Duke Chapel Wedding | Wade & Meri

My latest wedding was a true showcase of the elegant wedding venues you have in the Raleigh and Durham area! With another of my Duke Chapel Weddings reception following at the Renaissance Hotel in Raleigh NC, Meri & Wade had chosen two beautiful wedding venues to perform their vows celebrate their marriage!

We started off at the Renaissance hotel where Meri was getting ready.  After a little bridal preparation and family photography, Meri hopped into a Rolls Royce and rode to Duke Chapel with her father.  Interestingly enough, generally when I have an idea for a shot, something always seems to throw a wrench into the place but, fortunately,this day the stars aligned and I was able to get the shot I had visualized.  When you have a limo, classic car, etc, they will park directly in the center of the driveway.  Fortunately, there were no other cars around so I was able to get the shot I wanted with the Rolls Royce in front of the hotel without it being congested by other vehicles.  The shot of the Rolls Royce in front of the Renaissance Hotel was one I had always wanted.  I’ve shot a quite a few Duke Chapel Weddings, so I wanted to photograph the Rolls Royce again in front of the chapel but, as you can see from the photos, it was a great thing I got it in front of the hotel as time was limited after the ceremony.

The day was, well, a little warm (95f) so we limited what we were doing outside to a few quick portraits.  Besides, with Duke Chapel weddings, you can’t throw a rock without hitting a great spot for photography.  After the grooms & bride’s portraits, we headed inside the chapel for the ceremony.  On the way out, as it tends to happen in North Carolina, the heat had built up and summer thunderstorms were rolling in quick.  While a little nervous we were going to get soaked, I managed to get a couple of quick shots in front of the chapel with some beautifully menacing skies in the background.   As we left the chapel, it poured… when I say poured, I mean dogs and cats were stuck on my windshield wipers.

We had planned more photographs at a gazebo and headed in that direction hoping to outrun the rain.  As an aside, Wade sings in the Duke Choir for other Duke Chapel Weddings and events so I think he had an arrangement with someone to hold off the rain as we arrived at the Gazebo, it was dry with still more beautiful skies.  We, quite literally, just got back into our cars before more huge & juicy raindrops fell.  At the Renaissance hotel, the food was hot, drinks were cold and the halls were packed full of wedding guests.  After everyone entered into the wedding reception, Wade and Meri shared a lovely choreographed first dance as the dance floor was surrounded by their family and friends.  As the evening continued, it was obvious how happy every person was for Wade & Meri – cheering at every kiss and clinking their glasses at every opportunity!

Wade & Meri – Thank you so much for having me as your wedding photographer.  It was such a pleasure working with you both!

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    More sun flare!! Here’s another photo from a recent engagement session in downtown Raleigh. As is usual, we went on a walk around the city and there was a spot with full sun coming thru. The best part was they were standing on a pedestal in the center of a roundabout. 😊

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    With the weather getting colder it’s not easy finding an outdoor location with lots of color. Luckily, this engagement session won the trifecta with a gorgeous bride, a handsome groom and some beautiful scenery.
#engaged #ido #raleighweddingphotographer #sunflare #engagementphotos #weddingphotography #loveauthentic #littlethingstheory #love #engagement #raleighphotographer #photooftheday #weddings #stylemepretty
    Ive had the worst time trying to upload photos but I think I’ve got it sorted out. This is an amazing wedding image I shot last year for a Nashville destination wedding. It had been raining all day and we were fortunate enough for the sky’s to clear for this amazing sunset. 
Location: @mintspringsfarm 
Dress: @bombshellbridalboutique 
DJ: @snyderentertainment 

#mintspringsfarm #destinationwedding #raleighweddingphotographer #brianmullinsphotography #wedding #ido #sunset #afterthestorm #wedisson
    Time for something a little different... this is an editorial shoot for @midtownmagazine with the amazing artists at @ivey_artistry. Yes, it’s edgy and it’s one of my favorite shoots from that issue.
    It’s a little emotional to post this photo. It’s from the last wedding I photographed before the COVID quarantine. To say we overcame obstacles would be an understanding. Wedding changing locations & sizes 3 times within a week of the wedding, travel issues, etc. Thru it all our bride not only remained calm, cool & collected, but she really personified what’s important with weddings... to be there with your fiancé and celebrate what you have - not what could of been. Congratulations to you both! -
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    I’m not sure I fully understand why, but I feel compelled to post emotion packed photos.. happy, fun emotion. I think, in part, it’s because everything I see right now is negative, dramatic and just “heavy”. I was scrolling thru photos and this made me immediately smile. One of the things I love trying to capture at wedding receptions in shapes formed by people. Obviously, a circle, tunnel and lines.. but getting more geometrically interesting shapes just rings that inner composition bell for me.
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    So much is happening in the world right now. Restaurants are closing, weddings are being re-scheduled, re-imagined or just cancelled altogether. What a time to be a photographer... we often document the happy, sometimes the moment and other times, just a person. All of these are important and, right now, I think we all need a reminder or happier & less stressful times. One of my favorite photos is when my wedding couples walks outside the church/building doors. The air smells different, the light looks different and at the core of your being, you know it s different. I can never fully explain it with words but I try to show that emotion in photos. He’s a perfect example of, to me, what that moment looks and feels like. Hopefully we can all take just a moment today and smile, just a little, at remembering those or similar moments in our life. .
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#nofilter #bwwednesday #igersbnw #bwstyleoftheday #blackandwhite
    Something we always discuss in the abstract is how adversity can stoke creativity. This shot is a perfect example of how severe church restrictions lead to a really cool photo. We were not allowed to shoot from inside the sanctuary, only from the balcony. Where it could’ve been worse that gives us a “one note“ feeling for the ceremony photos. I had my second photographer go to the balcony while I hunted for cool photos from the ground floor. This was shot through a crack in the main door. After some adjusting (and burning legs trying to hold the exact angle) I came up with a really cool photo in my opinion.
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