Julia+Erik // Duke Chapel Wedding

So happy to have worked with the real Julia Roberts and Erik Johnson. Our first celebrity wedding of non-celebrities with celebrity names. They are two incredibly kindhearted people who were so excited to get married and we were so happy we were there. We also got to work alongside friend/college Janice of Big Dog Little Bed Production Company who did the videography, and whose footage we frequently photobombed. The rest of their vendors were equally great, and so was their bridal party! The groomsmen helped Erik to practice the first look with the help of a 21C Museum Hotel penguin (it kind of looks like a scene from Weekend at Bernie’s) and a bridesmaid assisted with amplifying the music from someone’s phone speaker by putting it near her open mouth (which somehow worked). They were a very helpful and endearing bunch.

The ceremony was held at Duke Chapel which is always classic and timeless, and waded through a sea of 99% humidity for their pictures. We laughed, we cried, we gave Erik a hard time about identifying body parts for poses because he’s a doctor. At one point we were warned about “a group of 700 campers” that were approaching the campus and got the heck out of there… although if there’s a great excuse to be late to your ceremony, 700 campers is probably the best one. Their ceremony was lovely, and afterward we all proceeded to The Cotton Room where colorful paper cranes folded by Julia adorned all the plates with their guests’ names. I love paper cranes. I think because they’re happy, but also because I can’t fold them, so they impress me. In addition to their lovely paper cranes, they also had adorable husband+wife bulldog cake toppers. I believe these bulldogs were affiliated with their college but anything related to college mascots gets thrown aside by my mind in exchange for the obvious cuteness of bulldogs in tiny top hats and veils. I can’t even. It was a beautiful summer wedding with two amazing people, and we were so excited to be a part of it!

• Date: June 17, 2017
• Ceremony Venue: Duke Chapel // Durham, NC
• Reception Venue: The Cotton Room // Durham, NC
• First Dance Song: “She’s Got a Way” – Billy Joel
• Julia’s Occupation: Recently minted PhD in Chemistry
• Erik’s Occupation: Ophthalmologist
• How You Met: Summer Physics class. Erik asked Julia to do a problem set with him and the rest is history.
• Interesting Fact: We spent our first Valentine’s Day together in Edinburgh at a restaurant called Angels with Bagpipes.
• Honeymoon: Cozumel, Mexico
• Vendor Credits: Officiant – Father Brad Heckathorne. Band – The Finns. Florist – Bloomin’ Rose Flowers. Cake – Guglhupf. Caterer – The Cotton Room. Hair/Makeup – Abby Lassiter. Videographer – Big Dog Little Bed. Coordinator – Summer McInvaille.

Caroline+Dana // Married at Duke Chapel.

We’ve had a great time getting to know Caroline and Dana… the only couple to ever bring fake mustaches, noses, and glasses disguises with them consistently on every shoot we’ve had together. Dana is a redhead, our most favorite of hair colors, and Caroline almost sounds like Carolyn, so we liked them from the beginning (turns out later that having your name almost sound like the bride’s gets pretty confusing really fast and I did a lot of “fake-out” waving that day to people I thought were calling my name).

They had a stellar crew of vendors, venues, bridesmaids, groomsmen (the best man was the brother of Laura, our bride last year), and everyone pulled together to make it a pretty spectacular day. It was cold but sunny, and despite taking pictures outside where everyone but the guys had exposed shoulders, everyone was a real trooper and a joy to work with. Caroline and Dana are fun. They enjoy bantering with other people, and bantering with each other, and bantering in general. I think they were amused at my horror when Magnolia leaves started getting caught underneath the tulle in Caroline’s dress and she dragged-screeched them across campus (no wedding dress should ever make that noise, and I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from, but I was pretty sure that we all might either be in imminent danger from a dragon… or perhaps I was actively breaking Caroline’s dress). When her dress wasn’t screeching (don’t worry, we made it stop before she walked down the aisle), they had a great day. And when I mean “had a great day”, I really mean it. Neither Caroline or Dana seemed stressed or worried once (if they were, they didn’t show it), and literally seemed to be having a fantastic time all day. And it was contagious. Here comes the joy.

Date: January 31, 2015

Ceremony Venue: Duke Chapel // Durham, NC

Reception Venue: Bay 7 // American Tobacco // Durham, NC

Caroline’s Occupation: Lawyer

Dana’s Occupation: Office Manager at NC State University

How You Met: Through our mutual (and awesome) friend Will, who worked in Caroline’s office a few years back. We went from being friends to being more than that over dinner at the Raleigh Times and a concert by the band Schooner at Kings.

Honeymoon: Kauai, Hawaii

Vendor Credits: Officiant – Rev. Christi Dye | Band – Groovetown | Florist – Tre Bella | Cake – Edible Art | Caterer – Angus Barn | Hair/Makeup – Makeup Culture | Coordinator – Kelley Ann Ward with A Southern Soiree | Hotel – Washington Duke Inn | Stationary – Sweetpress Studio

Elise+Jeff Have a Wedding at Duke Chapel and The Cotton Room

This was a wedding with a lot of firsts for us. The first wedding of 2012. The first wedding at Duke Chapel. The first bridal party who all brushed their teeth for us. The first that ended with us drinking milkshakes from Cookout in a limo. I can’t say that it could have ended any better. Elise and Jeff are very comfortable with each other, and very nice and polite to everyone they meet, putting everyone around them instantly at ease. I’ve never been nervous around either of them. I think it’s impossible to be anything but relaxed and smiling, as I think it’s impossible for Elise and Jeff to be anything but relaxed and smiling. So this was a very happy crew: happy family, happy friends, happy Elise and Jeff. I think this shows in their pictures. Everyone who was happy was also fun and ridiculous, and this also shows in their pictures (in a good way). And we couldn’t ask for anything better than a really good, fun crew who welcomed us with open arms into our first wedding of the year.

I did one bridal show ever which is where I met Elise. She sent me an email afterward saying, “Our wedding is so far away that I really hadn’t even thought of planning anything, but visiting your booth and looking at your pictures made me SO EXCITED!” Two years and some contracts later, we’re photographing her and Jeff brushing their teeth in Duke Gardens using their custom toothbrush favors (Elise is in dental school) and riding around with them in limos, visiting the local Cookout in formal wear and drinking milkshakes. It is a strange world, and I can’t say that I didn’t sit in the back of the limo on the drive back to our car, sipping on my peanut butter milkshake, and wonder how I got here, but I’m so thankful for Elise and Jeff’s love and support of each other and of us. It’s a beautiful thing, and a great way to kick of the year. Congratulations, friends!

Bride’s Occupation: Soon to be Pediatric Dental Resident in Seattle!

Groom’s Occupation: Attorney – soon to be ex-attorney/unemployed because [Elise is] dragging him across the country.

How You Met: [Elise+Jeff] were in the same freshmen dorm at Duke – of the 100 or so kids housed there, 5 couples have gotten married!

Interesting Bride Fact: Bride has a double uvula (the hanging thing in the back of the throat) – this is Jeff’s go to weird fact about [her].

Interesting Groom Fact: Jeff’s own personal holiday is when the new Madden Xbox game comes out. Also has the uncanny ability to make Elise laugh on cue.

Honeymoon Destination: Elise wrote, “Motel 6 – This is what Jeff keeps telling me. In reality he says he won’t tell me until we’re boarding the plane (and he says not the first plane…)”. In actuality, it was the Bahamas. :) Jeff broke the news to Elise during the reception after a good chunk of the family kept nagging him to tell her. :D

Date: March 10, 2012

Ceremony Venue: Duke Chapel // Durham, NC

Reception Venue: The Cotton Room // Durham, NC

Hotel: Millennium Hotel // Durham, NC

Officiant: Reverend Bill Fowler (family friend and Duke alum)

DJ: The Perfect Beat // Apex, NC

Florist: Elise and her mother and aunt made all of the floral arrangements themselves!

Cake: Sugarland // Chapel Hill, NC

Hair/Makeup: Moshi Moshi Means Hello! // Chapel Hill, NC

Videographer: Daniel and Kevin // Heart Stone Films