Kelly and Noah's garden party wedding was filled with love and friendship as they celebrated with a beautiful outdoor ceremony.

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Today's wedding literally brought warmth to my soul. Not only was Kelly and Noah's wedding a beautiful celebration filled with stunning flowers and a magical outdoor ceremony. This wonderful couple reminded me what it's all about: making connections, friendships and everlasting love. Each element of their day had special meaning from the embroidery on Kelly's wedding dress to the people who surrounded them. I implore you to read on as you enjoy the wonderful images that captured the day, by the talented Oh Darling and not enjoy the passion and love that oozes out of this refreshing love story...

I fell in love with this couple the second their story came into our inbox. Their quirky relationship of admiration, friendship, everlasting love and all the fun in between literally bounced off the screen, so it was no surprise a chance meeting got this pair together - it was meant to be! Kelly and her friend Katie were running errands on a warm spring day when they found themselves driving through Watts-Hillandale, aimlessly admiring neighborhood gardens (a fun pastime of my own!) On the fourth or fifth turn in a series of random navigations, they passed a skateboarder atop a small hill. Kelly immediately recognized him as the handsome stranger she didn’t have the nerve to talk to at the local store a few weeks earlier. She shouted "Katie! Stop the car, and put it in reverse." Katie responded, as if the moment had been choreographed! Unfortunately, Noah was careening downhill at this point, and nearly collided with the car. And the rest they say, is history!

Kelly and Noah knew they wanted to marry each other from early on in their relationship - when you know you know people! The pair had even bought each other what Noah called “pre-engagement” bicycles - I swoon at the thought! But it was Kelly who was bursting with ideas about how to ask Noah that she couldn’t pick just one. Each inspiration seemed equally important, so the proposal ended up being a kind of one-woman circus... The way it happened was a little unexpected. All the elements were in place, but I hadn’t planned a date. Noah came home feeling grumpy, and I thought a proposal would be the perfect thing to lift his spirits. I went outside to put a few special items including Benny, Noah’s 10 year old pointer/hound mix, into the car, tricking Noah into a dog walk! Kelly drove just a few blocks away to the neighborhood where they had first met. Kelly told Noah to look at Benny’s new tag. Noah smiled when he saw the address of the house they had just moved into together and his smile got even bigger when he turned the tag over, engraved on the back was the question “Noah, will you please marry Kelly?” But the proposal didn't end there...

When Noah stood up, Kelly asked the question herself, extending an orange. This was a common gesture; Kelly was always equipped with an orange because Noah was always forgetting to eat. Confused to find that the fruit had been cut in half, he opened it to find a ring (wrapped in plastic, no sticky fingers!) Of course he said yes and Kelly had more to come, presenting Noah with an exact replica of the Mike Vallely skateboard he had loved and lost as a child. And, although she is not a singer or musician, one of Noah’s great passions is music. So, right there on the corner where they met, Kelly sang a song on the baritone ukelele - Scout Niblett’s “Kiss.” Despite months of secret practice under the tutelage of Noah’s best friend, the lyrics failed her halfway through. Noah couldn’t remember them either, he was just so happy. But the story itself is one this pair will never forget!

One of the most amazing elements of Kelly and Noah's special day was the flowers. It was no surprise to her guests, as Kelly has a decade of experience in floral design! Lush greenery among deep purples and pops of citrus shades stand out in a wonderful array of bouquets for both Kelly and her bestest pals, her bridesmaids. The perfect combination against the girl's soft grey, turquoise and peach dresses.

When it came to planning their wedding day, the couple originally wanted a DIY farm wedding, where guests could camp out in tents. By the time they realized their chosen farm had raised their prices (4 times from what we had expected!), they were way past the ideal date for securing a venue. Disaster you may think, but things aways work out and for the better in most cases... Thinking it would be way out of budget, we called the Fearrington on a whim. Everyone we spoke to was so authentic and warm from the get-go, and their prices for a Friday the 13th wedding were pretty enticing! A wedding at the Fearrington comes with a package of perks, from the best planners in the business to beautiful flowers. The expert staff work so well together, obviating most of the stress you would expect from wedding planning. And of course, the grounds are idyllic and the food delectable. And so the couple were sold on their new venue!

Under the warm North Carolina sun, Kelly walked down the aisle to meet her man...

This may be one of the most colourful outdoor ceremonies I've seen, from the flowers, to the stylish guests, there is so much to look at! One of the most important and special elements for Kelly and Noah was having their friends with them on the day. Many of which had never even met let alone been in the same place. Having them all in one place for days at a time was calming, joyous and a perfect way to warm the couple's new home.

For Noah, in particular, having his two oldest friends present, who hadn’t been in the same spot as Noah or each other since 1992 and Noah’s two closests friends with him on the day was very special. And the lads took outstanding care of him, his clothes and his excitement! According to Kelly, Noah can be hard to reel in once he gets going, so having his pals there to keep his feet (mostly) on the ground meant a lot to the couple. Weddings are so much about connections and sharing your love with your nearest and dearest, getting everyone together for the best party of your life is what it's all about.

Perfectly in tune with the essence of the day the couple incorporated a Buddhist tradition into their ceremony...The officiant and his wife made mala for us to hold during the ceremony. These strings of 21 jade beads signify friends and family and are a Buddhist marriage tradition.

The couple surprised each other when they discovered they'd written (practically) the same vows. Kelly read hers first, from a piece of paper while Noah recited his from memory. When he repeated word for word the same idea "to be curious and gentle," Kelly started laughing! She thought with all the nerves that Noah had forgotten his vows and was riffing off what he’d just heard. As it turns out, it was just one more thing to confirm they were meant to be.

Just Married! - Oh, Darling! Kelly and Noah

What a stunning ceremony, so many special elements combined - congrats guys!

Fun bridal party shot complete with doggies!

Of course I have to give a special mention to the guests of honour, the flower girl and ring bearer— dogs Molly and Benny. Rockin' a flower crown collar and a bow tie - best dressed dogs I've seen!

I can't go any further without talking about our stylish bride Kelly. Here beautiful dress was custom-made by London designer Eleanor Dorrien-Smith through her label Partimi. With Kelly in North Carolina, I wondered how they managed to work together to create such a gorgeous gown. Well that's where technology stepped in, between Google video chats and even a virtual fitting the dress was made! The added embroidered had very special symbols: orange blossoms are an obvious symbol from the couple’s friendship and proposal; oak and cypress leaves signify the meaning behind a favorite passage that was part of the couple's ceremony and lastly Kahlil Gibran, in The Prophet, writes about marriage, “Stand together, yet not too near together. For the pillars of the temple stand apart, and the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.” Oak and cypress were also chief elements in the flowers for the day.

Groom Noah pulled off causal elegance in his powder blue suit from JCrew. He accessoried with a golden brown tie and shoes - we like his look a lot!

As the sun began to set, on what can only be described as the perfect summer's day the couple and their guests retreated inside for their dinner reception.

I love the signage and wedding favours, so simple to create and follows the oak and cypress theme of the day.

The flower arrangements played a huge role in the look and feel of the day, including the reception.

With a day that seemed to run seamlessly, what advice did Kelly and Noah have... Don’t forget your wedding shoes! And if you do, just wear the ones you packed for the next day instead. It’ll all be okay, especially if the accidental-back-up pair also happen to be 3 inch wedges! Sit at your own bride-and-groom table and eat. Eat together and eat well. Don’t stop ‘til it’s all gone…and get seconds. Also, don’t be in charge of your own giant P.A. system and warn the wedding party that speech time is coming up soon, so they are not elsewhere when it is their turn. Sage advice guys practical and light-hearted!

A huge congratulations to such a lovely couple! A big thank you goes to Oh Darling for sharing their work with us at One Fab Day, to see more of Oh Darling's work pop over to www.ohdarlingphotography.com

The Wedding Details