The Cloth Mill at Eno River

Wedding Day

Wedding

Reception

Our Wedding

How we met? Well that's simple. But how we learned to love each other so deeply and fervently that we decided to do this crazy thing called marriage – well that's an enigma we still can't explain. Maybe it was the way Chapel Hill made everything in our worlds feel intrinsically right and made us trust that everyone we met was someone worthy of investing in. Maybe it was the fact that through our work on campus we were never apart our senior year. But regardless of why we got here, our love is one we could never prepare ourselves for and one that gives us radical hope that peace and joy and harmony are all possible in this unhinged world we exist in. We met as our junior year of college at UNC Chapel Hill was coming to a close. Our worlds both changed for the better as we both embarked on transition weekend for the executive board of a non-profit called UNC Dance Marathon. That's where our journey together began. It seemed like from that day forward we were one. If I was somewhere, you knew Joseph wasn't far behind. Through our senior year, we spent every waking moment together (which was most hours of the day considering the negligible hours of sleep we actually had). What I didn't mention is during all this time, we weren't supposed to date someone else serving on the executive board. For most of the year, we tried to pretend to others and to ourselves that we were only the best of friends. Yes, ONLY the best of friends, not two people falling in love with every entity about the other. By the end of the year, we couldn't contain it anymore, and we realized we had really been dating for the entirety of the year. We stopped lying to each other and to everyone around us and embarked on the journey of honestly learning about each other and honestly loving everything that we learned. Years later, he proposed to me right there at the UNC Belltower. Right in the midst of where we learned to invest in each other and to support each other through hardship. The fact is, I adore the dorky headset he wears at work, his phrases that make me insane like "stop being sick and be awesome instead", and the way he worships sports radio and audio books. He has found a way to tolerate my flower crowns, overflowing paintbrushes and charcoal, and infatuation with all things cat. A few months into our friendship when we were "not dating" my dad was able to meet Joseph. Afterwards my dad called me and I will never forget it because I know it was God's way of giving me my dad's blessing in advance. He told me Joseph seemed to really respect me. That Joseph looked at me like I was something special. It slipped out of my mouth "Dad, I think I'm going to marry him." I later learned my dad told close friends that he believed Joseph was the man I was going to marry. And that is what we are going to do - stand in front of all of you and make a covenant before Jesus to vehemently pursue each other, to continue to learn about each other, and to better each other in our faith and in our actions. On January 28th, we will be honoring you who have gotten us here. It is our hope to have a love like we have witnessed with both of our parents. A love that transcends any stress or tragedy or hardship. This wedding is not for Joseph and I. It's for us to celebrate YOU – our family and friends who have witnessed us grow in compassion and have emboldened us on our journey. We cannot wait to spend this day with you and to finally make this covenant with each other we've been preparing for since that "illegal relationship" we started years ago.

Our Story

Details

Photos

Wedding Party

Q + A

Registry

The block of rooms is under "Smith-Konerman Wedding." There will be a free shuttle service that will run to and from the venue before the ceremony and after the reception. It will only run at one time before and one time after. If you are using this service please indicate this on your RSVP card or let us know. We will update the site closer to the wedding with the time that the shuttle will run.

Courtyard Marriott, Durham NC

The block of rooms is under "Smith-Konerman Wedding." There will be a free shuttle service that will run to and from the venue before the ceremony and after the reception. It will only run at one time before and one time after. If you are using this service please indicate this on your RSVP card or let us know. We will update the site closer to the wedding with the time that the shuttle will run.

Hampton Inn & Suites Chapel Hill/Carrboro

Travel

This a great brewery that is right down the road from the wedding venue. They also offer brewery tours Saturdays at 1 PM at a location that is actually next door to the venue.

Mystery Brewing Public House

This was one of our favorite spots in Chapel Hill and is a great spot to grab a drink or a meal. It is right on the edge of the UNC campus. The porch is great and overlooks downtown Chapel Hill (don't worry there is a heated section in the winter). It's also the place to be to watch people "rush" Franklin Street after winning big basketball games.

Top of the Hill Restaurant & Brewery

Fullsteam is one of our favorite breweries and is in downtown Durham. They always have really unique beers and an open warehouse for seating.

Fullsteam Brewery

This place is in downtown Durham and has the best pimento cheese burgers. They also have a reputation for converting vegetarians to meat lovers.

Bull City Burger and Brewery

Cocoa Cinnamon is located in downtown Durham right down the street from Fullsteam Brewery and next to Geer Street Garden Restaurant. It has super yummy coffee and super comfy chairs if you want to relax for a bit.

Cocoa Cinnamon

This restaurant is one of our favorites and is located in downtown Durham across the street from Cocoa Cinnamon and around the corner from Fullsteam Brewery. They have the best grilled pimento cheese sandwiches if that sounds good to you! They also have outdoor heated seating if you want to eat on the patio.

Geer Street Garden

Y'ALL THIS PLACE IS SO GOOD. Their egg and cheese biscuits and donuts are THE BEST THING EVER in the morning. If you are staying at the Hampton Inn in Carrboro, it is right across the parking lot from you. They are open 7AM to 2PM.

Rise Biscuits & Donuts

If you are staying at the Hampton Inn in Carrboro, this coffee shop is very close to you. They have great coffee and plenty of seating.

Open Eye Cafe

If you're near Chapel Hill you should stop by and check out the campus. This is where Joseph and I met and it is the place we love most. There's an arboretum, a basketball museum, historic buildings, the Student Store, the Old Well, the beautiful upper and lower quads, and Franklin Street with lots of shops and restaurants.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

If you're wanting to venture out a little bit to Raleigh, you HAVE to eat downtown at Beasley's. They have the best chicken and waffles and the best mac-and-cheese. TRY IT (seriously).

Beasley's Chicken + Honey

If you want to try eastern NC style barbeque, this is the place to go! It's between Chapel Hill and Hillsborough.

Olivia & Joseph

Olivia & Joseph

Travel

Courtyard Marriott, Durham NC

Hampton Inn & Suites Chapel Hill/Carrboro