Every year there it seems that there is a single venue I visit quite a few times. This year it’s been the Highgrove Estate in Fuquay-Varina. The Highgrove is a true southern mansion which resides on 6 acres of woodlands and overlooks a pond so, needless to say, the outdoor ceremonies here are truly breathtaking. It was a perfect spot for Jessica & Will to exchange their wedding vows surrounded by their close family & friends under a sunny blue early summer sky.
Both Jessica & Will got ready in the Highgrove estate mansion, in opposite sides of the house of course and, as many times as I write about it, I do truly love seeing the different energies each room takes on. Now I don’t talk about the dress very often on my blog, but this is a pretty cool story so bear with me. I’ve seen a long standing trend where many brides will take a piece of their mothers wedding dress and somehow incorporate it into their wedding day (on the bouquet, garter, etc). Jessica, however, has her mother’s dress entirely remade so she could wear it on her wedding day. After some extensive seamstress work, she made sure only her and her mother had seen it so it was a big surprise to not only Will, but to all of her bridesmaids as well.
The Highgrove Estate Wedding ceremony was simple, elegant and, well, a perfect fit for both Jessica & Will. As it happens with many outdoor weddings in the summer or early fall, Will’s finger “grew” just a little making for a few pretty funny moments as the ring wouldn’t fit. After the wedding and the formal photos we did around the Highgrove Campus, we all headed inside the newly renovated reception hall. If you haven’t been by the Highgrove since construction was completed on their reception area, you really are missing out. The new hall is really gorgeous and still maintains the quaint southern feel the Highgrove is known for.
After an awesome reception filled with dancing, laughing, cornhole (which Jessica & Will custom made with their initials) and all the trademarks of a wonderful day, Jessica & Will exited in a convertible BMW M3 (for those that don’t know it, I am a huge BMW fan) after running thru a sparkler exit and drove off into the evening.
I’d like to sincerely thank Jessica & Will for allowing me to witness, capture and (for lack of a better term) participate in one of the most special days in their life. It’s always an honor to be invited to your wedding and we truly enjoyed the time we spent getting to know you and your families. One one last sidenote, I don’t think i’ll ever have another opportunity to photograph a wedding with two sets of twins but I’d love another chance as, honestly, that was just a ton of fun!
As always, here are a few of my favorite photos from Jessica & Will’s Highgrove Estate Wedding.
Wedding Venue – Highgrove Estates
DJ – Island Sound/Jason Huggins
Florist – Flowers on Broad Street
Wedding Cake – Cinda’s Creative Cakes
