Interview with the sensational Liz + Justin:
HOW DID YOU MEET? A mutual friend, Kristy, introduced us when Justin was home from college…almost nine years ago…
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU THE MOST TO YOUR HUSBAND/WIFE? Justin and I are best friends. We have similar interests and cherish the time we have together (which never seems to be enough). We can be ourselves around each other – laugh and goof around, tell secrets, share dreams. Justin has a heart of gold filled with love and compassion for others. Lizzie has a fun and adventurous spirit that is unrivaled.
HOW DID HE PROPOSE? Perhaps in the most romantic and memorable way possible! In Northern Michigan on a private beach, we climbed out onto the rocks until we were surrounded by water. With nothing but a few fireflies and birds around, he proposed. As we walked along the beach afterwards fireworks went off on nearby shores. We spent a long weekend on Mackinac Island (which we highly recommend).
WHAT INSPIRED YOUR VISION FOR YOUR WEDDING? It had to be outdoors, in a place that was unique, and there had to be water.
TELL US ABOUT FINDING YOUR VENUE: Finding a venue was the toughest part because we were pretty particular about what we wanted and we had a strict budget. One of the most helpful things was looking at all Concept Photography’s old blog posts to see what venues we liked based on the pictures. Eventually though, a friend of a friend attended a wedding at the venue and we saw the pictures and loved it! As it turned out, the venue was fantastic and the family owners were incredibly helpful and good people. We could not have picked a better place to celebrate our marriage!
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST PLANNING CHALLENGE? Planning a “destination” wedding was difficult because we had no family and friends in the area and we had only been there once before we started planning. Thank goodness for the good vendor list which was provided by the venue owners!
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE DESIGN ELEMENT OF YOUR WEDDING? The quarry itself was stunning was essentially the reason picked the venue. It was fun to drive through the pumpkin patch and apple orchard to get to the venue/quarry.
DID YOU HAVE ANY DIY DETAILS? We did have a few but we let the venue speak for itself and didn’t want to clutter it. The world map seating chart was probably our favorite DIY detail.
WHAT WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT OF YOUR WEDDING DAY? The first look. Once I saw Justin from the top of the hill I would have just run to him (if I didn’t have a big white dress on).
DESCRIBE YOUR CAKE: I’ll leave this to Justin…the dessert connoisseur…There were three layers. The bottom was white wedding cake with vanilla buttercream. The middle layer was a lemon cake with citrus icing – a nod to our Florida roots. The top layer, our favorite, was strawberry cake with a layer of cheesecake in the middle. Delicious! Thank you Karen’s Cakes!!
HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER? Incredible, awesome, amazing, wonderful, fantastic, phenomenal and all that is an understatement. Though we had talked to them several times before the wedding, we didn’t actually meet them until the day of the wedding which I was a little nervous about but it turned out being 100% fine. The day went incredibly smoothly and being with them felt natural and comfortable. Based on the countless hours we spent oohing and aahhing over their blog posts we knew that they were the photographers for us. We love their unique style and ability to capture emotions, moments, and feelings. When you see their work you feel like you are there, seeing it for yourself. Sara has an undying enthusiasm that radiates from her all day as she captures the magic of the day. Jason has a peaceful determination to get the perfect shot. Together they are the perfect pair of creative professionals. We could not have picked better photographers! Thanks Sara and Jason!!
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND AS A COUPLE? We are currently on the last leg of our honeymoon in Africa which has been the perfect combination of adventure and relaxation. We will return home to Chicago in a few days.
CAN YOU PLEASE LIST YOUR VENDORS:
Venue – The Quarry at Carrigan Farms in Mooresville, NC – Owned by Doug and Kelly Carrigan
Day of Coordinator – Jessica Alexander of Spintastic Sounds
DJ – Todd Alexander of Spintastic Sounds
Cake – Karen’s Cakes in Statesville, NC
Flowers – Willow Branch Florist
Hair and Makeup – Salon Envy
Alcohol – Total Wines in Viera, FL
White Water Rafting – River and Earth Adventures in Boone, NC
Golfing – Twin Oaks Golf Club in Statesville, NC