Tag: backyard wedding in north carolina

Sarah + Doug tied the knot in an intimate backyard wedding in Chapel Hill on June 9, 2013.  After assisting a photographer at a 350+ person wedding the day before, Sarah + Doug’s 40 person wedding was a nice reminder that sometimes all you need for a beautiful, meaningful celebration are your family, closest friends, a rabbi, and maybe a cigar or two for the reception.  🙂

Both the ceremony and reception took place at Sarah’s grandmother’s house, nestled cozily in the woods.  Sarah grew up just one house over, and I loved that the location of her wedding occurred in such a familiar and memory-laden place for her.  In an age of destination weddings, it seems a rarity to get married in the home you grew up in (let alone have your family remain in the same location for 30+ years!)  Instead of signing their ketubah in a stale hotel conference room, Sarah and Doug sealed their promises to each other in Sarah’s grandmother’s home office, which was filled with sweet mementos and photographs- Sarah as a child, Sarah’s graduation picture, and other knickknacks that had been collected over the years- each with its own story.

Sarah + Doug, thank you so much for the opportunity to preserve even more memories that can be added to your grandmother’s collection.  Your wedding was truly refreshing, and I hope that you will cherish these photos for years to come.

A shout-out to all our fab vendors for making this day possible:

Dress:  Galina

Shoes: New York Transit

Groom’s clothing: Men’s Wearhouse

Florist: Victoria Park Florist

Cake: Mad Hatter

Catering: The Catering Company of Chapel Hill

Invites: Gartner

Photography Assistant:  Layson Peters

 

Some of my favorite weddings to shoot are the ones that aren’t
traditional.  I love seeing couples express their unique relationship in
a setting that is truly their own–whether it be a relaxed wedding in a field at sundown, a beautiful Jewish ceremony
held outside, or something more homely.  Katie and Matt celebrated
their nuptials in a setting I’d never seen before: their neighborhood
cul de sac.

I have never felt so relaxed shooting a wedding, and owe that to the
warm, cozy environment that was my photographic playground for the
afternoon. All the elements of a usual wedding were present, but the
location they took place gave the day a twist for me.  A little girl put
on her dress in the living room downstairs, family members lounged on
the couch before the ceremony, family portraits took place in the
backyard instead of in the front of a church, Katie and Matt said “I do”
on the front porch of their Durham home, guests hula-hooped in the lawn
at the reception.

I’d love to shoot more weddings like this in the future.  The
off-beat nature of everything was really refreshing, making ordinary
wedding moments that I capture all the time seem like something totally
different.  If I could get married again, I’d probably make my wedding
something like this—an intimate gathering of family and friends in my
backyard (since I don’t have a cul de sac)!