#durham nc elopement

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Surprise Winter Courthouse Wedding in Durham, NC

~A whimsical surprise elopement in Downtown Durham, NC~

I can confidently say it is not often that I am approached about a surprise elopement, but when Kara reached out to me with this idea I was on board 100%. Kara and Ben had planned on visiting Durham for the Holidays in the Park event at the nearby Museum of Life and Science. Kara approached me with the idea of turning their day trip into a spontaneous elopement and asked if I would be available to capture the day. With surprises it can sometimes be difficult to account for all the details, and things don't always go to plan, but it ended up a beautiful, albeit cold, day.

A Surprise Elopement

When Kara reached out to me, she gave me a brief background on her and Ben’s relationship. The wedding wasn't actually a complete and total surprise, since they were engaged and planning to go to the courthouse as they already had their marriage license. Kara's plan was to stop by the courthouse in Durham on a day they were already planning an overnight trip for a fun event in the city. We had initially discussed taking photos at the event that was bringing them to Durham, the holiday lights at the Museum of Life and Science. Unfortunately, the event did not allow professional photographers, so we decided instead to grab some photos in Downtown Durham.

Durham Courthouse

I do wonder if Kara eventually told Ben before they left, since they got ready separately that morning, each driving to Durham with friends, so they could have a first look together at the courthouse before their ceremony. I am a big fan of first looks; I like that it allows the couple a few moments together before their ceremony on what can otherwise be a busy and hectic day. They decided to keep the ceremony small only inviting the two witnesses to join them at the courthouse. After exchanging vows, signing the papers, and sharing their first kiss, we headed outside to grab some photos outside the courthouse to commemorate this special day.

Downtown Durham

Since it was December, Downtown Durham was adorned in whimsical holiday lights and had the set up the huge Christmas tree in the main square gave us lots of options for backdrops. Kara’s choice of red velvet dress combined with the holiday lights made these photos appear quite festive. During this part of the session, Kara and Ben were joined by their two witnesses so we made sure to take some photos with all four of them and a few duo shots as well. As we casually strolled towards the main town square, we took more pictures with the historic Downtown in the background. At this point, the chilly December wind was starting to get to us, and we decided to venture inside the Durham Main Library for the next portion of this session.

Durham Main Library

Kara and Ben loved the idea of heading to the Durham Main Library to get some more photos due to their love for reading. The new Durham library is such a nice addition to the city, and made for a great backdrop; I always recommend couples choose a location for their photos that fits with their interests that way it will add even more meaning. Libraries are often filled with unique backdrops and make a session that much more unique. I will say, taking photos in a library does have its own challenges, you have to remain pretty quiet to respect those around you and may have to wait for areas to clear before being able to start taking photos. However, it is definitely worth it for the endless possibilities that an extraordinary space such as this one has. If you intend to take photos at the library, make sure you coordinate ahead of time! The librarians and staff will help you pick the best time and make sure you won't be disrupting other library patrons.

Capturing this elopement was such a joy. I had an amazing time wandering around Downtown Durham with this lovely couple and was honored to be a part of such a special surprise.

Vendors:

Photography: Vidr Photography

Venues: Durham County Courthouse

Durham Main Library

View more Durham County Courthouse weddings here.

View more courthouse weddings here.

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North Carolina Instagram Accounts We Love

We are in love with Instagram lately. Because we’re such big fans, we’re sharing a few of our favorite finds with you in a new series where we spotlight some of the great North Carolina Instagram accounts we’ve found. These IGers really have an eye for photography and have a carefully curated Instagram feed. You’re going to love checking them out and following along with them – and like we mentioned, they’re all North Carolina-based.

North Carolina IGers Have Got It Going On!

Each month we’ll do our best to share a handful of our favorite finds. We hope this new series will introduce you to some new faces, and places throughout our beloved North Carolina. We hope you’ll enjoy them as much as we do.

It’s all about supporting each other (and small businesses) across this great state, so please consider swinging by and follow along with them or at the very least, adding your thoughts to the comments on their photos or giving them a like! If you happen to head over and follow along with them, give them a great big hello from us, @NCBloggerNetwork!

Here are 5 North Carolina Instagram Accounts We Absolutely Love

(In no particular order)

1) Ginny Williams – Charlotte/Raleigh, NC – Living life at Lake Norman Photographer and Blogger ~ Contributing Photographer at Cary Living & Midtown Magazines

  Sometimes I don’t notice bugs on my nature and flower photos till post processing. This little ant adds a sweet touch #pink #petals #bokeh #naturephotography #nikon #ant #bug #pretty #ncphotographer #northcarolinaphotographer

A post shared by Ginny Williams (@ginnywilliamsphotography) on Jul 25, 2017 at 8:44am PDT

2) Crystal Thornton – Explore. Dream. Discover. Crystal Coast, NC 

Peacefulness – n. The state of being peaceful⛅ . .☁ . #sunset #sunsetsky #sunsets #sunset_hub #coastalnc #ncskyporn #whiteoak #whiteoakriver #nccoast #welovenc #visitnc #northcarolina #nc #coastal #ig_northcarolina #igersnc #crystalcoast #sky #skylovers #sunsetporn #sunsetlovers #ncsky #clouds #sunsetlove #sunrise_sunsets_aroundworld #sunsets_fx #reflections #cloudlovers #cedarpoint #cedarpointnc

A post shared by Crystal Thornton (@seastarnc) on Feb 27, 2017 at 4:54pm PST

3) Liz Goodman/The Restless Wild – Every adventure has a story. Adventure writer Outdoor photographer Durham, NC Runner. Hiker. Climber. Oiselle Volée

  Is it still a selfie if I’m controlling the camera with my phone but the camera is a dozen feet thataway sitting on a rock? Sunsets and friendship after a hard day’s work. Hump Mountain, Appalachian Trail, Easter weekend 2017 Read more on the blog – http://ift.tt/2gHWj0e #newblogpost #ontheblog #NCBN #appalachiantrail #humpmountain #neverstopexploring #sunset #mountain #mountains #wildme #wanderlust #explore #staywild #adventure #nature #photography #Canon #ForceofNature #sheadventures #sheexplores #womeninthewild #inthewilderness #backpacking #backpacker #seeyououtthere #theoutbound #OptOutside #hiking #backcountry #outdoorwomen

A post shared by Liz Goodman/The Restless Wild (@therestlesswild) on Apr 25, 2017 at 6:03pm PDT

4) The Mast Farm Inn – The Mast Farm Inn is a world-renowned historic North Carolina Country Inn & Restaurant in the Valle Crucis Historical District of Watauga County, NC. http://ift.tt/QYDVLY

Congratulations to Aimee & Anthony who were married at @MastFarmInn this week! Photos by @RevivalPhotos // #themastfarminn #destinationwedding #bnb #inn #historichotels #travel #adventure #love #elopement #anniversary #photography #weddingphotographer #getaway #congratulations #romantic #revivalphotography #destinationweddingphotographers #mountain #highcountry #spring #inlove #justmarried

A post shared by The Mast Farm Inn (@mastfarminn) on Apr 9, 2015 at 4:45pm PDT

5) Jennings Wright – I’m a baker, hotel owner (Nicaragua), non-profit owner (Uganda), life coach, writer, traveler, wife, mom, boater living in NC. Crazy life!

  Today’s braids are a jalapeño cilantro chimichuri with goat cheese. Because why not?? #bread #chimichuri #breadbraid #bakery #bakeallthethings #feelslikemonday

A post shared by Jennings Wright (@accidentalbakery) on Sep 5, 2017 at 8:24am PDT

North Carolina Instagram Accounts

We hope you enjoyed this edition of the North Carolina Instagram accounts we absolutely love. Do you have a favorite, North Carolina-based, Instagram account you think we should spotlight? Let us know in the comments below! We’d love to check them out. Also, if you’re in NC and you use Instagram, be sure to tag your photos with #igersnc so other NC-based users can discover your photos! If you’d like us to consider reposting some of your photos, be sure to tag us in your photos and use the #NCBloggers hashtag.

You can also find and follow along with us on Instagram, too! We’d love to connect and have you as a part of our community.

About NC Blogger Network

NC Blogger Network is North Carolina’s premier community for bloggers. We bring bloggers together for events, education, networking and paid opportunities working with relevant brands. Join today!

The post North Carolina Instagram Accounts We Love appeared first on NC Blogger Network.

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North Carolina Instagram Accounts We Love

We are in love with Instagram lately. Because we’re such big fans, we’re sharing a few of our favorite finds with you in a new series where we spotlight some of the great North Carolina Instagram accounts we’ve found. These IGers really have an eye for photography and have a carefully curated Instagram feed. You’re going to love checking them out and following along with them – and like we mentioned, they’re all North Carolina-based.

North Carolina IGers Have Got It Going On!

Each month we’ll do our best to share a handful of our favorite finds. We hope this new series will introduce you to some new faces, and places throughout our beloved North Carolina. We hope you’ll enjoy them as much as we do.

It’s all about supporting each other (and small businesses) across this great state, so please consider swinging by and follow along with them or at the very least, adding your thoughts to the comments on their photos or giving them a like! If you happen to head over and follow along with them, give them a great big hello from us, @NCBloggerNetwork!

Here are 5 North Carolina Instagram Accounts We Absolutely Love

(In no particular order)

1) Ginny Williams – Charlotte/Raleigh, NC – Living life at Lake Norman Photographer and Blogger ~ Contributing Photographer at Cary Living & Midtown Magazines

  Sometimes I don’t notice bugs on my nature and flower photos till post processing. This little ant adds a sweet touch #pink #petals #bokeh #naturephotography #nikon #ant #bug #pretty #ncphotographer #northcarolinaphotographer

A post shared by Ginny Williams (@ginnywilliamsphotography) on Jul 25, 2017 at 8:44am PDT

2) Crystal Thornton – Explore. Dream. Discover. Crystal Coast, NC 

Peacefulness – n. The state of being peaceful⛅ . .☁ . #sunset #sunsetsky #sunsets #sunset_hub #coastalnc #ncskyporn #whiteoak #whiteoakriver #nccoast #welovenc #visitnc #northcarolina #nc #coastal #ig_northcarolina #igersnc #crystalcoast #sky #skylovers #sunsetporn #sunsetlovers #ncsky #clouds #sunsetlove #sunrise_sunsets_aroundworld #sunsets_fx #reflections #cloudlovers #cedarpoint #cedarpointnc

A post shared by Crystal Thornton (@seastarnc) on Feb 27, 2017 at 4:54pm PST

3) Liz Goodman/The Restless Wild – Every adventure has a story. Adventure writer Outdoor photographer Durham, NC Runner. Hiker. Climber. Oiselle Volée

  Is it still a selfie if I’m controlling the camera with my phone but the camera is a dozen feet thataway sitting on a rock? Sunsets and friendship after a hard day’s work. Hump Mountain, Appalachian Trail, Easter weekend 2017 Read more on the blog – http://ift.tt/2gHWj0e #newblogpost #ontheblog #NCBN #appalachiantrail #humpmountain #neverstopexploring #sunset #mountain #mountains #wildme #wanderlust #explore #staywild #adventure #nature #photography #Canon #ForceofNature #sheadventures #sheexplores #womeninthewild #inthewilderness #backpacking #backpacker #seeyououtthere #theoutbound #OptOutside #hiking #backcountry #outdoorwomen

A post shared by Liz Goodman/The Restless Wild (@therestlesswild) on Apr 25, 2017 at 6:03pm PDT

4) The Mast Farm Inn – The Mast Farm Inn is a world-renowned historic North Carolina Country Inn & Restaurant in the Valle Crucis Historical District of Watauga County, NC. http://ift.tt/QYDVLY

Congratulations to Aimee & Anthony who were married at @MastFarmInn this week! Photos by @RevivalPhotos // #themastfarminn #destinationwedding #bnb #inn #historichotels #travel #adventure #love #elopement #anniversary #photography #weddingphotographer #getaway #congratulations #romantic #revivalphotography #destinationweddingphotographers #mountain #highcountry #spring #inlove #justmarried

A post shared by The Mast Farm Inn (@mastfarminn) on Apr 9, 2015 at 4:45pm PDT

5) Jennings Wright – I’m a baker, hotel owner (Nicaragua), non-profit owner (Uganda), life coach, writer, traveler, wife, mom, boater living in NC. Crazy life!

  Today’s braids are a jalapeño cilantro chimichuri with goat cheese. Because why not?? #bread #chimichuri #breadbraid #bakery #bakeallthethings #feelslikemonday

A post shared by Jennings Wright (@accidentalbakery) on Sep 5, 2017 at 8:24am PDT

North Carolina Instagram Accounts

We hope you enjoyed this edition of the North Carolina Instagram accounts we absolutely love. Do you have a favorite, North Carolina-based, Instagram account you think we should spotlight? Let us know in the comments below! We’d love to check them out. Also, if you’re in NC and you use Instagram, be sure to tag your photos with #igersnc so other NC-based users can discover your photos! If you’d like us to consider reposting some of your photos, be sure to tag us in your photos and use the #NCBloggers hashtag.

You can also find and follow along with us on Instagram, too! We’d love to connect and have you as a part of our community.

About NC Blogger Network

NC Blogger Network is North Carolina’s premier community for bloggers. We bring bloggers together for events, education, networking and paid opportunities working with relevant brands. Join today!

The post North Carolina Instagram Accounts We Love appeared first on NC Blogger Network.

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[vidrphotography]

Affordable Wedding and Elopement Venues near Durham, NC

Are you thinking about Eloping, but haven’t decided on a location? Or maybe you just want a more inexpensive alternative to the rising costs of traditional weddings? Below are some of my favorite affordable venue options for elopements and small weddings near the Durham, NC area. I’ve also created a Pinterest board with images from the locations here.

Orange County Courthouse

The courthouse in Hillsborough offers weddings through the magistrate. They have an outdoor area where ceremonies are performed under a beautiful large tree. You can also bring pets! They only do weddings on weekdays on a first come-first serve basis. More of my photos from Orange County Courthouse here.

cost: 50

Eno River

A beautiful wooded park, Eno River has two options for rentals: (1) the State Park, and (2) West Point on the Eno city park. The state park offers picnic shelters, river views and overall has a more rustic feel. The city park offers a beautifully restored historic 1850s farmhouse for rent at a very low price. 

cost: 80-225

Mordecai Historic Park

This is really cute historic park with an old chapel. The park has a questionable history (previous plantation, birthplace of Andrew Johnson), but if you can get past that it is the perfect place for a cottage core or vintage/antique inspired wedding. Renting Mordecai Historic Park grounds includes St. Mark's Chapel, a small changing room, and the park grounds. There is a beautiful garden, and the interior of the chapel is still well kept. Despite being located in Downtown Raleigh it has it’s own small lot, so the parking is pretty good. There is an additional charge if you plan to have alcohol, so keep that in mind when looking at the cost. More of my photos in Mordecai Historic Park here.

cost: 100-150/hr plus 15 application fee

NC Botanical Garden

The arboretum at the NC botanical garden has beautiful garden area with an indoor venue with a wall of windows so you can look out into the garden without having to deal with bugs while you eat. There’s also an outdoor area with an awning that you can use during the ceremony so in the summer your guests don’t overheat. In addition to the arboretum there’s also forest park available for rental, which is a weathered stone amphitheater surrounded by trees which is also beautiful.

cost: Price unavailable online

JC Raulston Arboretum

Like several of the other garden areas, this venue is also beautiful and full of flowers. The difference in the Arboretum is there are so many different sections and gardens available for rental it’s crazy! This link shows images of all available areas and prices. There are also indoor venues as well as gardens. There’s also a feature on the website to check if your date is available, so you can save time trying to contact people if you know the date you want isn’t available from the get-go.

cost: 190/hour

Raleigh Rose Garden

The Raleigh Rose Garden is an outdoor venue available for rent. It’s a gorgeous place for photos, with beautiful perennial flowers everywhere, and also has a small covered area with benches where a table or two could fit. It also has a fountain and pretty lattice area. Overall very cute.

cost: 410 for 3 hours (additional hours cost extra)

Museum of Life and Science

The museum of life and science is a unique venue option, offering a variety of locations options throughout the museum for your event (butterfly house, patio, main building, hideaway woods, etc). The package for intimate weddings for 20 guests includes heavy hors d’oeuvres, cake, and flowers. They also have add-ons including a butterfly release, train ride, animal encounter, and more. It’s a very cool venue, and if I wasn’t already married, I would get married here!

cost: unavailable on website

Arrowhead Inn B&B

This venue is a bit more expensive than others on the list, but includes a lot more. It includes a two night stay at the B&B, cake, and catering. It’s a beautiful venue surrounded by nature, you almost feel like you’re in the mountains! The ceremony itself takes place outdoors under a gazebo.

cost: 1599-2499

Lake Johnson

This is in Raleigh, but is so beautiful I felt I had to include it. They offer a variety of rentals, including picnic shelters,  decks overlooking the lake, and indoor rooms. They also have equipment rentals, so you could have a romantic sailboat ride after the ceremony if you wanted! The park is gorgeous, with beautiful trees and wooded areas, but very popular, so there might be a lot of foot traffic of joggers passing by. There’s two links for separate parts of the park waterfront here and woodland here.

cost: 15-80/hour

I hope this list was helpful. Let me know of any locations you’re considering, even if they weren’t on my list. And once you’ve picked your venue and are looking for a photographer, keep me in mind ;)

See more:

Affordable wedding venues near Wilmington.

Unique Non-traditional venues in the triangle.

Courthouse wedding venues in the triangle.

[vidrphotography]

DIY Non-Binary Courthouse Wedding Elopement in NC

This summer Wren and Ciel headed to the Orange County Courthouse in Hillsborough to elope in the presence of their friends and family. It was a beautiful day, with an air of excitement, anticipation, and a bit of chaos/spontaneity.

It was a DIY wedding, with the couple hand-making their outfits and floral bouquets for their party, and staying up late the night before the wedding to finish!

After everyone arrived, we headed inside for the usual process of the witnesses signing the license and paying the fees.

Once that was completed we rejoined with the group to head to the ceremony location and divvy up the flowers.

They had their ceremony in the courtyard under the large tree between the old and new courthouses. You really could feel the love and excitement from everyone.

The orange county courthouse offers three options for ceremony language/script. To be honest, I don’t remember the variations and differences in the options. If you were curious, I’m sure you could ask when you called to schedule your appointment. Since Wren and Ciel are non-binary and go by they/them pronouns, they chose the option that didn’t specify gender or bride/groom.

After the ceremony we separated from the larger group to get some couple’s portraits. The newly installed River Park Arch made a beautiful backdrop, and a quiet spot for a private vow exchange.

River park is one of my favorite parks in the Triangle (Pullen, Dorothea Dix, and Eno River Parks are all also on my list of favorites). For a park in the middle of downtown, it has a lot of wide open space, trails, and amazing huge trees. The river walk boardwalk is also a great greenway that takes you along the Eno River. Durham’s American Tobacco trail is great, but nowhere near as scenic as Hillsborough’s River Walk.

Their rings were so beautiful. I have a soft spot for things that are fantasy and nature inspired, as well as the non-traditional.

While we’re on the topic of attire, I want to bring up their clothes again. I was so blown away by their outfits, before I even knew they made them themselves. Both garments were historically inspired; Wren’s waistcoat was based on an Edwardian pattern. Not to deviate too far from the topic of this blog post, but I love historical fashion and arts & crafts (sewing, crocheting, painting). And Edwardian/Art Nouveau are one of my favorite time periods in art/fashion (along with rococo and Italian renaissance). My point being, I really loved and appreciated their attire.

We then headed to meet back up with the group, who were having some sorbet at Matthew’s Chocolates. I had some too and it was delicious! The chocolate flavor was so rich and delightful.

Before they headed off to dinner reservations we got some group photos and had a bouquet toss.

Vendors:

Ceremony Location: Orange County Courthouse, Hillsborough, NC

Flowers and Attire: DIY

Sorbet: Matthew’s Chocolates

Dinner: Antonia’s

See more orange county courthouse weddings.

See more weddings.

See more courthouse weddings.

[vidrphotography]

Courthouse Wedding Options in Raleigh-Durham Triangle, NC

I’ve compiled all the information for courthouse wedding options in the Triangle in a single location. In addition to information about the venue, I will discuss the process required (licences, fees, etc). 

In the event you decide a courthouse wedding is not for you, you can also check out my post on other affordable elopement micro-wedding venues in the Raleigh-Durham area. In some cases an elopement at a local park/restaurant can be simpler and more affordable than the courthouse.  All you need is an officiant!

These are current as of 9/05/2023, and have been affected by covid regulations.

Wake County Courthouse

Click here for more images of Wake County Courthouse Weddings in Raleigh

Wake County Courthouse in Raleigh is no longer requiring appointments, for ceremonies taking place inside Wake County Justice Center 300S Salisbury St. They are back to a first-come first-served situation. The courthouse has a modern wood interior and is in Downtown Raleigh so there are a lot of good restaurant options for the reception afterwards. Above you can see the google street view of the location. No more than 10 people are allowed, and masks are required. First you must submit an online form for a marriage license. Initially during covid, this was done entirely online; however now you must schedule an appointment to complete in person. To schedule your ceremony email WakeMagistrateWeddings@nccourts.org

Timeslots: Monday - Friday 9:30am-12pm 1:30pm-4pm

Cost: $50 cash for ceremony, $60 for license

Contact: 919-255-7700 WakeMagistrateWeddings@nccourts.org

Durham County Courthouse

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It's a large industrial modern building, not as cute and outdoorsy as some other locations. The magistrate’s office are not accepting appointments, instead it is a first-come first-served  Register online for marriage license, then make your plans on when to head to the magistrate’s. Word on the street is the wait time is not long.

Timeslots: Monday - Friday 9-5pm

Cost: unknown

Contact: 919-560-0495

Orange County Courthouse

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Currently Orange County Courthouse in Hillsborough is requiring appointments for civil ceremonies. Ceremonies used to take place outdoors under the oak tree, but now take place indoors for security reasons. But you can still take photos outside. You must call the register of deeds at 919-245-2700 to schedule an appointment for a marriage license, then call 919-245-2935 for an appointment for a civil ceremony.

Timeslots: Monday - Friday 11am-3pm

Cost: $20 for ceremony, $60 for license

Contact: 919-245-2935

Johnston County Courthouse

Currently Johnston County Courthouse in Smithfield is requiring appointments for civil ceremonies. Ceremonies take place at civil magistrate's office. It's a very cute mid-century building in a small downtown area. Above you can see the google street view of the location. First complete the online application for a marriage license, then call civil magistrate at 919-209-5460 to make an appointment. At one point they were only doing ceremonies on Wednesdays, but this might've changed.

Timeslots: Possibly only Wednesdays

Cost: unknown for ceremony, $60 for license

Contact: 919-209-5460

Considerations regardless of location

Currently all wedding license applications require an appointment, so you must have made arrangements for your license prior to your ceremony. Also at least two witnesses are required (in Durham's case ONLY two witnesses), but one can be your photographer. For more information on other possible elopement/micro wedding venues click here. If you decide a civil ceremony is not right for you, if you only want a few people present, you can get married with only an officiant and witnesses at any location!

I'm happy to help if you have any questions!

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