Megan’s & Franks Duke Gardens Wedding is the first time I have photographed one in the Amphitheater part of the gardens. Duke Gardens has several gorgeous places to get married and the Amphitheater, right behind the Doris Duke Center, is a gorgeous setting with the lily pad pond, stone flooring and, well, just a beautiful atmosphere. The wedding ceremony was delivered bilingually as most of Franks family and friends were from out of the country.
Megan got ready at the Durham Millennium Hotel and, let me tell you, her dress was to die for! This really was a beautiful wedding gown and reminded me of something a real princess would wear for her wedding day. We traveled a short distance to her Duke Gardens Wedding after getting dressed. As we were heading out, the sky, unfortunately, started to cloud over and sprinkles began to fall. As we arrived at Duke Gardens, the rain had mostly stopped and Megan got her first look at the Doris Duke Center where her reception was to be held. I think that is one of my favorite moments of the day. The room was beautifully decorated and Megan’s face really showed her excitement and delight.
As we got ready for the wedding ceremony, the rain started back up again. Not heavy mind you, almost like the light rain we get on some winter days. I know Megan really wanted to get married in the Amphitheater and, honestly, I was wanting the same. In the end, we just “did it” and the weather gods took mercy and keep it very, very light and the ceremony, as a result of the clouds, had the most fantastic light you can imagine. As soon as we got back inside, the rain start coming down heavier. The nice thing about having a Duke Gardens Wedding is there are covered areas we can take cover under should it started raining heavier.
We got quite a few breaks in the clouds that evening and we able to go out and shoot more wedding portraits of the happy couple in between the wedding ceremony & reception, and in the middle of the reception. The reception… wow. Dancing to latin jams, masks, boa’s and cool hats all came out making it a really fun and fast paced wedding reception to try and photograph. There was so much color and dancing flying around the room, I don;t think I got single shot without someone just dancing like a rock star the entire evening!
After their Duke Gardens wedding and reception was over, Frank & Megan had a sparkler exit and got in to their waiting car and, no doubt, get ready for their awesome honeymoon! I want to thank you both for your hospitality, warmth and trust in me to capture beautiful wedding photos! I realy love what we captured! Here are a few select shots from the day!
