Carly+Megan // A Durham, NC Wedding

We were so thrilled to finally work with Megan and Carly when we didn’t have 100+ degree fevers like the day of their engagement shoot. It’s so much easier to work when you don’t feel like you’re going to die, eh? And what two better people to kick off our wedding season than these guys! They are nice and happy and so cute together all the time that they make everything really easy, and their wedding day was a blast. The weather was great, there was tasty food and cake and gluten-free cakes, everyone was in a good mood, and some guy named Tucker at The Franklin Hotel totally swooped in and saved the day with his ability to tie a bow tie. There was even a parking spot at the Coker Arboretum for pictures, which is a rare occurrence. We take all of these things to be a sign of good luck and fortune in their marriage (you guys didn’t know that us finding a parking spot in Chapel Hill is good luck for your marriage, did you? you learn something new every day!).

Megan’s currently finishing her dissertation in Kentucky, and then they’re planning to move to Durham because they love it here, but also so that Megan and I can use each other for haircut inspiration. And also so we can pet their Corgi. And so Carly can coach me in the ways of her cross stitching knowledge. We are super excited that Carly and Megan have found each other and are married and are moving back to our city! And we send these two very lovely and wonderful people a big heartfelt congratulations and an uncomfortably long hug from us to them.

• Date: April 8, 2017
• Ceremony Venue: Pilgrim United Church of Christ // Durham, NC
• Reception Venue: The Cookery // Durham, NC
• First Dance Song: “Simple Life” – The Weepies
• Megan’s Occupation: Soon to be engineer
• Carly’s Occupation: Works with people with disabilities in lots of different settings
• How You Met: One of those online dating sites, followed by an accidental meeting at the gym
• Interesting Fact: Megan has lived in 6 states, but now will never leave NC. Carly can walk fast on her hands. We love playing lots and lots of board games. Megan can identify lots of bugs, Carly likes to test this often.
• Honeymoon: Minimoon in Asheville, NC so Megan can get back to KY to defend her thesis and move us one step closer to living in Durham.
• Vendor Credits: Officiant – Rev. Mandy Mizelle Norris. DJ – Damian Maass. Florist – Julie of Bushel and Peck. Cake – Details Cake Design. Caterer – Donovan’s Dish. Hair/Makeup – Bella Trio, Durham NC. Coordinator – Leah Coman of C&D Events. Ceremony Music – Arioso String. Transportation – Greenway Transit.

Mallory+Ryan // Duke Chapel Wedding

Mallory and Ryan’s wonderful winter wedding closes out our 2016 wedding season! We couldn’t have ended the year with a better couple. Super sweet and wonderful people, they wished every kid on campus good luck with their finals as they walked by during their pictures and thanked us for our patience several times during the day even though there was literally nothing to be patient with because they were so fantastic and cooperative. So we lucked out for last wedding of the year! We also lucked out with the weather. It had been 30 degrees for a couple days prior to this, and the forecast was predicting rain. It did not rain (yay!) and it was in the 60s! Actually, no, it was supposed to be in the 60s but it had to have been colder than that. But the point is that it wasn’t as cold as 30, and we weren’t wet.

This beautiful wedding was held at Duke Chapel and Bay 7 and it was all so, so pretty. Mallory wore a stole that belongs to one of her mother’s friends, and the bridesmaids wore the best shade of green. Their bouquets all had pine in them and so everyone smelled like a Christmas tree. Bay 7 had put up all the lights around campus, and everything was absolutely dreamy. I hear there were animatronic elves displayed somewhere in the hotel where Mallory got ready, but unfortunately we missed those (or fortunately, depending on your opinion of animatronic elves). But there were Santa hats and reindeer ears passed out at the reception, and Geoff delightfully bit off the head of a gingerbread man there as well. This wedding got everyone in the spirit and was just lovely. Thank you, Mallory and Ryan, for sending 2016 off in styyyyle.

  • Date: December 17, 2016
  • Ceremony Venue: Duke Chapel // Durham, NC
  • Reception Venue: Bay 7 // Durham, NC
  • First Dance Song: “How Sweet It Is” – Performed by Affirmative Groove
  • Mallory’s Occupation: International Programs Coordinator at NC State
  • Ryan’s Occupation: Assistant Director of the Duke Parent’s Program
  • How You Met: Ryan and Mallory met a little over 3 years ago after Mallory moved to Minnesota to work at a small liberal arts college. One of their mutual friends introduced them at a young professionals happy hour that the college hosted, and things took off from there!
  • Interesting Fact: Our first date included sushi and a baseball game, and those continue to be two of our favorite things.
  • Honeymoon: German Christmas Markets & Madeira, Portugal.
  • Vendor Credits: Officiant – Rev. Bruce Puckett. Band – Affirmative Groove. Florist – Lyn Graves of Fresh Affairs. Cake – Cinda’s Creative Cakes. Caterer – Angus Barn. Hair – Caroline of Careaux Cartier On Location Wedding|Event Hair & Makeup. Videographer – Jaired Sullivan and Jesse Ashe of Carolina Story Film Co. Coordinator – Karen M. Stone Wedding Consultant and Director, and Jeane Batten. Duke Chapel Director – Blanche Williams. Bay 7 Director – Angel Nicholas.

Sarah+Jason // Winston-Salem Wedding

We had been looking forward to meeting Sarah and Jason in person for so long! We virtually met them a while back for their wedding where they charmed the pants off of us (figuratively, not literally, although we were Skyping so I may have had on pajamas pants secretly, but they would’ve stayed on because I’m always cold and that would’ve been weird). Anyway, we liked them a lot and were super excited to venture out to Winston-Salem to shoot their wedding. It was the first wedding we’ve experienced in eight years that referenced Mad Max: Fury Road several times in the actual ceremony and where the officiant threatened to spray paint them. It was also our first blue dress (which we LOVED!!) and my first bride who got ready to a playlist of music that included a lot of Andrew W.K. (I don’t know where there’s not more Andrew W.K. in everyone’s life).

Also, take a look at those paper bouquets and boutonnieres and say a little blessing for Sarah’s mom’s hands. She made every one of those flowers, and dedicated an hour or two every night starting in January. They were cut out from paper and comic books in layers, folded, and glued together. She is a saint. Did you see the wonderful bouquet stems that are actually lightsabers? Those were very kindly donated to the wedding cause by some younger kids who took apart their toys so they could be used as bouquets. Later in the evening the adults took apart the flowers, reassembled the light sabers, and went to town.

We had an awesome time working with Sarah and Jason. They are hilarious and fun and Sarah is a GREAT wedding dress spinner and I maaaay have requested that she “spin around real quick until you get sick. Keep going! Still keep going! Keep goinnng” and then Sarah almost did get sick but not quite because she is a spinning champion. Congratulations, friends. May you spin and spin and never get sick.

  • Date: October 15, 2016
  • Ceremony Venue: Grace Court Park // Winston-Salem, NC
  • Reception Venue: Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts // Winston-Salem, NC
  • First Dance Song: “I Gotta Have You” – The Weepies
  • Sarah’s Occupation: Digital Advertising
  • Jason’s Occupation: Concierge/Office Manager/Writer/Jack of all Trades
  • How You Met: We met sophomore year of high school. Our first date was Junior Prom.
  • Interesting Fact: Jason has a podcast with our friend Kelsey called “Ruin My Life.” Everyone should check it out! Sarah is the voice of a doll.
  • Honeymoon: Driving down the Pacific Coast Highway in California.
  • Vendor Credits: Officiant –Brad Canning. Emcee – Daniel Dockery. Paper Flowers – Sarah’s Mom, Debbie. Regular Flowers – House of Plants. Cake – Katy’s Cakery. Caterer – The Porch. Hair/Makeup – Heather Foster of Escape Salon. Coordinator – Micaiah Norby of Orangerie Events.