With such a crazy start to our Summer of weddings and travel schedule (Yep - We've been roaming!), we haven't been able to share some amazing love stories as quickly as they've been unfolding. Finally, we are SO EXCITED to share two very dear people, who tied the knot this May in downtown Raleigh for a Sitti Raleigh Wedding.
You may remember James & Jess from their killer cool Adventure Session at Craggy Gardens in that crazzzzzy thick fog! Their session was super fun (not to mention challenging) for many reasons. But meeting James & Jess and seeing their charismatic personalities, and positive zest for life was like a breath of fresh air. When we met these two, we felt drawn to their fun loving spirits and were so excited to be the ones capturing such an important moment in time, in their lives.
James & Jess met through a mutual friend. After hitting it off right away, they somehow ended up on the same Spring break group trip together, a few months later. After a week long trip, they quickly realized that they wanted to spend more time together and the rest is history!
James & Jess chose to have their day in beautiful downtown Raleigh at a fun venue called Sitti Courtyard. Our favorite part of this little spot... the gorgeous private courtyard that sits in the middle of the city. It was such a quaint place to say "I-Do," and we loved that they managed to have such an intimate ceremony while still being surrounded by a large city. It was perfect.
Sitti Raleigh Wedding
It was a beautiful sunny day and the weather was lovely. We looked for some shade for these two to share a First Look together, before the day got going. We found a pretty private spot, next to an empty parking garage and couldn't resist the city vibes. When James saw Jess for the first time, he was completely teary eyed (no surprise for anyone who knows him and his big heart eyes for his girl). It was the sweetest thing watching Jess try to hold back tears, herself, while wiping her groom's eyes dry. After recovering from the beautiful moment, we pulled the couple to the parking garage to play in some dramatic light.
Style
These two had quite a fun style for their special day and we were in love with all their color and outfit choices. Jess wore a GORGEOUS blush tulle skirt with an ivory lace top and sparkly heels. (Which you better believe she stopped to take off halfway through their one-on-one pictures on the cobblestone street. A repeat trend that she started back at their Adventure Session, when we photographed James helping her change her shoes in the mountains. HAHA!) She also chose emerald green floor length dresses for her girls and James rocked a blue suit and a meadow green tie.
One of the funniest parts of the evening was in their welcome speech to their guests... When Jess sincerely thanked everyone for being there… "despite missing the season finale of Game Of Thrones." Everyone roared with laughter and sighed loudly for being called out. It was hilarious and awesome.
Golden Hour
We loved snagging these two for some one-on-one time at sunset and could tell that they really wanted this private time together. James & Jess truly valued their photos and wanted to make sure to allow plenty of time to capture some pretty memories from their day. (We told you these two are awesome!) It was a blast following them around the city and James & Jess were up for anything we threw at them!
Especially after ditching her sparkly heels (for the second time that day), we were able to run around the cobblestone streets, climb fire escapes, and bounce around downtown Raleigh chasing all the interesting light and shadows we could find. It was so fun. We even caught an adorable moment of James picking up Jess and carrying her for a bit as we navigated through the city's streets. She's a tiny girl and James is always ready to scoop her into his arms, any chance he's given. DAWWWW!
Special Thanks!
James & Jess, we could go on and on about your beautiful love for one another, your big hearts for your family, and your amazing love for adventure... Simply put, you two are special. And we feel so honored to have gotten to document these fun moments in your life. Thanks for sharing your Sitti Raleigh Wedding with us. Much love to you both!
XO,
Mark & Kelly
Vendors from the day:
The Stewarts Roam Photography
Sitti Courtyard
Wade Hall at Post Parkside
Chestnut & Vine - Erin McCauley
Shoes - Besty Johnson
Silverceiling
Fallon's Flowers
Officiant - Rev Ron
Great Raleigh Trolley
DeeJays Rentals
Food - Devan Leicht, Sitti
Dolce Desserts Co
DJ Pdogg
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