Alyssa Rocherolle + Reuben Kennedy

ALYSSA ROCHEROLLE + REUBEN KENNEDY

Photographer: The Photobrief Wedding Coordinator: Rose Young, Imagine Moore Events

Alyssa was sitting on the porch swing of a cabin in Boone, watching the sun set on the mountains, when Reuben proposed. Eleven months later, she walked down the aisle at the Southern Pines Chapel in her mother’s veil to the wedding march her grandmother wrote for her parents’ wedding. The couple then drove to their reception in Alyssa’s grandfather’s restored 1950 Citroën, the same car the bride’s parents had driven to their own reception.

Alyssa’s family is French, and Reuben is Southern — their wedding theme was “French country with a Southern twist.” Whiskey Pines, the groom and his cousins played country, rock and bluegrass music, and Randy Blue, a family friend, served barbecue. The couple also served French croquembouche pastry towers before guests ended the night with drinks at O’Donnell’s Pub, where the couple first met four years earlier.

2022

Ashlin Owen + John Adkins

ASHLIN OWEN + JOHN ADKINS

Photographer: Amy Allen Photography Videographer: Twenty-One Films Wedding Planner: Vision Events Wedding & Event Planning

Ashlin and John met through a dating app. After their first date, John suggested they go late-night shopping at Target — it was too late for Ashlin, but, from the suggestion, she knew he was special. A year later, John took Ashlin to Rey’s Restaurant in Cary to celebrate their dating anniversary, and he proposed at dessert. Ashlin asked, “Is this real?” several times before saying yes.

After recovering from the surprise, Ashlin and John chose the historic Weymouth House as their wedding venue. The bride’s parents live in Pinehurst, and her mom suggested the location. “Oh Happy Day” was the theme of the wedding. A choir sang the song after the ceremony, and the “Oh Happy Daze” custom cocktail was a hit. For a particularly memorable touch, the bride’s mother had an artist paint the duo under the ceremonial arbor during the reception.

2022

Jacquelyn + Spencer

JACQUELYN + SPENCER

Photographer: By Colette Photo Videographer: Anthem Cry Weddings, Daniel Hamby

Spencer proposed to Jackie after they summited Algonquin Peak in the Adirondacks. With the proposal out of the way, the couple planned an October wedding in the Sandhills. They married at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, and the church staff streamed the wedding for family and friends who were unable to attend.

After the ceremony, the party moved to the reception at the beautiful, Tudor-style Duncraig Manor and Gardens. The wedding’s inspiration was Hollywood glam. Maple syrup produced and bottled by the bride’s parents’ maple syrup farm in upstate New York was an intimate touch, and the s’mores pit was a guest favorite. The bride and groom ended the night by jumping into the pool to cool off — they highly recommend it.

2022

Samantha Parkes + Nathaniel Klimek

SAMANTHA PARKES + NATHANIEL KLIMEK

Photographer: Jennifer B. Photography Wedding Planner: Vision Events Wedding & Event Planning

Sam, born and raised in Moore County, and Nathan, who grew up in Raleigh, met at the Pinehurst fireworks at the Fair Barn in July 2018. Nathan then proposed to Sam while they were hiking south of Boone. The pair stopped at an overlook for a drink of water when Nathan handed Sam a cup that read “Future Mrs. Klimek.” After a short and sweet proposal, Sam allegedly said yes so loudly that her response echoed through the canyon.

Two hundred twenty-nine days later, the couple tied the knot in their farmhouse rustic wedding at the Country Club of North Carolina on September 25, 2021 — or, if you ask Nathan, the day of the NC State versus Clemson football game. The cake by the Bakehouse featured the couple’s dogs Lucy and Scout, and the altar was greenery with white roses except for one sunflower to honor the bride’s mom, who loved the yellow flower.

2022

Cate Dahl + Grant Bitzer

CATE DAHL + GRANT BITZER

Photographer: Mollie Tobias Photography

Cate and Grant, both physical therapists, met on Cate’s first day of work in the rehabilitation department at the University of North Carolina’s hospital when Grant stood up to shake her hand. Now, their physical therapy careers have taken the pair to separate jobs, but they’ll forever be grateful for their serendipitous meeting at UNC.

Throughout their relationship, Cate had been asking Grant to go on a picnic. When they finally did, Grant got down on one knee and proposed to Cate in Weymouth’s gardens. Fifteen months later, the pair wed at the church Cate grew up in, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, before heading to their dream reception at Pinehurst’s Fair Barn.

2022

Alejandra Reyes + Walter Monroe Williams

ALEJANDRA REYES + WALTER MONROE WILLIAMS

Photographer: Megan Morales Photography

Alejandra and Walter grew up in Richmond County and knew of each other in high school — they had friends in common. But they were only “friends” on social media until nearly a decade after high school when they finally connected and went on a date. Alejandra’s final semester of graduate school briefly delayed their relationship, but, after graduation, the couple reconnected for date number two.

A month into the pandemic, Walter planned a low-key, intimate proposal. The pair had casual conversation over Mexican takeout and walked around Aberdeen City Lake before Walter popped the question. Honoring Alejandra’s Mexican heritage, the couple had a bilingual wedding filled with rich traditions and a vibrant palette of dark green with pops of red, yellow and pink.

2022

Cassidy Benjamin + Michael Asbury, Jr.

CASSIDY BENJAMIN + MICHAEL ASBURY, JR.

Photographer: IAMJOS Photography Videographer: Bay Leaf Video Productions Wedding Planner: Natasha Widmer, Pinehurst Resort

Golf-and-spa-filled vacations brought Cassidy’s family to Pinehurst, then her parents decided to retire to the area. After graduating from college, Cassidy followed her parents to the Sandhills. Mike moved to the area for his job as a sales manager at the Pine Needles and Mid Pines Golf Clubs, and the two eventually met on a dating app. “Thank goodness for technology,” Cassidy says.

In May 2020, Mike proposed after a round of golf on the 18th green of Mid Pines surrounded by their closest friends and family — in person and on Zoom. A year later, the couple married at the Pinehurst Resort. They skipped traditional events like the bouquet toss, so their guests could get right to dancing.

2022

Allison Auman + Joseph Smith

ALLISON AUMAN + JOSEPH SMITH

Photographer: Katherine Miles Jones Wedding Planner: Denis Coll McCullough

Allison grew up in West End; her family, the Aumans and the Pages, have been in Moore County since the 1800s. Lucky for her, while she was working in Raleigh, Joseph was stationed at Fort Bragg, and the pair fell in love in a modern way, with a right swipe. Because Joseph is in the military, he is away from home for many holidays and birthdays. To make up for his absence, he planned a special “Allison Day” to show his appreciation for his partner and — to Allison’s surprise — propose.

The pandemic postponed the Smiths’ wedding a year and slashed the guest list from over 300 to 100 people. But the couple and their guests enjoyed the intimate wedding. Most guests attended the rehearsal dinner, wedding and day-after brunch. Cultural touches completed the day. Joseph is Samoan, so he and his family performed traditional songs and dances, and the couple had leis sent in from Hawaii.

2022

Samantha Hopp + Peter Fabian

SAMANTHA HOPP + PETER FABIAN

Photographer: Ashley Taylor Photography Wedding Planner: Vision Events Wedding & Event Planning

Sam and Petey met at Wake Forest University, and, after Petey proposed, the couple planned to marry in Denver, Colorado. But, when the COVID-19 pandemic shelved their plans, they pivoted to a backyard wedding in Pinewild — Petey’s parents live in the area. The ceremony overlooked the lake from a neighbor’s backyard, and the reception took place in Petey’s parents’ backyard.

“Obviously, our wedding turned out dramatically different than originally planned, but it was still perfect for us, and we would not change anything in hindsight,” Sam says. The couple replanned their wedding in less than six weeks, and the bride credits her husband and mom for the remarkable pivot. Sam says the theme was timeless and classic, but Petey jokes that it was “marriage and COVID.”

2022

Elizabeth Gay + Harrison Cozart

ELIZABETH GAY + HARRISON COZART

Photographer: Sayer Photography Videographer: Twenty-One Films Wedding Coordinator: Michele Soderquist, Pinehurst Resort Harrison channeled The Notebook vibes, proposing to Elizabeth in a canoe on the pond at her grandparent’s home in Sneads Ferry, North Carolina. Both Tar Heel natives — Elizabeth from Sanford and Harrison from Raleigh — the two grew up visiting the Sandhills for family, tennis and golf.

Familiar with the beautiful, historic area, it’s no surprise the couple chose the Village Chapel for their wedding and the Members Club of the Pinehurst Resort for their reception. Though the Cozarts’ original wedding date was in June 2020, they postponed the event to November. But the couple couldn’t have been happier with the change. The weather was still warm, but the church flickered in the fall evening, and the resort’s Christmas decorations were a welcome, magical touch.