Connie Locklear + Chris Dwiggins

Thanks to the modern miracle of Match.com, elementary school teacher Connie Locklear and golf course superintendent Chris Dwiggins met during the coronavirus pandemic, when the world was shut down.

Fast forward two years to June 2022. It’s just after dawn in remote Arizona. Chris and Connie are taking a once-in-a-lifetime hike through swirling sandstone formations known as The Wave. There in that otherworldly place, Chris asks Connie to marry him, and she says, “Yes.”

Back home in North Carolina, the Dwiggins planned an outdoor wedding at a private residence for April 22, 2023. April showers had different plans. Three days before their wedding, the weather forecast was calling for rain, so the couple switched venues.

“Thankfully, 305 Trackside had availability,” Connie says. “It rained the majority of our wedding day, so the change worked out!”

The couple didn’t have a theme for their day. They just wanted a cheery, colorful celebration that blended their families together into one big family of five. In execution, that meant special dances with each of the kids and pops of hot pink and fuchsia against soft greens, deep blues, and vintage furniture.

“Looking back, the wedding was perfect,” Connie says, “and we wouldn’t change anything.”

photographer: Mollie Tobias Photography
wedding coordinator: Hollyfield Design Inc.
ceremony & reception: 305 Trackside
dress: NY Bride & Groom of Raleigh
shoes: Jessica Simpson
hair: Bronde Salon & Extension Bar
bridesmaids: Lulu’s
groom & groomsmen: JoS A. Bank
cake: Kat’s Sweets & Treats Bakery
cookies & macarons: Cookies by Jay and Macarons by Nina
catering: HomeGrown
flowers: Hollyfield Design Inc.
rentals: Ward Productions and Sweet Everlasting Rentals
invitations: Truly Inspired Paper Co., Etsy
transportation: Sandhills Trolley Company