Michelle + Anthony - Intimate Chapel Hill Wedding

Michelle and Anthony were married last month at Won-Buddhism Meditation Temple in Chapel Hill. It was an intimate gathering of 35 close family & friends in attendance and was held inside the temple.  Its such a peaceful and beautiful place with unique architecture, natural wood, stonework, and cork floors. And of course the surrounding gardens on the property were just gorgeous. The red bud, dogwoods, blooming cherries, & hellebores were in full bloom, making for a nice backdrop. 

Michelle, looked stunning in her tea length lace wedding gown and carried a bouquet of yellow alstroemeria lilies. Her father walked her down the aisle and gave her away. Anthony entered the temple with his three sons, who were his groomsmen. They were very much involved in the celebration, which really was special for them. Michelle's dear friend Bailey, was her attendant and also played the part of flower girl. Rev. G. Hyun Lee officiated the ceremony which included many Buddhist wedding traditions. 

After their ceremony, Michelle and Anthony greeted their guests in the meditation garden and made time for a few wedding party, family, and of course photos of the two of them together.  Anthony & Michelle are both rock climbers and outdoors enthusiasts, so it was no surprise when Anthony started to climb the walls in his suit - photo below as proof!  They also took a few photos with the very gracious Rev. Lee.

Later that evening Michelle & Anthony invited their guests to join them at their new home for an informal reception, with friends capturing photos there. Congratulations to the newlyweds! What a fun loving couple whom I really enjoyed working with.

all images © elizabeth larson photography 2016

a fall wedding in durham - jessica + derek - october 19, 2013

as the summer kicks off, i'm reminded of the cooler temps of fall and of the many fabulous weddings we photographed then.  fall has become quite popular here in the south for weddings, as we almost always have pleasant weather that time of year.

   jessica & derek's wedding was no exception!  jenny & i arrived early at their church to capture jessica & her bridesmaids getting ready, as well as most of the wedding party ahead of time. the church had a nice outdoor courtyard with pretty landscaping - it was the perfect location for photos!  jessica & derek had such a lovely ceremony with so many personal touches. one of the sweetest aspects of their ceremony was when jessica's mother walked down the aisle beside her & gave her away.  

the reception was held not too far from the church, at a great little place called the dunnagan house. it had an outdoor covered pavilion set up with tables and festive twinkling lights. there was a space indoors where they had a dance floor & the bar set-up too. everyone had so much fun & the food was delicious! one of jessica's bridesmaids carved all of the pumpkins & another made the burlap flowers on the cake and tables. the cake was also made lovingly by a friend. 

not only did i enjoy working with such a wonderful couple, jessica's mother nita was also such a sweetheart to work with!  she decided to surprise them with an album, which i really enjoyed designing for them. it was so exciting to finally receive the final product & to be able to deliver it to nita just in time for christmas was an added bonus. i found out later that jessica & derek absolutely LOVED it too - and they were totally taken by surprise! i'm so lucky to have such wonderful clients! 

ceremony location - mt. hermon baptist church

reception location - dunnagan house
bride's wedding gown/attire - bridal mart

flowers - whole foods chapel hill

reception decor - DIY

catering - gillis's catering

cake - friend

reception music - DJ harvey grady

thanks to jenny for co-shooting with me!

all images © elizabeth larson photography 2013

a spread from their album which is a favorite -