Real Weddings
Lauren & Roy
Lauren and Roy tied the knot on the Garden Terrace on April 28th. 
Along with this look into their engagement and their very special day, they also shared a fantastic video of their wedding day created by Big Dog Little Bed Productions. Take the time to read the full post and watch the video. It will melt your heart.
How did you and your partner meet?
Lauren and I were introduced to each other by my best friend (and the Best Man) Jay Rapp. Jay and I grew up together since 2001 in high school in Switzerland. Jay and Lauren met at NC State where they lived on the same floor their freshman year. Once I moved down to NC in 2010 Jay introduced us. At that point Lauren was interested in dating, but I had just moved to the area without a car or job. So I was honest with Lauren about not feeling like I could be a good boyfriend to her at that time. In 2013 I had solidified my life in NC and reached back out to Lauren. At that point however, Lauren was in Greenville, NC studying for her Master’s degree and did not have time to dedicate to a relationship. Finally, in 2014 the stars aligned. Lauren had graduated and moved back to the Triangle, and my life was very comfortable and stable, as well. I asked Lauren to the movies one fateful day, and the rest is history.
Tell us about the engagement?
The engagement took place at the Fearrington. We checked in and walked around the venue to spend time with the animals (Lauren is the world’s biggest animal lover). Tea time was at 4pm at the Fearrington House, so we cleaned up and I secretly slipped the ring and box into my pocket. Once at tea, I could not eat a bite of food (a HUGE red flag, because I eat a ton all the time). Lauren noticed and asked if I was okay a few times, so I did my best to dismiss her concern. Once we finished tea, I took Lauren by the hand and walked her out to the Belted Galloways (my hands were clammy, which was yet another red flag). We stood at the white picket fence, in front of the cows and a beautiful sunset, and I gave Lauren an anniversary gift. The gift being a picture book that walked through our time together from the start of our relationship to that very day. Each picture had a quote underneath it which told the story of our relationship. The last page was a picture of the engagement ring and a heart that read, “Chapter II, 11/25/2016”. Once she got to that page I got down on one knee and asked her if she’d marry me. Her initial response was, “Oh my gosh, babe, get up!” (it had rained that day so she was worried about my jeans getting muddy). She eventually said yes. All the while, I had asked one of Lauren’s friends to sit in disguise on the white Adirondack chairs behind us so that she could capture this special moment on camera – and she did! Lauren never even saw her! We spent some time taking in the moment, and later took the picture (in the hallway of the barn) that I would eventually use to share the news on social media.
What made Fearrington the place for you to say “I do?”
There was no question in my mind I wanted to propose to Lauren at the Fearrington. Lauren and I had celebrated our one-year anniversary (November 22nd, 2015) at the Fearrington and fallen in love with the venue. Naturally, we decided to spend our second-year anniversary (November 22nd, 2016) at the Fearrington, as well. We had confirmed Christmas plans to travel to Paris and Switzerland with my family that year, so I got the sense Lauren was anticipating a proposal at some point on that trip. When strategizing and rationalizing things in my mind however, all roads led back to the Fearrington. The Fearrington was (and will always be) our special place. By proposing in November we would have time to celebrate with Lauren’s family in NC and could then celebrate in Paris and Switzerland (and Lauren could relax and not have to deal with the stress of pre-planning her outfits each day, in the event I popped the question).
Describe the highlight moment of your wedding day.
Wow, there are too many to count! The blind hand-hold, the reading of each other’s notes, walking down the aisle for the first time as man and wife, the first dance and speeches… the list could go on. I think one of our favorite moments was leaving the ceremony as husband and wife for the first time and hearing the guests clap to the beat of “Overload” (one of our favorite happy-songs). We felt a huge sense of relief and excitement that we were now officially married! It was so powerful hearing the support of our guests through their happy claps. It was special.
What was the biggest surprise of the day?
Lauren finding out her tailor had not included a bustle in her dress was definitely the biggest surprise of the day. Thankfully, we had the World’s Best Coordinator (Gilda McDaniel), who immediately jumped into action and put together a solution. It was only the 2nd time Gilda had seen that happen in her career. She was able to create a make-shift bustle with yarn and a large safety pin, which she whipped out of her fanny-pack. Gilda is often referred to as “Wonder Woman” in our household.
What was your biggest surprise about wedding planning?
How intricately complex the process is to put together wedding invitations. The wording, the layout, the etiquette and how much time it took to put the invitations together by hand. We must have consulted 10 different sources about how to write names formally. It almost seemed like no matter what decision we made it would contradict some school of thought, or someone’s opinion.
Anything you want to add about your wedding story?
We are forever grateful and thankful for our parents, family, friends and the Fearrington staff for helping make this the best day of our lives to date. The Fearrington venue and staff will forever be a part of our lives, and we can’t wait to visit and catch up with everyone there!
