Brooke and Kayla's Wedding at Overlook Barn

“Too much of a good thing can be wonderful”

— Mae West

Rainbow everything! Donuts, shoes, purses, flags and explosives! Give me alllll the color!

I have had the pleasure of getting to know these two babes over the past year with two different surprise proposals and have been anticipating this happy day from the beginning! That excitement amplified tenfold when I walked into Overlook Barn and Megan, the coordinator handed me a box labeled ‘explosives’ that she was instructed to “give to Cynthia, she’ll know what to do.” Bring it on.

I started reading the instructions and these simple "smoke bombs” made it seem like we were about to go to war. We apparently needed gloves, face masks, fire extinguishers and the fire department on stand by just in case. Luckily we had just that! Half the fire department was, in fact, in attendance as guests and we had a whole crew of vendors and wedding party at the ready to make this magic happen. I don’t think one single person was upset about it. ;)

Que the tears! Little Dexter has been a part of their journey together from the beginning and always wants to be included when rings or other gifts are being exchanged. So they gave him a promise ring to wear around his neck during the ceremony and promised to raise him with all the love they possess. The entire crowd began weeping of course. These three are surrounded by love on all sides and you could feel it as they greeted each guest and relived all their happy memories together.

We originally planned to sneak them out of the reception after all the “important” moments like the first dance and cake cutting to do these smoke bomb photos. Brooke and Kayla knew these colorful bombs might not go as planned and their beautiful white attire might not be white afterwards. However I realized the sun was “setting” earlier behind the mountain than we anticipated and we needed to squeeze in this moment before they started the reception so we could get that incredible glowy sunset light. They didn’t pause for a second, they just said they trusted me, grabbed their flag and we went for it! These are now possibly my favorite photos ever! So grateful for the whole wedding party and The Elegant Event and Overlook Barn crew who jumped at the chance to make these rainbow dreams come true!

I would not have missed this day for the world! Thank you so much for including us!! Love you guys!

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola

Coordinator: Megan Drake at The Elegant Event

Venue : Overlook Barn

Dress - Madi Lane from One Bridal

Make Up: Sharla Bance

Hair: Allie Oliver with Battle Born Beauty

Florist: Bouquet Florist Boone

Attire: One Bridal and White House Black Market

Officiant: Rev. Dr. Gregory Possman High Country Ministers

Live Music: Hope Griffin

DJ: Chad at Millennium Entertainment

Video: Trent at TW Productions

Catering: The Smoke Pit

Cake: Sassy Cat Bakery and Local Lion

Rentals- Dinnerware/cups/sweetheart table: Miss Match Rentals

Arbor: The Summit Woodworks

Beer Trailer: Happy Trailers

Eddie and Derrick's Surprise Wedding at Chatham Station

Good Lord, how do I even begin to describe how much I love these two?!?

First, their engagement shoot and surprise proposal on UNC Chapel Hill’s Campus last year was amazing! I plotted with Eddie for WEEKS about how we were going to pull that off! And THEN I had to keep it a secret! For a year! These two babes love a good surprise and boy did they ever manage a big one.

They threw a “30th Anniversary Party” for all their friends only to surprise them with a WEDDING! Eddie and Derrick met at UNC Chapel Hill 30 years ago and have been inseparable ever since. The depth of their love was palpable all day as they laughed and cried along with their dearest friends and family who have supported their love from the beginning.

Eddie is a wedding planner himself… so you KNOW all the details were on point, and UNC Chapel Hill themed of course! He chose all his favorite vendors and and only we knew about the big secret for an entire year! I seriously have NO idea how they managed to keep it from everyone. I nearly dropped the word “groom” 20 times myself as I was setting up and making plans with the others.

Trying to take family photos without using my regular wedding language was way harder than I expected, I was just so excited!

As the guests arrived they were greeted with hugs and hors d’oeuvres, a photobooth and the promise of dancing after dinner. No one suspected the big surprise that lay ahead. The words I heard over and over throughout the night as each person shared how they knew the happy couple were: kindness, kindness, kindness, joy and love. And Chapel Hill. Everyone in the room had experienced the overwhelming love these two present to the world and were elated to celebrate them in any capacity.

The big moment had arrived. There were to be three toasts from friends…the first two toasters didn’t even know what was coming. Liza started by reading the definition of love from the dictionary, which she said was not good enough, she said, “love is a color… and it’s Carolina Blue.” As everyone giggled, she went to say how love shows up every day no matter what, just like Eddie and Derrick have for each other all these years.

Terri talked about meeting Derrick for the first time at a drag show and how all their friends thought Eddie had made him up because they hadn’t met him yet. She said they all loved him immediately, of course, because Eddie hadn’t known how to show the world his true self fully until he found Derrick, and once he did, there was no looking back. These two completed each other, grew up together and have hardly known the world without each other. Nothing else makes more sense in the world than these two together.

By the time Pastor Jason got up to toast, the whole room was already in tears then he talked about how Eddie and Derrick were the embodiment of provision for the ones in need. “When I was hungry you gave me food, thirsty you gave me drink” He said when they were met with persecution, they showed only love to the world and no one deserves happiness more than these two incredible souls.

Then he said, “You know what, everyone is here, I’m ordained…let’s just get married! What do you say?!?”

The whole room ERUPTED in applause, tears, hoots and hollers, amens and happy dances! The grooms made their way to the floor with rings and vow books in hand and it was pandemonium as everyone realized this was planned all along!

It’s hard to even put to words the amount of love that enveloped them as they laughed and cried their way though memories and vows. The rest of the evening was hug after hug as the room embraced everything about who they are and what they represent in the world. It was pure magic.

They hardly know the world without each other, and the world hardly knows them without the other. 30 years down, at least 30 more to go you guys and I am honored I was there to witness the beauty of this union. Thank you so much for including me! Love you both!!

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola

Coordinator: Rebecca with Eddie McDaniel Events

Venue : Chatham Station

Florist: Flowers by Kyle

Officiant: Jason Butler

DJ: All Around Raleigh DJ

Photobooth: Zim Zoom Photobooth

Catering: Rocky Top Catering

Bartending: Artful Libations

Cake: Ashley Cakes

Rentals: CE Rentals, Capital Events and Green House Picker Sisters

Stationary: CK Creations

Invitations: Indigo Envelope

Allison and Karen's Wedding at Overlook Barn

Oh my goodness. I feel like I know these two almost as much as they know each other!

I met them when Allison wanted to propose to Karen at a Treehouse AirBnb in Asheville… I was only TOO excited to drive down there first to see the space and make sure everything was perfect before their arrival. Karen’s mom and best friend were there too, to set up all the fun extras.

When I realized there was no place for me to hide in the bushes, I called Allison, on the road with Karen, and pretended to be the AirBnB host and told her “I would be there to greet them and show them the house.” She rolled with it and when they arrived, of course Karen started asking me questions about when we built the space and I made up all kinds of nonsense. Until of course we reached the bridge, when Allison knew she’d pop the question and I snagged my camera out of the bushes! Never a dull moment in the surprise wedding proposal world!

Fast forward a few months and Karen contacted me to capture HER surprise proposal to Allison at the Linville Falls Winery Christmas Tree Farm! I was so happy there were actually trees to hide behind and could not wait to pop out and show Allison I was there to capture her moment too! Her mom had set up the cutest Christmas tree in the middle of the farm with ornaments and presents, hot chocolate, and of course the ring!

The build up for this weekend made everything flow seamlessly. It didn’t matter that it rained literally 100% of the day without so much as a 5 minute break for photos. They were surrounded by their loved ones and more importantly these two love each other more than I can possibly describe.

Inside or out, their heartfelt vows had everyone (including me!) in tears so no one even noticed the weather. They had every guest fill out well wishes and place a pebble in the bag while they etched their names in their own pebbles. All piled together, every stone brought them to where they are today on their journey and will help blaze the path ahead.

There was never a moment where it wasn’t raining as least a little, so we played with umbrellas for a bit and they just decided to let the rain fall for some as well. Never without a smile on their face, and always filled with love.

That said, we still decided to meet up again over the weekend when the weather broke so they could get the mountain backdrop they were hoping for from Overlook Barn. It was no less special a couple days later, and in fact, more so because there was no wedding day pressure or timeline, just love. While I will always be sure to capture your day no matter what happens with the weather, if you have the option to meet up again the next day with better weather… it never hurts ;)

I have been so honored to be a part of your journey you guys and cannot wait to see what the future holds!

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola Photography

Coordinator: Miranda with Simply Bliss Weddings

Venue : Overlook Barn

Florist: Thistle and Twig

Officiant: Amanda Kerr

Hair: Myan Littleton

Band: Courtney Lynn and Quinn

Catering: Sage and Spice

Bartending: Happy Trailers Beer Truck

Dessert Truck: Blue Deer Cookies

Cake: Sunflower Baking Company

Laura and Tina's Wedding at The Laurelbrook

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper”

— William Butler Yeats

What an incredible wedding weekend! Between the perfect spring weather, and awesome vendor team and the most genuine couple imaginable, it was certainly one for the books! Laura is one of the brightest little rays of sunlight you could meet. She disarms you instantly with pure kindness and grace. She had such a beautiful vision for the day down to every tiny fairy world given to every guest. (which she handmade herself!!!) She flowed so easily between each guest and what I found even more beautiful was the way Tina, who was admittedly less excited about the big crowd, kept an eye on her always, like a protector. She was so happy to see Laura so happy which made the crowd part easy. They were never more than a couple feet from each other all day. Getting ready in the same room and walking hand in hand between tables, always stealing glances at each other and it was just so very beautiful.

One of my favorite parts of the day was all the COLOR! Bloomworks used the entire rainbow in all the florals, the brides’ pink and blue dresses, the little fairy worlds, and of course all the desserts! It was so fun to photograph! And Janna’s team were rockstars of course. Every detail exactly as they wanted, every piece of the timeline right on time. So incredible to work with from the very first timeline email.

Thanks ladies for inviting me to be a part of your day!!

The Vendors who made the day Possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola Photography

Coordinator: Janna Simone Weddings and Events

Venue: The Laurelbrook

Laura’s Dress: Vow’d + Flower crown by BloomWorks

Tina’s Dress: Formalwear Outlet + Headband from NC Museum of History

Rings: Sparrowood Jeweler

Hair: Prickly Pear Salon

Florist: Bloomworks

Officiant: Pastor Tim Brown

DJ: DJ Wes

Harpist: Sarah Cavaiani with Hummingbird Harmonies

Catering: Cateringworks

Cake: Pasteryworks

Rentals: CE Rental

Get Away Car: Triangle Corporate Coach

Elopements on the Blue Ridge Parkway

For Earth Day, it seemed appropriate to highlight the beauty of our Blue Ridge Mountains with all the magical elopements I’ve had the honor of capturing lately. There’s just something about the rolling land and vast sky that draws so many to make their commitments here.

Sha’Lanika and Mike drove up from Florida, seeing mountains for the first time on this trip, and while a little nervous on the roads, were overwhelmed by the beauty surrounding them. We chose Thunder Hill both due to its ease of access for hiking and also because it happened to snow and ice just the day before closing off the rest of the parkway to access by vehicle. You never know what kind of weather you’re going to get up here!

Keith and Rebecca drove down from Illinois and chose Carvers Gap on the Appalachian Trail at Roan Mountain State Park because they are newly avid backpackers who met during covid and fell in love with backpacking and each other! We swapped hiking stories while we walked as Roan Mountain is still, in my opinion, the most beautiful section of the Appalachian Trail I’ve seen to date and I frequent the balds both for shoots and for camping! We were freezing in the 38 degree temps of course but Rebecca was such a trooper, you’d never even know her teeth were chattering.

Oh my goodness, when Claire told me they were driving down to Blowing Rock from Ohio and their big day would be more of a “private affair,” I knew exactly what she meant and my heart broke into a million pieces. Sometimes these elopements can have a bittersweet feel to them, however, the love these two share, CANNOT, be denied. They were so precious to witness all day. The friends and family who came to support them were all they needed to feel loved and adored. Tears flowed from each of us all day but the flood gates came when Claire got down on her knees to promise to love and honor Erica’s kids as well. I know this little family will be there to support each other for life.

And just yesterday Jon and Kristianna said their “I dos” at The Blowing Rock. Their kiddos couldn’t have been happier to participate and celebrate with them and the weather was Carolina perfection. I can’t believe I’ve never been to The Blowing Rock before… in all the years I grew up and built my business in these mountains, for whatever reason had simply never made it. So grateful to know what I’ve been missing though! I’ll be back very soon! All Kristianna wanted was a photo standing on the edge of the rock and she walked up there like a damn queen. I am really beginning to love these intimate affairs. The freedom of the schedule to adjust with the weather and wind or an upset child or delayed friend. There are no rules, just overwhelming love and support from those present.

I am grateful to each of you for including me! Can’t wait to see all that is to come!

Anne and Rachel's Elopement in Asheville

It’s hard to explain how you can have such a connection with a couple through text messaging, and I wouldn’t normally choose it or recommend it, but dang, if I didn’t know these two were perfect for me within our first couple messages back and forth.

I chatted with Rachel for several weeks via text making sure we were on the same page with all their elopement plans and then both she and Anne as their engagement session approached. There was zero anxiety as I pulled up to the lake, I knew we were already besties. Of course the shoot went amazing…

And I could not wait for their big day. They spent the weekend at Rachel’s family’s farm, and it suited them perfectly. Complete with super friendly animals of all shapes and sizes and of course their closest friends and family, the whole day was filled with happy tears as they shared their vows and created new memories.

I was overcome with emotion myself as they shared their vows to never give up on each other and to be the best versions of themselves for each other. Their love is deep and to see them celebrated wholeheartedly by their loved ones as we all joined in the happy tears was incredibly moving.

Ladies, thank you so much for inviting me to celebrate with you on this happy day! Love you both!

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola

Venue: Out in Jupiter Farm

Hair: Donovan at Atlas Beauty

Anne’s Ring: Jared

Rachel’s Ring: Modern Wedding Ring

Officiant: Luanne Carmichael

Cake: Nothing Bundt Cakes

Kristen and Kate's Wedding at The Oaks at Salem

“After all this time,
Always.”

— Harry Potter

I met Kristen and Kate two years ago when we were planning their Engagement Session and knew right away we would be great friends. Kristen had already proposed to Kate down in St. Augustine and we were making plans for their photoshoot. But Kate wanted to add a twist and propose back to Kristen during the shoot. So after lots of tears of all of us and much celebration our friendship grew and we had so much fun planning for the big day. (Of course covid pushed it back a year like so many others, but it was no less joyful)

Kate wore her great grandmother's pearl bracelet and Kristen wore a Wooden Watch from Ox and Birch that Kate had given her as a gift, their favorite quote inscribed on the back of course, “After all this time, Always.”

The best part of the whole day was simply the incredible relationships both ladies had with their dads. From the first looks and preparations, being walked down the aisles and first dances, the four of them were so tight and supportive of each other, they were full of big belly laughs and a *maybe* few tears. When both dads decided to swap daughters half way through the first dances, the whole room flooded with happy tears and everyone cheered.

Doughnuts, rainbow shoes, smore’s, rainbow masks, sparklers and allllll the dancing made for a wonderfully celebratory night and everyone had so much fun. So grateful for these friends and all the love they bring to the world.

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola

Venue: The Oaks at Salem

Wedding Coordinator: Laura with The Oaks

Make Up Artist: Menagerie

The Dress: Lillian West from Maggi Bridal

The Suit: Michael Kors from NY Bride and Groom

Florist: Southern Blooms Co. Wood Flower Bouquets

Officiant: Kevin Holland

DJ: Damien Maass

Videographer: Steve Creel Video

Photobooth: Cynthia Viola Photography

Catering: Cannon

Desserts: Utica Bakery + Duck Donuts

Linen/Chair/Tent Services: CE Rentals

Favors: Kubenik Honey (Kristen's grandparent's bee and honey farm in upstate NY)

Bryan and Justin's Wedding at Rickhouse Durham

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage”

— Lao Tzu

You guys, I cannot even begin to describe how much I adore these two. From the very beginning I feel like we have been besties and I’m not sure there is anyone more supportive of my work. Every single time I post I’m going to be in there area they tell all their friends and it just means the world to me.

Last year they trusted me with an extra extra special engagement shoot at Linville Falls Winery which you should totally read about here first if you like. And they have been so very fun to work with on all things planning.

For their preparation time on the morning of the wedding, they decided they wanted to just be chill and get ready together along side all their mutual friends and not make a big fuss about waiting until the ceremony to see each other. I must say this made the day so enjoyable for everyone with tons of laughter, cheers and stories.

An equal star of the day was most certainly their best boy Ketsu who did everything exactly as they asked, and even waited until the perfect moment to bring the rings down the aisle. As the anticipation for the ceremony built I hid them in the back room with just Ketsu so they could have a moment, and I swear, as soon as he saw them he jumped for joy and pulled out all the excited wiggles, instantly bringing down any bits of stress that had built up. He really is the very best good boy. :)

The ceremony itself was one of those where we basically had to mop the floor after due to allllll the tears the entire room collectively shed, myself included. For two beautiful humans who felt the need to keep their relationship a secret up until their actual engagement out of uncertainty for how everyone would respond, the outpouring of love and support was overwhelming. Both that first day and this day were a huge testament to how far we have come as a society, and more importantly, how many truly genuine friends they have who adore them for exactly who they are.

May there be no doubt ever again. Justin and Bryan, you are loved, supported, celebrated. Thank you for trusting your community, for being vulnerable and allowing us to come along side you. We are all cheering you and Ketsu on, now and forever.

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola with Guillermo Delgado

Venue: The Rickhouse, Durham, NC

Wedding Coordinator: Rose at Bright Rose Events

Wedding Attire: Bernard's Formalware and David’s Bridal

The Rings: Lashbrook

Barber: Mike Chops RDU

Florist: Ninth Street Flowers

Officiant: El Fisseha

DJ: DJ Scotty B

Event Lighting: Get Lit

Photobooth: Cynthia Viola Photography

Catering: Donovan's Dish

Cake Baker: Fat Rabbit

Accommodations: Unscripted Durham

Linen/Chair/Tent Services: American Party Rentals

Invitations: Christina Berkowitz

Favors: Cookies by Debbie (Justin's mom); Recipe card and Workout card by Justin & Bryan