Luke and Sara currently call D.C. home, but when they began planning their wedding there was no question they’d return to their Southern roots. They decided on a fall affair in downtown Durham’s historic freight train depot and threw the party of a lifetime – live bluegrass and local craft beer included. Tre Bella Florist translated Sara’s “fairy meets lumberjack” vision and Graham Terhune didn’t miss a beat behind the camera. More this way!
From the bride… Shortly after getting engaged, Luke & I started talking about how we wanted our wedding day to look and feel. We quickly settled on a few important things – we wanted good drinks, great music, and the wedding to take place in the fall in North Carolina. We currently live in DC, but knew there was no place we’d rather say “I do” than our home state. North Carolina holds such a special place in our hearts and we were incredibly lucky to find vendors we felt represented all the things we love about home.
The ceremony and reception both took place on the platform of Belt Line Station, an old freight train depot and historic site in downtown Durham. The ceremony was officiated by a close friend of ours. To share our love of bluegrass music, we hired a spunky, local band to play while guests arrived and during the cocktail hour. We stocked the bar with our favorite craft beers and the chef was able to use local ingredients she bought at the Durham farmers market in the menu.
I jokingly coined our vision as “fairy meets lumberjack” and, despite the silly description, our vendors were able to pull it off! We wanted the flowers to be a bit messy and wild to complement to the rustic yet urban setting of the venue, and full of reds, oranges and blues to celebrate the fall season. We incorporated organic elements, like copper, wood and glass accents, into the decorations and table settings. Our venue coordinator even picked fresh rosemary to top the place settings.
Putting the wedding together was truly a family affair! My father made all the wooden signs for the event (which Luke & I then painted ourselves) and we turned Luke’s parents’ house into ‘wedding crafts central’ during the weeks leading up to the big day. Luke’s sister even baked hundreds of spicy cheese straws – a southern staple and family favorite – for the welcome bags. Instead of cake, we opted for pumpkin, apple and buttermilk pies made by a family friend. In addition to the stellar bluegrass band, Luke put together an iPod playlist that kicked things off with our first dance (If Not for You, by Bob Dylan), followed by an awesome reception mix that got everyone out, and kept them, on the dance floor.
We knew we wanted the day to be filled with things that spoke to our personalities and our history as a couple, but more than anything, to be surrounded by the people we love. Our wedding was a perfect, intimate gathering of family and friends who have loved and supported us unconditionally for the 7 years we have been together, and we couldn’t be more thankful to have spent that special time with them.
Photography: Anagram Photo | Floral Design: Tre Bella Florist | Wedding Dress: Theia | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Joanna August | Catering: Triangle Catering | Makeup: Cassidy Bennett | Hair: DB Sutton | Band: The Counterclockwise String Band | Wedding Venue: Beltline Station | Bride's Jewelry: Sara Gabriel | Dessert: ABC Pie Company