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A long work week left Melissa Unger and Cameron Diller too tired for an elaborate Friday night date. They opted for renting a movie and eating Chinese takeout. Little did Melissa know, this seemingly ordinary night would be anything but.

Full of fried rice and teriyaki chicken, the couple sat down to watch the movie, but Cameron disappeared. Melissa opened the guest room door to find Cameron kneeling amidst a sea of pink and white balloons. “I was completely blindsided,” Melissa says. “We had talked about getting married, but the way he proposed – I had no clue.” Cameron proposed and Melissa, of course, said yes.

Work and college brought Jersey-born Melissa and New Yorker Cameron to Charlotte. The pair worked together but did not get to know one another until a mutual friend organized an outing. “I was immediately drawn to Melissa’s attitude and the way she carried herself,” Cameron says. This first night out was quickly followed be a real “first date” – horseback riding in the mountains of Asheville. Melissa and Cameron hit it off on this romantic rendezvous, and two years later, Cameron was spending hours blowing up countless balloons for the perfect proposal.

Although hailing from the Northeast, the couple chose to have their wedding in Charlotte. “I’m more of a city girl, and he’s more of a country boy,” Melissa says, “but Charlotte is a hub, so everyone could fly in easily for the wedding.”

Melissa knew she had found the perfect place for her wedding when she walked through the doors of 119-year-old St. Mary’s Chapel in the heart of downtown Charlotte. “I wanted a small, quaint church with stained glass,” Melissa says. “St. Mary’s was everything I always wanted.”

Trolleys of the Carolinas provided transportation for wedding guests to and from the chapel and hotel. “They were amazing,” Melissa says. “Having Trolleys of the Carolinas was the best idea ever. And of course, having our picture on the trolley was cool!”

Party Blooms was Melissa’s source for all things floral. “When I brought out my bouquet – everyone gasped. It was beautiful. I love butterflies, and it had huge silver butterflies all over it. A florist at Party Blooms made it especially for me. I was blown away.”

The crowning moment for this couple on their wedding day was not in the chapel but on the dance floor. The couple’s first dance was a theatrical combination of swing and rumba, specialized to match their personalities. “I think the dance was the best part of the day,” Melissa says. “All of the hard work we put into it together made us bond even more before the wedding, and to accomplish something like that and perform it together – it was a great experience.”

Cameron and Melissa chose “Lucky,” by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat, for this first dance. “The words are exactly what we are,” Cameron says. “We’re best friends, and it’s so lucky to be loved by somebody like that.”

Split Second Sound provided the musical entertainment for the reception. “The DJ made the whole party beyond what we expected,” Cameron says. “He had every guest dancing the whole time – no one sat down! He did that and beyond.” Split Second Sound also surprised Melissa and Cameron with a monogrammed dance floor and incorporated karaoke – one of the couple’s favorite things to do together – into the reception.

A pink and silver theme recalled the pink balloons Cameron used for the proposal, and to Melissa and Cameron’s surprise and delight, downtown Charlotte was thoroughly decorated in pink for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. “The whole city was lit up with pink, from the tall building in Center City the bows on all of the trees,” Melissa says. “Charlotte matched our wedding!”

Even the little things in Cameron and Melissa’s wedding were unique to the couple. They made their own wedding invitations, and Cameron made the card box for the wedding day. “My mom made my veil, the top of my dress and my purse,” Melissa says. “I had to coax her into taking this on, but I couldn’t have done it without my mom!” From the invitations to the gown itself, Melissa and Cameron’s wedding was resplendent with their personalities. “I always wanted these personalized touches to our wedding to make it special,” Melissa says.

Melissa and Cameron were left speechless when they saw the photographs from their wedding, provided by Fort Mill Photography. “We chose Fort Mill Photography because we wanted candid, emotion-filled shots, and every single one was amazing,” Melissa says. “They just caught these wonderful moments. None of it was set up.”

After a honeymoon of zip-lining and snorkeling in Jamaica, Cameron and Melissa are now settled in Charlotte. “Since we got married, we’ve both blossomed,” Melissa says. She has since become involved in the Rock Hill Community Theatre, and Cameron is preparing to enter the Police Reserve. “People say that after the wedding, it gets worse, and I don’t think that’s true at all!” Cameron says. “It’s only gotten better. We support each other. Whatever she does, I am going to be there behind her, and I know she’ll do the same for me. That’s a good feeling.”

Featured Vendors

Flowers
Party Blooms
704-957-0884
Party Blooms

Music/Entertainment
Split Second Sound
704-907-9507
Split Second Sound

Photography
Fort Mill Photography
803-548-9585
Fort Mill Photography

Transportation
Trolleys of the Carolinas
704-348-1200
Trolleys of the Carolinas

Continue reading real wedding stories! Up next: ’Sister Act’