Intimate Raleigh LGBTQ wedding: Ray & Brian at JC Raulston Arboretum

Ray & Brian were planning a much larger affair ages ago, and then COVID hit and everyone’s plans fell apart. The love these two have for one another did not fall apart though. It only grew stronger as they weathered tough situations, supporting one another through job ups and downs, school, ever-changing everything, and just the toughness of life in general.

They finally got to have a sweet and intimate ceremony at JC Raulston Arboretum here in Raleigh a few weeks ago, with Katherine Dupree officiating. There wasn’t a cloud in the beautifully blue sky, but their nuptials were tucked into a shaded corner near the Arboretum’s gazebo and it was one of the sweetest exchanges of vows I’ve witnessed. Tears AND laughter of course – the mark of a truly true love.

Here are some favorites from their ceremony and our brief portrait session afterwards.

I loved the way Ray was sneaking glances at Brian during the prayer <3

I feel like both the above photo and the next one are both expressions Ray and Brian see on one another relatively often.

All the hugs after the ceremony. And of course Katherine making sure the license gets signed so everything is officially official.

Then we braved the very bright sun to take some photos in the rose garden, their favorite section of the Arboretum

We ended in my favorite section at JC Raulston: the Japanese rock garden. (I really love bamboo.)

Looking for more Raleigh LGBTQ wedding photos? Check out: Rachael & Andrea, Liz & Rikki, Katy & Monica, and Andrew & Nic

We believe that love is fun and colorful, and your wedding photographs should be too.

Kivus & Camera are Raleigh Wedding photographers who create bold, colorful, magical memories of your wedding day with beautiful, artistic portraits AND enthusiastic, genuine moments. Your unique love story deserves to be told through unforgettable, breath-taking photographs that stand out from the crowd. Kivus & Camera love creating that magic. After all, as past bride Courtney says, we are photography sorcerers.

And though we call ourselves Raleigh wedding photographers, we definitely photograph Durham weddings, Chapel Hill weddings, Cary weddings, etc. We’re all over the Triangle area, and we’re happy to head to the beach or mountains and even to places outside of North Carolina! Just let us know where your love story is headed.

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