An afternoon of wedding at the Lynwood Grill and Brewing Concern in Raleigh, NC
There are some pretty unique venues here in central NC that are absolutely awesome places to get married. If you're looking for a wedding location that provides a contemporary yet sweetly rustic ambiance during your reception than the Lynnwood Grill and Brewing Concern may just be the perfect spot.
This micro brewery is staffed by the nicest people who really understand what customer service is all about. I know it seems a little weird to read stuff like this written by a wedding photographer but over the years I've learned that the attitude of the staff at the various venues I've photographed can affect how the moods of guests at a wedding reception are impacted. When my clients and their guests are well taken care of by the staff of the wedding venue during their reception, they tend to be happier and more relaxed when I'm shooting their candid photos, thus making my job as a photographer a whole lot easier.
The reason that I'm taking the time to include the sentiment in this particular post is on this day, the difference in the level of customer service rendered by various vendors made all the difference in the world as to how my clients would experience their day.
My clients T & J's wedding day was an interesting one, to say the least! Soon after I arrived to get started, I found out that the wedding officiant that the couple had hired to do their ceremony was running late. After about an hour or so, the bride J. finally was able to reach the officiant on the phone she found out that the officiant was home sick and had completely forgotten that she had a wedding to do that day. To make matters worse, the wedding officiant didn't even bother to call the couple to say that she wasn't coming. Yikes!!!
Honestly, it was a kinda hard for me to take pictures of the couple during this time. There were definitely moments where it was possible that there might not be a wedding on this day after all. I hate seeing clients stressing on their wedding day and boy oh boy this was a difficult time to document.
Then something absolutely incredible happened....
After a bit of discussion between the couple and their guests, it was discovered that the grooms best friend just happened to be licensed to officiate wedding ceremonies here in North Carolina. How cool is that?
What could have been a day marred by heartbreak ended up being infinitely better because this sweet couple ended up being married by the grooms closest friend, so awesome!
The wedding was really fun to photograph this wedding ceremony as the grooms best friend read the passages over his iPhone. Through my lens, I could see that he was nervously excited but he and the couple were all smiles throughout the entire ceremony. It was clear that there was plenty of love to go around in this Trinity which is, of course, the best possible thing ever to experience on a wedding day.
:)
After the ceremony ended, the party started in earnest and there were plenty of smiles to go around as the guests and the happy couple celebrated their nuptials.
There was plenty of delicious food and golden brew on tap to go around. Making my way around the venue, it was a blast for me to use my long lens to capture all of the happy guests laughing and talking with one another. Candid photos really fun to take and this reception did not disappoint!
Oh, I even took my first 3D 360 photo of the couple and their guests here too! What a neat way to capture an event.
If you'd like to see this image in full 360 panorama- 3D mode then go download the App "Google Cardboard Camera" then click on this link listed below to open the 3D version in the App.
https://vr.google.com/vrphoto/AIJsmdkNSa4mjq8cAAWAa-lfk3vFJ5ERKS2rZiGR7ttrdzDZi8Q2K_UkmXK1
You will be able to view this image while using your cell phone and a Google Cardboard VR viewer or via any commercially available VR headset connected to the internet.
When everyone had finished their dinner T., J. and I managed to sneak outside to photograph the couples portraits on the front loading dock of the venue before the sun went down. This was a nice time for them to catch their breath for a few minutes and happily reflect on their day together.
When it was all said and done, I drove home thinking that this wedding was a great example of why it's so important that vendors should deliver on their promises. The staff at the Lynwood displayed exceptional levels of quality service that was most appreciated given the contrast of the situation with the wedding officiant originally hired.
Yes, service delivered with a smile still matters in today's world and the kindness and poise shown by great friends can make all the difference in the world to a couple on their wedding day.
Cheers to my wonderful clients T. & J., their awesome friends, and families and to the delightful staff at the Lynwood Brewing Concern for their bright smiles and open hearts.
Days like this truly make my job as a wedding photographer a joyful endeavor!
If you have any questions about my photography service please contact me anytime!
PS. Go check out the Lynwwood Grill & Brewing Concern's website at http://www.lynnwoodgrill.com/lynnwood-brewing-concern/ and the go have a beer and an excellant meal there, you wont be dissapointed!