I have been so excited to feature today’s real wedding from the moment it landed in my inbox from the talented husband & wife team that is Sadie Higs Photography. Not only does it feature a beautiful couple, but the setting is none other than the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, NC. If you’re not familiar with Proximity, you should be!!  It is one of the few hotels in the country that has achieved a LEED Platinum level certification for its commitment to ecologically sound building and operation practices.  Among some of those practices:

• 60% of the hot water used in the hotel and on site restaurant is heated via the 100 solar panels that cover 4,000 square feet of the hotel’s rooftop (enough hot water for a hundred homes).
• Low-emitting volatile organic compound (VOC) paints, adhesives, and carpets were used throughout the hotel, reducing indoor air contamination.
• 87% of construction waste was recycled, diverting 1,535 tons of debris from landfills.

Read  more about what makes Proximity Hotel a model in eco-construction, not to mention a downright gorgeous place to get married.  So it’s no wonder that today’s couple Catherine & Taylor chose to exchange marriage vows there (add the fact that they were engaged at the hotel’s Print Works Bistro restaurant and it really was a no-brainer!)

Catherine + Taylor chose to see each other before the ceremony out in the hotel courtyard.  The resulting series of images is so touching and lovely.

I am loving the clean, modern aesthetic of Proximity.  It can work with so many different wedding styles.  No crazy colors or textures to compete with.

Such beautiful images and the love between these two is just oozing from them.  Thank you Sadie Higs Photography for allowing us to share these with the world!

And for you other Greensboro/Proximity brides out there, Catherine + Taylor have been kind enough to share the vendors that made their special day so seamless and beautiful.

Florals: The Proximity Hotel

Caterer: PrintWorks Bistro, The Proximity Hotel

Ceremony Musicians: Corda Entertainment

DJ/Reception Entertainment: K2 Productions

Bakery: Ketchie Creek Bakery

Hair: Tiffany Dickens from Tranquility Salon in Winston-Salem

I received these great images from Whitney Elizabeth recently that I thought would be perfectly fitting for anyone out there planning a fall affair.  Gina + Joe were married at the Beaver Dam Historic House in the shade of some beautiful old magnolias.  The Davidson area, and particularly the Beaver Damn house and the property it sits on, is just perfect if you’re looking to channel some old world rustic charm and nostalgia on your big day.

I particularly love the use of bright colors to add a jolt to the otherwise very fall inspired affair.  Artistry Florals did a great job incorporating the colors into the rustic setting.  But for my favorite element of the day, check out this ADORABLE carved pumpkin display with a very familiar and cute saying!

How cute?!?!  I love it.  Congrats to Gina and Joe on what was clearly a gorgeous day to always be remembered.  And thank you Whitney for thinking of White Thread!

An intimate wedding at a historic bed & breakfast nestled high in the Appalachian Mountains…um, sounds just about perfect to me!  Today’s couple was lucky enough to have this exact wedding, hosted at the Mast Farm Inn, a historic mountain farm turned quaint bed & breakfast.  It proved to be the perfect spot for their destination affair, surrounded only by their closest friends and family, just how they wanted it.  Captured in all it’s gorgeousness by Jade McCully, it’s hard for me to pick a favorite shot.  But if I had to choose, I think it might be the  long black and white with the couple at the alter in the incredible, 1 room St. John the Baptist Chapel.

I love the expression on Mandy’s face in this photo as she approaches the alter and her almost-hubby!  It’s equal parts excited, giddy & nervous.  So pure, I love it.!

So much love in these images, it’s amazing!  Thank you so much Jade for sharing these with White Thread!  See more of Jade’s work on her site and blog including Matt & Mandy’s recent reception at Ford Plantation where the hosted a larger group.  And of course, congrats to the happy newlyweds!

I hope you all had wonderfully relaxing, button-busting Thanksgivings with your friends & families. I took a few days off to travel up 95 north with the rest of humanity it seemed but it was well worth it. Uninterrupted time with family and food…it just doesn’t get better than that.

Today I’m back with a magical wedding from Kellie Kano. Yes, I am loving me some Kellie Kano lately.  And can you blame me?  I swear everything she capture is perfection.  Today’s real wedding is certainly no exception.  I fell in love instantly when I recognized so many identifiable landmarks from around the Carolina campus.

Robyn + Jordan’s wedding was held at The Franklin Hotel, located in the heart of campus on Franklin Street.  A newer hotel with more modern amenities, this is the first wedding I’ve seen hosted there.  But given how incredible the space is and how well designed it seems to be to capture light (and subsequently INCREDIBLE pictures), I really hope it’s not the last.

Robyn + Jordan’s wedding was an afternoon affair.  To fully document the magic of the day, the couple did the smartest thing ever…they hired Kellie for an additional hour of private, one-on-one portrait time after the reception.  Candid portraits of you and your new hubby are a must but they are of course always rushed and sandwiched in either before the ceremony when nerves are high or after the ceremony when you’re hoping to get to your cocktail hour.   If you can swing something like this for your own wedding, I promise you will not regret it.  The relaxed love just oozes out of these images. And the couple had time to explore some of their favorite campus spots for some awesome shots.  I know you Tar Heels out there recognize some of these spots!

A reception where a full Thriller dance party breaks out…um, yes please!  How hilarious is that?  Everything associated with this wedding looks so effortless and beautiful, exactly what every bride wants right? 

Kellie, you have done it again! Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this gorgeous day with White Thread!  And of course, a huge thanks to Robyn + Jordan as well for letting us all spy on their day.

Following that picture perfect ceremony, the couple welcomed their guests to a tented reception on the property.  I absolutely adore how the farm’s silo and barn elements become the perfect “decor” elements themselves with just some strategically placed lighting.  Such a brilliant idea.  Otherwise, night would fall and these beauties would disappear with it.  Instead they take center stage.  Assorted wildflowers and “farmhouse chic” containers complete the tent’s lush look.

From Genna:
My aunt collected wildflowers from her farm in Bladen County which we combined with organic flowers from from Fishing Creek Flower Farm, out of Edgecombe county. We used lots of zinnias, gerber daisies and golden rod, and my aunt and two of my mom’s friends arranged them instead of hiring a florist. Everything was displayed in her collection of dozens and dozens of old pitchers, watering cans, mason jars, beat up galvanized tins, etc. that she’s acquired over years of flea market scouring. We even used some old stools and ice cream parlor chairs for flower stands.  We did however use a great florist out of Louisburg, Flowers by Henry, for the bouquets and boutonnieres.

And now for what is DEFINITELY my favorite part of this wedding – the “guest” appearance by the bride & groom’s basement band, the Funk Ninjas (yes…you read that correctly).  I’m sorry, but this is just hilarious!  Bravo Genna + Clark for going the extra mile to entertaining your guests AND having fun with it.

From Genna:
Clark and I lived in Asheville, NC for a little over a year, and we formed a little “basement band” with our best friends, Zack and Willy. Once we got engaged, we decided we’d have to perform a couple songs at the wedding to surprise our guests! So we practiced for a few months, named ourselves the Funk Ninjas, asked my friend Nick to play drums, and performed “Ease Back” by the Meters, “Use Me” by Bill Withers and “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson. The guys all wore hilarious ‘fros, and the crowd LOVED it!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this wedding as much as I have!  Genna has been so gracious and open with all her background info!  Check out her and Clark’s latest venture – FindMeSpecials.com a great site that let’s you find, rate and share unique specials and deals happening now in your city (or any city for that matter).  I totally found like four things I need to check out (anyone want to join me for $5 mimosas at Alivias in Durham?)

And of course a great big THANK YOU to Poiema Photography for sharing this wedding with White Thread.  This was truly a special event!