Ocean Isle, North Carolina Wedding from Brett & Jessica
For the first four months of my wedding planning, I had my heart set on a casual beach affair just like this North Carolina beauty. Toes in the sand, ocean backdrop - I wanted the whole nine yards. Things eventually took a turn towards a barn wedding but a little piece of me will ALWAYS have an undying love for seaside nuptials. And this couple did it so, so right. It's simple in the most beautiful of ways and the love is shining bright in the images captured by Brett & Jessica. See so much more right here!
From the Bride + Groom... The stretch of North Carolina coastline that encompasses Sunset Beach and Ocean Isle Beach is separated by about 40 yards at low tide. This enchanting mass of land and water where sand meets the sea is where many of our most treasured memories have sprouted. We have fallen in love over and over again here, laughed and cried here and gotten engaged here. This place truly brings out the best in both of us. It is simply put… our happy place. With that being said, it made perfect sense to decide this would be the place we would join in marriage.
As a wedding photographer, I (Caitlin) have seen many weddings from the inside out, which was a great advantage while planning. I’m always seeing and thinking about light, mood and colors. We knew we wanted to feel entirely connected to the ambiance of our wedding and celebrate togetherness. With that in mind, we set out to have a personal connection to each and every part of our wedding.
A family friend delivered buckets full of our favorite dahlias from the Greensboro farmers market. Matt’s Aunt and our great friend created all of our floral arrangements, boutonnieres and bouquets. My flowers were wrapped with a cross-stitched sash made by my grandmother. My father-in-law hauled a trailer full of all our decorations and materials. My father and brother spent the days before the wedding stringing lights and building the bamboo lounge. Our mothers spent months baking over 200 dozen cookies for our ‘Pittsburgh tradition” cookie table. As gifts to our wedding party and guests, I made pottery bud vases and drinking vessels. During the ceremony, our parents joined us hand in hand as we walked to the oceans edge for an Irish stone blessing – the stones we tossed were ones that my brother and I once collected as kids from the Ohio River in my grandmothers neighborhood. Even just weeks before the wedding when we were still wondering how to build an arbor – a storm rolled through Sunset Beach and knocked down part of his parent’s live oak tree. The limbs were perfect.
The stories behind these details and many more are what made our wedding feel like a genuine reflection of the love we have for one another, our happy place and for all things handmade. The time we spent with our family to create the elements of our wedding are very dear memories. There isn’t any thing more beautiful, than bringing people together.
Wedding Photography: Brett & Jessica / Ceremony Location: Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina / Reception Venue: Knots Landing in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina / Wedding Planning: Brittany Adams O'Niel of BAO Events / Wedding Design: Bride / Floral Design: Farm picked by Bride + Family (Farms include: Castle Hayne Farm, Greensboro Farmers Market, Fresh Market) / Officiant: Susannah Tuttle / Wedding Catering: Art Catering / Band: The Shack Band / Bagpiper: Timothy Hinson / Farm Tables, Chairs + Benches: Rent A Tent / Wedding Dress: Nordstrom
As a wedding photographer, I (Caitlin) have seen many weddings from the inside out, which was a great advantage while planning. I’m always seeing and thinking about light, mood and colors. We knew we wanted to feel entirely connected to the ambiance of our wedding and celebrate togetherness. With that in mind, we set out to have a personal connection to each and every part of our wedding.
A family friend delivered buckets full of our favorite dahlias from the Greensboro farmers market. Matt’s Aunt and our great friend created all of our floral arrangements, boutonnieres and bouquets. My flowers were wrapped with a cross-stitched sash made by my grandmother. My father-in-law hauled a trailer full of all our decorations and materials. My father and brother spent the days before the wedding stringing lights and building the bamboo lounge. Our mothers spent months baking over 200 dozen cookies for our ‘Pittsburgh tradition” cookie table. As gifts to our wedding party and guests, I made pottery bud vases and drinking vessels. During the ceremony, our parents joined us hand in hand as we walked to the oceans edge for an Irish stone blessing – the stones we tossed were ones that my brother and I once collected as kids from the Ohio River in my grandmothers neighborhood. Even just weeks before the wedding when we were still wondering how to build an arbor – a storm rolled through Sunset Beach and knocked down part of his parent’s live oak tree. The limbs were perfect.
The stories behind these details and many more are what made our wedding feel like a genuine reflection of the love we have for one another, our happy place and for all things handmade. The time we spent with our family to create the elements of our wedding are very dear memories. There isn’t any thing more beautiful, than bringing people together.
Wedding Photography: Brett & Jessica / Ceremony Location: Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina / Reception Venue: Knots Landing in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina / Wedding Planning: Brittany Adams O'Niel of BAO Events / Wedding Design: Bride / Floral Design: Farm picked by Bride + Family (Farms include: Castle Hayne Farm, Greensboro Farmers Market, Fresh Market) / Officiant: Susannah Tuttle / Wedding Catering: Art Catering / Band: The Shack Band / Bagpiper: Timothy Hinson / Farm Tables, Chairs + Benches: Rent A Tent / Wedding Dress: Nordstrom