When I got an email from Nicole on the 26th of December saying, "Hey.... what are you doing this Friday??" I knew I was in for something amazing! Nicole and Helmut, who met in Peru where Helmut is from, were fully planning on having a small ceremony here at the courthouse when their family said, hold on a second! We want to be there, too!!
Fast forward to December 29th, when I arrived at their home in Raleigh and was greeted with magical-ness. Is that a word?? It should be!!! Not only was Nicole's family there, some from Wisconsin, but a lot of members from Helmut's family were also there, all the way from Peru! The house was all decked out in gorgeousness and smelled of incredible things cooking in the kitchen. The bride and groom stayed upstairs, away from each other so they would first see each other at the altar made in their living room. Nicole was able to borrow a white dress that looked GORGEOUS on her! She got ready with her bride tribe, consisting of her Mom, Sister, and wonderful friends, some of whom came from Maryland just to be there for them! Helmut got ready with his 2 young sons in a separate space, all eager and excited about the ceremony!
The ceremony itself was unbelievably personal. The Christmas tree was still lit in the corner, matching the beautiful lights of the arch set up in front of the fireplace. Rows of chairs and couches were set up for all the guests. Flowers from Brandi's Botanicals in Youngsville, NC were all around, in white, light blue, and Christmas greenery. The ceremony itself was conducted in both English and Spanish so that everyone could understand. There were tears of joy, a beautiful sand ceremony, and lots of excitement. The couple was blessed with rose petals after their first kiss and everyone came up to hug and congratulate them after the ceremony.
Afterwards, we all packed up into our cars and headed out into the cold to take pictures at the Annie Wilkerson Preserve Park, right down the street from their home in Bedford. As the sun was setting, everyone braved the frigid temps to embrace and smile for the camera. As we were leaving, Nicole and Helmut posed for pictures with Helmut's motorcycle, one of his all time favorite past times. As they sped away from me on the bike, I couldn't help but think about how incredibly perfect this wedding was. It wasn't about the frills or the fancy things... it was about their love for each other and their family. It was the perfect way to end 2017.
Congratulations to Nicole and Helmut, may you have many years of happiness and love together, always!
