RALEIGH WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER | JC RAULSTON ARBORETUM | JAMIE & ADAM

Jamie and Adam

This wedding was an absolute DREAM to shoot!!! Do I say that about every wedding? I think I do, but I’m just SOOO excited to share these gorgeous pictures!

Jamie and Adam live in the Boston area but got married on May 25th, 2019 at the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh. Jamie's parents live here in the area, so they wanted to do something small and intimate here before they went back up north and had a big party! Jamie is a ballet teacher for the Boston Ballet and Adam is a masseuse who owns his own practice. They are the most loving and zen couple EVER and I LOVE THEM!

The super hot day started off at Jamie's parents' house in Raleigh. I took some getting ready photos and some detail shots of the dress and accessories. Jamie’s wedding gown was positively stunning. It was a lovely embellished trumpet style dress with a vintage vibe from BHLDN. Her accessories matched it perfectly, from the understated wooden wedding rings to her amazing bridal shawl. The shawl is over 100 years old and has been worn by so many of the women in Jamie’s family on their wedding days. What an amazing and sentimental way to connect the generations! Her fan and cuff bracelet were also family heirlooms. And, Jamie’s headpiece was made by a friend. I’m SO IN LOVE with all of the connections and storytelling in this wedding!

Adam’s family got ready next door in a vacant condo owned by friends of Jamie’s parents. So it was very convenient to slip across the divider for a few pictures of the groom getting ready with his posse! They were all SO QUIET, just ready to get the party started. I’m pretty sure I scared them all by making my own music when I walked in. It happens.

Then we went to JC Raulston Arboretum for the wedding ceremony! The trees and blooms are all so lush in the spring. It was the perfect venue for their organic and oh so zen vibes. Jamie and her Dad walked through the Japanese Garden before settling under the giant tree to get married (Jamie's Dad was crying, it was so darn cute). There’s a photo of just the tree, and also some portraits near it, commemorating the tree. It seems fitting to be sharing such a special piece of Mother Nature with you on Earth Day!

We made the family portraits under the tree and then everyone went ahead to Trophy Brewing Co. while the newlyweds explored the gardens. During this time, I made their wedding portraits, one of which is my FAVORITE pictures EVER!!!!! (It’s a big one, you won’t miss it!)

When we finished up the couple’s portraits, we followed suit to Trophy on Maywood and took a few celebratory photos. Most of the time we actually spent watching a food truck trying to turn around, which was clearly no small feat, but was extremely entertaining none the less.

Wanna see the video??? Scroll down to the bottom to catch a quick snippet of their beautiful day!