This wedding was unlike any other I’ve ever been a part of… 

See, JoAnna was born and raised right here in “good-ole” NC and then went to college in California – where she met the man she’d marry, Rich. The two of them dated, fell in love and were married this past weekend at Gambill Estate. (A true NC girl always comes back to her roots!) Their wedding was a small, intimate celebration with only their closest friends and family – but it was amongst the most sincere and genuine weddings I’ve ever documented.

One of my favorite things about this wedding are the rings – they belonged to Rich’s grandparents! The engagement ring JoAnna wears was given to Rich’s grandmother years ago when his grandfather proposed, and the wedding bands the couple wears today are the exact same bands Rich’s grandparents wore their entire marriage. Having to live in a world where your grandparents are no longer around to spend time with is not something anyone would choose, but it’s a pretty incredible thing to be able to begin your marriage with the same rings they did, and have a daily reminder of the love and commitment they shared for so many years! Now if THAT isn’t a killer way to embark on a marriage journey, I don’t know what is!

JoAnna chose to personalize her wedding day more than most brides do these days. Not only did she make her own wedding dress, but JoAnna also spent the better part of a year gathering things for her customized decorations, centerpieces and guest favors. In lieu of hiring a wedding planner (which most out-of-state brides would do) JoAnna decided that she would be able to better execute her ideas and plans on the big day by coordinating everything between her mother, her sisters and herself. Many people helped JoAnna and Rich in their wedding planning, but the bride had such an incredible part in bringing together all of the things that meant the most to her and her groom. It was impressive to see JoAnna undertake such a daunting task and absolutely nail it!

The reception was just the right fit for the day and the couple: snacks, drinks and the best looking dessert display NC has ever seen. In addition to cupcakes, there were more pies and sweet confections than one could imagine: peach cobbler, apple pie, coconut creme pie, chocolate delight, and many more! In addition to delicious food and sweets, guests were gifted with their own personalized mason jar, ice-cold glass bottles of Cheerwine and a “goodie bag” filled with the couple’s favorite things: a mini MoonPie, sunflower seeds and a heart-shaped, chocolate-covered mint patty. (I’ll give you one guess who the Cheerwine and MoonPie combo came from. That’s totally a NC thing!)

To say that this wedding was “one for the books” would be an understatement! I loved every moment of this wedding and will never forget it. My favorite images from the entire day are the last ones we captured of Rich + JoAnna – the “romantics” as we like to call them. There’s something special about stealing the bride and groom away on the wedding day for some time alone where they can truly enjoy each other and their new marriage! (And when it all happens during “golden hour,” life just couldn’t get any better!) 

Congratulations you two – enjoy the life ahead of you! We couldn’t be more happy for you both.