding celebration.PinThe SoulSations band kept the guests dancing long into the night.PinOnward to life as Mr. and Mrs. McLeane!Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. McLeane! Thank you for sharing a glimpse into your special day with us.
Alex is a Southern writer known for hunting down delicious stories and traveling the world with hunger. Her passions and interests lie in food, travel, interior design and inspiring people, and her dream is to eat a dozen oysters a day.
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