Lindsay+Rishi’s Two-Day Wedding(s)

Hey there, readers! Sorry about the long absence. After this wedding at the end of December, we skipped town to be with our families for the holidays and have only recently returned. We’re excited to share our last wedding of 2013 with you and we’re looking forward to the upcoming Year in Review posts in the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned!

So while almost all of you are either currently stressed or were recently stressed about your wedding, Lindsay and Rishi planned two separate weddings over two days the weekend before the holidays. Two ceremonies, two receptions, two different outfits, the whole shebang. So right now we’re declaring Lindsay and Rishi the unofficial queen and king of weddings and that’s that until someone decides to out-do them with three ceremonies in a row (although I can’t guarantee that we’d be able to shoot three ceremonies in a row since we were pretty sore from this). Personally, while I haven’t met him, I hold their cat Bogart personally responsible for their zen-like state in organizing all of this since he looks really put-together on Lindsay’s Instagram account.

Day One was a beautiful Hindu ceremony and day two was a traditional ceremony held at the Umstead Hotel which totally holds up to the rumors about how awesome it is (and how awesome their staff is). There were a lot of sequins. And a little known fact about sequins? They photograph awesomely and all photographers love you when you have sequins (this is a proven, irrefutable fact). There were also little elephants, a grown man who did a lot of karate moves on the dance floor, Randy Bennett – DJ extraordinaire, Christmas lights (also another photographer favorite), some random deer antlers, giant pinecones, and a lot of fun had by all. Thank you to Lindsay, Rishi, and their wonderful and welcoming friends and family, and their ever-helpful bridal party for having us! We had an amazing time. Now I apologize in advance for a super long blog post.

Day One.

Day Two.

Date: December 20th and 21st, 2013

Ceremony and Reception Venue for Friday: The Embassy Suites // Cary, NC

Ceremony and Reception Venue for Saturday: The Umstead Hotel // Cary, NC

First Dance Song: “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe” – Barry White

Lindsay’s Occupation: Special Education Curriculum Designer at Relay Graduate School of Education

Rishi’s Occupation: MBA Candidate at University of Chicago – Booth School of Business

How You Met: At UNC – Chapel Hill

Interesting Bride Fact: The bride’s last name is an amalgam of her parents’ last names, but sans a hyphen.

Interesting Groom Fact: The groom swam with the world’s largest fish, and kicked it in the face.

Honeymoon Destination: Mini-moon in Puerto Rico… honeymoon TBD!

Vendor Credits for Friday: Officiant – Shoba Mehta | DJ – Sitar Player | Florist – Tre Bella Flowers (Becky) | Caterer – Raaga | Hair/Makeup – Salon Blu | Coordinator – Priscilla Erwin of Orangerie Events

Vendor Credits for Saturday: Officiant – Justin Savesky | DJ – Randy Bennett of the Joe Bunn DJ Company | Florist – Tre Bella Flowers (Becky) | Cake – Sweet Memories Bakery | Caterer – The Umstead | Hair/Makeup – Salon Blu | Coordinator – Kelley Ann Ward (The Umstead)

Megan+Andrew’s Downtown Raleigh Wedding

I believe the first time Megan came over to our house for their wedding consult she was derailed by our discussion of Breaking Bad for so long that her roommate probably suspected foul play. Needless to say, we’ve loved Megan from the minute we met her and while we hadn’t met Andrew until the wedding, we knew we’d love him just as much – and we did. :) We loved them both even more when we discovered that one of their favorite television show characters is also our long-standing favorite of all-time: Secret Service Aaron (man, we miss 24). When you meet another couple with as deep of a love for Secret Service Aaron, it’s a bond that cannot easily be broken.

We ran around their wedding discussing 24, hanging out on sidewalks in front of historic Raleigh homes, discussing the Maid of Honor’s orange kitten named Waffles of whose fan club I’ve delightfully declared myself president of based on his Instagram pictures alone, and watching the ring bearer do the most amazing dance I’ve ever seen at any wedding which basically included him shifting his hips from side to side with no expression on his face whatsoever for several hours… hours… in the tiniest pleated pants I’ve ever seen. There was also a dog there in a tiny tuxedo. I don’t know what else to say – clearly this should all convince you that this wedding was awesome and that Megan and Andrew are awesome and that tiny dogs in tuxedos are awesome (and heavily photographed by us at all weddings where they make an appearance).

Date: July 27, 2013

Ceremony Venue: All Saints Chapel // Raleigh, NC

Reception Venue: Capital City Club // Raleigh, NC

First Dance Song: “You Can Never Hold Back Spring” – Tom Waits

Megan’s Occupation: Third Grade Teacher

Andrew’s Occupation: High School Band/Choral Director

How You Met: That depends on who you ask!

Interesting Bride Fact: She is a veritable encyclopedia of World War II facts.

Interesting Groom Fact: He has been dropped in a bonfire.

Honeymoon Destination: Saving up money to go backpacking in Europe (and to go to Alaska!)

Vendor Credits: Officiant – Reverend Barbara Lodge | DJ – Lenny Fritts | Florist – Fresh Affairs | Cake – Simply Cakes | Caterer – Capital City Club | Hair/Makeup – Darrell Johnson | Coordinator – Nicole Barton

Margaret/Betsy+Jeff Have a Chapel Hill Wedding

The biggest moment of sheer panic I’ve had involving a wedding for a while involved Geoff and I meeting with a couple named Margaret and Jeff, booking Margaret and Jeff, labeling everything Margaret and Jeff (folders, client information, postcards, other things that they’d both see), and then receiving the timeline a week before from Sally Oakley, their coordinator, that was labeled, “Betsy and Jeff’s Timeline.”

Woah woah now! Who is this Betsy and Jeff? Surely Sally accidentally sent me someone else’s timeline by mistake. Open it up: no, it’s definitely our wedding. WAIT A MINUTE YOU GUYS HAVE I BEEN CALLING HER MARGARET FOR LIKE A YEAR NOW AND HER NAME IS ACTUALLY BETSY?!!! I am pretty sure that in the e-mails I subsequently sent to Sally and Margaret/Betsy that there were that many question marks and exclamation marks.

After apologizing for calling her the wrong  name for about a year I found out that her real name is actually, indeed Margaret. But everyone calls her Betsy. Her mother explained to me at the wedding that she just didn’t look like a Margaret when she was born, so Betsy it was. So to me she is both. She’s a Margaret in my folders and in my head, but a Betsy when I speak. Although to be honest, I felt like I had gained a client when I started referring to her as Betsy. I’m not entirely sure where Margaret went, but we have a Betsy now!

Anyway – Betsy and Jeff are terribly awesome. When we booked them, Jeff signed the contract by drawing in Trogdor. I wasn’t sure if that was legally binding, but I figured hey – we shouldn’t have any legal troubles with anyone signing a contract with a little cartoon Trogdor. They’re big book nerds (I use the word nerds with love) and centered them around their wedding accordingly. They unfortunately used us as their photographers despite knowing that we come with a rain curse when shooting at the Carolina Inn (we have literally never had a wedding ceremony/reception combo at that venue where it hasn’t poured). The curse did indeed follow us to their wedding, but held off for long enough where we could get photos outside despite it. We hope we were worth the rain curse. ;)

Date: May 18, 2013

Ceremony and Reception Venue: The Carolina Inn // Chapel Hill, NC

First Dance Song: “I Could Write A Book” – performed by The John Winntet

Betsy’s Occupation: Recent Library Science graduate

Jeff’s Occupation: Best Buy Mobile Lead

How You Met: Working at Barnes and Noble

Interesting Bride Fact: Has never lost a game of Risk.

Interesting Groom Fact: Keeps his bowling balls and shoes in the trunk of his car at all times, because you just never know. Last time he bowled: about six months ago.

Honeymoon Destination: Negril, Jamaica

Vendor Credits: Officiant – Rev. Barbara Lodge | Band – The John Winntet | Ceremony Music – Arioso Strings | Florist – Tre Bella | Cake – Lynn’s Traditions | Caterer – Carolina Inn | Hair/Makeup – Elaine Harrison | Coordinator – Sally Oakley