Congratulations to Bill and Carol Leatherman who celebrated their anniversary here this weekend. They have a special history with Fearrington that they’ve graciously allowed us to share.
Not only did they celebrate their marriage at Fearrington in 1981, they were our very first wedding customers.
Carol recalls how she was a grad student at UNC at the time and they were attracted by both the proximity and the beauty of the homestead and the farm. The Fearrington House Restaurant had been open just a few months when she inquired whether they might have an outdoor reception catered by the Restaurant. Weddings at Fearrington was born.
The event was held in the arbor structure (subsequently replaced by the Inn building) and the lawn that connected it to the Restaurant, and was accompanied by two flutists. "They painted the arbor the previous day," in preparation for the wedding, Carol recalls, wondering how it would all come together.
But it came together well, and the Leatherman's marriage likewise flourished. Bill's career as a cotton broker took them all over the country, but they recently moved back to North Carolina. Less than a year ago, their daughter Molly celebrated her wedding ceremony at Fearrington, on the same lawn her parents celebrated theirs. And then this past weekend, they were back for dinner at the Restaurant and an overnight stay at the Inn to celebrate their 30th anniversary.
We wish the Leathermans all the best - and appreciate the support they've shown us all these years!