After an incredible fall wedding season, I finally am able to start posting some of my gorgeous weddings I’ve been so fortunate to capture on camera. Shannon & Barrett’s wedding is one that I had really been looking forward to since the day we first met for their wedding consultation. Partly because I really love shooting Umstead hotel and spa weddings, but really because Shannon & Barrett were just plain fun and their wedding day really was going to be a grand celebration with their family and friends.
On their wedding day, both Shannon and Barrett had the familiar nervous excitement and as both the wedding and reception were being held at the Umstead Hotel and Spa, were surrounded by all their family and friends. I really enjoy it when everything is at the same location because it means, generally, everyone is around and it makes for great getting ready photos! Barrett and the guys were already dressed when we arrived and were waiting in the lounge area eating so delightful barbeque sandwiches while the ladies were getting their hair & makeup done downstairs. After everyone was ready, we had a wonderful opportunity to photograph the bridal party and each individual member before the ceremony.
As Barrett is a meteorologist, Shannon had requested perfect wedding weather – which indeed we received. Partly cloudy, slightly cool weather made for a gorgeous outdoor wedding ceremony on the Umstead Lawn. After the wedding, we shot outdoor formals as the sun was setting the headed up to the reception in the Umstead Ballroom. The entire wedding and reception was sprinkled with personality – from the drink menu to the chalk blackboards with their initials to the personalized cookies at each seat – the wedding was really planned out to perfection.
I think their best man is in the running for the funniest toast of the year and the wedding reception itself definitely had the most people dancing at once (I think I saw maybe 10 people sitting down, everyone else was bootyshaking). We ended off the wedding with some of my favorite evening portraits of the year using the Terrace and outdoor fireplace at the Umstead hotel as a backdrop. We actually also did a day after session which, honestly, is tied for my favorite session of the year as well, but that is for another blog post.
I’d like to thank Shannon, Barrett and their families for their overwhelming graciousness and hospitality. It’s the reason I love photographing weddings so much! As always, here are a few selections from Shannon and Barrett’s Umstead Hotel and Spa wedding!
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One of the things I kid myself about are “jinxes” when it comes to certain locations. Since I’ve been shooting weddings, there are two locations I have really wanted to work at, but for one reason or another, it always seems to fall thru. Well, I got one of those proverbial monkey’s off my back and photographed my first Carolina Inn Wedding. Now I have visited, stayed at and shot multiple corporate events at the Carolina Inn, but never a wedding. Honestly, I could not have asked for a better couple to have for my “first time” there as both Elizabeth and Andrew were such a pleasure to work with.
For my very first Carolina Inn Wedding, to add a little irony, it was also the very first time I had met Elizabeth & Andrew as they live in Louisiana and decided to travel to Chapel Hill for their wedding. First of all, the suite Elizabeth was getting ready in was, well, gorgeous. I knew from experience the Carolina Inn was a gorgeous facility but their bridal suite really caught me by surprise. With hardwood floors, antique carpets, solid wood wardrobes, wall sconces and even a butlers closet, the room really is fit for royalty! It really was a perfect location for my gorgeous clients as their entire wedding literally oozed class and the understated southern charm you’d come to expect from people in the deep south.
The day of the wedding, the weather could not have been more perfect. The nice part about having your wedding at the Carolina Inn is the sheer amount of locations, both at the hotel and around the downtown area, you have to have a wedding ceremony. Elizabeth & Andrew wanted an outdoor wedding ceremony and the Bryan Courtyard at the Carolina Inn offered the perfect setting. Just off the sun room, the courtyard is shaded by a huge oak tree and has a charming patio that overlooks the entire area. One of my favorite officiants, Barbara Lodge, presided over their afternoon ceremony (and lollipop eating – check the photos).
After the wedding ceremony was complete, we strolled around the Carolina Inn grounds photographing wedding portraits for the couple. There are, quite honestly, so many areas we didn’t get a chance to visit (which says a lot about the gorgeous grounds of the Carolina Inn) but with Elizabeth & Andrew giving me free reign, we really got some gorgeous photos. Their reception was held in the historic Old Well room and the party was emcee’d by Alan of Spin. Even though this was a Sunday wedding (which historically are tamer then Saturday weddings), Alan got the crowd jumping and before you knew it, the entire crowd was on the dance floor.
I want to really thank Elizabeth & Andrew for their endless hospitality, graciousness and, well, awesomeness! It was a real honor to be present for your wedding and I am so happy I captured your day! As always, here are some select photos from their Carolina Inn Wedding!
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I apologize for the slow blogging over the past month or so. It’s been a truly crazy wedding season and while I firmly believe in blogging weddings as soon as I can, my client’s wedding photos come first. I can finally catch up on some of my wedding backlog now so stay tuned for a bunch of Raleigh weddings on my site! For Emily & Patrick, I fulfilled a couple of photography “wishes” this year. One was to photograph a Kirk of Kildaire Wedding (a Church whom I’ve donated some photography services for auctions before) and to shoot a Renaissance Hotel wedding reception at North Hills in Raleigh, NC. There was actually one specific shot I have been trying to get (a Rolls Royce in front of the hotel) for a while but it’s never happened – until now!
Emily and I had coordinated completely over the phone as she lives out of town. So the day of the wedding was the first time we had actually met in person, but having talked with her and her Mom over the preceding months, it really felt like like we had known each other for some time. Emily and Patrick both got ready at the Kirk of Kildaire, in separate areas of course, but it makes getting shots of the both of them during the getting ready pretty easy. We had plenty of time before the ceremony so I could actually play with the dress a bit and use the unique layout of the church to my advantage. We took the guys outside to get their individual and group shots and, during this time, I realized that, well, they came to party! Not at the church mind you, at the reception. 
After a great moment with Emily and her father seeing each other, we headed into the ceremony area. Now, I am used to walking into churches that are, well, dark, but this was a real treat! Floor to ceiling windows flooded the entire sanctuary with a gorgeous natural light and it made photographing there a real pleasure! The ceremony was gorgeous and the church staff was honestly a real pleasure to work with. After the ceremony and couples formals (including getting a bridal portrait beside a tree her father planted at the church when she was born), we headed over to the Renaissance Hotel for their wedding reception.
Now, the Renaissance Hotel in North Hill is a really gorgeous location and the architecture and art hanging on the walls. So being able to photograph a wedding or reception here is really a treat. The hotel staff is incredible and it seems like every time I have a wedding here, the celebration is, well, epic! That was certainly the case with Emily & Patrick. With the band getting the party started, and keeping it going, I think the entire congregation was on the dance floor. It certainly made for some gorgeous photos and, even though Patrick will probably kill me for this, I had to post the “beer sling” photo. Yes, it was that crazy! After the party was over, I realized it felt like I had been in a full scale workout. There was so much going on that I had shot a crazy amount of photos – almost all of them were spectacular shots also (except for a few shots of my shoes I always seem to get).
Patrick & Emily – thank you both so much for allowing me to capture your wedding day! It’s always an honor for you to allow me into your lives on the first day of your new lives! I had a wonderful time with you and both your families! I hope you enjoy my view on your wedding and, of course, a few select wedding photos!
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With fall in full swing I have been really excited to come back out to one of the most gorgeous and versatile wedding locations in the Chapel Hill Area. My last Fearrington Village Wedding has been almost a year ago and I was thrilled to be back for Wendy & Tyler’s wedding reception.
We started their wedding day with Wendy getting ready in her parents home. Words can really not describe how perfect it was for Wendy, her bridesmaids and family to all be in one location. Of course, it helps when the master bathroom was the size of this one, but regardless, it was easy to see how relaxed the entire family and bridal party was just by being in familiar surroundings. We hung out for quite a while with the bride and her family getting to know everyone while still photographing the bride, all the preparations and details like the wedding gown, jewelry, shoes, programs, signs and, well, just name it, I probably got a shot of it.
The wedding was held at St Andrews Catholic Church in Apex, NC. This was the first time I had been here and Wendy and her family had mentioned getting a shot with the fountain a few times. In the hustle and bustle of the day, I filed that away as a “get” shot, but didn’t really go into it further – I’ll touch base on this after the ceremony. I must say, St. Andrews is probably the most accommodating church I have had the pleasure of photographing in. They actually reserved seats on both sides of the aisles for me, very near the front, so I could photograph without being a disruption. I am a huge believer of it being a ceremony first and a photographic opportunity 2nd, so to have that done for me was very impressive (If anyone from the Church is reading this, thank you!). After the Catholic ceremony and formal photos were complete, we headed back out to the fountain. I went ahead of the group to get setup and saw the plaque on the fountain. It was dedicated to Wendy’s brother, who passed away when he was 9 years old. Now I always remind myself what the power of a photograph truly is – to remember. When I took a moment to reflect on this however, it was pretty overwhelming and indeed one of the most special family photographs I have taken in my career.
We headed over to the Fearrington Village Wedding reception location, in the barn, and got to spend a little more time with the bridal party and, of course, the happily married couple. The Fearrington Village is really gorgeous with no shortage of great locations for photography and we just touched on one corner of the property with the bride and grooms formal photos. As the cocktail hour wore down, and the bridal party got ready to make their entrance, I noticed one thing. People were ready to party. LOL. Seriously, I do this for a living and always love a good party, but the people were really primed and Jim Unger from Joe Bunn DJ Company was ready to light the fuse!
As the reception got down to business, one of the best toasts of the year was delivered by Wendy’s father. I hope when my daughter gets married I’ll have that amount of poise, tact and humor. From here, well, the party just exploded and everyone, including myself and my assistant, got pulled onto the dance floor (thankfully I have not yet seen any photographic evidence that would convict me) and Jim literally blew the doors off the hinges. By the end of the evening, I was literally exhausted with all of the nonstop activity.
I want to really extend my heartfelt gratitude to the wonderful families of Tyler and Wendy who were an absolute delight to work with. Now, as always, here are a few choice photos from Tyler & Wendy’s Fearrington Village Wedding!
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by Brian Mullins
1 comment
Continuum Photography - Wow that cake shot is dramatic!