RALEIGH WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER | CEDAR GROVE ACRES | HEATHER & CHRISTEN

heather and christen, from the beginning…

Heather and Christen knew each other from high school... but weren’t exactly the bestest of friends. In fact, they didn’t even really like each other... a point they even brought up in their wedding vows! Heather saw Christen online about three years ago and decided to message her and take a chance... and they've been together ever since! Christen proposed to Heather on March 11, 2018 at One World Brewing in Asheville, one of their favorite places. Breweries have ALWAYS been their thing, and in fact was what started their conversations in the first place: by Heather asking what Christen's favorite brewery was.

On July 11th, 2018, Heather decided it was Christen's turn to wear her own ring and at Bond Brothers Brewing Co in Cary, North Carolina (Christen's answer to the question of favorite brewery), asked her the same question. For part of her wedding gift, Heather also made Christen a set of cornhole boards, both covered with stickers from all the breweries they've been to together! So it’s perfectly fitting that each table’s centerpiece at their wedding reception was made from growlers from their favorite breweries!

But before we talk about their wedding, let’s have a quick peek at their engagement photos that we made with a similar vibe to their wedding photos. This session, taken at Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve in Wake Forest, show their outdoorsy, rustic, and chic side, and span the dreamy hour at sunset for a fantastic variety of lighting:

the start of a beautiful life together…

Okay, so now fast forward a few months: Heather and Christen got married at Cedar Grove Acres, a gorgeous farm and event venue in Creedmoor, North Carolina. Their bridal party wore navy blue dresses and carried bouquets of wildflowers that matched the GORGEOUS arbor decorations! Don’t be fooled with the mention of navy blue… get excited for the ultimate springtime color pops!!!

After they both got ready, we started the day with a first look... but it was a little different than most! Before seeing each other, they were blindfolded and led to a corner of the front porch, where they read letters aloud they had written to each other. Once they read the letters, we led them to a special spot on the porch where they took off their blindfolds and twirled around for a first look! There were tears and laughter and it was SOOOO lovely. After their first look as a couple, they did a first look with their fathers as well... there wasn't a dry eye anywhere! Heather and Christen had made their dads cufflinks out of pennies that were dated the years they were born. So. Sweet. And sentimental.

Once the ceremony started, it began to rain... a lot. In fact, it was downpouring during the latter half of the ceremony! But it didn't matter, as they tied the knot both figuratively and literally! After the ceremony, everyone stayed to play in the rain and we did family pictures and bridal portraits in the field and by the barn... in the rain! Seriously. And the photos are beautiful. It finally let up, and the rest of the evening was spent eating amazing food from Fords Fluent N' Food, making s'mores by the bonfire, and dancing... a LOT!

A super cute detail I want to mention was that they didn't want to cut the cake so formally but their Moms really wanted to, so they made their Moms do the formal cake cutting pictures FIRST! SOOOO FUNNY!!! The photos are adorable!

The brides ended the night with more candid portraits, more dancing, and an epic glow stick exit!