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I’m Dakota, a Wilmington, NC-based photographer helping engaged couples feel comfortable in front of the camera and creative businesses grow with purposeful brand imagery.

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Spring St. Thomas Wedding in Downtown Wilmington | Mary-Hannah and Ben

June 9, 2023

I am so thankful to work with couples who approach their wedding days with an organized, relaxed mindset. Mary-Hannah and Ben, along with their planner Hannah, literally thought of everything – which of course makes everyone’s jobs so much easier to create a memorable experience for them and their guests.

I start every wedding day by capturing the “details” – rings, invitations, dress, shoes, jewelry, etc. Of course it’s fun to play with pretty things but I loved that Mary-Hannah’s aunt joined Weston and I in the room to tell us the significance of each piece – the sixpence for good luck that has been used in multiple generational weddings, the pearls created from grandmother’s necklaces, a custom needlepoint ring pillow, a locket honoring family members who couldn’t be there. It made creating these photos all the more special.

St. Thomas Preservation Hall and the Wilmington City Club are two of my favorite venues in downtown Wilmington. I absolutely love the location and how they’ve curated the landscaping, the light that pours in through the windows, and the historical architecture. It did start to sprinkle on and off throughout the day (summer storms!) but thankfully we had plenty of options for photo locations that all still cohesively worked together.

During the ceremony, Mary-Hannah and Ben’s friend officiated and told heartfelt stories of their relationship. My favorite part was their dog Hamilton chiming in occasionally with a bark, reminding everything that he is very much involved in this union! He did incredibly well for having to sit away from mom and dad in front of a room of people and I loved that his input added some laughter.

The rest of the evening was spent eating, drinking, and dancing! Ben’s family is rather large so it was nice to see them get photos all together. It’s a lot harder to make that happen these days!

Mary-Hannah and Ben, thank you for asking me to be a part of your day! You are an absolute joy to work with.

Thank you to the wedding vendors who made this day beautiful:

VENUE: St. Thomas Preservation
COORDINATION: 
Wholehearted Events and Design
FLORALS: Valerie Grows
HAIR AND MAKEUP: Crystal Cameron & Megan
DJ: Active Entertainment
CATERING: Wilmington City Club
CAKE: @b.sweetdessertboutique
WEDDING DRESS: Coastal Knot Bridal

BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES: Birdy Grey
GROOMSMEN SUITS: Jos. A. Banks
INVITATIONS: Lyndsey’s Fine Papers

RENTALS: Party Suppliers and Rentals
RINGS: @luminagemwb

hello!

I’m Dakota, a Wilmington, NC-based photographer Helping engaged couples feel comfortable in front of the camera and creative businesses grow with purposeful brand imagery.

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