July 11, 2015

Carly+Jay’s Downtown Durham Wedding

When Carly and Jay inquired about their wedding, they told us that Jay really likes singing Usher for karaoke. They also told us that they like No Doubt and Horse Feathers. We replied to their e-mail stating that we weren’t quite able to rectify their love of those two bands with Usher, but that we’d overlook their discrepancy. They responded by challenging us to a heated debate and/or lightsaber battle to prove to us that 90s Usher is the best. We counter-offered by challenging them to a game of ping pong in our office. They lost. We won. No Doubt beats Usher. They’re still upset about it, but whatever.

They still hired us to shoot their awesome wedding in downtown Durham. Carly’s parents own the sweetest private residence of all private residences where they have a rooftop that overlooks the city as well as a thousand other super cool things about their house (a giant safe! a cool spiral staircase! a library wall with a Beauty and the Beast-style library ladder!), so they decided to get married there (it wasn’t a hard choice). It translated into an amazing wedding venue. And now we are super lucky to call Carly and Jay our friends, and despite their interesting fact stating that they hope to spend their lives together abroad, we’re pretty sure that they like us enough to stay here… or at least hide us in their suitcases.

Date: June 20, 2015
Ceremony + Reception Site: Private Residence // Durham, NC
First Dance Song: “Walking on a Dream” – Empire of the Sun
Carly’s Occupation: High School English Teacher
Jay’s Occupation: Bartender and student at UNC
How You Met: Carly tried to get Jay to dance with her after a few too many beers. Jay politely turned her down…then asked her out the next night. They fell in love 2 hours later. :)
Interesting Fact: We lived in Korea and traveled around SE Asia together. We hope to spend most of our lives together abroad.
Honeymoon: Hiking, camping, and relaxing in the Canadian rockies and Vancouver for 3 1/2 weeks. Alberta and British Columbia, Canada.
Vendor Credits: Officiant – Reverend Ingrid Sagula | DJ – DJ SPCLGST | Florist – Gillian Rose Galdy | Cake – Amelia Smith | Caterer – Durham Catering | Hair/Makeup – Arrow Salon | Coordinator – A Swanky Affair (Amanda Scott) | Ice Cream – The Parlour

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June 2, 2015

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. :)

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

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May 6, 2015

Matt+Scott // Durham, NC Wedding

We’ve been longstanding supporters of LGBT equality and marriage, and in our careers we’ve photographed engagement sessions and commitment ceremonies of couples who couldn’t legally get married in our state. A couple could have a commitment ceremony here, but they’d need to get legally hitched elsewhere and had to come back to live in a state that didn’t legally acknowledge their union. When we met Matt and Scott, we were all aware that it would be a commitment ceremony like the others we have done. And while we were thrilled to work with these two amazing guys, we were even more thrilled when same-sex marriage became legal in North Carolina in October, turning Matt and Scott’s previous commitment ceremony into a legal marriage recognized by the state, and the first one that we’ve photographed on our home turf. :)

Usually I don’t get very sappy on the blog as I prefer to remain somewhat aloof and sarcastic (sappy doesn’t really mix with the bats, does it). But! I’ll do it just this once since we really were happy to have this be our first legal same-sex wedding in NC. And we were even happier to see Matt and Scott surrounded by a huge group of very proud and loving family and friends. There were some tears and lots of hugs and a cake topper that looked like Matt and Scott with their two cats at the bottom. And who could ask for more than that? We’re so happy to show you these pictures, and we’re so happy for Matt and Scott. :)

Wedding ceremony at The Cotton Room Durham NC

Wedding reception setup at the Cotton Room

Couple reacting to speeches and toasts at wedding

Date: April 25, 2015
Ceremony and Reception Venue: The Cotton Room // Durham, NC
First Dance: “Here Comes the Sun” – Glee
Scott’s Occupation: Emergency room physician
Matt’s Occupation: Postdoctoral scholar in cognitive psychology/psycholinguistics
How You Met: Online (or as Scott says, he ordered Matt off the internet).
Interesting Fact: When we first met, Matt was obsessed with the Food Network but never cooked, whereas Scott was obsessed with cooking but never watched the Food Network. 7 years later, those roles have completely reversed.
Honeymoon: Hawaii
Vendor Credits: Officiant – Reverend Barbara Lodge | DJ – All Around Raleigh DJ | Florist – Amrose Flowers | Cake – Cinda’s Creative Cakes | Caterer – Triangle Catering | Hair – Blo | Videographer – Dean Garris of DEANO Pictures | Coordinator – Emily Nunn of Whiskey and White Events | Design Consultation – Melinda Knowles of Host Raleigh

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