Whitehead Manor Wedding in Charlotte, NC // Brooke and Rudy

I still can’t believe I had the honor of traveling to Charlotte, NC for Brooke and Rudy’s wedding! I met these two in college and did a styled photoshoot with them when I was visiting Colorado, and I was beyond stoked to get their wedding inquiry in my inbox. Brooke and Rudy are one of THE coolest couples (tbh all my couples are way too cool for me) and celebrating their day with them was nothing short of epic :’)

Brooke and Rudy’s Whitehead Manor Wedding in Charlotte, NC

This go-with-the-flow sweetie pie couple has always been such a joy to shoot with. They’re laid back and hilarious, two of my fave qualities in the couples that I work with. It’s always fun to shoot weddings with couples I’ve known for forever, but I honestly always end up becoming friends with my wedding peeps no matter what (this is a warning that if I shoot your wedding, we will become best friends).

Brooke really made me feel like a part of the girlies when she got me a pair of bridesmaid pajamas and made me wear them while I was documenting everyone else getting ready. So, naturally, all of the getting ready photos you see were taken while I was wearing said PJ’s!! It’s little things like that that remind me how lucky I am to have such a deep connection with my wedding couples. 

(Speaking of getting ready… when Rudy and his guys walked into the venue, they did this sports team walk-in situation that looked way cooler than I could have imagined, and apparently everyone else thought so as the reel I made of them went viral!)

Before Brooke and her girls walked down the aisle, they took a shot of tequila for good luck and then the day commenced! Rudy cried when he saw Brooke (one of my favorite moments on a wedding day) their ceremony was just everything you could hope for. They were able to be fully present and not care about a damn thing, which resulted from their laid back attitude and willingness to just roll with the day’s events. All they cared about was celebrating getting married with their favorite people! They even stayed behind to greet every one of their guests as they made their way to cocktail hour – I thought this was such a great way to connect with everyone and not have to worry about it later on! 

A rainy first dance and champagne pop exit

They say rain on a wedding day is good luck, right?? Well, rain or shine, Brooke and Rudy weren’t about to let anything ruin their day. They had a rainy outdoor first dance and it was actually the cutest lil’ romantic moment  – the energy was electric and just so sweet between them. All of their guests were SO excited to be there and support them no matter what the day entailed! 

After dinner, Brooke changed into her a reception dress one of her close relatives made for her out of her grandma’s wedding dress (!!). There were other items that members of the family had throughout the day that were also made out of grandma’s dress, allowing them to feel connected to her on such a special day. Brooke and Rudy got to spend some extra time together (and take some super cute pics, obviously) during this little outfit change, and then the party really got started. 

They and their guests had a blast dancing the night away and just having a good time!! The Hora Loca really got everyone in the partying mood and kept the vibes up the whole time. Around 9 p.m Brooke and Rudy did their last dance while their guests prepped for their grand exit. Which, by the way, Brooke originally wanted a sparkler exit, but the venue had a strict policy against it. SO we brainstormed it together and decided to do a champagne pop instead and it ended up being EPIC. It fit Brooke and Rudy so well and they were still able to end the night on a celebratory note before riding off in the 4-runner that they bought as a wedding gift to themselves!! 

Ready to plan an epic wedding celebration?

As long as you’re down to have fun, I’d love to be there. If you’re feeling like you just might be ready to do the damn thing or want some more personalized information about my wedding packages, you can fill out my inquiry form and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible! In the meantime, feel free to stalk me on Instagram. That’s where I am most active in sharing my most recent work and personality!! I can’t wait to see you there.