Ruth Ann and Craig were married on June 11th at Duke Chapel and their reception took place at the Washington Duke Inn (one of my favorite venues in Durham!). I met Ruth Ann and her mom, Cathy, back in the fall of 2010 when they were in town one weekend from Oklahoma City. Ruth Ann’s parents met while attending Duke and they got married at the Duke Chapel back in 1968. Ruth Ann and Craig also met while at Duke and decided to have a “destination wedding” in Durham since they had since moved back home to Oklahoma after graduating from Duke. I loved the fact that Ruth Ann wanted to get married in the same place her parents, Cathy and Jim, were married over 40 years earlier and it made for a very special event!
Ruth Ann and Cathy were looking for a local wedding planner who could be their point of contact in North Carolina since they would be planning the wedding from out of state. We exchanged lots of emails and phone calls and we scheduled meetings whenever they were in town which was just 2-3 times from when they booked me until the wedding date. They made a great choice in having the reception at the Washington Duke Inn. Diane Tighe was our point of contact there and she handled everything in a flawless manner and made sure the reception was exactly what Ruth Ann had envisioned. Ruth Ann and Craig wanted a very southern and fun reception so the menu was stations with all sorts of fun Southern accents (think pimento cheese with toast points, ham biscuits, beef tenderloin carving station, fresh homemade pies by Scratch, etc) and the guests could eat, dance, or mingle at their leisure!
Below are some some of my favorite pictures from Tracy Turpen. This was my first time working with Tracy but I thought she did an amazing job and I cannot wait to work with her and her partner Tyler again soon!
Ruth Ann trying not to cry after having her makeup done!
The two adorable flower girls...they took their job seriously the entire day!
Great shot of Craig in Duke Chapel before any guests arrived!
Ruth Ann and her dad walking down the aisle... that's a long aisle!
Getting Married!
The newlyweds taking a stroll through Duke Gardens!
Shot of the room before the guests entered
Beautiful flowers by Floral Dimensions
The band, The Maxx, blew the crowd away.. they were truly amazing!!
A few of the band members cheering Ruth Ann on as she dances! Take a peek at the detail work on her dress...stunning!
Love this image of Ruth Ann and Craig dancing!
Craig has a very determined look as get gets cake all over Ruth Ann's face! Don't worry, she got him back.
Not sure of the whole story here but I believe Craig's family told Ruth Ann she had to drink from this specific type of very strong liquor to officially be considered part of the family. Looks like she fulfilled the task like a champ!
Another shot of The Maxx breaking it down... what an awesome band!
Hahaha...this one gives me a good laugh!
Last dance before the night ended!
Loved their exit... the horn players played "When the Saints Go Marching In" and the guests showered them with rose petals!
Congrats to Ruth Ann and Craig… we wish you both a lifetime of happiness! Thanks to these awesome vendors for their hard work:
Photographer: Tracy Turpen
Ceremony Venue: Duke Chapel
Reception Venue: Washington Duke Inn
Band: The Maxx/East Coast Entertainment
Cake: Sweet Memories
Florist: Floral Dimensions
Hair and Makeup: makeupforyourday
Rentals/Additional Decor: JW Walton of The Catering Company of Chapel Hill
Linens: CE Rental
Another fabulous wedding by A Southern Soiree! Ruth Ann’s going-away dress is absolutely stunning- do you know where it is from?