North Carolina Weddings

Southern weddings, we heart you. We love that certain charm you never, ever forget to put on before walking down the aisle. We love the sweetness that is a prerequisite for every one of your brides and grooms. We love the smiles, the laughter, and the sweet tea enjoyed in rocking chairs. And we love you for giving us Nancy Ray Photography, because she always gives us the quintessential southern soiree – this one being quite possibly our favorite. Click here for even more!

Inkspot Cow Film captured this lovely couple on their big day – and we can’t help but love their take!

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/40108067 601 338]

From Nancy Ray Photography … I am happy to share this warm, heartfelt, Fearrington wedding with you. The Belted Galloway cows, a very classic bride, light blue accents, and of course the sparkling Fearrington Barn were the perfect recipe for this sweet Southern wedding. Nothing meant more than me (as the photographer) than witnessing the precious relationships that these families shared. The moment when Brittaney’s Dad saw her the first time, when she held hands with her mom and grandma before the ceremony, when her brother teared up when he saw his sister dressed in white for the first time, and when her sister lovingly gave her toast at the reception. Jeff’s brother’s toast was loving in a completely different way – mostly jokes and funny stories – but no less love was involved. It was simple, sweet, and in my opinion, the perfect Southern wedding.

Photographer: Nancy Ray Photography / Ceremony + Reception Venue: Fearrington Village / Dress Designer: Lea Ann Belter / Bridesmaids Dresses: Ivy Aster / Jewelry: Expressions by Gwyn / Videographer: Inkspot Crow Films / Coordinater: Gilda at Fearrington / Florist: Mary Stevens at Fearrington / Cake: Jill Leckey at Fearrington / DJ: Steve Stowe for Bunn DJ Company / Strings: Arioso Strings

Have you ever seen a wedding so lovely? After spending the day with this summery North Carolina affair, I can’t remember if I have. This one is so wonderful and marvelous, with an ambiance of warmth stretching from the beautiful bride’s smiling eyes all the way to the uber cool The Cotton Room, it’s driven all other sweet soirees out of my mind. And there is a gallery, filled with love from Alders Photography, that is going to put you in a dreamy, fabulous mood!

Our wedding has been a long time in the making. We met in North Carolina more than 5 years ago, & spent a year as friends before realizing there was something more between us. Josh moved to California, & we decided to weather a two-year long-distance relationship. 6 months after Meghan moved to L.A., we took a day-trip down to Laguna Beach (with Meghan none the wiser) & came back engaged.

We wanted to be married in a church, so the ceremony was at the church Josh grew up in. We wanted a southern/urban feel for the reception; The Cotton Room-a converted textile factory-fit the bill perfectly! The helpful staff & delicious southern food were more than we could have hoped for.

We wanted the wedding to feel fun and unstuffy with touches of old-school elegance; We also wanted a few nods to Durham’s industrial history. Meghan made an inspiration board that helped us make decisions. The colors – teal and yellow – felt summery and refined, and are two of Meghan’s favorites.

During the ceremony,the pastor gave a wonderful homily, two friends read scripture & Josh’s sister sang our favorite folk hymn. We also sang a group hymn familiar to both our Catholic & Protestant family members. The reception had eastern North Carolina BBQ sauce favors & Josh’s favorite cannolis flown in from Philly.

One of our best friends gifted us with a honeymoon suite at the gorgeous Umstead Hotel, and we arrived to find a handwritten note from him with some champagne and strawberries. It was the perfect start to the perfect honeymoon; Josh surprised Meghan with a honeymoon in the Italian Riviera!

Advice? Relax! People spend their whole wedding day worrying about the things that could go wrong instead of enjoying the things that go right. At the end of the day, you’ll be married, so just enjoy the wedding with your new spouse and anyone who’s able to celebrate with you on your big day.

Photographer: Alders Photography / Hair Stylist: Posh the Salon / Caterer: The Cotton Room / Floral Designer: Tre Bella Flowers / Invitation Designer: Meghan Witzke / Dress Store: David’s Bridal / DJ: Mark McNally of Joe Bunn DJ Company / Bakery: Guglupf / Ceremony Venue: Church of the Good Shepherd / Reception Venue: The Cotton Room

Thank you so very much to Youn and Nathan for sharing their gorgeous day with us. And of course, to the incredibly talented Ken Luallen the photographs that have made our heart skip a beat!

A last bit from Ken…Youn and Nathan’s reception decor created an intimate atmosphere, brought on largely by fuchsia and purple paper globes draped above the outdoor patio, its boundaries marked charmingly with dozens of homemade paper bag lanterns lining the stone floor.  (Globes from Luna Bazaar)  Romantic glowing lanterns created by gluing doilies to the inside of the bags and adding a candle to each.

There is something so refreshing about today’s affair. Not sure if it’s the pretty DIY touches or the sweet approachable style, with hints of whimsy tucked in every corner. Whatever it is, I can’t get enough!

From the fabulous Ken Luallen…Not inclined to be oppressively formal, Youn made sure she and her bridesmaids had fashionable flip-flops (pink and purple, of course) available to relax their feet as needed throughout the day.  Their guests enjoyed the creative centerpieces on their tables – monogrammed Y and N mugs filled with flowers.  (Mugs from Anthropologie)  While many recognized her whimsical doilie-and-twine invitation designs echoed on their programs and favor boxes, the most playful banter revolved around their look alike wooden cake toppers.

There were a ton of really great vendors that helped to put this affair together. The first is the amazingly talented Ken Luallen. His images really tell the story of the day and help us to fall in love with all of the perfect details. The flowers were done by Tre Bella and coordination was done by the amazing Bliss Event Group.

A few more gorgeous pics on the way!

LOVING today’s featured wedding…mainly because it is not only photographed by one of my favorite Little Black Book members, Ken Luallen, but also because the bride is so stinking crafty and so ridiculously cute!

From Ken Luallen…Our groom’s personality shone through the day just as brightly – he wore a deep navy Ralph Lauren suit, its deceptively conservative style hiding mischievous purple and fuchsia argyle socks.  His groomsmen’s purple J.Crew socks stood out more easily, lounging as they were in fresh pairs of cool grey Converse chucks.  Even their audacious purple ties were custom made, silk screened by Cyberoptix Tie Lab. Youn blended modern style with feminine elegance perfectly, starting the day with a gorgeous Bellissima Couture gown.

To make a grand reception entrance she changed into a classy cream J. Crew dress bearing a billowing floral pin designed by another indie favorite, Easter Yu of Muscari.  The bridesmaids delicately-layered floral hairpieces were created by Oregon’s Myra Callan of Twigs and Honey, as were the groomsmen’s boutonnières.

So, remember this amazing DIY invitation that we featured during one of our DIY contests? You guys went nuts over it and guess what…the cute bride recently tied the knot and her photographer, Ken Luallen (one of the best in our Little Black Book), is stopping by to share some of the ridiculously great pictures and details!

From Ken…One of my craftiest brides, Youn Lee, shared her handmade invitations on SMP back in October.  Well last month her much-awaited wedding at Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham, NC finally arrived and her personal flair continued!

Youn chose a bold purple color scheme as a personal tribute – it was her late mother’s favorite color – which she accented with pink.  She and her bridesmaids were the center of attention even amidst the garden’s Spring blossoms, each of them wearing delightful peep-toed pink pumps by Glint.  (Glint appears to be sold exclusively at Nordstrom).

So much more to come!