“And now you may kiss the bride!”
I was so happy for Shannon and Blake as they tied the knot at their unconventional wedding in late October. To date, their two-day wedding affair is the most non-traditional wedding I’ve been part of, and it was fabulous! I think what made it so special was not only did I know Shannon from our middle school, high school, and college days, it was that the whole affair was centered around those they love and the things that she and Blake like doing together. The emphasis was put on the relationships of their family and friends who attended and spending their time socializing with each other and not as much on the traditional elements typically enjoyed at wedding events. As much as I love traditional components of weddings, it was refreshing to capture the meaningful simplicity of this unscripted event as it unfolded.
Everything started on Friday evening with their black-tie reception at The Oak restaurant in Raleigh, NC, one of their favorite places to dine. We jumped right into taking portraits of Shannon and Blake together in the quaint courtyard outside of the restaurant. I loved capturing the smiles and laughs between them as they talked and promenaded down the sidewalk and into the open courtyard area that had a bit of a European feel. As we laughed and snapped away, my favorite quote of the night was from Shannon as I asked Blake to whisper something into her ear, and her comment to him was, “You better make it a good one!”
The rest of the evening was spent capturing formal images of family and friend groups and then getting the candid moments of guests as they laughed and reminisced about old times.
Dinner was served family-style with a mixture of chicken, filet, homemade mac and cheese, salad, potatoes and vegetables. Blake & Shannon shared toasts with several family members and friends and then went into their first dance. Dessert was served and guests enjoyed talking and visiting together on into the night.
On Saturday afternoon, everyone joined back together at the WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC for the perfect ceremony in the stadium bleachers. Soccer is a huge part of what Shannon and Blake enjoy, and Shannon used to referee professional soccer matches at this very field. It was the perfect setting for them, complete with jeans, personalized jerseys they had everyone in attendance sign, and stoles with their team logo. Even their shoes had “Mayberry 2017” printed inside!
Dinner and visiting with one another followed in the party deck above where the game started at 7 p.m.
I am so happy I had the opportunity to photograph and document this special wedding for Shannon and Blake. I wish you all a lifetime of happiness and to always do things your own way – I’m sure it will be fabulous every time!
