St. Gabriel Catholic Church, Charlotte NC

Wedding Rehearsal

Church and Reception Venues

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Alexander Homestead by Wedgewood Weddings

Reception

Summer

Live Stream-Thank you for those who can join us on the big day, but we also understand that we have people coming from all over the country. We plan to live stream the ceremony from the church, so contact Sam or Annie for the link, and we'll share the details once we have them!

Other Information-Afternoon Wedding ceremony and reception in Charlotte, NC. Events will conclude by approximately 9PM. Ceremony will take place at Saint Gabriel Catholic Church, followed by a garden reception. Thank you for finding and visiting our page. More details will be available after RSVP is confirmed.

Our Wedding

Our Love Story: A Traditional Trail Run Tale

How We Met-Sam and Annie met on a random Saturday in May in the most traditional of ways... out on a running trail in Durham, NC. The American Tobacco trail is a twenty something mile trail that runs alongside Jordan Lake in North Carolina and goes all the way up to Durham, NC. There are multiple trail heads all along the path, and it can get pretty busy on the average weekend day. This weekend was special however. On Saturday May 7th, Annie was out for her first long run after racing the Boston Marathon. She planned to run about 13 miles at an easy pace and then wander home to make a delicious sandwich for lunch. On the other side of the tale, Sam suddenly decided that morning to travel from Fayetteville up to the American Tobacco Trail because he heard you can run for 10+ miles on a flat trail without getting run over by cars. You see, a few weeks earlier Sam entered the Marine Corps half marathon, the longest he'd ever run because he wanted something to train for. This Saturday was a test run, seeing what pace he could hold for at least 10 miles, but ideally 13 miles. This is where their paths crossed. Out on the trail, Sam was nearing the turn around point when he saw a pretty lady running the other direction. She had a hat pulled down low on her face, and was keeping a moderate pace. Sam waved, said hello, and this pretty lady smiled back and also said hello back. That was it, what could have been the end of the story. Instead, as most good chance encounters go, Sam finished the first half, and started the journey back South on the trail. A mile back the other way he saw that same pretty lady again. She was now doing intervals or something of the sort. She appeared to run for a few hundred meters, then suddenly stop and walk for a little bit. Like a cat lured by a ball of yarn, Sam kept getting closer and closer, but never fully caught the pretty runner lady. He saw her probably 7 times over the next couple of miles until she ran farther down the trail out of sight... Alas, Sam the Clydesdale kept bounding down the trail, keeping a steady pace and thinking about the pretty lady he kept seeing. Then he saw her once again! At nearly the final trailhead, the lady with the hat was stopped, stretching a little bit and taking a sip of some water. Sam was still jogging down the trail and when he approached he yelled out a lovely, "You're pretty fast!" to the lady sipping water. She chuckled a little and they parted ways once again. Sam continued, thinking they would never meet again. I think you know how the story goes, but they met again shortly...By some act of God, as Sam was stretching in the parking lot by his truck, the pretty lady came running into the same parking lot and arrived to her car right next to Sam's. This was too much chance to not say hello, so Sam walked over and chatted with the lady, learning that her name was Annie and she was a regular at the Tobacco Trail. They enjoyed chatting, hit it off, and immediately went out for lunch. Now, here we are 4 years, 2 states, and many great adventures later, preparing to walk down the aisle together.

Well, since now you know how it all started, you can take a look at a small glimpse of how our story continued. We spent some time living a few states away with Sam in Minnesota and Annie in Raleigh, but we made a point to have Face time date night every week until eventually Sam made it back to NC. Ben Rector's "Steady Love" became our anthem, a trip to Idaho for skiing became a tradition, and our weekend breakfasts a routine. Now we have a house in Huntersville, NC and enjoy spending time outdoors or on the lake with our kayaks/ canoe. The famous wood canoe... that's a story for another day...

Our Story

Our Memories

Wedding Party

Q + A

A summer garden wedding in Charlotte, NC. Celebrate with us on this beautiful day.Breathable suits, a summer dress, or something similar.It may be a little hot and muggy, or we may get a little rain. The weather in North Carolina can be unpredictable, but we can pretty much guarantee that the trees and leaves will be lush and green.

You may catch Sam wearing a tuxedo and Annie will be wearing a lovely dress. Put on your best, but most of all come as you are with your personality and don't stress about the outfit too much.

Dress Code

Use the attached website link for the booking. Room block exempts you from the daily parking fee, and maybe some other fees. Rooms &amp; Rates1 King Bed - $159.001 King Mobility/hearing Accessible W/ Bathtub - $159.002 Queen Beds - $164.002 Queen Mobility/hearing Accessible W/bathtub - $164.00

Hilton Garden Inn Charlotte/SouthPark

Use the link above for our available room block. This is another hotel option next to/ attached to the Hilton Garden Inn.

Homewood Suites Charlotte/SouthPark

Charlotte is the closest airport, but not the only option. If you are lucky and coming from a location like Florida, there is a chance you can fly right in to Concord Airport. Stop by Hendrick Motorsports after you land as well!

Charlotte Douglas International Airport

Greensboro airport is another option. It's a pretty easy roughly 1.5 hr drive to the Charlotte metro. It's much smaller and generally less traffic than CLT.

Piedmont Triad International Airport

I'd argue it's the best airport to fly in/ out of in NC, but it's also a 2.5 hr drive or 3 hr train ride from Charlotte. If you fly from here you'll have to check out the Tobacco Trail, or Annie's favorite trails in Umstead State Park. We both enjoy Raleigh though, so if you want to make a trip out of the weekend fly in/ out of here or Asheville.

Raleigh-Durham International Airport

Another airport to fly in/ out of if you want to make a trip out of the weekend. The Asheville airport is about 2 hours from Saint Gabriel Church and in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Depending on where you are flying from there are some great deals. Also be sure to check out the local breweries and hikes. Sierra Nevada has a fantastic restaurant/ brewery/ experience right nearby, and so do many other breweries. The NC Arboretum is beautiful this time of year as well.

Asheville Regional Airport

Travel

A lovely bakery that we enjoy going to after a run or ride along the Green way.

Amélie's French Bakery & Café | Park Road

Great spot for a beer and good vibes. We particulary enjoy the Oaktoberfest when it's that time of the year. The chicken sandwich is also a favorite. Stop by on a Wednesday for the local run club too!

Legion Brewing South Park

If you have a little extra time, we'd recommend checking out the Whitewater Center. It's like Disneyland for outdoors people. You can ride the rapids, rent a mountain bike, or hit the flat water river on a kayak/ canoe. There is even a little rock climbing and good food/ beer.

Whitewater Center

Food from the bayou/ gulf coast region. We stumbled upon this place one evening, and it was pretty tasty and unique.

Southern Pecan - Gulf Coast Kitchen

A local favorite of ours. We often start a run here and venture south. From here you can even make it to Amelie's bakery for a delicious croissant and coffee.

Freedom Park

Local mall and area with a variety of great restaurants, stores, and other things to do.

SouthPark

Come on by and check out the Hendrick Motorsports campus/ museum/ team store. Everything is currently being renovated, but I think the museum and some new attractions will be open by July. If you schedule in advance or talk to Sam, there may be opportunities to see other things behind the scenes. Sometimes heritage center tours are available as well to view the car collection.

Annie & Samuel

Annie & Samuel

Q + A

What time is the ceremony?

What time does the reception begin?

What should I expect at the ceremony?

Is photography allowed during the ceremony?

How far apart are the ceremony and reception venues?

Will transportation be provided between venues?

Is there parking at the reception venue?

How do I get from the airport to the venues or my hotel?