Emily + Carlo tied the knot on September 13, 2014 in downtown Durham, North Carolina. Given Emily’s last name, it was only fitting that they celebrated not only their love for one another but their love for Durham on their wedding day. Read more below to hear directly from the couple about their wedding and photography experience:

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1. What was your favorite moment from the day? 

Wow, so many favorites.  One moment I really loved was at the reception when Emily and I got a chance to stand up at the front of the room and thank everyone for coming, for helping, and for being a part of our lives.  That was also when we got to explain that instead of a cake-cutting, we were going to do an ice cream-scooping because of the important place that ice cream has had in our lives.  It was just amazing to see all the faces of every single person I love in my life all in one place.  And all of us about to stuff ourselves with homemade ice cream!  I hope that’s at least a little bit what heaven is like.

2. What was most important to you in planning your wedding?

For me, it was most important that our wedding do 3 main things: 1) Honor the people who have made our lives so awesome; 2) help get our marriage off to a strong start (as opposed to putting us in debt); and 3) support as many Durham-based businesses as possible.

3. What was the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge was consistently remembering that you can, should, and MUST say “Thanks, but that’s not actually important to me.”  Pressure builds up from lots of places during the planning process.  The pressure makes you imagine that people will judge you or be embarrassed by you if you don’t do certain things for your wedding or don’t have certain things.  The truth is, to have a wedding all you need is $60 for a license and 2 witnesses. So make sure that EVERYTHING else you might do on top of that is something that you are choosing powerfully for yourself because it’s important to you.

4. What factors other than photos went into your decision on a wedding photographer? Why did you decide to pick me?

For photographers I was prioritizing Durham-based folks first.  After that, it was really important that our photographer be excited about working with us, not because we were a “gig” but because he/she genuinely cared about this thing happening in our lives.  Emily and I are both pretty sentimental people so we knew that wedding pictures were going to be something that we looked at a lot over the years.  Photography was actually our biggest splurge but we felt Courtney would do an awesome job.  Zero regrets.

5.  From booking to delivery of images and seeing the results, what in your mind made it the right choice for us to collaborate? Did anything surprise you?

The ONE thing that surprised me the most and will stick MOST with me is this: Across every single solitary part of the wedding planning process (from caterers to flowers to churches), Courtney was the most consistent, clear, responsive, and timely out of EVERYONE.  Honestly, sometimes when we were feeling down about a lack of responsiveness from some other area of wedding planning we’d be like, “Let’s ask Courtney a question!”  Boom.  Super helpful answer the very next day.  Sometimes it wasn’t even about pictures.  Courtney answered our question about where family could get their hair done in town!  Does that normally come with a photo package?  I dunno.  But it did with Courtney!

6.  What’s next for you as a couple?

Investing in each other and investing in Durham.  This is a pretty fantastic place to be with the person you’re supposed to be with in life.

7. Anything else you’d like to add about your wedding or photography experience?

Emily’s note here: Initially, screening photographers was on Carlo’s wedding to-do list since I knew he had a track record of cheesy fake smiles for photographers (I didn’t want that on our wedding day!).  His friend recommend a list of NC photographers and I remember Carlo saying that Courtney’s photographs were the only ones that made him laugh out loud with the candid, spontaneous moments she captured.  After both talking with Courtney on the phone and meeting her in person, we knew she was the one to go with!  Thank you so much, Courtney!!

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Emily + Carlo, thank you so much for inviting me to be a part of your celebration! Your desire to support local businesses impressed me from the beginning, and I am so honored that you chose me to document your day. Even though your wedding is over, I hope to continue to collaborate with you and celebrate our shared love of Durham.

To view all of the photos from Emily + Carlo’s wedding and order prints, please visit my print service here.

Second Photographer: Alex Boerner

Videography: Kasha Mammone

Reception flowers: Ebb & Flower

Bouquets/Corsages/Boutonnieres: LuAnn Durham

Hair: Caitie Rumbles

Catering: Q-Shack, North Hills Raleigh

Ice Cream: La Monarca Michoacana

Linens/Dance Floor: Best Rent-All

Sound: Steven DeConto

The post Emily + Carlo | Downtown Durham Wedding | Durham Wedding Photographer appeared first on Courtney Potter Studio.

Katy and Pat tied the knot in downtown Durham on April 19, 2014 at the Durham Arts Council. This venue is one of my favorites, and not just because it’s three miles from my house. The massive windows encasing the first floor atrium makes for soft, beautiful light- especially on a cloudy day. The stairs leading up to the second floor make for the perfect spot to capture a bird’s-eye view of the scene, and the twinkle lights hanging from the ceiling create a romantic ambience that calls for minimal decorations.

In general, weddings are a communal affair- made possible by the love and support of family and friends. Katy and Pat’s wedding, in particular, was characterized by familial love through every step of the process. The cookies, cupcakes, and Boston-creme donuts that graced the dessert table were all made by family members. Katy’s brother designed the invitations, and cousins provided the flower arrangements. Katy’s mom even accompanied her for our initial consultation about photography! By the end of the wedding-planning process I felt like a part of this affectionate family. (I don’t think I’ve ever been hugged by so many people before at a wedding!)

Speaking of family, Katy’s bond with her grandmother was one of the sweetest I’ve ever seen. Katy told me her grandmother Penny is the reason why they chose the Durham Arts Council as their wedding venue. When they saw the wall adjacent to the parking lot that says “Penny’s furniture,” Katy knew it was a sign that this was destined to be their venue. My favorite photo from the day is of Katy and her Nana embracing in front of this wall, which is why it is the cover image for this entry.

Katy and Pat, thank you so much for being such kind, welcoming clients. Your copious hugs and thank-you’s were a breath of fresh air that gave me the energy boost I needed to edit several spring weddings. Thank you for reminding me why I love being a wedding photographer and for giving me the privilege to capture such precious moments on your wedding day!

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

Dress: Tre Bella Bridal

Shoes: Naturalizer

Catering: The Original Q Shack and Pour Bar Services

Second Photographer: Grace Farson

The post Katy + Pat | Durham Arts Council Wedding | Durham Wedding Photographer appeared first on Courtney Potter Studio.