When I took my first peak at Nicole + Rob’s wedding images, I was completly taken with Nicole’s gor-geous Olia Zavozina deep scoop-back gown. For a self-proclaimed tom boy, this girl sure cleans up nicely! Beyond the stunning gown, Nicole + Rob’s big day was full of lovely Southern details. My favorite has to be the old refurbished church pews at the ceremony – y’all know I’m a sucker for outdoor Cathedrals, and adding in the Tennessee rolling hills. I think I might need to rework my renewal plans!

The dress was my first purchase. Two of my sorority sisters were visiting and wanted to go dress shopping. It was only a few weeks after we got engaged, so the thought of trying on wedding dresses felt slightly overwhelming. After two appointments, I didn’t really like anything and disliked the process even more. It just felt kind of fake and forced (I should note I’m a self-proclaimed tom boy so this didn’t surprise me). While heading to dinner, we passed a new bridal store, and the light was still on. My friends flocked to the window to peak inside and the door opened. It was the designer, Olia Zavozina. She told us her store was set to open the following month, but if I wanted, she would allow me to come in the next day. I did and fell in love with the first dress I tried on. Talk about fate!

Tom boy? Um, I’d have to go with complete knockout! Nicole sure knows how to rock the glam look!

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? I went back and forth on this. I think every girl (or most girls) wants to see her husband-to-be’s expression as she walks down the aisle. Ultimately, we both decided to do a first look. It was great because this moment was not only a special moment we shared together, privately, but we were able to take all of our pictures before the wedding to maximize time with our out of town guests post-ceremony. It was perfect.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? My longtime friend Melissa read from The Equality of Woman and Man. “The Lord made woman and man to abide with each other in the closest companionship, and to be even as a single soul. They are two helpmates, two intimate friends, who should be concerned about the welfare of each other. If they live thus, they will pass through this world with perfect contentment, bliss, and peace of heart, and become the object of divine grace and favor in the Kingdom of heaven. Strive, then, to abide, heart and soul, with each other as two doves in the nest, for this is to be blessed in both worlds.”

It was important to us to have vows that sounded like us. I’m a bit of a research geek, so I had a ton of fun pulling verses and copy from varying sources. My favorite part of our vows was actually a line towards the end that was something I told the pastor when he asked me what my vision was for our marriage. I told him, “As I look to the life that we will build together, I hope that we will continue to push each other towards the best versions of ourselves.” It was a nice touch to our vows that he took from our one-on-one conversations.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? That’s tough, as you would imagine. The more sentimental memory would be Rob and I walking down the hill after the ceremony. We were both so relieved for it to be over (it was kind of stressful!) and just take in the scenery of the Tennessee rolling hills. The more fun memory was a dance off between Rob and me to Salt n Pepa’s “Push It.” That happened unplanned, and it was fantastic. Rob did his classic butter churn dance move, sans his shirt.

My bouquet was a mix of white peonies, white cushions, orchids and green hypericum berries throughout. The bridesmaids bouquets had white hydrangeas with green hypericum berries, Robert had a green mini cym with an orchid and white status boutonnieres and the groomsmen had green berries. Our tables had spyders, cushion berries, million star and Queen Anne’s and our outside ceremony alter had white hydrangeas at the top.

We saw the style of our wedding as being crisp, clean and classic with a little rustic feel (after all, it was on a farm). Our color palette was white, navy and Kelly green. We had old refurbished church pews at the ceremony site with the Tennessee rolling hills overlooking the farm; there were two barns with bars alongside a gorgeous backyard setting where guests were seated. Our specialty drinks were Jack Daniel whiskey and coke and vodka and tea. Guests enjoyed family-style BBQ that included pulled chicken, beef brisket, mac-n-cheese, squash casserole, green beans and corn bread and honey butter. We also had old quilts that adorned the seats in one of the barns and a classically chic chandelier.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert: We had a two-layer buttermilk cake with chocolate filling and white icing on the outside, and cupcakes in triple chocolate, coconut cream, red velvet, vanilla and white chocolate.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Rob and I were introduced through our mutual friend, Jennifer. Jen and I work together, and she had mentioned that she thought her neighbor and I would hit it off. She described Rob as tall, handsome, athletic and polite. He had a good job in investment management and was from Oxford, Mississippi. Who could turn that down?! Our first date was during restaurant week on a snowy night in January. Oddly enough, we didn’t initially hit it off as one might think! Looking back, I think it was first date nerves and the restaurant wasn’t really our scene. After some encouragement from Jen, we both agreed to give it another shot. Fast forward a few days to our second date. Rob took me to a local sports bar to watch the NFL playoffs. We were able to relax, banter and watch some good ole’ fashion football. Suffice to say we hit it off immediately. We realized we had a lot in common: An affinity for SEC sports (Go Gators), the Giants (he likes Eli, I love NYC), a Christian upbringing, running, dogs, music and a sarcastic sense of humor. Not to mention I found Rob incredibly good looking. After what was an infinitely more successful date, we were inseparable.
Describe the proposal. We decided to take a trip to Rosemary Beach in the Spring. It was our first night there and Rob planned a dinner at a swanky restaurant. We biked around most of the day and as we headed back to our condo, Rob suggested going for a walk on the beach before dinner. We showered and got dressed, and as we stepped out on the beach it started to torrentially downpour. We went back inside and our electricity went out! I laughed and suggested we just head to the restaurant early for a drink. Rob sat down on the couch and motioned for me to join him. He pulled out a four-page letter and started to read it to me. What he was reading aloud didn’t really sink at first, but I quickly realized it was a letter he wrote to my mother. He went into detail about how he felt about me; that even after only four months, he knew that that I was what he had waited his whole life for; that I was the love of his life and that he would call her on Saturday to talk through his intentions and address any questions or concerns she had. My father passed away from cancer in 2004, so Rob knew that my mother’s blessing meant everything to me. The thought to write her a letter and give her time to process everything before he called was something you just didn’t hear about much. It was unique…but perhaps that’s just how they do it here in the South. He called my mother that Saturday and after some assurances Rob gave her, she wholeheartedly gave her blessing. Before she hung up, she just said, “Nikki’s father would have wanted me to say this; but please just please take care of our baby girl.” Rob went on to tell me that the day my engagement ring arrived, my mother called him and asked if the ring came in. It caught Rob off guard, since the ring had arrived a couple days before it was expected. When Rob told my mom that the ring arrived that morning, she simply replied, “I knew it. Today is the day that Nikki’s dad and I got married!” At this point, tears were streaming down my face. Rob got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him — to which I more than happily obliged.
In what month did you get married? April 2012
How many guests attended your wedding? About 90 guests total
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. We had a string trio play during the ceremony. During the wedding party processional, they played U2’s “Beautiful Day” and Coldplay’s “The Scientist.” As I walked down the aisle, they played the more traditional Canon in D. During the recessional, the played Muse’s “Starlight.” We took dance lessons for 10 weeks to prepare for our first dance. We learned the rumba to Ray Lamontagne’s “You are the Best Thing.” No one knew we had a choreographed first dance, so it was a fun surprise for everyone and we looked great. It was a blast.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The chic chandelier over the bar in the barn behind an old mirror that listed our specialty drinks.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Being patient. I’m a perfectionist and planner by trade (I work in advertising), so it was tough for me to let go and trust that my wedding coordinator and venue would take care of everything. It was a lesson in patience, for sure.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? Hands down my photographer. Being in advertising, I know what good photography can do for the end product. It was important to me that our photographer embodied a photo-documentary style. I really disliked wedding photos that looked overly staged. Without question, I knew I wanted Leslee Mitchell.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Have faith that everything will work out, and even if something happens unexpected on your wedding day – the guests likely won’t even know. So enjoy it and take it all in, because the day itself goes by in a blink.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? House hunting, travel and beginning talks of children. More planning!

We always think of weddings as joyful here at Southern Weddings. That is, after all, part of why we love them so much. But for Ali + Austin, their happiness and excitement is evident in the details of the day. We love the fun pops of color that speckle their reception at Willow Oaks Plantation and the cute way that Austin talks about wooing his new bride! In the middle of all the fun you’re having looking through these photos from Robyn Van Dyke, you’ll also find yourself reaching for a handkerchief (or your “Pin It” button) when you come across the family moments she captured.

A few weeks after getting engaged, my mom, sister and I started looking for dresses (just for fun). After all, we had plenty of time! However, I found the dress surprisingly quickly at a boutique called Victorian Rose Bridal in downtown Raleigh. I knew I wanted something with lace on it and a sweetheart cut neckline, but other than that, I really had no idea what I wanted. It was the second store we had been to, but only the fourth or fifth dress I had tried on. When I came out of the dressing room with it on, my mom and sister told me that this was the one — it was written all over my face.

We decided not to do the “first look.” One of our favorite things about weddings is when the groom sees his bride for the first time – his look of absolute wonderment. We wanted to let the suspense build up to this special moment and wanted the first words we said to each other on this day to be our vows.

Did you write your own vows? In our ceremony, we said our traditional vows; however, before the ceremony, we had written letters to the other with our own list of vows. Austin’s favorite promise I made to him was “I promise to love you with unending grace the way God intended it.” My favorite promise Austin made to me was “I want to make you feel and believe that you are a daughter of Christ every day.”
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? We had two of our Young Life kids read scripture during our ceremony. We used 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and Colossians 3:12-17.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. In our ceremony, we had a guitar, a banjo, a mandolin, and a singer. During the prelude, we played “Divine Romance” and “Before the Throne of God Above.” When the groomsmen and bridesmaids came in, we played “Come Thou Fount.” When I came down the aisle, we played “Jesus I Come” by Shelley Moore Band. During the ceremony, the guests sang “In Christ Alone” while the wedding party and family prayed over the bride and groom. For the recessional, we played “Oh Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go.” For our first dance, we played “Hung the Moon” by Drew and Ellie Holcomb.

I love seeing couples incorporate a prayer into their ceremony. There’s so much power and love behind these photos from Robyn Van Dyke and I just love that Ali + Austin chose to have their guests sing.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? (From the groom) For me, the most memorable part was seeing Ali walk out from behind the shutters to begin walking down the aisle. She looked absolutely beautiful. (From the bride) I loved confidently staring into Austin’s hazel eyes, knowing I was making the greatest decision of my life, completely forgetting about my fear of having everyone watching me!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? First of all, we got married on a plantation called the Willow Oaks Plantation in Eden, North Carolina. It’s also a hunting lodge. It had the typical beautiful white house with acres of land and huge trees providing lots of shade. There was a silo and an old water tower with a wooden fence surrounding the property. Secondly, my bridesmaids and I all wore cowboy boots with our dresses! It really brought out something extra. Finally, we had lots and lots of burlap: burlap table runners, burlap wrapped mason jars, burlap wrapped novels, etc. Thirdly, we had pulled pork barbecue with sweet potatoes, green beans, coleslaw, and biscuits. Doesn’t get much more Southern than that!

This next set of photos is so beautiful! I know that if I were a guest at A + A’s wedding, I would have needed a hanky to wipe away tears.

What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? The venue for sure. It was exactly what we had been looking for and was absolutely beautiful. We got nothing but raving reviews on how beautiful the place was. I can’t tell you how many times we got asked, “How in the world did you find this? I’ve never even heard of Eden, North Carolina!”

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. (From the groom) We met on the first day of college at NC State University on our way to Young Life. I was really into Ali, but she wasn’t having any of it. After two years of developing a great friendship and watching each other grow in our relationships with Christ (and lots of persistence), Ali finally said yes to going on a date with me. Two years later, we were engaged!
Describe the proposal. In early December of 2011, Austin told me we were going on a double date, but changed plans at the last minute and told me we were going on a surprise trip to the Outer Banks. I was extremely surprised when I found out that we would be flying on a private plane! Once we got out there, he took me for a walk on the beach (and I could tell he was very, very nervous), and at the end of the walk, he took me to a spot on the beach where he had laid out some flowers, and then he asked me to marry him (of course I said yes!). When we arrived home, I was very surprised to see that Austin had invited all of our close friends and family over to celebrate our engagement.
In what month did you get married? July
How many guests attended your wedding? 290
Describe your wedding flowers: For our flowers, we wanted to go with lots of peaches, ivories, pale pinks and champagnes. Some of the flowers included were white hydrangeas, cream and pale pink roses, mini peach spray roses, peach stock, peach and green hypericum berries, and lots of baby’s breath.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert: We had a four-tier ivory cake with a peach and cream floral design on each layer. We had two types of cake: Mexican vanilla cake with hazelnut chocolate filling, and chocolate cake with mint chocolate chip filling (Austin’s favorite!).
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: There are two answers to this question. In terms of tangible details, we loved having vintage books as our centerpieces for the reception tables. I am a high school English teacher so it definitely matched my personality. More than anything else, our favorite detail was when our entire wedding party and family prayed over us during our ceremony while the audience sang “In Christ Alone.” It was something that really refocused the attention on what marriage is all about, beyond the physical details of it all.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The guest list was probably the hardest part. Because we have both been involved in Young Life for the last five years, there were lots of high school and college kids that we wanted to be there. I also have a huge family, so that definitely boosted numbers up. There were certainly some really hard cuts we had to make, but ultimately we wanted those who have had a significant impact on our lives to be present on that day.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? Around $25,000.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Don’t lose sight of what really matters about this day. Sure, coming up with fun ideas and planning out all the details is a blast, but at some point, something will more than likely go wrong. The singer gets sick, the cake turns out wrong, your dress rips, it pours rain… the list goes on and on. But at the end of the day, you will be professing your love for one another in front of all the people who care about you the most, and nothing is more beautiful than that.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We are learning how to love and serve each other more and more every day. We’re excited about having a couple of years to truly enjoy each other’s presence and grow as a couple and someday start a family of our own!

Robyn Van Dyke is a fabulous member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Summer in the South means beach getaways, gingham shirts, crazy humidity, and really good music! Last week we asked for y’all’s help rounding up the best music festivals in the South, so without further ado, let’s get started! We can’t help but think that any of these awesome events would make the perfect break from wedding planning…

Bonnaroo is a four day long music and arts festival taking place on over 700 Acres of Tennessee nature. With over 80,000 happy campers, 150 performances and 10+ stages of music, comedians, Bonnoroo is described as “overwhelming happiness. Hugging a stranger by accident. Bonnaroovian Dancing. An escape into Excitement.” Now that sounds like a blast!

The KISS Country Chili Cookoff holds a special place in my heart. It’s where I started my corporate event planning career, it’s also where my husband rode in a golf cart with Jewel, and where Jessica Simpson wore those famous jeans! Not to mention it’s the South’s largest one day outdoor concert, jam-packed with the best country artists and a Chili Village full of awesome vendors. Also tons of cowboy hats.

In honor of our former editor, Sierra, we couldn’t leave the CMA Music Festival off this list! This four-day country music fest takes place in June in Nashville, Tennessee. Beginning in 1972 as Fan Fair, the event now draws over 400 artists and celebrities who hold autograph sessions and perform in one of the many concerts offered throughout the festival. In 2011, total combined attendance for the four-day event was estimated to have exceeded 250,000 people, and visitors came from 41 different nations, and all 50 states. Whoa!

Taking place in our own Ms. Lara’s hometown, DeLuna Fest is officially America’s original beach party! For three-days, music fans can dance on the sugar white sands of Pensacola Beach, revel in a diverse mix of live beach-friendly bands and musicians, and admire gorgeous Florida’s sunsets. DeLuna Fest celebrates Pensacola’s rich heritage with great music and a big ol’ party!

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival might have been our most-suggested festival from y’all! The Nola Jazz Fest is a 10-day cultural event where thousands of musicians, cooks and craftspeople welcome nearly 400,000 visitors each year. With 12 stages of “soul-stirring” music from jazz, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, blues, R&B, rock, funk, African, Latin, Caribbean, folk, and much more, the festival is a celebration of many cultures. In 2001, the Festival celebrated Louis Armstrong’s centennial, and the total attendance eclipsed 650,000 attendees, smashing all past records!

Have you been to one of our favorite festivals? Or have a favorite music festival we missed? Let us know! Then put on your favorite Southern song, and let’s enjoy the last few weeks of summer!

During baseball season, I spend the majority of my nights talking myself out of eating ballpark food. The smell of funnel cake and caramelized pecans can be quite persuasive, y’all! I’m lucky to have made some amazing girlfriends from around the world in the stands, and we all try to hold strong together. One of my best girls is from Minot, North Dakota.

Yes, our accents are very different, and so is our culture. Y’all, she had never had a boiled peanut! What? I know! This summer I took it upon myself to introduce her to this yummy delicacy – she thought they tasted like little potatoes!

Clockwise from top: Recipe and photography by Our Life in the Kitchen, recipe for Hot Spiced Boiled Peanuts and plain Boiled Peanuts, both from Southern Living

Originally called “goober peas” (LOVE!), boiled peanuts have been a staple in the deep South since the 19th century. When the peanut crops were ready, unsold stock would be prepared in a “boiling,” and extended families and neighbors would gather to share conversation and food. Sounds just like the South, right? Unsurprisingly, boiled peanuts are still a symbol of Southern culture and cuisine.

Raw (or “green”) peanuts in the shell are put in a large pot of very heavily salted water and boiled, generally from four to seven hours and using several gallons of water. A tip: green peanuts cook faster and tend to be better tasting! Modern cooks sometimes use crock pots, but I still think it would be fun to make a day of it and invite your friends and neighbors over for an old fashioned boiling! Interesting boiled peanut fact: on May 1, 2006, Governor Mark Sanford signed a bill making boiled peanuts the official snack food of South Carolina! Closer to home, they are also an all time favorite of our own Ms. Lara!

CWF Photography

We love the idea of boiled peanuts as wedding favors or late night snacks!

Will you be incorporating boiled peanuts in to your wedding? Do you have a favorite Southern food? Let me know in the comments below!

I’ll let you in on a little secret of mine. When I was planning my own wedding, A Bryan Photo was my first choice for our photographer. Although I love the photographer we went with, I still pine a bit when I see ABP weddings! Lucky for me, I can live vicariously through Liz + Brett’s sweet celebration!

Beyond the gorgeous photos, I could go on about a bajillon things I’m smitten with in this wedding – not limited to Liz’s passed down vintage veil, the second line they ended their reception with, and their monogrammed tambourines — those look like way too much fun!

Can we just pause for a second and swoon over these glitter-heeled Kate Spades? Dying!

Such a sweet first look with Dad!

I went wedding dress shopping with my mom, aunt and grandmother. I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted – something timeless, but also fun and comfortable for dancing. When I finally tried on my dress, I knew I loved it and they all immediately agreed. After buying the dress, I decided I wanted a few customizations to make it really unique. The seamstress worked her magic by making the neckline a sweetheart, adding gorgeous lace straps, and sewing in a few layers of crinoline at the bottom to make the skirt “pop.” I loved the way it turned out.

Did you write your own vows? We said traditional vows. We both felt that there is something incredibly meaningful about saying the same vows that our parents, grandparents, and all of the other generations before us have said.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? Our readings were Song of Solomon 8:6-7 and Romans 12:9-18
Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We decided stick with tradition and not do a first look. The emotions in the moment we first saw each other at opposite ends of the aisle was something that we’ll never forget.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. I walked down the aisle to Clark’s “Trumpet Voluntary.” We had a trumpeter, and it was truly a magical moment when I heard him start to play. Our processional song was “Allegro Maestoso from Water Music” by Handel. Our first dance was to “Cheek to Cheek,” which is a wonderful old jazz song by Etta James & Louis Armstrong. It is the quintessential New Orleans song and carries so much meaning for us – we also danced to it right after we got engaged.

Our florist did an extraordinary job on our flowers. We were married in the fall and I knew I wanted to include some beautiful fall colors as well as incorporate trees at the reception to create an organic feeling. He took my ideas to a whole new level and came up with the most stunning 12-foot tall trees with gloriosa lilies and votives hanging from the branches. They framed the dance floor and were the first thing guests saw when they walked in the door to our reception. They were stunning and very dramatic, which we loved. The rest of our flowers were antique heirloom hydrangeas (my favorite), sahara roses, burgundy dahlias – a beautiful mix of high and low arrangements. We couldn’t have been happier with the way they turned out.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert: Our wedding cake was a beautiful four-layer cake with antique heirloom hydrangeas between each layer. Each layer was a different flavor, all with French buttercream icing. Brett’s groom’s cake was a red velvet cake topped with a gorgeous tower of macaroons. Both of them were delicious!

We had a Cuban room as was a nod to my husband’s Cuban heritage. Inside, we had a mojito bar, cigar bar, and Cuban sandwiches. The cigars were so popular that we had to send our wedding planner out in the middle of the reception to buy more!

Love that Liz’s bridesmaids did a cake pull — SUCH a Southern tradition!

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: We gave our guests white tambourines with our monogram and the wedding date printed on them that were a huge hit. They were probably the least expensive part of the wedding, but everyone had a blast with them and they really got the party started!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met during orientation for business school. At lunch on our first day, I happened to sit down next to Brett and one of his friends. He says I caught his eye immediately. He asked me on a date a few weeks later and the rest, as they say, is history.
Describe the proposal. It was a very well orchestrated surprise by Brett. (I am generally pretty nosy and very hard to surprise!) He was a few months into his first year of residency and had a week of vacation scheduled for later that month. Being the planner that I am, I immediately starting brainstorming places for us to go for the week. It turns out that Brett already had something up his sleeve, so he realized he had to figure out a way to derail my vacation planning. With the help of his chief resident, he convinced me that we would have to stay near Durham because he was on backup call for the week. He convinced me to pack by telling me he had rented a cabin on a lake nearby. On our way to the “cabin” he surprised me with plane tickets and told me that we were going to spend the week at his family’s beach house on Captiva Island, FL. When we arrived at the beach house, we were so excited to unpack the car that we forgot that the front door was self-locking…and locked ourselves out! Undeterred, Brett somehow picked the lock and proposed once we were inside. It was the most perfect proposal and we spent the next week celebrating our engagement and relaxing on the beach.
In what month did you get married October
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? We embraced Southern tradition in our wedding. My veil was purchased by my grandmother in Brussels and has been worn by my mom, two aunts, sister-in-law, and three cousins. The cup we toasted with before cutting the cake is the same cup that my brother, sister, and nine cousins were christened with. So far, five of us have toasted with it at our wedding. We also incorporated many of the fun New Orleans wedding traditions like cake pulls and the second line.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The biggest challenge was planning from afar. Luckily, my mom was in New Orleans and a huge help with all of the planning.
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? Our photographer, A Bryan Photo, was a splurge well worth it! The night was such a whirlwind and we were so grateful to have him there to capture the moments. I know we will look back on the pictures for many years to come.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? My groom, who isn’t even one to sing in the shower, serenaded me with “My Girl,” complete with my father, father-in-law and his groomsmen as back-up singers during the reception. It was totally impromptu (orchestrated by our awesome band) and a memory that makes us both laugh. We also loved seeing our 89-year old grandmothers on the dance floor all night long. They were the hit of the party!
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? On the night of your wedding, plan to take a few moments with your groom to take a step back, look around the room and take it all in. It is truly an overwhelming day in the most wonderful way possible and you will want to make sure to create great memories.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We are enjoying our time as newlyweds in Durham and looking forward to traveling together and starting a family one day.