Bride & Groom, Durham, Romantic, Weddings

It’s not everyday that you get witness the union of two individuals who you KNOW are just meant to be together forever. That’s *exactly* what Margaret & Adrien’s wedding was for me.

A Fateful Encounter

Their story is one for the books, with their meeting and falling in love totally based upon a chance encounter in the most unlikely of places. Margaret and Adrien–both avid runners–met during a race on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

Margaret was working as a volunteer for the day and Adrien was running the race. As the end of Margaret’s volunteer shift approached, she got a call about a runner down on the trail. Since she was the closest volunteer, it was her duty to find him and assess the situation while a medical crew made their way to the fallen runner. I’d like to note here, just like any volunteer nearing the end of their shift might feel, Margaret DID NOT want to go searching for and waiting in the woods with this runner. But she did, and she found none other than Adrien with a severe injury about a mile from the nearest trailhead.

As they waited (albeit awkwardly) for the medics to arrive, Adrien couldn’t help by notice how cute this lovely volunteer was and amidst the commotion Margaret wound up with Adrien’s car keys and ID that she realized she needed to get back to him somehow. So after the day was over, Margaret reached out to Adrien via Facebook to return him his things, and as they say, the rest was history!

I cannot gush enough about how much I adore this story. I feel like it’s a testament to the power of love in the most unusual circumstances, and that maybe, just maybe, there is a perfect someone for you out there and the universe is waiting to align your paths. The way that Margaret & Adrien look at one another reaffirms their love, and you can see that these two found their life partner in each other. Thus, I was SO HONORED to work with them on their wedding day.

Sweet & Intimate

Margaret & Adrien planned a small intimate wedding at Spruce Pine Lodge in Bahama, NC just north of Durham. When I initially spoke with Margaret on the phone she mentioned that “they didn’t want the wedding to take over their lives”, which I think is the best mindset to have when planning a wedding. With that laid-back and zen mindset in place, these two curated their day to reflect their personalities and all of the things they loved.

The day began with bride, groom and close family adding subtle decor to the lodge. Mason jars, photos of the couple, and DIY flowers adorned the space. I loved the bibs (racing ID tags) that were used as centerpieces at each table. They all came from various races that Adrien and Margaret had run. Their sweetheart table had the bib from the race on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail where they met <3

The ladies and gents got dressed and put the final touches on their wedding day attire before Adrien and I setup for their first look. This fall day was PERFECT and I was so thankful for the cool, mild weather and all the fall color. The rest of my weddings this fall have been past peak or down the mountain from Boone, but the Triangle was peaking with fall color on November 3rd of this year. Thus, I was thrilled to be able to take their first look and portraits outside.

We are gathered here today…

Their ceremony took place on the back porch of Spruce Pine Lodge where about 40 of their nearest and dearest watched tearfully as these two tied the knot. The couple saved a seat for Margaret’s dad, who was present in memory. The end of their ceremony was sealed by the ringing of a bull bell!

Golden Hour

As the light got lower, we went outside for family photos and portraits of Margaret & Adrien. Y’all… this light!!! Everything was so perfect.

 

After their entrance, first dance, and toasts, dinner was SERVED. Guests dined on pizza from Napoli Pizza Truck of Carrboro. This food truck has a wood-fired pizza oven ON THEIR TRUCK! I definitely had a couple of slices. Cake was provided by a friend of the couple and an ice cream bar was on offer with scoops from Fresh Local creamery. YUM!

Note: I’d like to give a HUGE shout out to Ebony from Paisley and Pearl Events. She was AMAZING to work with and kept everything on track with great communication. She was also lots of fun to hang out with 🙂

Total Eclipse of the Heart

Did I mention this story gets better? Adrien proposed to Margaret during the 2017 total eclipse, Thus, it was only natural that the first song played at their reception was the 1983 classic “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler. Thus, I have NEVER seen a more dramatic performance on the dancefloor than I saw from Margaret & Adrien’s guests. This song had MEANING! 🙂

The night rounded out with dancing, drinks and laughter among one of the coolest groups of friends I’ve seen. When I got everyone together for a “run club” photo, I realized that about 75% of wedding guests were fellow runners. I just adore this community of friends that have clearly become like family to Margaret & Adrien.

I can’t express just how thankful I am to have met these two. We’ve become Insta friends online and I’ve enjoyed seeing their adventures over the last year. I wish them all the best and hope that I get to work with them again someday. Cheers to Margaret & Adrien!

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Vendors:
Wedding Planner and Coordinator: Ebony and Heather from Paisley and Pearl Events
Venue: Spruce Pine Lodge
Officiant: Emily Gabrian
Boutonniere: Floral Dimensions
Catering and Bar: Napoli Wood-Fired Pizza
Ice Cream Bar: FRESH. Local Ice Cream
Hair: Megan Matheny at Culture Hair Studio
Makeup: Mariah Ewald at Posh the Salon
Cake: Lindsey McIver