Tag: Rigmor House weddings

Heather + Sean tied the knot on April 11, 2015 at the Rigmor House in Chapel Hill, NC. Their wedding was a fun reflection of their laid-back personalities and love of the outdoors. Instead of driving to a hotel after a night of dancing and celebration, friends camped out around a cozy bonfire at The Rigmor House. Read the Q&A below to learn more about Heather + Sean’s wedding day and inspiration! To view all of the photos from Heather + Sean’s wedding and order prints, please visit their wedding gallery on my online print shop!

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1. How did you meet and fall in love? I’d love to hear a little bit more of your story. 🙂

We met in high school. Our wedding was almost exactly 10 years after our first date.

2. Tell me about the inspiration for your wedding celebration. How did the day itself line up with 

your vision and expectations?

We wanted it to feel like a fun, casual, backyard BBQ. Everything lined up perfectly with our

plan! We also loved having our friends camp – that definitely fit with our personalities.

3. What was your favorite part of your wedding day?

Right after dinner when dancing started and we realized we had pulled the whole thing off!

4. What factors other than photos went into your decision on a wedding photographer? Why did 

you pick me?

We really liked the style of your photos, and knew you would be a great choice after meeting

you in person. You felt like you were someone we could be friends with in “real life”, and we would

feel comfortable having you at the wedding. The fact that you had shot at our venue, the Rigmor

House before was a perk as well.

5. Did you foresee any part of your wedding day being difficult logistically or emotionally? Did I 

make it easier? If so, how? 

Everything went so smoothly. We didn’t feel like we had to think much about the photography

because you had it all under control!

6. What is the first thing you want to do with the images? 

Share them with our family.

7. What is next for you as a couple? Any big plans?

Getting “real” jobs; we are both postdocs!

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Heather + Sean, thanks for being such a breeze to work with! I concur with what you said in the Q&A- I feel like we could have met and been friends in “real life.” I haven’t ever photographed wedding guests pitching their tents minutes before the ceremony, so thank you for giving me this fun opportunity! 🙂 I enjoyed making these images, and I hope you love them!

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

Venue: Rigmor House

Photography Assistant: Katy Folk

Officiant: Robin Renteria

Bride’s Dress: Wtoo by Watters

Catering: Hillsborough BBQ Company

Yemeng + Chris tied the knot on May 17, 2014 at the Rigmor House in Chapel Hill. Since Yemeng and Chris planned not just one but TWO weddings while dating long-distance, I wanted to interview them about their experience and how they planned for the photography aspect of both events. Here are their responses:

1. You actually planned two celebrations: one in North Carolina and one in China. Tell me a little about the experience of planning for both weddings and how you used some of the NC photographs for your big day in China.

The two weddings could not be more different from each other! Chris and I planned every detail of the NC wedding from linens to flowers. Even though it was exhausting, we were able to get exactly what we wanted. But for the China wedding, it was obviously much more difficult to coordinate details. My mother was amazing at handling most things and we talked on Skype to make big decisions together, so everything turned out great!

A major part of the Chinese ceremony was a mini-movie that all the guests watch to get to know the couple, as most of them were my parent’s colleagues. Chris and I made a 15 minute clip filled with pictures from our childhood, traveling and time spent together. We ended up including a lot of the pictures from our engagement shoot with Courtney, and also used the set of wedding pictures that you were able to turn around quickly for us. The guests all really loved them!

2. You planned most of your wedding while living hundreds of miles away from each other. What tips or resources do you have for other long-distance couples planning a wedding?  

It was certainly less fun to be apart during this exciting but stressful time, but we tried to go over all the big decision over the phone, and then divide and conquer the smaller tasks. One of us would work on website/invitations/etc. while the other did decorations/food/tables – and we managed to get through it without too much micromanagement! 😉

Chris also tried to come to NC often and tackle several meetings at a time during each visit (caterers, officiant, etc). We also had wonderful help from a lot of our friends, as well Chris’s family (who all live in NC), and especially from his Mom!

3. What did you enjoy most about your (North Carolina) wedding day?

Definitely the ceremony. It was the perfect North Carolina spring weather and we were surround by all of our favorite people. Reverend Heidi did an amazing job and all of our readers did as well. Seeing the joy and happy tears on everyone’s faces (including ours!) was a really special feeling.

4. After working with me and seeing the results, what in your mind made it the right choice for us to collaborate?

I always knew you had a spark from meeting you many years ago and seeing some of your artwork. I came into the collaboration already pretty excited and was still blown away with how great things turned out. We knew we wanted very candid pictures and documentation of the whole wedding day, while still getting good formal portraits. You did just that and more. Your pictures somehow captured the most beautiful and natural expressions of people’s faces and revealed so much emotion. In addition, you were incredibly professional, organized, and prepared but also very flexible.

5. What is the first thing you want to do with the images? 

Send it to our parents/grandparents! They have been amazingly supportive and should see them first!

6. What is next for you as a couple?

We are both finishing graduate school this year and getting ready to move on to our next big adventure. Getting to finally settle in and live together after years of long distance has been the greatest.

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Yemeng and Chris, thank you for being such a fun, light-hearted couple to work with. Even though you may have been stressed out by all of the planning, at every step of the process you maintained your sense of humor. Your wedding was a true reflection of your jovial spirits, and I hope that these photos capture that! 🙂

To view all of the photos and purchase prints from Yemeng + Chris’s wedding, please visit my print service here.

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

Dress: J Crew Bettina gown

Shoes: Aldo

Bridesmaid dresses: Banana Republic

Ties: Nautica

Florist: Victoria Park Florist

Catering: Belle’s Catering

Invites: Minted

DJ: Ian Stevens from Top Notch Entertainment

Second Photographer: Kallyn Boerner

Venue: Rigmor House

It was chilly when Sarah and Erik read their vows to each other underneath the wooden trellis, but everyone was warmed by this couple’s deep love for one another.  It made me wonder why more couples don’t get married in the winter, since the environment was so intimate and cozy!  Perfect for a wedding.

Sarah and Erik got married at the Rigmor House in Chapel Hill, one of my favorite places to shoot because of all the natural light indoors.  They adorned the tables with festive candles, cranberries, and red roses, which gave the reception a romantic feel. Their friends were extremely fun; I enjoyed watching everyone’s sick dance moves.  I was also pretty amused by the amount of shots consumed in the kitchen in between dances.  🙂

I shot this wedding with my brand new high school intern, Layson Peters.  She did a phenomenal job, and it was so fun to live vicariously through her enthusiasm, since this was her first wedding to shoot ever.  It was nice to realize that my love for wedding photography hasn’t waned over time; every time I create a new picture of a new moment with a new couple, that quiet thrill hits me. It’s the same feeling I had during my first wedding, and I hope that as long as I am in this profession it will continue to shape my work.  And I hope the same for Layson.

Sarah + Erik, thank you so much for sharing your day with us!  Enjoy!