Saying “Yes” to a Lifetime of Love and Endless Dad Jokes
In true modern-dating fashion, Emily and Charles met on Tinder. Oh did the sparks fly! As soon as they met they realized that they had a number of friends in common who could have introduced them. Emily says that her match-maker friends were “asleep on the job.”
Charles proposed to Emily over the holidays. After a romantic evening at the Candlelight Christmas event at Tryon Palace in New Bern, the two visited the Harvey Mansion for dinner. Emily and Charles were escorted to a fun private room with a Pepsi soda theme. In between dinner and dessert, Charles got down on one knee and asked Emily to spend every Christmas for the rest of their lives together. He gave Emily a piece of his grandmother’s jewelry inside a precious wooden pear. Followed by the phrase “I think we would make a great pair.” Emily said yes to a lifetime of adventures, happiness, and dad jokes with Charles!
Planning for a Park Alumni Center Wedding at NC State University with f8 Photo Studios
We cannot stress the importance of finding a NC wedding photographer who makes you feel comfortable and at ease. Your photographer is with you the entire day. Behind the scenes as you first step into your wedding dress. By your side as you read your partner’s wedding day love letter. Behind you as you take your first step down the aisle. Bride Emily understood all of this, which is why she hired Cara of f8 Photo Studios. F8 Photo Studios captured every special moment of their Park Alumni Center wedding at NC State University. Hear what Emily had to say about working with f8 Photo Studios,
“Cara was great! When we first met we just seemed to click which made it easy to work with her. She was excellent on the day of making sure we stayed on time and was very efficient. You want someone like her on your on your team so you get the most photos to remember the day by!”
Emily looked beautiful in a classic, white satin, ball gown wedding dress with her hair in an elegant updo. Her bridesmaids popped against the fresh green NC State University landscape in their blush pink floor length gowns. Charles and his groomsmen wore dapper navy blue suits with fun floral ties made by a family friend!
Wedding Ceremony at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Raleigh, NC
Emily and Charles shared their vows in a wedding ceremony at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Raleigh, NC. The ceremony took place surrounded by windows of stained glass that illuminated the church with gorgeous natural light. Bouquets of pink, white, and green by Watered Garden Florist gave the bridal party a cheerful glow. Emily and Charles included a groomsmen’s son, Simeon, as their adorable ring bearer of the big day!
During the ceremony, Emily and Charles bowed their heads together with beautiful, connected flower crowns on their heads. The Greek Orthodox wedding crowns symbolize the glory and honor that is being bestowed on them by God during the marriage sacrament. Emily recalls one of her favorite moments of the wedding day,
“That moment right after we were pronounced husband and wife, when we turned to walk back down the aisle and saw all of our family and friends with looks of joy on their faces.”
Elegant Ballroom Wedding Reception at Park Alumni Center at NC State University
Following a joyful wedding ceremony, Emily and Charles invited their guests to a reception celebration at the Park Alumni Center at NC State University. Gorgeous pink and white bouquets by Watered Garden Florist decorated the tables. Linens and chairs from CE Rental made the ballroom reception look simply spectacular.
As an elementary orchestra teacher, Emily had some of her own students play music at their reception. These special touches made for an especially personal wedding reception. Even the DJ’s were friends of Charles! You can see the sweet love on Emily and Charles’ faces as they share their first dance beneath the chandeliers of the Park Alumni Center. For dessert, the newlyweds cut into a beautiful white wedding cake by Pastry Works covered in pink flowers.
At the end of the day, Emily and Charles loved their Raleigh wedding day and reception at the Park Alumni Center. Here’s some priceless takeaway advice from the bride,
“Before you walk back down the aisle with your new spouse, pause for a moment to take it all in. We even got a second round of applause! It can be tempting in moments like this to feed off of the adrenaline and hurry on to the next step, but find opportunities to savor the moment because this is one of the best days you will ever have. Also, if you can, take the top layer of your cake along on your honeymoon and you’ll have a sweet reminder of your special day for days. We also took my bouquet with us to decorate our Airbnb.”
Thank you Emily and Charles, for sharing your love and wedding story with us. We are always so grateful to know real NC couples like you.
