#wakecountycourthouse

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Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Courthouse Elopement

~Vibrant Fall Elopement at Wake County Justice Center on Day of the Dead~

As a wedding photographer, my favorite types of weddings to capture are those that are unique and specific to a couple and their relationship, and Socrates and Frida's was just that. I was so excited to photograph Socrates and Frida among the fall colors and document their wedding on Día de los Muertos. Unfortunately, things don't always go as planned and you end up sick in bed with the flu, searching for an associate photographer who is available last minute, and missing out on shooting an event I was really looking forward to. Enter Bri, of Freckled Photography and Film Co., who stepped in to ensure that Socrates and Frida's memories would be captured flawlessly.

I feel like an underlying theme of this wedding was unexpected changes to plan, because not only was I unable to attend at the last minute, but the courthouse ceremony was not even the original plan. They had spent the past year planning a big overseas wedding with friends and family overseas, but with the required documentation they instead decided on a civil ceremony at the Wake County Courthouse and a party overseas later. The elopement then big party later is a great, flexible plan, that I have noticed more and more couples opting for lately. It's actually what me and my husband did for our wedding!  Considering the change in plans, Socrates knew it was important to Frida to have the day documented, and so hired me and Bri as a surprise to help document the day.

Both Socrates and Frida grew up in the Dominican Republic (but actually met in the US during college), and decided to get married on a culturally significant day, November 2nd, the day of the dead. Día de los Muertos is not on Halloween as some people think, the magistrate at the courthouse actually argued with Socrates and Frida, saying it wasn't the day of the dead, and was from what I heard being extremely rude towards them. Everyone moved on and didn't seem to let it bother them, and I'm not trying to be a downer in the blog post, so I'll move on as well. In keeping with the spirit of the holiday, the couple were adorned in the iconic La Catrina makeup. La Catrina and the makeup has come to symbolize many things, life and death, beauty, tradition, and remembrance; and so its use in Socrates and Frida's wedding honors the past, their loved ones, and the couple's journey and future together.

Following the courthouse ceremony, Socrates and Frida ventured to Dorothea Dix Park. Its sprawling landscapes and fall foliage was the perfect backdrop for some couple's photos. The fall colors mirrored the vibrancy of the La Catrina makeup, and Frida's handmade paper flowers.

In the end, it's a reminder that even when life takes an unexpected turn, things can still work out beautifully. As their photographer, even though I couldn't be there physically, I'm grateful to Bri for capturing the essence of their journey and allowing me to be a part of their day. Without sounding too cheesy, I'm glad to have participated and been able to edit the photos of their Dia de los Muertos elopement celebrating a love defying distance, challenges, and even a global pandemic.

Vendors:

Associate Photographer: Freckled Photography and Film Co Venue: Wake County Justice Center and Dorothea Dix Park Raleigh NC

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Nash Square + Wake County Justice Center Wedding | Raleigh, NC

The Wake County Justice Center is becoming a favorite location to photograph weddings. Not only does it have a nice modern courthouse for ceremonies, but it also has amazing architecture for photos inside and out, as well as a gorgeous park across the street. What's not to love? Cadye and Ken were married during late fall/early winter. The trees in Nash square hadn't shed all their leaves yet, and were still showing gorgeous yellow and orange hues. Before the ceremony at the courthouse, we headed to Nash Square for some couples photos. I love when couples decide to take wedding portraits before their ceremony (or do a first look), since it allows us to get more photos done during our time together without feeling like they need to rush to get back to enjoying their time with their family! For larger weddings it also allows the couple to have a little time for an intimate moment to themselves before the magic of their big day.

After couples photos we headed to the east entrance of the courthouse to meet up with their family and guests. There were a lot of hugs and laughs before while we waited for everyone to arrive. This street has a lot of walking traffic on it, and can get pretty busy and kind of noisy, so in a few instances there were strangers in the background of the photos, and things like litter that I edited out when possible.

They had forgotten the bouquet in the car, so at one point Ken had to leave to retrieve it.

Once everyone arrived we headed inside to check in. We had to wait a bit before the ceremony, so in the meantime we got group shots and family photos.

Finally there was the ceremony. It was beautiful, even I started to tear up. The room was so full of emotions.

Post ceremony the group was headed to dinner, but we snapped a few more photos as they were leaving.

I think that sometimes when people consider getting married at the courthouse, one of their concerns is the atmosphere. They may worry about it being cold and industrial and depersonalized, and not really give it a chance when considering their options. And while I don’t want to devalidate those concerns, I think they are invalid 😂 Being in the heart of downtown Raleigh, there is a lot of gorgeous architecture and nature to take advantage of as a backdrop. The building itself is very modern with amazing high ceilings and warm light. There is a great view of the Raleigh skyline from the windows. Within the courtroom they use for ceremonies, the warm wood and bronze fixtures are far from the picture people have in their mind when they first consider a civil ceremony. I think everything culminates into making the Wake County Justice Center a great and affordable option for those looking for a smaller wedding.