Featured in Weddingwire
Photography: Donnell Perry Photography
Planner: A Lovely Affair Weddings
MUA: Amanda Gaines
Hair: Martha Casler
Florals: Mews Designs
Rentals: CE Rentals/ Abba Design
Entertainment: DJ Paul Cordts
Caterer: 39 West Catering
We were having a normal Sunday. We went to church and then went to eat at Ches’ grandparents. It was a beautiful day and Ches and I had talked about going for a walk around the farm earlier in the morning. After lunch everyone, including Ches, fell asleep and took a nap. I was bored so I woke Ches up to go on the walk. He had been napping… and in my mind I was the one who initiated the walk. I had NO clue that Ches was going to propose. He hopped up and we headed out for our walk, planning to end at his grandparents to say hi to the family. We stopped by a tree swing at his great grandparents old house. As we were sitting there, Ches was telling me about the memories he and his family had made there. That’s when he said, ” I can’t wait for us to become family.” I knew at that moment what was about to happen. He said, “I couldn’t think of anything better than to marry my best friend.” I started screaming, “yes!” as he got down on one knee. I did not even hear him ask me to marry him. He says he did. His mom and sister were hiding in the bushes taking our pictures. Best day of my life!
My wedding dress felt like a princess dress. It was not what I had imagined wearing but when I put it on I knew it was the one. It was the first one I tried on.
I wore a crystal bracelet that was my grandmothers on my mom’s side.
Question for the BRIDE: What things do you love the most about him?
His faith, his compassion and empathy, his determination. He is goofy and makes me laugh. He cares deeply for the people he loves and he shows it. He is the love of my life.
Alex is the most loving person I have ever met. She is adventurous, funny, smart and I can always be myself around her. I also love her faith in Christ and how she makes me a better man.
Don’t have an outdoor wedding in June without shade…jk. When you are down at the alter in front of all your family and friends, pause and take in the moment. The day will go by so fast and before you know it, it will all be over. For the first dance, don’t worry about getting the steps right, soak up the moment and enjoy it.
Seven out of my ten groomsmen were guys I played football with in college at Brown and we were also in the same fraternity. I also had my older brother and brother-in-law in my wedding. The only groomsmen that did not fall into the football or relative category, was my childhood friend, Dustin, who I’ve been friends with since Kindergarten.
Whimsical, Rustic
We were headed back to Charlotte after looking at a few venues and feeling defeated. As we were driving I searched venues in the area to see if we had missed anything. We saw the Barn at Valhalla and decided to swing by there on our way. Luckily, when we arrived Carly told us her showing had just canceled and she could give us a tour. We fell in love and booked it that day.
Bride: Hard to say… I loved every moment. I loved saying, “I do” and walking down the aisle to see my handsome groom!!! I also loved our last dance to “Time of my Life,” and seeing my husband pull out his Patrick Swayze dance moves. We even did the lift… which was unplanned. 🙂 Groom: My favorite part was seeing my beautiful bride walk down the isle. It was an incredible moment and I kept thinking to myself, “I can’t believe she is going to be my wife.” She looked amazing!
Many of my bridesmaids were my sisters. My two sisters, Sam and Erica, and Ches’ sister and sister in-law, Tiff and Leah. I also had 3 of my best college that are now teachers, Savannah, Hannah, Lindsay and one of my best friends, Tay, from high school. Sara is a friend I met while teaching. We were coteachers and lived in the same apartment complex.
Stay calm and remember the importance of the day. Yuu will be married to your best friend at the end of the day no matter what happens! Something will always go wrong… just go with the flow and don’t let anything stress you out. This is your day and it happens once. Take it in, breathe, and enjoy!
Mountain Bike, Camp, play with our dog, brunch!
We had such a wonderful experience with Donnell and his team. Donnell cared to know Ches and I as a couple and understand what was important to us. He traveled to Ches’ family farm for our engagement session and was so flexible and easy to work with. On our wedding he and Tracy made everyone feel so relaxed and at ease. They were able to capture genuine and authentic moments throughout the entire day. Donnell has a gift for capturing special moments. We are over the moon with how all of our wedding photographs turned out.
We went to Sycamore Brewery to listen to music outside. It was Cinco de Mayo. However, a huge storm was coming to so we had to move inside and just chat. We talked for hours. We had been in the same life group at church for 6 months but always were together in a group. This was our first date.
Ches’ grandmother made our cake! It was exactly how I imagined my wedding cake being. It was BEAUTIFUL! Mews designs helped decorate it with flowers.
Donnell Perry Photography is an Award Winning Raleigh Wedding Photography company based out of Raleigh, North Carolina. Please view our portfolio to see more of our work. We are available to travel for wedding and portrait photography, please contact us through the contact form on our website for more information.
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