Colleen Estes + Hugh Shepard

What happens when an inflatable dinosaur meets a Ninja Turtle? They fall in love, at least that’s what happened when Hugh Shepard (the dinosaur) met Colleen Estes (the turtle) at a Halloween party in 2019. Three years later, Hugh proposed to Colleen while they hit range balls at the Dr. Charles L. Sifford Golf Course, in Charlotte. Colleen said, “Yes,” and the bride and groom got married at the Village Chapel on March 23, 2024.

Colleen walked down the aisle in her grandmother’s wedding dress, which was altered and modernized for the big day.

“My mom also wore the dress for her wedding, so it was extra special,” says Colleen.

After the wedding bells rang, the Sandhills Trolley Company shuttled the party across town to a reception at the Fair Barn. That’s where guests boogied down to the high-energy music of Emerald Empire Band. On the way out, they took home bottled honey from Hugh’s beekeeping as souvenirs.

The couple’s only regret? “We really wanted our grand entrance as husband and wife to be a bungee jump from the top area of the Fair Barn, but the venue wouldn’t allow it!” Colleen says.

photographer: Mollie Tobias Photography
wedding planner: Jen Schaefer, Southern Skies Events
ceremony: The Village Chapel
reception: The Fair Barn
shoes: Nina
hair & makeup: Karma Spa Lounge & Beauty Bar
flowers: Jack Hadden Floral & Event Design
cake: Publix
catering: Funky Fresh Catering and Brewmasters
rentals: Ward Productions
transportation: Sandhills Trolley Company and Carriage Tours of Pinehurst Village