Duke Chapel | Governors Club Wedding | Bri & Tyler

Here is another wedding from the pre-covid times that I never got around to blogging. Bri & Tyler opted to have their ceremony and reception at 2 of my favorite places in North Carolina – a Duke Chapel & The Governors Club wedding. Both of these locations truly showcase the beauty of having a NC wedding and, while you can’t taste it from the photos, some of the best food around. lol

Both the bride & groom got ready at the Governors Club, which is located in a gated community in Chapel Hill, NC. The club is unique in the fact you can rent bungalows/houses that are right beside the club itself. These are multi-floored units that give plenty of space for even the largest family/wedding parties. With it being a short commute from Duke Chapel it made perfect sense for their wedding preparation.

Duke Chapel Weddings are simply beautiful & elegant. It is one of the most recognizable and iconic wedding locations in NC. I absolutely love photographing weddings here any time of day. This was an afternoon ceremony and while the light outside was a bit harsh, it lights up the massive stain glass window in the chapel. Near the conclusion of their ceremony, their officiant had everyone raise their hands and pray for the newly married couple. A very touching and meaningful inclusive gesture which I rarely see, but think there should be more of.

After the ceremony, we got to my favorite part of the day – the couples portraits. We had planned the day out well giving us time to photograph both on the Duke Chapel grounds as well as some really cool spots at the Governors club. A personal note: I love it when we have ample time to create amazing couples portraits for a wedding. There are so many time pressures on the wedding day that we have to take those into consideration over photo opportunities. Don’t get me wrong, I always work within our clients needs and requests and deliver, I think, phenomenal work, but having that extra 30 minutes to go above and beyond is truly special.

Their reception was absolutely crazy! lol.. As i’m writing this, the spectre of Covid-19 is still very present. To relive their reception and see a packed dance floor a great reminder of how life used to be and how much things have changed. Many of their guests used to be on rowing teams so, naturally, they had to break out 2 rowing teams, sitting on the dance floor. LOL.

I hope you enjoy a few photos from their wedding! As always, if you’d like to know more about this wedding or interested in having me photograph yours, please reach out to me!