Lizzie+Tommy // A Durham, NC Wedding

Well, it’s finally taken us ten years but we finally had a couple use their cat as a prop in their photobooth (not their actual cat, but a large cardboard photo of their cat) and Geoff and I took full advantage. It’s also taken us ten years to finally get a The Doge cookie cake at a wedding. What’s been taking all of you so long? So thanks to Lizzie and Tommy for finally making our dreams come true in so many ways. We had an awesome start to 2019 at their wedding, and are so glad they were our clients this year! Lizzie likes to make a variety of different faces which I appreciate (as someone who also makes a lot of faces) and she also likes to bust out into a variety of different dance moves (The Chicken Dance being a favorite but there are some other ones I am pretty sure she invented that are just as good). She is funny and wonderful and I want to hug her all the time. Tommy clearly feels the same way, and together they’re an unstoppable team of smarts and love for cats. Tommy just got into a fellowship at the University of Arizona, so they’ll be moved to Tucson shortly, where we will visit them and force our friendship and authentic Mexican cuisine upon them (Geoff’s parents live there). But we’re glad that they got married in the Durm where they shall hopefully return after they get some good tans. Their wedding was fabulous (as evidenced below) and you guys, I am telling you, the band Punch is THE BEST and we’re glad we got to see them again. We may or may not have stayed after we packed up all of our stuff to listen to them play Purple Rain because PRINCE YOU GUYS! Lizzie saw me swaying my invisible lighter in the corner and appreciated it as only one person who makes up ridiculous dance moves to another can.


Date: January 5, 2019
Ceremony + Reception Venue: The Cotton Room // Durham, NC
First Dance Song: “Coming Home” – Leon Bridges
Tommy’s Occupation: Surgeon
Lizzie’s Occupation: Marketing Extraordinaire
How You Met: Interwebs – the dating app formerly known as Hinge
Interesting Fact: Did we mention we have a cat. She is the best cat. Her name is Sazzy (short for Sazerac). We love board games, traveling, snow days, and OH! We’re about to move to Arizona for a year during Tommy’s fellowship at University of Arizona.
Honeymoon: St. Lucia in January…hopefully Japan in July!
Officiant: Dame Gracie Bassett
Band: Punch
Florist: Cupboard
Cake: Whole Foods
Caterer: The Cotton Room
Hair/Makeup: Wedding Hair by Liz
Videographer: Dogwood Media
Coordinators: Michelle Alred and Heather Schaffran
Photobooth Prop Extraordinaire: Princess Sazzy – (this is still a joke about our cat…but we really do have a fathead of her in the photobooth)

Stephanie+Tim // Wedding at The Rickhouse

Stephanie and Tim love pizza, Stranger Things, and each other. You may remember them from their engagement session at 21C Museum Hotel that ended with them eating pizza at Pie Pushers. We spent most of that engagement session discussing *spoiler alert* Barb’s untimely end in season one of Stranger Things and how justice might eventually be served… served just like their pizza. And although the jury on justice for Barb is still kinda out, the jury on Stephanie and Tim’s wedding where they also were served pizza again is IN and the jury says “EXCELLENT.” We got special permission from The Durham to shoot on the rooftop as Stephanie and Tim were guests there that evening and the light was purrrdy. Then NC Comic-Con was taking place and lots of fabulous characters graced us with their presence as we did photos downtown. And finally Stephanie and Tim were married in a beautiful indoor ceremony at The Rickhouse, which culminated with pizza and ice cream, which is the married dinner of champions.

So while things didn’t work out so well for Barb, they did work out excellently for Stephanie and Tim, and we were so happy to be a part of their day. They are fun and hilarious and easy-going, and they have an amazing group of friends (shout-out to a phenomenally cooperative and stylish wedding party). Also, be on the look out for their cake topper which is one of the best we’ve ever seen. Thank you from the bottom of our upside-down hearts for having us as your wedding photographers, guys. THE PIZZA WAS TASTY AND YOU GUYS ARE SWELL.

– Date: November 11, 2017
– Ceremony + Reception Venue: The Rickhouse // Durham, NC
– First Dance Song: “We Found Each Other in the Dark” – City and Colour
– Stephanie’s Occupation: Project Analyst
– Tim’s Occupation: Supply Chain Coordinator
– How You Met: We swiped right.
– Interesting Fact: Besides being the least interesting people in the world, we are “professional” softball players for local amateur softball leagues.
– Honeymoon: Cruise to the Caribbean
– Vendor Credits: Officiant – Rebekah Perno // DJ – Barry of Be Digital Entertainment // Florist – Brandi’s Botanicals // Cake – Kristen Sherman // Caterer – Happy Cardinal Catering // Hair – Lane Clements // Make-Up – Lauren Tedino // Coordinator – Amanda Buchanan of Simple Day // Lighting – Vivid Lighting // Ice Cream – The Parlour // Calligrapher – Marika Wendelken

Lindsay+Ken Get Married in Durham

I had worked with Lindsay and Ken on their engagement shoot, and then again with Lindsay on her bridals, and I spent the few months leading up to their wedding hopelessly trying to explain their personalities to Geoff and how much I love both of them (I think Geoff thought I was kind of weird). Then he met them, and it took him only about 5 seconds with each of them to understand what I was talking about. Hopefully this blog post doesn’t come across as a really creepy love letter to them from their photographers.

Lindsay, first, is an absolutely beautiful person inside and out, but has an amazingly silly/quirky/goofy/hilarious personality that is completely at odds with her super formal and thick southern South Carolina accent. My brain basically can’t compute what’s happening while in her presence, but I do know that I laugh the entire time and, apparently, slip into an occasional completely non-existent southern accent which Geoff pointed out to me a few times. She has a definite tendency toward the dramatic and will often strike ridiculous poses. Her sister, mom, and myself had to tell her several times during her bridal session to stop… for just a minute… and smile normally. Now – normally we’re giving anything for people to be silly like that, so this was the first time I had to tell someone to actually stop acting silly for a second so I could take a normal picture. She’s the type of person who can entertain me endlessly and who’s incredibly charming and amusing at the same time. Like a really, really silly comedian who dresses impeccably and has a very formal southern way of speaking.

Ken is a little easier to explain, but just as charming. He initially struck me as decently formal, but the more I’ve gotten to know him I realize that he’s just as quirky, but in a more subtle way. He’s almost always wearing an expression of amusement (probably because of Lindsay) and is just a really, super decent and nice guy. He let me harass him for a couple hours during the engagement session and took it quite well, and I think I sealed the deal of gaining client-photographer trust when we discovered we share a mutual love of 24 and Kiefer Sutherland. During the wedding he was just as fantastic to work with as before and was probably our first groom to stay on the dance floor 99% of the night.

I know that I’m not ever going to do these two awesome people justice in words, but you’ll just have to trust me that they’re really good people… and that Geoff and I had an incredibly good time being thoroughly entertained at their wedding. Also – check out the gallery that they made in the Cotton Room with some of the photos from their engagement session! It was kind of like having my own art showcase. ;) :D

Date: September 14, 2013

Ceremony Venue: Sarah P. Duke Gardens // Durham, NC

Reception Venue: The Cotton Room // Durham, NC

Linday’s Occupation: Optometrist

Ken’s Occupation: Optometrist

How You Met: Optometry School Ft. Lauderdale Florida

Interesting Bride Fact: Boxer fanatic: Lincoln & Mona – Lover all things artistic: music, art, theatre, food, etc etc etc etc:: unique experience realizing life resumes after 09/14/13 when I bought my Cats tix for October performace — felt weird….

Interesting Groom Fact: Muscle cars, beer, pizza & all things Dude Americana.

Vendor Credits: Officiant – Pastor William | DJ – Frankie Hagan with Island Sound | Florist – Robin Roberts with Flowers for You in Goldsboro, NC | Cake – Cakes by Cinda | Caterer – Triangle Catering with the Cotton Room | Hair/Makeup – Heather Weeks | Videographer – Big Dog Little Bed Productions | The Cotton Room Coordinator – Amalia | Sarah P. Duke Gardens Coordinator – Marcia | Hired Director – Pat Kiewert