October in North Carolina is such a beautiful time of year and today was as close to perfect as it gets for John & Galatia’s big day. The sun was shining, the leaves were changing and it was a just warm enough that we didn’t need a jacket to do our portrait session outside in the garden at Preston Woodall House. We are always excited when we do a wedding at the Preston Woodall House. The quaint historic 1910 Queen Ann Bed & Breakfast in Benson, NC is the perfect place to host a wedding or any other function for that matter. Everywhere you turn there is beautiful décor that makes the perfect backdrop for any picture. Not to mention that between all the rooms in the main house and the three cottages on the property you can have the entire bridal party get ready at the same location.
John decided to get ready in one of the bedrooms on the first floor while Galatia got ready upstairs in the spacious bridal suite. The sunlight that comes through the front windows into both of these rooms makes for the perfect light while the bride and groom were getting ready.
John and Galatia decided that they wanted to do a first look so that they could enjoy their cocktail hour with their guests. We love when our couples decide to do first looks, not only because it gives us more time to capture some amazing images, but the first look in itself is such a great moment to capture on camera. I know that there is an old fashion belief that it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before she comes down the aisle, but the private moment during the first look when the groom sees his bride for the first time is just magical and the fact that they experience it away from everyone else makes it that much more special. They have a few minutes to just enjoy each other before all the chaos of the day starts.
The ceremony was outside in the garden. The sunlight that was shining over the back garden during their ceremony was so golden and so beautiful. We LOVE it when our couples incorporate things that they enjoy together into their ceremony to show their guests their personalities. Many couples today are doing a sand ceremony or a unity candle to show the coming together of two to become one. John and Galatia are wine enthusiast and so they did a wine ceremony. They had two separate carafes of red and a white wine that they pour into a single carafe and then shared the mixture together.
While they were performing the wine ceremony the officiant read:
This ceremony represents your two individual lives, combined like the two wines into one single life. The drinking of the combined wine signifies the commitment you now make to live your lives as one family. May you remember this day of commitment you have sealed with drinking of the new wine joining your lives as one.
Their love of wine could also be seen in their décor for the reception. The Cora Lily Grand Ballroom at the Preston Woodall House look EXQUISITE. Creative Touch Designs definitely out did themselves on this one.
Vendors:
Photographer: AO&JO Photography (www.AOJOPhotography.com)
Venue: Preston Woodall House (www.WoodallHouse.com)
Planner: Joel Hurley, Preston Woodall House, (www.WoodallHouse.com)
Caterer: Preston Woodall House (www.WoodallHouse.com)
Florist: Creative Touch Designs (http://www.creativetouchevents.com)
Bakery: Cinda Creative Cakes (www.cindacreativecakes.com)
DJ: Donald Leach, Jr.
If you would like to see more PRESS PLAY to see John & Galatia's Wedding slide show