Wedding

November 17, 2018

Carlie & Michael are Married!

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Carlie and Michael were married last week at WinMock at Kinderton in Bermuda Run, NC. Not only is this venue stunning, these two are more amazing than I can put into words. Some wedding days flow perfectly and this was one of those days.

Carlie and Michael met in the summer of 2013. They both were ready for a relationship in their lives and they signed up for OkCupid. They quickly discovered each other and you can see why! These two are meant to be.

After dating long distance for a year while Carlie finished college they decided they wanted to move in together. These two are obviously best friends and I can only imagine how much fun they have! They are constantly lifting each other and everyone around them up!

A year ago today Carlie fell asleep around 1am while waiting for Michael to come home from work. She woke up about 30 minutes later to the sounds of loud music playing. She walked into to tell him to turn it down and she was surprised with a room full of candles, their song by Ben Folds called “The Luckiest” playing and Michael down on one knee. I think you know by now she said yes!

I cannot say enough how much I love Carlie and Michael. They live life more fully than most people I have ever met. They are both vibrant, kind, and loving! On their wedding day there wasn’t a moment without smiles and laughs. They really bring out the best in each other and everyone around them! If you want to see more of Carlie and Michael click here for their Winston Salem, NC engagement session.

I began Carlie and Michael’s wedding day by photographing details and hanging out with Carlie and her ladies in the bridal suite. Of course, there was amazing music playing. Carlie and all of her bridesmaids love to sing and my favorite part of the morning was listening to them harmonize to Backstreet Boys!

My second shooter Rebecca hung out with Michael and his groomsmen and best man (his sister)! The entire bridal party was relaxed and fun. I would expect nothing less from Carlie and Michael. They have a wonderful circle of friends!

After getting ready it was time for Michael and Carlie’s first look. This one will go down in the books for me as the best reaction from a groom ever. When they saw each other for the first time the biggest grins spread across both their faces and Michael said “you look so amazing I am going to marry the **** out of you!” They are my people! I will totally claim them forever.

Carlie and Michael love each other so fully. I have no doubt that these two will have an amazing marriage and long life together! I can’t wait to see where this journey takes them.

WinMock at Kinderton is such a beautiful venue and the way Carlie and Michael chose to decorate it made it so much more gorgeous! My favorite decoration in their ceremony was a chuppah which is a canopy used in Jewish wedding ceremonies. They picked the most gorgeous pink fabric and flowers to adorn it.

As the ceremony began Carlie walked down the aisle with her mother and Michael looked on with glistening eyes. These are some of my favorite pictures from both a bride and groom during the ceremony. They were both literally glowing!

During the ceremony both Carlie and Michael’s grandmothers shared readings. Another Jewish tradition that they carried out from Michael’s faith was the breaking of the glass. A glass was wrapped in cloth and Michael stomped on it. Then everyone shouted “mazal tov.”

There are several symbolic reasons for the breaking of the glass. One that I love is that broken glass is forever changed, just like a couple is changed by marriage and has to take on a new form. It is also a moment to remember history and that many Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed.

After Carlie and Michael said “I do” we headed outside for family formals and a few more bride and groom pictures. The sun was setting and I just love how these pictures in front of WinMock turned out. Carlie and Michael are the cutest!

The reception space was filled with tall floating candles and the most gorgeous tall flower centerpieces. I loved the white and gold theme with pops of blush accents. Michael and Carlie each choose speciality cocktails to be served during their reception.

Carlie and Michael took time to honor Carlie’s late father Gary. His favorite artist was Elvis Presley so they chose “Can’t Help Falling in Love” as their first open dance song of the night. It was a beautiful song to begin a night of love and celebration.

Carlie and Michael danced the night away with friends and family who love them dearly. They are surrounded by a phenomenal group of people. They also created an awesome party favor for all of their guests. It was a mix CD called “The Way You Make Me Feel.” Before we left Carlie and Michael snuck out in the cold for one more picture. A nighttime picture in front of WinMock!

This day could not have been more perfect. The sun was shining, the weather was amazing and these two celebrated their love in a way only they could! I am so lucky to have been a part of their day.

Thank you Carlie and Michael for choosing me to be your photographer. I am praying for a lifetime of health and happiness for you both. I’m honored to call you friends! I hope you are enjoying the sun and sand in St. Lucia right now and that you love these pictures as much as I loved taking them!