For Azaria Algarin and Ian Thomas, a beautiful wedding was never enough. Their celebration at The Revelry North End in Charlotte was designed to feel unmistakably personal—pairing abundant florals and tailored black-and-white details with handwritten vows, a champagne tower, unexpected entertainment, late-night hot dogs, and a room filled with the people who mattered most.

Azaria and Ian’s story began with an introduction that was decidedly modern: a mutual friend connected them on Instagram.

Charlotte, however, became the place where they fell in love. So when it came time to choose where they would begin their marriage, returning to the city that held so much of their story felt only right.

Ian proposed in Santorini, Greece, at sunset on July 14, 2024. Azaria walked blindfolded down a staircase as John Legend’s “All of Me” played before finding Ian waiting on one knee. Less than a year later, that same song would follow them onto the dance floor for the first dance at their wedding.

From the beginning, Azaria and Ian knew they wanted their celebration to be more than visually beautiful. It needed to feel meaningful, intentional, and entirely their own.

For Hospitality Butler, that became the starting point.

ELEGANCE, WITH PERSONALITY

The design began with a sophisticated foundation: black and white, abundant florals, dramatic lighting, and a series of tailored details that carried throughout the celebration. The original Hospitality Butler design guide explored everything from ceremony florals and reception tablescapes to a dramatic dance floor, custom installations, and the experience guests would have as they moved through The Revelry.

Azaria had been clear about one particular priority: flowers—and plenty of them.

White florals became a defining element of the reception, appearing in sculptural arrangements at varying heights and surrounded by layers of candlelight. Black brought contrast, while touches of gold added warmth and polish. Bows appeared throughout, including in the stationery and tablescape details, giving the formal palette a distinctly feminine note.

But what made the design especially interesting was everything that existed alongside that elegance.

Azaria and Ian’s list of non-negotiables included an indoor celebration, an extraordinary amount of florals, bows, a champagne tower—and hot dogs.

That combination told us almost everything we needed to know. This wedding could be sophisticated without taking itself too seriously.

A CEREMONY WORTH WAITING FOR

Azaria and Ian chose not to see one another before the ceremony.

Instead, Azaria shared a first look with her father while Ian waited until she walked down the aisle. Guests were welcomed with champagne before taking their seats, setting the tone for the experience from the moment they arrived.

Azaria walked down the aisle with her father to “Oceans” by Hillsong UNITED wearing a custom Pnina Tornai ballgown from Kleinfeld Bridal. Ironically, a ballgown had been the opposite of what she thought she wanted. It was only the second dress she tried on, but the unexpected silhouette immediately became the one.

Ian wore a custom look by Mitch Purgason, and together they exchanged handwritten vows during a ceremony officiated by Frank Bailey.

There is something particularly meaningful about choosing not to see each other beforehand. After months spent imagining every visual detail of the day, the ceremony becomes the first reveal that matters most: each other.

DESIGNING THE GUEST EXPERIENCE

Once the vows were exchanged, the wedding began to transform.

Cocktail hour took over the ceremony space while the reception waited just beyond it. Before the doors opened to everyone, Azaria had a private reveal of the finished room—a moment to see the vision she and Hospitality Butler had developed finally realized in its entirety. Then, rather than simply having guests enter on their own, Azaria and Ian led everyone into the reception themselves.

It was an intentional transition from ceremony to celebration.

The design extended beyond florals into custom architectural moments, including a one-of-a-kind bar and escort display created specifically for the wedding. A champagne tower created another celebratory focal point, while chandeliers, lighting, drapery, stationery, and custom woodwork helped transform The Revelry into something entirely their own.

Even the smallest choices carried personality. Azaria’s drink was a mojito; Ian’s, a smoked Old Fashioned.

Luxury, after all, doesn’t have to mean formality for formality’s sake. Sometimes it means creating an environment where the polished and the playful can exist beautifully together.

THEN CAME THE CELEBRATION

After their first dance to “All of Me,” dinner, speeches, cake cutting, and the champagne tower pour, the energy changed.

An aerialist took the stage as dancing began, joining a celebration that also featured violin and saxophone performances.

And then came perhaps the best expression of Azaria and Ian’s approach to the entire wedding.

At 9:15 p.m., amid the florals, chandeliers, champagne, and formalwear, a custom mini hot-dog stand opened for late-night bites.

It was unexpected. It was fun. And it belonged there precisely because it belonged to them.

That’s what makes a celebration personal. Not adding details simply because they’re beautiful, but knowing when to choose something because it makes you smile.

A CELEBRATION THAT FELT LIKE THEM

Azaria and Ian’s wedding was undeniably glamorous, but glamour alone isn’t what gave the evening its character.

It was the contrast.

A custom ballgown and a late-night hot-dog stand. Handwritten vows and aerial entertainment. Abundant white florals and graphic black details. Champagne coupes and mojitos. A meticulously designed reception that ultimately became the backdrop for a very real party.

Every element had its place because the wedding wasn’t designed around a singular idea of what luxury was supposed to look like.

It was designed around Azaria and Ian.

And perhaps that’s the most enduring kind of elegance: a celebration beautiful enough to take your breath away, but personal enough that no one else could have hosted it.

THE CREATIVE TEAM

Planning & Design: Hospitality Butler

Venue: The Revelry North End

Photography: Samantha Couick Photography

Videography: Zagga Digital

Florals: Kevin Lear On Main

Wedding Dress: Pnina Tornai from Kleinfeld Bridal

Groom’s Suit: Stitched by Mitch

Stationery & Signage: Papered Hutch

DJ & Strings: Cease Fire Production

Catering & Bar: Best Impressions

Luxury Chandeliers: Chandelier Events

Lighting: Radiant Rentals

Custom Woodwork: Sims Custom Cabinetry

Drapery: Curated Events

Rentals: Party Reflections

Aerialist Entertainment: Dakota Fox Entertainment

Wedding Cake: Kiley’s Sugar Shoppe

Photo Booth: Portrait Noir

Content Creation: Moments to Hold

Hair: The Tez Galliano

Makeup: Artistry by Deeva Monroe

Champagne Tower Glasses: Creative Solutions

Transportation: Avalon Motorcoach