January 10, 2018

Making Fools of Ourselves: 2017

Ahh, the annual culmination of embarrassing photos of ourselves all in one place. We look terrible or confused or hangry, and are occasionally seen straddling logs in the middle of streams or getting caught in gym equipment. We are always, always, always pointing out in vague directions, gesticulating wildly, or petting dogs. I also decided to add an always-smooth-looking fannypack to my arsenal of wearable camera gear this year, so now I look like I’m ready for a week long trek in the wilderness after I’m done rock climbing. Not pictured this year: multiple pictures of Geoff eating wedding cake. I don’t know why. Maybe because I was able to eat more cake this year than ever before due to my gluten-free wedding guest brethren, so I was also busy eating cake at the same time? Either way, a disturbing lack of pictures of Geoff eating. I’ll work on that for next year. To make up for it, there is a picture of the Virginia Tech mascot hugging him against his will. Enjoy the stupid expressions and awkwardness of it all. To all of you who worry about how you’ll look in your pictures, we promise it won’t be this bad.

The “Making Fools of Ourselves” posts started in 2011 at the end of our Class of 2011 post. Here’s a look at younger versions of us:

2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011

say nice things

April 9, 2015

Sara + Joe’s Snipes Farm Wedding

Joe captured Geoff’s heart by being radically obsessed with the Smashing Pumpkins to the same exact degree as Geoff himself, and Sara captured my heart by showing up to our consultation with a side shave haircut that I was also sporting at the time. Since then we’ve liked them a whole lot, and nothing that they do makes us like them less, just more, so our liking them increases all the time. They had succulents at their wedding! And Sara wore cute mint green wedding shoes! And there was dry lavender all over the place that I think they secretly chose for me so I could breathe deeply in whenever I needed to relax. Their friend Brittini made me delicious gluten-free cupcakes and they danced to REM… and Hanson. Then Joe found out that a former member of the Smashing Pumpkins has since joined a band with the rest of Hanson, and Joe’s head exploded, and we went home.

Kids laying in yard at wedding reception

Date: April 4, 2015
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Snipes Farm Retreat // Chapel Hill, NC
First Dance: “At My Most Beautiful” – R.E.M.
Sara’s Occupation: Works for a publishing company in Durham
Joe’s Occupation: Paralegal for a law firm in Raleigh (but in August 2015 he will transform into a law student!)
How You Met: In astronomy lab/singing karaoke (both in Chapel Hill)
Interesting Fact: We once took an overnight road trip to Philadelphia specifically to run up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art a la Rocky but Kanye West was playing a show there that night and had built a stage, blocking said steps from the public (this is the second time this has happened to Sara).
Honeymoon: Los Angeles, California
Vendor Credits: Officiant – Rev. Robin Renteria | Cake – Lisa Clifton | Caterer – Nantucket Grill | Emcees – Brooke Watson and Eliza Biswas (Joe’s coworkers) | Ceremony flowers – Paula Jean’s Garden on Etsy | Succulents – The Succulent Source (also on Etsy) | Gluten-free cupcakes – Brittini Harbin (Joe’s friend)

2 nice things said

April 7, 2014

Amy+Jeff’s Wedding in Durham

Amy and Jeff are amazing and hilarious people and definitely saw to it that both Geoff and myself had a wonderful day alongside them and the rest of their family and friends. I’d be out of eyesight with Amy when I’d hear her shout, “Carolyn!” and I’d shout back, “Yeah!” and she’d shout, “I appreciate you!” and I’d shout, “I appreciate you too!” and it went on like that for a good while (when she wasn’t busy doing yoga moves). They’re both generous, lovely, and just so ridiculously nice to not only us but everyone else they encountered and managed to stay that way through the entire planning process and wedding day.

This was our first wedding at the Cotton Room where it didn’t rain (!!). It threatened to, but it held off and sent in its place a substantial amount of wind. The wind did a few wrestling moves with Amy’s veil throughout the photos but stayed on her head nonetheless… and eventually the clouds and wind parted to fill the giant windows in their venue with light for their ceremony.

We are so thrilled for Amy and Jeff (and their adorable dog who is happy to have his dog-parents newly married) and just a tiny bit jealous of their awesome honeymoon to New Zealand and Bora Bora while we sit here in the rain in Durham…. but we forgive them anyway because they’re so nice. :)

Date: March 30, 2014