Chris & Drienie's wedding at Riverwood Manor
Getting to know Chris and Drienie as friends here in Raleigh has been quite the treat for Chad and I, so shooting their wedding and capturing the moments during their marriage celebration was truly incredible!
These two were only engaged for nine weeks and have now been married for under a month, so the emotions from their wedding day are still very fresh! A couple nights ago, after a dinner and champagne toast to Chris & Drienie’s future together, we revealed their entire collection of wedding images to them at their home. Reliving the day with them was priceless! Most times, the day happens in such a blur for the Bride and Groom, they miss all that "little stuff" that we capture as photographers. As they looked through the ceremony images and saw Drienie walking down the aisle, Chris said, “Look, everyone was looking at you!” With a huge smile, she said, “Look, you were looking at me, too!” Immediately Chris fired back, “Oh, I couldn’t take my eyes off you!”
Oohs and awes filled the room as they looked through every image, adding back stories and smiles to each one. With every passing photograph on the screen, Drienie sat closer to Chris, squeezed his arm a little tighter and gushed, “Oh my goooosh! This one’s my faaaavorite!” I think she has over 800 “favorites” at this point… Drienie was nearly in joyful tears at the end of the ceremony images when she saw a couple of particularly sweet moments shared between her new husband and also with her mother. There are so many genuine images with the guests at their celebration, as well. What a day!
Riverwood Manor in Harrisburg, NC made for a PERFECT setting for this wedding and reception. It’s a brand new venue available in Harrisburg, NC that is absolutely gorgeous and serene. They’ve been a catering business for 10 years in the Charlotte area and have now done some amazing work on their space so that it’s event-ready and extra-impressive. Check out their website or Facebook page to contact Angela—she’s amazing!
Chris and Drienie’s peacock theme was colorful, classy and beautiful. And her bouquet?? Wowza…it was stunning and played into that theme perfectly. Chad and I haven’t witnessed this kind of “spirited” wedding (or reception dance floor!) before, and we think it had to do with the vibrant people in attendance. The love of Jesus and of marriage in general was evident in that place. Drienie and her sweet family are from South Africa (even their Africans accents were sweet!) and some of them were present at this wedding via Skype. Chris’s family is from all over—Charlotte, New England area, and beyond. His father is from El Salvador and we quickly learned he can be the life of the party. Whether family, childhood friends, college/grad school friends, work friends or church friends, we loved meeting everyone! This couple sure is loved.
We hope you enjoy the images in this post. They’re just highlights from this breathtaking wedding day of two dear friends. Check out their extended gallery here »
Flowers: Gwyn Overcash, Petals Event Decor
Cake Artist: Charlotte Jordaan (friend of family)
Reception music: Robert Brooks, DJ on a Dime
Makeup Artist: Katie Harrington
Hair Stylist: Tatiana of Suavity Salon in Charlotte (704-919-0679)