Tori and Kwasi’s June wedding at The Distillery in Garner, NC was elegant, modern, and effortlessly classy. With green bridesmaid dresses, personal florals created by a friend, a simple and timeless bridal look, and a clean venue that gave us plenty of room to create, their wedding was the perfect example of how beautiful intentional simplicity can be.
Located just outside Raleigh in downtown Garner, The Distillery is a modern wedding venue with an industrial feel and neutral spaces that can take on completely different styles. For Tori and Kwasi, the result was an elevated summer wedding with a mix of editorial portraits and candid moments throughout the day.
A June Wedding at the Distillery in Garner, NC
The Distillery was a perfect fit for Tori and Kwasi’s wedding because the venue gave their details room to stand out without competing with them. Their day was planned by Rachel with Chad Biggs Event Planning & Design, with green incorporated throughout the wedding party and florals created by a friend of the couple.
June also gave us the lush greenery and long daylight that make summer weddings in North Carolina so beautiful. We were able to use both the clean architecture of The Distillery and the greenery surrounding the property, creating variety in their portraits without needing to leave the venue.
Tori's Elegant Bridal Look
Tori wore a gown from Triangle Bridal World and kept the rest of her bridal look simple, natural, and incredibly elegant. Her slick bun paired perfectly with the clean lines of her dress and gave the entire look a timeless, editorial feeling.
We carried that same approach into her bridal portraits. Instead of overly complicated poses or elaborate setups, we focused on clean compositions, natural movement, and intentional posing that highlighted her dress and bridal style. The result felt polished and editorial without turning her wedding morning into a fashion shoot.
Green Bridesmaid Dresses for a Summer Wedding
Tori’s bridesmaids wore green, which worked beautifully for a June wedding in North Carolina. The deeper color complemented the summer greenery while creating contrast against Tori’s gown and the neutral spaces throughout The Distillery.
The entire color palette is a great example of how wedding design doesn’t need dozens of elements to feel intentional. A few cohesive choices — bridesmaid dresses, florals, bridal styling, and a venue that complements them — can create an elevated look without making the day feel over-designed.
Editorial Wedding Photography at The Distillery
For Tori and Kwasi’s portraits, we leaned into a clean, classy, editorial style that matched the rest of their wedding. The Distillery works especially well for this because its neutral palette and modern architecture give us plenty of opportunities to create intentional photographs without distracting backgrounds.
My approach to wedding photography blends those more polished portraits with documentary coverage throughout the rest of the day. I want couples to have the photographs that feel worthy of a magazine spread, but I also want the reactions, hugs, dance-floor photos, family interactions, and little moments they never realized were happening.
You don’t have to choose between editorial wedding photography and candid wedding photography. Some parts of the day benefit from direction, while others are better left completely alone. A wedding gallery becomes much more interesting when both can exist together.
Tori + Kwasi’s Wedding on 35mm Film
Alongside their digital wedding photos, I photographed parts of Tori and Kwasi’s day on 35mm film. Film fit their wedding especially well because the natural grain, softer colors, and imperfect quality complemented the simple, elegant style of the day without making the photos feel overly polished.
I use film alongside digital photography throughout wedding days rather than treating it as a completely separate part of the experience. Some moments naturally lend themselves to 35mm — quiet getting-ready photos, wedding details, portraits, cocktail hour, and the less structured moments happening between everything else. The result is a wedding gallery that mixes clean editorial portraits with photographs that feel a little more nostalgic and lived-in.
For couples who love the look of film wedding photography, I think part of the magic is that it isn't perfect. The grain, movement, occasional blur, and way film handles light give photographs a feeling that's difficult to recreate digitally. Those images fit especially well alongside the documentary moments I’m already looking for throughout a wedding day.
Wedding Photos at The Distillery in Garner
One of the biggest benefits of getting married at The Distillery is the variety available without needing to leave the property. The modern interiors, neutral walls, industrial details, outdoor spaces, and surrounding greenery give us several different looks within one wedding timeline.
This is something I always recommend considering when touring wedding venues near Raleigh, NC. Look beyond the ceremony setup and think about where you'll get ready, take family photos, spend cocktail hour, and step away for couple portraits. A venue doesn't need dozens of designated photo locations, but good light, interesting architecture, and a little room to move make a huge difference.
Why Get Married at the Distillery in Garner?
The Distillery is located in downtown Garner, making it a convenient option for couples who want to stay close to Raleigh without choosing a traditional downtown Raleigh venue. Its contemporary, industrial style also offers something different from the historic estates, barns, and country clubs commonly found throughout the Triangle.
The neutral design makes the venue especially versatile. A wedding here could easily lean minimalist, romantic, colorful, editorial, classic, or modern depending on the florals, rentals, attire, and other design choices you bring into the space.
For couples searching for a modern wedding venue near Raleigh, NC, The Distillery is worth considering because you get a distinctive aesthetic without being far removed from Raleigh and the rest of the Triangle.
Still looking for your dream photographer?
If you’re planning a wedding at The Distillery in Garner, NC or looking for a Raleigh wedding photographer who blends candid moments with intentional, editorial portraits, I’d love to hear what you’re planning.
