Earlier this month I accompanied Lauren and Steven to their wedding reception at TPC Wakefield Plantation and their Catholic ceremony at Sacred Heart Cathedral in downtown Raleigh. This wedding was the perfect story of high school sweethearts turned husband and wife. The love and energy felt between the two was truly palpable. According to their friends and family this shouldn’t be a surprise because they’ve been hooked on each other for almost ten years now!
They both grew up in Wake Forest, NC where they first met (and began dating) in high school. There first date was to go see Bowfinger because they LOVE comedy movies. They stayed together all the way through college and grad school before getting engaged. Steven is a business and technology applications analyst at NC State and Lauren is an elementary school librarian at St. David’s School in Raleigh. They have a dog named Zuzu named after the youngest daughter in It’s a Wonderful Life.
Last summer they went to Charleston with the intention of going to the city and then camping later in the trip. Lauren had a sneaking suspicion Steven was going to propose while they were in the city. They had a few romantic dinners and walks along the pier. But it didn’t happen and she told me she had given up hope because she knew he wouldn’t want to proposed to her at the campsite. On the way to the campgrounds Steven took a surprise detour to Middleton Inn. That night after dinner he proposed. The historic hall and gardens was the perfect location because they both love history and architecture.
After this amazing wedding they’re looking forward to going to Martha’s Vineyard and to Boston for their honeymoon! Congratulations to both of you and thank you for letting me be a part of your special day!
Cake: Cake Dreams by Sally
Bridesmaids Dresses: Bridal Boutique of Raleigh
Hair: Salon 21 – Manuel
Shoes: Stuart Weitzman
Music/DJ: Joe Bunn DJ Company – Ken Holmes
Wedding Gown: David’s Bridal – Oleg Cassini
Tuxes: Men’s Wearhouse
These first few photos were taken in front of Second Empire Restaurant. I haven’t had a chance to photograph a wedding their yet but hope to soon! The architecture and ambiance is wonderful.
Beautiful details on the ceiling of the Sacred Heart Cathedral church.
Lauren’s father walks her down the aisle.
I caught this moment of the couple smiling at each other. It’s sometimes tricky during a sermon but the officiant was really lighthearted and fun!
The couple exchanges their wedding rings.
One of the guests had brought an old 8mm video recorder.
These are custom ribbons tied to dowel rods that they made themselves for the send off form the church.
A wedding exit with ribbons and streamers! So fun and colorful. Love it!
Here’s what the back of the brides dress looked like.
You could say that these shows were to “dye” for! The bridal party dyed their shoes purple but discovered that there were a few side effects! :)
<3 it!
Lauren had some beautiful lace wedding shoes compliments of Stuart Weitzman.
I think this is a beautiful potrait of the couple. They look absolutely radiant!
I asked the bride to pull her veil over her face to create a soft and romantic portrait. Doesn’t she look stunning?
Ok… Steven you look handsome too!
I think every guy does this immediately following his wedding. I still do it to this day in fact whenever I’m thinking of my wife.
We arrive at the TPC Wakefield Plantation. It was the perfect wedding venue for such a gorgeous day!
This is a custom sign purchased from Etsy.com.
Can you guess their wedding date?
The shrimp and oyster bar with a custom ice sculpture looked so great that the DJ and I joked about each grabbing an end of it and just leaving with it at the end of the night!
The catering manager at Wakefield Plantation Jaclyn Parks rocks! She’s got an upbeat and friendly personality that made me feel appreciated as a guest and wedding vendor.
“THE ROBOT” as part of the wedding reception entrance dance.
Lauren’s father Tony gave a superb wedding speech!
As part of his toast he shared a story about when he first took his daughter out fishing for the first time when she was ten. After catching his first fish Lauren turned to him and said “Daddy, throw him back in.” Then as he reached for another minnow to bait his hook she said “Daddy, throw the little ones back in too.” I though it was such a wonderful story that reflected her kind and generous personality perfectly.
I get a little teary eyes looking at these next two photos. Their a few of my favorites of the day.
The bride showing off her ring…
I love the look on his face as he watches his wife boogieing on the dance floor!
The best man also made a great (and comical) toast to the couple.
The father of the bride dancing with his daughter.
The mother of the groom dancing with her son Steven.
I can imagine that grandma is saying something like “Now Steven… You better treat this girl right!”
I borrowed the old video camcorder from earlier and did some fun setups of Steven videotaping Lauren.
I really like how this shot turned out! Perhaps it’s because it was nearly impossible to get the rings to stay on top of the slippery golf balls. If you don’t believe me try it sometime… Go ahead I dare ya. :)
This custom paper wedding banner was also ordered from Etsy.com. I really love that site for all things custom ordered.
Cake Dreams by Sally provided this wonderful wedding cake.
I’ve worked with Ken Holmes now many times! We always have SO much fun together at weddings. He’s an amazingly talented DJ and always knows just the perfect songs to get everyone moving!
These miniature pies were real treats for the wedding guests!
The bride and groom ripped up the dance floor later on in the wedding.
A wedding exit to sparklers…
and a send-off in a golf cart!
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