Elizabeth+Rich // A Durham Food Tour Wedding

These guys are my favorite beard+pixie cut combo besides ourselves. They are us, but they’re way smarter and can lift heavier things. They also have a dog and live in South Carolina. Everything else is exactly the same. I’d adopt them if I could, or be adopted by them, or at the very least sew ourselves into one giant footie pajama and walk around together all the time. They are Elizabeth+Rich, and there they are on their engagement session when we first met them. Now they are back and getting married. And, of course, they had the absolutely brilliant idea of turning it into a food tour wedding. They really like food and food tours and so why not have 30ish of their closest peeps and family get together in Durham for a food tour wedding? THERE IS NOT REASON NOT TO DO THIS.

They were married at The Boiler Room in the American Tobacco Campus among a lot of industrial pipes. Then we went outside and Elizabeth educated us about how the land is moving so that’s why the tiny door at the ATC campus fake lunch counter is so tiny. There was a complicated, sciencey name for this that I’v since forgotten, but it was neat. Then we went to Bull City Burger and I ate a pimento cheese burger and fries while almost crying with appreciation (everyone loves pimento cheese). We all moved on to Alley 26 where there were cocktails and cheer and a fancy salad. Next stop was The Durham where they rented the rooftop and had a bunch of apps including the dozen or so deviled eggs that I ate entirely by myself. We all admired the view of a chilly downtown Durham from the roof, all decked out for the holidays. Then we all walked to the infamous bull (since you have to show people from out of town, it is practically a requirement), and onto Criterion from there where there was cake and coffee and sparklers. It was one of the most darling and endearing weddings we’ve ever had the pleasure to shoot. Chill, calm, friendly, and fun. A most miraculous way to end the year. Congratulations, Elizabeth and Rich, and onward to 2019!


Date: December 16, 2018
Ceremony Venue: The Boiler Room // Durham, NC
Food Tour Stops: Bull City Burger and Brewery, Alley 26, The Durham, and Criterion
First Dance Song: “You for Me” – Blossom Dearie
Rich’s Occupation: Mechanical Engineer, Professor of Physics at Coastal Carolina University
Elizabeth’s Occupation: Professor of Art History at Coastal Carolina University
How You Met: The old-fashioned way: through mutual friends (Ted & Jillian, our witnesses!) at a dinner party in Manhattan (in 2011!)
Interesting Fact: We can’t think of anything, so here is some random trivia: We have an almost 16-year-old mutt named Riesling who is probably curled up on the sofa under a blanket right now. E’s brother and sister-in-law are flying in from Bosnia for the wedding. They win. R used to drive big-rig trucks while he was in college. E was a cheerleader in high school and was voted “most spirited” in her senior class (she still gets 5/5 every semester from her students in the category “enthusiasm for the subject matter”). E spills things (a lot)… there’s a really funny story about our second date. Oh, and neither of us were sure that our first date was actually a date when we planned it. But it was. After it was over, E was so smitten she walked 10 blocks in the wrong direction before she noticed she was going the wrong way.
Honeymoon: Since adventure travel is the norm for us, we thought we’d do something out of the ordinary. We are spending a week at a destination spa in Santa Fe, NM, for all the yoga, cooking classes, and massages we can stand!
Officiant: John Baltes (E’s brother)
Ceremony Music: Tim Fischer (friend)
Florist: Mahtab Pedrami (friend)
Cake: Mad Hatter’s
Caterer: Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tours
Hair/Makeup: Rock, Paper, Scissors

Sarah+Tim // Duke Forest Wedding

Sarah and Tim introduced us to the lovely concept of a pop-up wedding (inspired by a company in DC that officiates and photographs local elopements). They wanted to essentially pick a nice naturey spot in Durham, show up with their closest family and friends, and get married without a formal booking. It’s like an even less formal elopement. And the less formal the better, so we jumped on board and were happy to join Sarah and Tim and their 25 people of choice at the Shepherd Nature Trail in Duke Forest for some weddingy goodness. They got ready in an awesome Airbnb rental house near downtown and we all followed caravan-style to the ceremony site where they married in the forest. Some bubbles, hugs, and photos later, we all rejoined in downtown Durham at Rue Cler for some tasty food and congratulations. It was short, sweet, and a fantastic way to spend a couple hours on a Friday evening. :)

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  • Date: May 22, 2015
  • Ceremony Site: Shepherd Nature Trail at Duke Forest // Durham, NC
  • Reception Site: Rue Cler // Durham, NC
  • Sarah’s Occupation: Sarah is a social worker who helps communities support social justice, sustainable economic development, and environmental stewardship.
  • Tim’s Occupation: Tim is an attorney who works with early stage companies and the like.
  • How You Met: During summers in college, Tim worked as a lifeguard with Sarah’s high school friends, who introduced them. Tim was smitten immediately, but it was Sarah who called him to meet up at a concert they both had previously planned to attend the next day. The rest is history!
  • Interesting Fact: Sarah and Tim lived and worked in Sevilla, Spain for a year after graduating from college.
  • Honeymoon: Minimoon – Outer Banks, NC; Honeymoon – Yet to be decided!
  • Vendor Credits: Officiant – Becky Kyle: esteemed friend | Pies – Scratch | Caterer – Rue Cler | Hair – Rock Paper Scissors Salon and Gallery | Makeup – Attraction Makeup Artistry