A Duke Chapel Wedding That Blends Modern & Traditional

I had the joy of photographing Corina and Kevin’s Duke Chapel wedding back in November, and it was so much fun! Corina and Kevin both have a vibrant passion for life, which really came out in their wedding planning. With both of them being Duke MBA graduates, the chapel made perfect sense for their wedding. However, you might not think of grand, gothic-style Duke Chapel to be the right place for a couple who said they wanted a “Wes Anderson” movie vibe to their wedding day. And they knew that! Keep reading on to see how these two struck the perfect balance between a modern, funky wedding with elegant tradition of Duke Chapel.

Where to Get Ready for a Duke Chapel Wedding

Corina began the day getting ready at a local AirBnB. While there is technically a room at Duke Chapel where the bride and bridesmaids can hang out before the ceremony, it is small and not ideal for photos. Additionally, Duke Chapel does not allow you to arrive early enough for everyone to get hair and makeup done. 

Given the situation, Corina chose to get ready in a local AirBnB. This one provided ample space and lots of great natural light for photos! If you’re getting married at Duke Chapel or another church without a great getting ready space, I recommend booking an AirBnB or a nice hotel room nearby. Look for spaces with lots of natural light and plenty of mirrors!

While they got ready I was able to photograph some of their details that would be used later in the reception, including a newspaper program for each guest and fun disco ball decor!

The Wedding Ceremony

Corina and Kevin held a traditional Catholic ceremony. They incorporated a coin ceremony called arras, in honor of Kevin’s hispanic heritage, as well as a full mass. They brought fun, modern elements to the ceremony with Corina’s feather-shawl and pearl-studded veil, as well as Kevin’s burgundy velvet suit jacket. Additionally, they chose for Corina and the bridesmaids to hold all foliage bouquets of psalm and monstera leaves, rather than flowers. 

I don’t think I’ll ever get over these gorgeous shots from the ceremony and the arcades afterward!

A Fun, Funky Wedding Reception

Couples who choose to get married at Duke Chapel need to find a separate location for their reception, as the chapel does not serve as a reception venue. Corina and Kevin chose the Cloth Mill in Hillsborough. The Cloth Mill has a cool history as a textile mill (fun fact: my great grandparents used to work in this very mill!) but unfortunately the Cloth Mill shut down as a wedding venue shortly after Corina and Kevin’s wedding. Theirs was actually one of the last ones at the venue. Given that, I won’t go into too much detail here, but I’ll share a few images! 

The reception is where Corina and Kevin really were able to show off their personality! They had disco balls everywhere – on tables, on floors! They brought pops of color with a funky, travel-themed seating chart and table numbers. Their first dance was anything but traditional, with jumping and running (I had to make sure I kept up!) and they invited Corina’s entire family up for the father-daughter dance! 

I love how this couple wasn’t afraid to make their wedding true to them. As much as I love traditional florals and pretty decor, it was refreshing to have a couple do things differently. At the end of the wedding day, what truly matters is that you’ve married your best friend. All the other details are just fun extras, so why not make them your own!

The Vendor Team:

Photography: Yours Truly, Megan Nicole Photography

Ceremony Venue: Duke Chapel

Coordination: LP Planning & Design

Floral: Floral Dimensions

Hair & Makeup: Blissful Muse

Dress: BHLDN by Anthropologie

DJ & Photobooth: Dow Oak Events

Rentals: American Party Rentals

Reception Venue: The Cloth Mill (permanently closed)