Back in 2017, one of my most popular sessions I shot involved a pit bull named Wilma and her love for destroying large, plush animals and sleeping on the couch. Geoff and I fell in love with Wilma, as she’s one of the most RIDICULOUS and charismatic dogs we’ve ever met, as well as the laziest (also recently proven when Jessica e-mailed me a bunch of pictures from Wilma’s daycare, of which she’s laying down in literally all of them while other dogs run all over her). Wilma has a brother, Britton, who is kind of anxious and can be shy, so he was not part of the first photo shoot, but Jessica and Dustin decided they wanted to try to make it work for their wedding photos on Thursday (they were married at the courthouse on Thursday, and did photos at home with the dogs, then had their wedding reception party on Saturday). AND IT TURNS OUT THAT BRITTON IS EQUALLY AS RIDICULOUS BUT ALSO LOVES CAMERAS. Wilma, perhaps upset that she wasn’t the sole star of the afternoon, spent most of her time with us staring intently at a lizard on the deck, while Britton hammed it up repeatedly. When Wilma wasn’t staring at lizards, she was busy violently shaking off her beautiful floral collar and then rolling around in the yard to the point where nobody could get her up.

Normally I might feel kind of bad writing an entire paragraph about their dogs instead of about their wedding but I 100% know that Jessica and Dustin will not mind. But now that I have discussed their dogs, whom I adore, I will discuss Jessica and Dustin, WHOM I ADORE. I feel like someone who wears glitter shoes that say “FRENCH FRIES” doesn’t really need an explanation as to why you love them but I will attempt anyway. Jessica exudes the most happiness and enthusiasm of anyone you’ve ever met. And in an entirely way too negative world, I love her. She is everything great and happy and positive and wonderful. She also likes incredible art, and sends it to me, for which the walls of my house are eternally grateful (the cat art here is by Casey Weldon, which were thank-you cards to her bridesmaids, and the plant art is by Angela Deane, which were also gifts to her bridesmaids). And Dustin LOVES Jessica and I’m fairly certain it’s for all the same reasons, and they make each other laugh so hard, and then it makes me laugh and I truly just want to hug them all the time. Dustin likes really old cars (one of his Volkswagens that he’s fixing up makes an appearance in this shoot) and working on sound equipment, and I appreciate men who have cool hobbies and like to work with their hands. Together, their house is incredible and joyous and they have a 70s built-in oven that’s chartreuse. Regretful that the 8 of us (four people, 2 dogs, 2 cats) were not married but will settle for friendship instead.

Date: April 27, 2019
Ceremony Venue: Wake County Justice Center // Raleigh
Reception Venue: Neuse River Brewing Company // Raleigh
First Dance Song: “I Only Have Eyes for You” – The Flamingos
Jessica’s Occupation: Hospitality
Dustin’s Occupation: Sound Engineer
How You Met: Through Jessica’s Brother
Honeymoon: Savannah, GA
DJ: DJ Nyce
Florist: Teacup Floral
Cake: Cupcake Shop
Caterer: El Molcajete Food Truck, Southern Harvest
Hair: Bride
Makeup (Ceremony): Michelle Clark Makeup
Coordinator (Reception): Amanda Scott, a Swanky Affair

Katherine and Jon are pretty stellar and I’m not just saying that because we have a creepy amount in common and I’d like to think Geoff and I are cooler than we actually are. We are super excited to shoot their wedding next summer at the Merrimon-Wynne House and also to run into them at weird, random concerts between now and then. Jon is one of two really, really excited clients named Jon/John Rush fans that we’ve had this year and we always appreciate those with a deep love for Geddy Lee. Katherine and Jon also love Brand New, one of Geoff and I’s favorite bands, that we all saw this summer along with several other clients in a big, Brand New love fest.

In an obvious connection upon seeing either one of us, Katherine and I are both very short and Geoff and Jon are normal-people sized, so it was only logical for both her and I to dress up as Eleven from Stranger Things for Halloween this year (me with a shaved head, Katherine with her blonde hair). Jon went as Dr. Martin Brenner and Geoff went as the Demogorgon. Twinning and winning. Or, you know, at least getting candy.

We followed them around Raleigh for their engagement session, a city that they love very much and where they had their first date, and then continued on to NC State where we took a few more pictures of them and then watched as Jon drove his car to a lake and lovingly gazed at it for a long time (Katherine was there too but it was mostly about the car). We’ll keep you updated as to whether or not the car makes an appearance at the wedding. We’d assume it would be the getaway car, but I feel like there’s a fair chance we could see it take part in the lighting of the unity candle or something.

Lexie and Michael were introduced to us a long time ago by our friends Monica and Graham, whose wedding we shot back in 2012. Well, I guess we knew Lexie first (I spy her in one of their reception photos) and Michael later. Lexie is an identical twin (oddly enough, our third identical twin this season, but our fourth identical twin ever), and for a while we had absolutely no idea how to tell her and her sister Ashley apart. Later someone gave us the pro tip that Ashley has bangs and Lexie doesn’t, and it’s been somewhat easier since then, but if they aren’t standing next to each other it’s still not a fool-proof method and I’m never 100% sure in my answer. But, now that Lexie has been our (wonderful!) client, I think my chances of figuring out who is who will now have a 90% accuracy rate, white dress or not, and I think that’s the best you can really hope for with identical twins. So now that Lexie and Michael are married, it’s going to be Michael’s job to stand next to Lexie all the time so I don’t mess up.

These two were married at the courthouse in Raleigh surrounded by close family and friends, then they had a reception at Watered Garden Florist a few days later (Lexie’s mom is a florist at Watered Garden and did all the flowers for this wedding, which were amaaaaazing!), then a few days after that they had another reception in Chicago with Michael’s side of the family. We happily were able to keep her dress pretty clean throughout the courthouse ceremony and the pictures afterward roaming around the gardens so she could use it at the receptions. Michael studies trees for a living and is really into plants. Lexie rehabs turtles (very jealous of this) and has dogs and is also into plants. Together they are very nature-y and excited to take pictures by some trees and we were excited to take their pictures by trees and everyone was very, very happy. But not as happy as me, who received gluten-free cupcakes care of Monica and Graham from Lexie and Michael’s reception a few days later. ;) Mmm, cupcakes.