Winston Salem wedding Photographer // How I met this wonderful pair was at her friend Laura’s wedding where Jessica, was a bridesmaid. We hit it off right away. At the end of the night, during the reception, she tells me she’s engaged and she was impressed watching me work all day. She mentioned wanting me to photograph her wedding, the following year. It was an exciting moment and such a compliment.
We started out with a beautiful engagement session at the Historic Yates Mill. We felt like we had the place to ourselves as we enjoyed exploring the mill. Micheal and Jessica adored romantic time together in the fields of wheat and overlooking the lake. It was such a sweet time for me to witness the love and joy between these two lovebirds.
Jessica is a teacher and a detailed planner. I was thrilled to make her vision come to light, with her beaming from her engagement session images. Along with their engagement, it’s been my pleasure to be part of many steps along the way. From designing the couples Save the Dates, custom envelopes, the wedding invitations and wedding programs.
Yates Mill has its origins in a mill that began operating on this site in the 1750s. Today, it is the last mill standing of approximately 70 that existed over the decades in what is now Wake County.
The original mill was built by Samuel Pearson and owned by him and his heirs until 1819. The mill changed ownership several times until 1863, when it became the property of the Yates family, which owned it until 1947. Yates Mill was acquired by a corporation under the direction of A.E. Finley and last operated to grind corn in 1953 or so, then sold to North Carolina State University in 1963. The mill stood vacant for many years until local history lovers formulated plans to restore the mill, incorporating as Yates Mill Associates in 1989.