Sharing the LOVE of Christy & Vincent!

Not too long ago Love Cake re-branded and in an effort to get the word out, we held the Share the Love Wedding Cake Giveaway. Well, with their June 8th wedding approaching, I wanted to take a moment to let you get to know the contest winners - Christy Mercer & Vincent Forbes!

I was so happy when I met them for their cake tasting and consultation. They are such a lovely couple and after hearing their love story, I wanted to make sure to share it with you all.

How They Met

Vincent and Christy met in the eighth grade at E.B. Aycock Middle School in a Social Studies class. He introduced himself to her and shared that he knew her from church, as his mother attended the same the church her family attended. Christy said "We had a puppy love going on then and lost contact after attending different high schools in our hometown after a re-districting of schools. We somehow re-connected and dated during our Senior year of high school. He was supposed to take me to the prom, but I ended up going with my best girlfriend."

Life went on for the both of them, but then on August 9, 2016, Christy and her family unfortunately laid her mother to rest. Christy was scheduled to come back to Charlotte on the next day when she received a message on Facebook from Vincent. His mom mentioned to him what had transpired so he contacted her to say hello and to check on her after hearing the news. "That was sweet of him," she thought. And God’s timing was perfect. They scheduled a time for a visit at Christy's stepdad’s home the very next day. From there, their friendship grew and they began dating. They’ve been inseparable ever since. So, overall, they’ve known each for a total of 27 years!

The Proposal

When Christy's 40th birthday was approaching in February 2018, she began planning how to celebrate this milestone with her closest family and friends. She chose her favorite restaurant, Maggiano’s, which has also become one of Vincent’s favorite places as well. Her sister, Van, planned the logistics for the night and they were in the middle of playing a game where all the guests were asked to write down a memory they’d experienced with Christy. The object of the game was for her to guess who wrote it down. Vincent was running behind due to traffic. He walked in during this “memory guessing game”. She didn’t know it at the time, but upon arriving, he sat down at the table and asked her friend Cherise what they were doing so he could participate. He slipped his card to the front and requested it be the last to be read. Upon receiving the card it read “Will you marry me?” Christy reminisced, "In my mind, I was literally trying to figure out who I had this particular memory with and read the card multiple times when I heard everyone get loud in excitement. It was then I realized Vincent had stood up and was proposing. I was so into the game that I didn’t realize it. It was a total surprise and an unforgettable birthday gift."

From Charlotte to Raleigh

The couple is originally from the same hometown, Greenville, NC but currently live in the Charlotte area. Because Raleigh is a good central point between the two cities, they felt it would make the commute to their wedding a little closer for family and friends. The couple will be getting married and enjoying their reception at the Sir Walter Ballroom in downtown Raleigh.

Wedding Style

Christy and Vincent consider their wedding style to be full of love with Southern Charm with a color palette of silver, lavender, mauve and gray. A special detail they included in their plans is to honor their parents in a tribute during the ceremony.

Wedding Cake Winners!

Christy: "We were totally surprised and excited! We had attended a Bridal Open House at Double Tree by Hilton “Mansion on the Hill” in Raleigh and it was a last minute decision. As a result, our names went into the drawing for a free wedding cake and we won!"

They were planning to have a close relative make their cake for them, but after they won the cake, it only made sense to change their plans.

Christy explained, "Planning a wedding takes so much time and is much more difficult when it's in a city two hours away from where we live. The cake is yet one more detail that must be selected for the wedding. By winning this cake, selecting a cake designer was one less task we had to do."

Christy and Vincent's buttercream wedding cake design will hide inside a Pina Colada Cake with Almond Cream Cheese and Dark Chocolate Kahlua Fudge Cake with Chocolate Ganache and Cookies n Cream fillings.

Their Chosen Wedding Vendor Team!

Sir Walter Ballroom – The space allowed for both wedding and reception in one place and allowed us to use our own caterer.

In His Image Photography – I really admire Dajuan Jones's work and attention to detail.

Lady Q Events – This company, located in Charlotte, NC, does exceptional work and is super-creative and resourceful.

Springs Catering – This company is consistent in providing excellent food for events and she has catered events for my extended family.

Kreative Treasures Events & Designs - They will be providing the floral design and decor.

Angelique and Musical Explosions - The band for the night!