As seen in Southern Bride

Winter Wedding perfection in Raleigh NC

Madison and Tim both graduated from N.C. State University, so it was natural to have their first look at the bell tower, right before being married. At the reception, wolf mascots danced with the couple and their guests, and an N.C. State ice sculpture was a show-stopping surprise even to Tim and Madison.

“We were inspired by romance, classic colors, the holidays and all the beauty of the winter season,” Madison adds. “We wanted it to feel terrifically glamorous.” Seasonal greenery, Christmas trees, and personalized ornaments, and Madison’s “perfect” fur jacket found at an estate sale all were favorite details. And the couple’s beloved pug and black lab served as greeters. One of Madison’s favorite memories was delivering handmade welcome bags with snacks, ornaments, Nest candles and water bottles with her maids of honor.

For couples planning their weddings, Madison says it’s important to have fun and take a breath, but also “Lean on your bridal party, ask for help and be confident in what you want as a couple. Most importantly, don’t compare your day to anyone else’s.”

From my perspective

I first met Madison at her best friend Mary Cate’s 2016 wedding in Davidson NC. As a wedding photographer, I meet and interact with so many bridesmaids every season. But Madison stood out and was someone I remembered. Her smile, laugh and willingness to help on the wedding day went above and beyond. She was funny and I enjoyed photographing the whole group even more because of her. I know that sounds cheesy, but I’ve said it before (and I’m about to say it again) the people you surround yourself with on your wedding day matters!

You can imagine how excited I was when Madison emailed me so excited that she and Tim were engaged…and she wanted ME to photograph her wedding! We started planning right away and I got to know so much more about them as a couple and their AMAZING families. Many, many laughs later we were at the wedding day. Side note: Winter wedding days are especially perfect for those of us that hate sweating. Madison hates being hot and so the cool crisp weather of December was perfect!

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