Thursday, April 16, 2009

Springtime in North Carolina

I had the wonderful opportunity to assist with the "day of" Paige Sparkman and Brandon Goodwin's wedding in March. Paige and her mom Cy had done the majority of the planning, and I helped them to pull together the final details so that the weekend of the wedding would run smoothly and they could relax.

I always say that the one thing we cannot control is the weather. The Sparkman-Goodwin wedding was, unfortunately, a prime example of this. While it had been 75 and sunny here in Durham the week prior, it was about 35, bitter cold and rainy for this wedding weekend. A lot of brides would have cracked under the pressure of this - an outdoor cocktail reception at the rehearsal dinner, having to walk under an umbrella in her dress from the car to the Chapel and back, but not Paige. She was a consummate lady who shrugged off the inconvenience of it, brushed off her shoulders, and did not let the soggy weather dampen her spirits.

After all, you are getting married, not weddinged. If you stay focused on what you are doing and not how, then looking at the smiling, loving faces of your friends, family and sweetie, and feeling the support and enthusiasm around you will always triumph over bad weather. And what do I always say: despite your immaculate planning, the only thing anyone will remember is a stressed out bride.

It was my first time working with the photographer Tracy Turpen out of Charleston, and I loved her and her husband Lance. Enjoy the fabulous slide show she put together, and also check out
her website sometime - her photos are stunning. Thanks Tracy, and thank you to the Sparkmans and Goodwins for having me be a part of such a very special and beautiful weekend. You reminded me of the ingredients necessary for an unforgettable wedding: unconditional love, a good sense of humor, wonderful friends, great organization with a touch of irreverence, and a lot of go-with-the-flow attitude.

www.tracyturpenslideshows.com/goodwin

http://www.tracyturpen.com/

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