On top a hay bail was the last thing I thought my wedding day would bring... but nevertheless, I was placed there ever so gently by Loren's groomsmen. I suppose it's not too much of a stretch as Loren and I both grew up on a farm.

Some one told me, while planning my wedding, that 'it's all down hill after you find the dress.' For me it was 'all down hill' once I found the shoes! The dress was designed by Spanish design house, Pronovias and was purchased at Victorian Rose Bridal (Raleigh, NC). The shoes were by Kate Spade but dyed the perfect shade of coral at a local shoe repair shop. The color of my shoes served as inspiration for the reception colors as well as my custom made garter

Our first dance was to Al Green's "Let's Stay Together." A personal favorite of mine! The reception was held at my uncle & aunt's house. We had to construct the reception site from the ground up in their backyard. Luckily we had expert help. Table Toppers & The Dutch Iris (Dunn, NC) did a lovely job creating my dream reception, from tents to table clothes, even pulling late nights to make sure the corally-pink hued uplights were just right!

When people see this photo I get two comments... (1) What a pretty background & (2) What a beautiful bridal party! And they are exactly right. The tropical blue does make for a nice background and the bridesmaids are stunning! For those of you that don't know, I'm a huge America's Next Top Model fan... this is our little attempt at looking fierce!

Across from my church, the site for the ceremony, is my uncle's store and tire shop. My uncle's store is a 'hang out' for most of the men in my community, including my father, the groom, the groom's father, uncle and brothers. After the wedding my photographer, Stacy Borelli (The Art Bouquet, Clayton NC) saw the mound of tires as the perfect photo op. I love the play on opposites-- the pristine bride and groom coupled next to the stack of dirty old tires. The tires make an interesting visual. I love how unexpected this picture turned out and it's became one of my many favorites

Loren refused to have any pictures taken with me before the wedding (and I thought I was the superstitious one). As soon as we said 'I do', we crossed the street to 'the store' and got ourselves something cold to drink. June 16th was a very hot day and poor Loren had just sweat through much of the ceremony!

Weddings & marriage are all about trust, and not just with your spouse! It was my photographer's personal mission to get us in the hay field that day and I had to trust that she knew what she was doing... especially when she instructed Loren's groomsmen to lift me high a top their heads! I love this picture because it really shows what a fun, crazy, and relaxed-laid back day we had.