July 26, 2022 | Posted by Emma Zunker

How did you and your partner meet?
Adam and I met through the graces of fate and good friends at the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro back in 2016. We grabbed drinks after the concert that night and went on our first official date at the Durham hotel rooftop a few days later. I had just been accepted into graduate school in New York City so after only a couple months of dating, we made the decision to give long distance a try. Two and a half years of flights back and forth from NY to NC and Adam completing a graduate program of his own, we then moved to Texas to start our careers (and kind of our lives) together. We stayed a little over 3 years and accrued our goofy puppy, Hank, before moving home to Durham.

Tell us about the engagement?
We love being outdoors – camping, hiking, kayaking, all of it –

but I made Adam promise not to propose to me on a hike because my fingers get so swollen with changes in altitude that I swore a ring wouldn’t fit. So, as you can probably predict, Adam did exactly that at Big Bend National Park as the sun rose and we sipped coffee. Don’t worry, the ring fit! We spent the rest of the weekend camping and hiking with friends and it could not have been more perfect.

What made Fearrington the place for you to say “I do?”
I could go on and on about every stunningly perfect detail at Fearrington, from the colorful gardens to the gorgeous barn to the belted cows, and all of these details definitely made it really easy to say “HECK YES” to getting married here. However, the most honest answer to this question would be: GILDA. She is the absolute best at what she does and just an absolute gem of a human being. Planning a wedding with her was easy peasy. She accounted for every last detail while simultaneously making everything feel stress-free and effortless. So while we chose Fearrington for its beauty and the ease of in-house vendors, the best part of our decision was undoubtedly, Gilda.

 

Describe the highlight moment of your wedding day.
It feels truly impossible to choose a highlight because the entire day was better than we ever envisioned. For both of us, our first look and private exchange of vows prior to the ceremony is something we’ll never forget. It calmed our nerves and allowed us to laugh about the fact that Adam forgot his tie and had to wear one of his groomsmen’s ties instead. I’d just like to go on the record and say to every bride hyper-focused on all the tiny details: Don’t stress! I wouldn’t have noticed he wore the wrong tie if he didn’t tell me and now it’s something we love to laugh about. Like so many other couples during the pandemic, we waited and postponed and waited some more so having all of our people in one place to celebrate with us was probably the biggest highlight of all. I’ll never forget standing in the center of the dance floor with Adam towards the end of the night and just looking around at our village feeling so overwhelmed with love and gratitude. Adam also wants to highlight the fluidity of our day – each event transitioned seamlessly into the next which can be attributed to Gilda and the Fearrington team. Last, when all was said and done and we got back to our room, there was a bottle of champagne and two big pieces of our wedding cake waiting for us. It felt sacred and so special to reminisce and laugh about our fairytale day while stuffing our faces with cake.

What was the biggest surprise of the day?
I think every couple’s answer to this is probably that the concept of time does not exist on your wedding day. Everyone warned us to try to slow down and take it all in because it’ll be over in a flash and no truer words have been spoken. It’s a day I wish could drag on and on and on but everything happens so fast instead.

What was your biggest surprise about wedding planning?
I think the biggest surprise is the sheer number of decisions and details that go into planning a wedding which probably sounds naïve but Adam and I would often look at each other and say “Wait, is that a thing?” to which Gilda would always respond “Not if you don’t want it to be.” Wedding planning didn’t feel stressful (outside of having to make difficult decisions to postpone and reschedule) in large part because of Gilda but also in large part because I have an amazing, organized, thoughtful and detail-oriented mom.

Photographer: Amy Anstatt for Taylor Lenci Photography
Videographer: Weddings by LDF
Hair & Makeup: Wedded Kiss
Bride’s Attire: Dress: Essence of Australia, Jumpsuit: BHLDN
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Azazie
Groom’s Attire: Custom suit from Bunbury Custom Clothiers, tie from Dazi
Ceremony and Reception Music: Ceremony: Save the Date Music , Reception: The Band Punch
Stationery: Unmeasured Event on Etsy