Meredith & Robert | Sweet, Fun, and EPIC Chetola Wedding – Blowing Rock, NC

Meredith & Robert’s wedding was equal parts sweet and epic!

They are seriously the most expressive couple I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with! They are both so much fun and they let that shine. And for that I am SO grateful!

The day began with Meredith and her ladies getting ready at Stephanie’s (mother of the bride) condo at Chetola Resort. When I arrived, Meredith was getting her final touches done surrounded by her bridesmaids and female family members. So much love and support and laughter in the room! The guys got ready in the Evergreen Room. Fun socks and bourbon for dayssss!

(Gorgeous florals by Mountain Laurel Floristry!)

With the bride in her dress, Meredith had a first look with her dads and brothers on the lawn in front of the resort <3 I love being able to shoot portraits of the girls and guys separately before the ceremony. It takes a lot of pressure off and everyone gets warmed up for photos before the ceremony. After photos of the ladies were complete, I got to hang out with Robert and the guys. Y’ALL! Robert is one of the most spirited grooms I’ve ever had the pleasure to photograph. He had me rolling behind the camera!

I’m not sure I’ve witnessed a more confident bride than Meredith. She knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind! I am SO thankful for that because it was looking like rain as ceremony time approached. We actually DID have some rain about 30 minutes prior. Meredith held strong in her conviction of an outdoor ceremony and I. AM. SO. GRATEFUL. FOR. THAT.

The ceremony took place on the lawn at Chetola just in front of the large tree facing the pond. Clearly Robert’s groomsmen are jokesters as well. Almost every one of them brought Robert a golf ball at the altar (lol). It kept the tone light and there were lots of smiles and laughter. When Meredith walked down the aisle though, you could see just how much Robert adores his bride. My heart melted a bit watching his reaction to seeing her for the first time <3

After the ceremony, family photos commenced on the lawn and the sun came out! Golden hour was perfect and these bride & groom portraits are some of my favorite to date!

Meredith also requested photos of her and Robert on the swing overlooking the lawn and lake. This photo is perfect because it feels natural and casual, just as they might snuggle at home on the sofa 🙂 Meredith claims this photos is going to go in her office framed. I sure hope it does <3
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After photos, is when the REAL party started! Dinner by Timberlake’s was delicious as was the cake made by the bride’s aunt. Making enough cake for 200 guests is a feat and this cake was MASSIVE and delicious. Well done!

Meredith & Robert are serious music fans. They frequently go to shows together with their friends and family. Robert proposed to Meredith during the song “Hey Girl” at an O.A.R. show in 2018. ::swoon:: Thus, I wasn’t surprised that the DJ they hired was also a one-man-band! Caleb Davis is an incredible guitarist and he also did a stellar job MC’ing the reception. He had a loop station setup with several guitars (acoustic and electric), a bass guitar, drum machine and snare/high-hat combo. Y’all he TORE IT UP performing some classic old funk and soul tunes throughout the evening. As a fellow musician, I SO appreciate this.

In my experience at weddings, usually one person is a dancer — the bride or the groom — but not often both. Well, I was in for a treat as Meredith AND Robert both killed it on the dancefloor all night long. You can tell they curated the playlist with their favorite songs as it felt like the beginning of every song would be granted a reaction of “oooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh” excitement! These included “Africa”, “Pop Drop and Lock it” and “Scarlet Begonias”. I seriously love the eclectic musical taste of these two — as I said before, they are serious music lovers.

The night closed out with Caleb performing “Friends in Low Places”. The father of the bride along with family and friends crowded the dancefloor to sing along (“as we slip on down to the OOOOOAAAASSSSSISSSSS”). Guests then poured out onto the lawn for a sparkler exit.

I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to say just how grateful I am to be able to get to work with such fun, amazing people. I learn a little something new at every wedding I work. Sometimes it’s technical photog stuff, but often times emotional knowledge… I get to witness the love between two amazing people who are clearly VERY well admired and loved amongst their friends and family. Bearing witness to that fills my heart and gives me hope!

Congrats to Meredith & Robert!

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Vendors:

Venue: Chetola Resort

Caterer: Bob Timberlake’s at Chetola

Florals: Mountain Laurel Floristry

Band/DJ: Caleb Davis

Hair: Simply Posh Salon (Jennifer Siracusa and Jennifer Aguirre)

Makeup: Bailey Upchurch

Rentals: Parties Too! (chairs) and It’s My Party (linens)

Dress: Poffie Girls from designer Justin Alexander

Suit/Tux Designer: Calvin Klein