Category: Weddings

Marissa+John // Snipes Farm Wedding

Marissa and John found us, liked our website bats, and booked us. We met them, liked Marissa’s bangs and John’s happy smile, and accepted. Also, they have hermit crabs. AND THE HERMIT CRABS CAME TO THE WEDDING. I was so excited. I was disappointed none had been wearing a top hat or a little gown, but I guess there’s only so much you can do (they did travel all the way from Boone after all, and were probably tired doing all of their… hermit crab… things). Marissa and John are the happiest, friendliest, super chillest teacher people we know (and it’s a good thing they are because they will make fantastic and patient teachers and the world needs them). There was a bajillion kajillion chance of rain on their wedding day, and for an outdoor ceremony, that’s not so good. And rain it did. And then it stopped. And we took pictures, ran outside, did a ceremony, and then the rain started again. And then it stopped. And then we took some pictures. And it started again. And then it stopped. And we did their exit. And then it started again. So, I’d say we were as lucky as we could possibly be at dodging rain again this weekend. Can you believe Marissa’s bangs looked this good with such high humidity? It’s crazy.

  • Date: May 29, 2016
  • Ceremony + Reception Venue: Snipes Farm Retreat // Chapel Hill, NC
  • First Dance Song: “Lucky” – Jason Mraz
  • Marissa’s Occupation: Completing her Master’s in Elementary Education
  • John’s Occupation: Student teaching in the High Country and will graduate in December
  • How You Met: We met in 9th grade during our first period English class. After being friends for about 3 years, we started dating our second semester senior year right before prom.
  • Interesting Marissa Facts: Marissa loves to send mail and has been pen pals with Abby, one of the wedding helpers, for almost 4 years. Marissa loves to bake and her favorite meal is brunch. Marissa loves John, but is keeping her last name, Minnick, after their wedding.
  • Interesting John Facts: John does most of our cooking and loves looking for new recipes – he’s a stellar cook and has taught Marissa a lot! John loves fish and has spent the past year doing research on fish species in the New River. John loves Legos and collects Monopoly games. Right now, he has 12 different versions of Monopoly.
  • Honeymoon: Classes! We’re both taking a full load of summer courses at Appalachian.
  • Vendor Credits: Officiant – John Oliver. Florist – Marissa! Peach Cobbler – Southern Season. Caterer – Durham Catering Company.

Blair+John // Wedding at Saint Anne’s Chapel

We are absolutely in love with small weddings, pixie haircuts, Rush, and silver wedding dresses. This was a good day for us. It was a wedding of 50 people in Saint Anne’s Chapel in Tarboro, NC: an adorable, somewhat-haunted-looking church from the 1920s, located on property that belonged to a Civil War general in the 1800s. I was in love with it from the moment I saw it. It belongs to Blair’s aunt and uncle, who acquired the property some years back and restored the church which was in a bit of disrepair, and moved into the general’s old farm house. It has a big front porch where Geoff and I drank lemonade in some rocking chairs and felt truly southern.

The reception was held right behind the church where their family and friends gathered to support them, and the kids took over the lawn games. All while listening to Rush and Prince. It was so, so good. Blair and John, who are two super outstanding people with now four outstanding children, are very calm and happy people, and so this was a chillaxing event where everyone had fun. I ate a gluten free cheesecake, and it didn’t rain at all, so I feel like it really couldn’t have been a better day. Congratulations, guys!

  • Date: May 21, 2016
  • Ceremony + Reception Venue: Saint Anne’s Chapel and Retreat Center // Tarboro, North Carolina
  • First Dance Song: “The Luckiest” – Ben Folds
  • Blair’s Occupation: Tax accountant (no, that does not mean she knows anything about real estate tax or anything else not related to a foreign bank). She’s also a full time family coordinator, chauffeur, personal shopper, and domestic goddess.
  • John’s Occupation:John is a mechical engineer and has designed some pretty cool helicopter parts in his day, but now he is in business development figuring out parts for the oil industry. He is the resident tinkerer, fixing of things that need fixing, and enjoys making Blair laugh with his nerdy jokes and bizarre mental recollection of 80’s music.
  • How You Met: Match.com – seriously!
  • Interesting Fact: Uh, really not good at answering this question – people seem to find it bizarre that Blair has a masters in accounting but an undergrad in interior design. John will eat pretty much anything from fois gras in Paris to Hillbilly hotdogs in Lesage, WV and he is a total beer nerd.
  • Honeymoon: Grenada!
  • Vendor Credits: Officiant – Pastor Sharon Taylor. Acoustic Guitarist – Matthew Kanon. Wedding Coordinator – Mark Brown. Cakes and Pies – Michele Chavis. Caterer – H.I. Tharringont. Hair/Makeup – Bride.

Ginny+Carson // Richmond, VA Wedding

We first met Ginny and Carson when we shot their engagement session in Durham last year and, upon publishing them, everyone thought I was her and wondered what I had done with Geoff. But Geoff was safe and sound and I was indeed not Ginny despite also having big glasses and a pixie cut. Then Ginny and I both began growing our hair out, occasionally sending pictures to each other of our awkward hair lengths for moral support. Carson then also grew his beard out. Geoff still maintained his beard. And now we all kind of match again – beards for the guys and chinnish-shoulderish length hair for the girls that I threatened to cut off at least twice a day.

But I digress. We joined them and their super fun family and friends in Richmond to celebrate their wedding. It rained sideways (we’ve been having a terrible track record with rain this year) and I photographed six very polite and patient women out in that mess, heels sinking into the ground and all. But I didn’t have an umbrella, so I became very gross quite quickly, and ended up stepping into an old church soaking wet and over apologizing. The groomsmen congratulated me on my efforts (thank you). The very old church that I got a bit damp with my presence was the church where Patrick Henry gave his famous “Give me liberty or give me death!” speech in 1775. Ginny is a descendent of Patrick Henry (neat!) and Carson isn’t, but he’s pretty cool nonetheless. We love them both and wish them all the happiness in the world. Thanks for having us up to Richmond, guys!

  • Date: May 14, 2016
  • Ceremony Venue: St. John’s Episcopal Church // Richmond, VA
  • Reception Venue: The Boathouse at Rockett’s Landing // Richmond, VA
  • First Dance Song: “All of Me” – John Legend
  • Ginny’s Occupation: Librarian
  • Carson’s Occupation: Law Student
  • How You Met: At a crossroads between events at a tea house
  • Interesting Fact: Carson drew the bees and honeysuckle that are used throughout all of our wedding stationery and decorations. Virginia did everything else. :P
  • Honeymoon: Charleston, SC
  • Vendor Credits: Officiant –Rev. Laura D. Inscoe. Florist – Kristi Turbyfill at Root & Vine Design. Cake – Laura Reynolds at Buttercream Bee. Caterer – The Boathouse at Rockett’s Landing. Hair – Kristie. Makeup – Nicole Laughlin. Coordinator – Fete Weddings. Band – Jackass Flats. Cocktail Hour Music – Susan Greenbaum. Photobooth – Richmond Photobooth.