Caroline Compton and Patrick Joseph “PJ” Schaad II sweetly got engaged at High Hampton in Cashiers, North Carolina, and decided to return for their wedding. “It’s a very special place to both our families,” Caroline says. “Both have a residence there, and we have spent so much time there. It’s our favorite place on earth, and we loved that we could get married right where PJ proposed!”
The wedding aesthetic stemmed from a piece of art by Chelsea Fly, which was used on the Lettered Olive invitations and as a mural behind the bar, and from Caroline’s favorite color: pink. “I also wanted to pull colors from the dahlia garden and natural beauty around us,” Caroline says. “Our planner and florist, Tara Guérard, went over and beyond making all our dreams come true.”
But it was the fashion that Caroline loved curating most, and she worked with The Stylish Bride to do so. “I wanted the clothes to tell a story throughout the weekend and all relate to each other,” the bride says. “My blue rehearsal dinner dress was the first piece I had, which guided my decisions for the rest of the weekend’s looks.”
For the big day, it was always going to be Oscar de la Renta—but the dress itself changed. “I had chosen another style from Oscar but wanted to tweak some things to truly make it my own,” Caroline shares. “I called [my bridal consultant] to talk about my reservations, and a few days later, she called me with the news that I could try on a dress they had just shown during Bridal Fashion Week. She sent me a picture, and everything about the dress was what I had been dreaming of and looking for. I booked a flight and was in [New York] a few days later. The second I put the dress on, I knew it was the one!”
Caroline went custom for her reception, working with designer Patricia Voto of One/Of. “I wanted to change into something that was fun but still elegant,” she says. “My favorite color is pink, so it was a no-brainer that I had to change into something pink. We still wanted to keep it soft, so Patricia hand-beaded flowers onto the dress that ombrèd from white to pale pink. I loved the process from start to finish. There was no detail missed.”
She left her beauty to the experts, makeup artist Clare Balest and hairstylist Patrick Navarro. “I let Patrick work his magic based on what I was wearing,” Caroline explains. “The party pony for the reception was by far my favorite!”
On September 7, 2024, a bagpiper preceded Caroline down the aisle before she and PJ exchanged vows with the mountains as backdrop. “The weather was perfect, and the sun was shining all day,” Caroline remembers. “Walking down the aisle felt so surreal, almost like we were in a dream. We were both teary-eyed, and it felt like it was just PJ and me. When we recessed out, everyone tossed pink rose petals! It was so special and intimate, and multiple people told us they could feel our love all night.”
For the reception, Tara Guérard created a pink paradise beneath a clear-topped iron structure. Patterned and striped linens topped tables and white paper lanterns hung overhead, floral-inspired installations bloomed in circular seating areas, and pretty pink blossoms were everywhere. Caroline’s father kicked things off with a toast before the orchestra played and guests enjoyed burrata salad, steak, and grilled vegetables. “We ended dinner with mini cakes instead of traditional wedding cake slices,” Caroline says. “Each guest got a personal mini cake with a dahlia on top!”
As dinner wrapped, the Simply Irresistible band came through the tent playing “When the Saints Go Marching In” on horns to lead guests to the dance floor. It kicked off “three hours of nonstop dancing,” Caroline says. Then, back at the tavern where PJ had proposed, the space was transformed into Luna’s Disco—an after-party venue named for the couple’s beloved dog—complete with a DJ, live saxophone, cowboy hats, and disco ball party cups.
But the bride’s favorite moment came just before that, when she and PJ shared a private last dance to Kacey Musgraves’ “Velvet Elvis.” “Having a moment in the tent before the after-party, just us, was so special,” Caroline remembers. “It was a time when we could really take in all that had already happened in the night and how much love we felt for each other! I won’t forget seeing the confetti on the dance floor and how beautiful the tent looked with the candles, flowers, and decor; we will cherish that memory forever and ever.”
