Fairy Tale Fearrington Wedding Photographed by Richard Barlow
Hailee and Kendra met while they were each students in 2017. Conversations sparked from the get-go. A week after they first met, the pair went on their first date: a romantic picnic in a park where they sat and talked for hours, exchanged coming out stories, saw a shooting star and shared their first kiss. “I think I fell in love with her right there,” Kendra says. Five years later they tied the knot at Fearrington Village, where pretty pastures and gardens combined with all-inclusive rental packages were the perfect fit for them.
A New Year’s Eve Engagement
On New Year’s Eve 2019 when the clock struck midnight, Hailee asked Kendra to be her wife. Around a month later, Kendra proposed to Hailee during the couple’s first cruise together, wanting her to feel just as special.
Saying “I Do” at Fearrington Village in Pittsboro, North Carolina
On May 28, 2022, the couple said “I do” at Fearrington Village. The Pittsboro, NC, wedding venue is not far from Hailee’s childhood home in Sanford, North Carolina.
“It was so important to find a space that was inclusive, as we were not having a “traditional” wedding, and happened upon Fearrington. Honestly, we fell in love with the grounds,” Kendra says. “The beautiful gardens and the huge trees were exactly what we envisioned, and the staff were so kind.” Fearrington’s famous Belted Galloway cows have lived on the property since the 1980s. Cows are Kendra’s favorite animal, which made the decision an easy one for the couple.
There are five gardens to different gardens to pick from to host your ceremony at Fearrington. The couple said their vows under a canopy of trees and celebrated in Fearrington’s rustic barn. Kendra and Hailee worked with Fearrington’s Director of Weddings & Special Events, Gilda McDaniel, to plan floral design, catering and desserts with Fearrington’s catering and design teams.
Unitarian Universalist Wedding Ceremony
Kendra and Hailee chose Raleigh-based Richard Barlow Photography to capture their special day. Together with a second photographer, Tanisha Clay, Richard captured every moment of their Unitarian Universalist ceremony. This included a few non-traditional customs, such as passing a garnet back and forth.
“The most important part of our wedding aesthetic was plants and stones,” Kendra explains. “The good energy that they both bring just felt right for us.”
“All of our decorations revolved around crystals and flora!” Kendra adds. “We used our favorite crystals as the table names and centerpieces, and all of our guests got to take home a stone to remind them of the good energy of the day.”
Before the night came to an end, the couple took wedding portraits at the large gardens and in the fields next to Fearrington’s event barn. “Our photographers were phenomenal. We felt like we could enjoy our day and trust them to catch everything without stress,” Kendra shares.
The couple now lives in St. Louis, Missouri, and work together as full-time content creators. “We hope that in telling our story, we remind people that everyone is deserving of love, acceptance and a stellar wedding,” Kendra says.
