Summer is officially upon us is North Carolina! Here at Putt Photography, that means beautiful, colorful weddings to photograph. This time of year is especially special to us, because it’s when we got married 2 years ago!
But this post isn’t about our wedding, it’s about this absolute STUNNER of a ceremony that we photographed last weekend.
As a venue, Rose Hill has been a total bucket list location for us! We’re so grateful that we got to be part of this sweet couple’s big day at such a beautiful venue.
Rose Hill is a picturesque countryside estate in the town of Nashville, North Carolina. It’s a simple 45-minute drive from where we live in downtown Raleigh. The stunning houses on the property date back to the 18th century and ooze historical charm. It’s situated at the end of a long, tree-lined lane with bright and airy white decor, green lawns, and a shimmering pond complete with fountains and swans.
Getting Ready
The Manor House just steps from the outdoor ceremony space was a gorgeous spot for the bride, groom, and wedding party to get ready. The ladies had the whole upstairs, while the gents were in a rustic lounge downstairs.
I couldn’t get enough of the beautiful natural light as the mother of the bride zipped up the dress!
Meanwhile, Schuyler was hanging out with the guys and snapped this handsome shot of the groom. Don’t worry, there are plenty more of him smiling!
Details
While the ladies continued to get ready, I stepped outside with the rings to get some detail shots. It’s always a great idea to keep a couple of extra flowers on-hand for these pictures.
I used my magnifying glass lens extender and my homemade flatlays to get this ring shot.
The worst thing for the dress pictures is finding out there aren’t any pretty hangers available. That’s why we always bring a nice, plain wooden hanger, just in case. That wasn’t needed for this wedding, as the bride and groom hand this gorgeous custom hanger for the dress!
First Looks
We love that the groom went for the traditional approach and decided not to see the bride in her dress until she walked down the aisle. But we didn’t let that stop us from getting some first look magic!
We started with a bridesmaids first look, which was beautiful at the top of the stairs in the Rose Hill Manor House.
Father-daughter first looks are ALWAYS beautiful moments. We stepped outside the Manor House to capture dad’s reaction to seeing his daughter in her wedding dress.
Ceremony
The ceremony was held in a gorgeous white gazebo complete with dreamy hanging ferns and the lake as a backdrop.
The midday sun gave the whole ceremony a bright and airy look. It can be HOT in North Carolina in June, but fortunately the high was a “cool” 88 degrees.
Portraits
Combine the groomsmen’s light grey suits, the bridesmaids’ pink dresses, and the many beautiful backdrops of Rose Hill and you get absolutely timeless wedding portraits.
This group was so easy and FUN to photograph!
Next, we sent the bridal party to a well-deserved cocktail hour while we spent a few more minutes with the brand-new Mr. and Mrs.
Even the driveway at Rose Hill is a to-die-for photo opportunity!
Reception
One of our favorite modern traditions in weddings is the wedding party grand entrance. We LOVE it when the bridal party goes big and dramatic, entering pair-by-pair, with a different skit, dance, or pose for each couple. After the more formal energy of the wedding ceremony, it’s so much fun to see all of the personalities shine through.
Some sort of mock-proposal with a beer bottle was going on here… 😂😂😂
The married couple’s first dance is always a tender moment.
As someone who attends a lot of weddings, I can tell you that neon signs are IN! Such a cool addition to the reception decor, not to mention an awesome keepsake for the couple.
These ladies going for the bouquet showed some impressive athleticism! Almost makes us want to get into sports photography 🤣
As the summer evening continued, we got really cool glare on the dance floor that made for some artsy party shots.
Summer Sunset
We made sure to look up exactly when the sunset was on the wedding day so we could steal the bride and groom for just a couple minutes for sunset photos. Boy, we are glad we did!
In the background: some very vocal cows cheering for the new married couple… MOO!
Sparkler Exit
A sparkler exit made for a beautiful end to a beautiful wedding day!
