Nancy + Tom | Lands End Plantation | Herford, NC
Intimate Backyard Wedding | Lands End Plantation | Hertford, North Carolina | Virginia Beach Fine Art Documentary Photographer
Gracious, y'all - I have been meaning to blog Nancy and Tom's gorgeous southern wedding at the incredibly quaint Lands End Plantation for months. They came all the way from the other side of Virginia (Roanoke) to have their wedding at the relatively new venue owned and operated by friends of theirs after helping with renovations to the property to get it ready to open.
You might remember Nancy and Tom from their engagement session at McAffee's Knob. Certainly not a hike that I'll soon forget - the two hours up the mountain in (mostly) darkness before sunrise gave us a lot of time to get to know each other and when their wedding day arrived, I felt like a close friend among their guests.
Although their wedding was intimate in number of guests, their friends and family came from all over. Nancy’s parents came all the way from Mexico!
Their day was full of love, joy, and so many special moments, here are a few of my favorites in no particular order…
- Nancy’s dress is made by one of my favorite designers - Rue de Seine. As my husband and I begin to plan our ten year vow renewal (coming up in 2020), this is the designer I’ll be looking towards for my gown. You might look them up and gasp at the price tag - but for those of us who can't quite hang in that price bracket, Nancy shared a secret with me that she found her dress second hand.
- Traditionally, the bride and groom walk back down the aisle at the end of their ceremony, but not these two! They said their vows in front of two open doors and at the end, after their first kiss as husband and wife, Tom picked Nancy up, carried her through the threshold, and together they walked off towards their reception.
- I am always touched by the joy that radiates from the parents of my couples. It’s an honor to walk your little girl down the aisle, especially in these modern times of non-traditional weddings. I am an absolute believer that the meaning behind these traditions doesn’t have anything to do with why we do them now. These days, a father walking his child down the aisle has nothing to do with an exchange of property - it means quite simply and beautifully that as a parent, they will walk with you - with love and support through the big and the small joys and challenges. You could read that on Nancy’s father’s face and I’m not ashamed a bit to admit that I may have started to cry when Nancy’s mother gave her a big hug before Nancy joined Tom at the very front.
- What North Carolina wedding would be complete without BBQ?! Yum.
- Tom had practiced dipping Nancy during their engagement session and totally nailed it! During our portrait time together close to sunset, Tom grabbed Nancy and this time, instead of nailing the dip, he dropped her. *insert OMG circle mouth emoji face here* Nancy just burst out laughing immediately. BEST. REACTION. EVER.
- The band. If you’re thinking of having a live band at your wedding, I absolutely recommend you book that band and hire me. Not enough people have live bands at their weddings these days! It’s a great alternative to hiring a DJ (who totally play great music too) and there’s nothing like the lead singer getting everyone pumped on the dance floor.
Shoutout to Val for helping me with this wedding and managing to make her way back to Hampton Roads through the fog. You’re the best <3
