Austin and Mark’s Downtown Durham Wedding

Downtown Durham Wedding at The Rickhouse Photographed by Morgan Caddell

Austin and Mark celebrated both their love for each other and Bull City at their downtown Durham wedding at The Rickhouse. It took them more than a few years and two wedding dates to get there.

The seeds of Mark and Austin’s relationship were planted in the mountains of North Carolina, exactly six years prior. There, they met as students at Appalachian State University in Boone and began dating in 2016. A few years later, they went on a magical getaway together halfway across the globe. While they admired a sunset in Naples, Italy, Austin popped the question. A week later, Mark pulled out the engagement ring he’d gotten for Austin as they strolled along a beach in Barcelona.

Local Love

The couple had decided to host their wedding in downtown Durham and initially picked the wedding date of April 3, 2021. But, COVID-19 postponed their best-laid plans. They shifted to a later date and got married on June 18, 2021, their sixth anniversary. Throughout the wedding planning process, Austin and Mark focused on supporting local businesses and Triangle-based vendors. Mark, a teacher in Durham Public Schools at the time, and Austin wanted to highlight beloved local areas and show solidarity with Durham’s small business owners during the midst of the pandemic.

Stunning Downtown Durham Wedding Photography by Morgan Caddell

The day was captured by Morgan Caddell Photography. “Morgan and her team were the most lovely photographers we could have ever dreamed of. We didn’t know what [style of photography] we were looking for, but looking back on our wedding, we keep reliving all our laughs we had with Morgan and her assistant,” Mark says. “They made us both feel so comfortable and natural. Cue ‘You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Wo(Man)!'”

Morgan and her team made use of some of Durham’s beautiful buildings at the American Tobacco Campus for backdrops. Garden-inspired murals added a whimsical touch to Mark and Austin’s first look and wedding party photos. Still, the industrial buildings provided a setting that matched the overall theme of the day.

Industrial Meets Elegant in Downtown Durham, NC

Austin and Mark fell in love with The Rickhouse, a warehouse space in the Central Park district of Durham with the clean, modern and idustrial-chic aesthetic they were looking for. Located in the heart of downtown, The Rickhouse neighbors popular bars, hotels and restaurants and it’s spacious covered balcony overlooks the landmark Historic Durham Athletic Park.

The Rickhouse, which can seat up to 400, features a glass wall where visitors can peek through to copper-covered distillery equipment. This provided the backdrop for Austin and Mark’s ceremony. The metal accents played up the downtown Durham wedding venue’s intriguing industrial feel.

The couple wanted to maintain the authentic industrial feel of the venue, so they used minimalistic decor and complemented the space with white florals and string lighting.

A color palette of maroon and navy, with pops of green and white florals complemented the industrial vibe of The Rickhouse in downtown Durham. Austin’s suit was custom made in just the right shade of deep red by Liles Clothing Studio, who created “the best bespoke suits that we could have asked for … they matched [the red shade] perfectly. This was after going to over 15 other shops,” Mark says.

Harpist Andrea Blanchfield added elegance to the ceremony before Austin, Mark and their guests let loose on The Rickhouse dance floor to tunes provided by All Events DJs. ZimZoom Photo Booth provided entertainment and fun party favors for guests to take home. White baby’s breath adorned a cake made for the couple by a family member and a classy signature drink menu greeted guests at the bar.

Golden Hour Photo Session in Downtown Durham

Photographer Morgan Caddell captured Mark and Austin in this sunset photo session overlooking the American Tobacco Campus. The historic Durham landmark is just a few minutes from their wedding venue in downtown Durham at The Rickhouse. Morgan’s lens caught Austin and Mark just as golden hour peaked and brought up memories of Austin’s sunset engagement. Mark says that the photos became his favorite memory looking back on the day.

Can’t get enough warehouse wedding vibes? Check out our full list of the top urban warehouse wedding venues in Durham, Raleigh and the Triangle.

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