Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Jessie + Stanton - Durham Wedding at the Washington Duke Inn

Jessie & Stanton's wedding was one of several fall weddings we had the honor of documenting. We arrived early in the day, Anna at the church to photograph Stanton and his groomsmen.  Haley joined me at the inn for photos of Jessie and her bridesmaids getting ready before heading off to the church for the ceremony. Jessie looked absolutely stunning - her dress was elegant, yet truly unique. Her grandmother's brooch on her sash was another nice touch & it was her "something borrowed". Her shoes were her "something blue" & they were fabulous too! The bridesmaids gowns were a beautiful shade of pale blue & they all looked so lovely. And those flower girls - absolutely precious! 

We had a very wet and rainy fall leading up until then, however the weather was perfect for Jessie and Stanton's October 24th wedding. Mild and sunny with a hint of fall color always makes for a great backdrop. After the ceremony & photos of the family at the church, the wedding party joined us out on the golf course back at the Washington Duke Inn for some photos before being introduced at the reception.

Their reception was quite spectacular with the beautiful table settings, the gold chiavari chairs, gorgeous floral arrangements, and that cake.  Not to mention the Washington Duke Inn in itself is really a beautiful location for any occasion.  Jessie & Stanton's band Sonic Groove, was simply amazing. I loved how they interacted with the guests including getting out on the dance floor & dancing with them. Its a band like this which keeps the party rolling - everyone was having the time of their lives.

Guests received Cheerwine in glass bottles as favors with blue & white striped straws. To those who don't know what that is, its a North Carolina favorite. Its a soda rather than wine actually & has a wild cherry flavor to it. What a great idea to give guests from out of town something they may have never tried, let alone heard about it. I never tried it until I moved to North Carolina a few years back. Its pretty tasty & I'm not much of a soda drinker.

After the toasts were made and the cake was cut, dancing went well into the night. A few minutes before midnight, Jessie and Stanton had their last dance and then made their "bubbles" exit to their getaway vehicle - a golf cart. What fun!  After a honeymoon trip to Hawaii, the couple is making their home in Durham.

It was such a pleasure getting to know Jessie & Stanton over the last year, as we planned their wedding.  If it weren't for my dad {who is my best marketing guy I know!}, I likely wouldn't of met Jessie in the first place. She was one of his physical therapists at Duke Hospital last year.  It turns out that Jessie is also originally from Charlottesville, as I am too! Her mother & father still make their home there. Interestingly enough, when I met Jessie's mother for the first time last summer when she made a trip down to help Jessie plan the wedding, she looked so, so familiar to me. Its certainly a small world & things seem to have a way of falling into place at times. This wedding most certainly did -  it will be a day to remember!

Congratulations to such a sweet & gracious couple - Anna, Haley, and I all loved working with you!

ceremony - Church of the Good Shepherd
officiant - Reverend Bruce Clark
musicians - Matt Kiefer {violin}, Deborah Hollis {piano}, Lydia Kiefer {vocalist}
wedding director - Mary Taylor
reception, catering, accommodations - Washington Duke Inn
wedding cake - Ashley Cakes
floral design - Tre Bella Florist
hair & makeup - Wedding Hair by Liz
bride's wedding dress - Tre Bella Bridal
wedding favors - Cheerwine
reception music - Sonic Groove via Sam Hill Entertainment
video/cinematography - Stephanie Lane
wedding style - classic elegance
wedding colors - pale blue, gold, and cream
thanks to Anna for second shooting & Haley for assisting!

all images © elizabeth larson photography 2015

be sure to visit Jessie's bridals featured on our blog too!










































































































































































No comments: