Documentary-Style Wedding Day Photos at The Merrimon-Wynne House Raleigh

This day was filled with bold accents and delicate details which together formed an elegant wedding aesthetic that my lens captured naturally. Even though documentary-style destination weddings are my passion, I also love the opportunity to shoot at local Raleigh, NC wedding venues. One of my favorites in the area, The Merrimon-Wynne House continues to live up to its reputation as an iconic wedding venue of Raleigh, North Carolina.

The Merrimon-Wynne House: A Timeless Raleigh Wedding Venue

The Merrimon-Wynne House is a gorgeous historic mansion positioned in the center of downtown Raleigh. I love Merrimon-Wynne for the charm and character of the house itself that makes it feel like your home for the wedding weekend. I previously hosted a Valentine’s Day styled shoot here and we had so much space to explore!

Merrimon-Wynne is a luxurious North Carolina wedding venue located in an amazing spot for this very high-end and exclusive destination. The venue offers an in-house planning team and exclusive use of the entire house and grounds on the wedding day.

Recommended selections for the day can involve an outdoor ceremony on the lawn, cocktail hour in the Main House, and a reception in the Carriage House. Total capacity for the venue is up to 250 guests for indoor and outdoor celebrations.

As a Raleigh wedding photographer, I’m always looking for a chance to shoot there more!

A Couple’s Dream Wedding Day at The Merrimon-Wynne House

Savanna and Uday found themselves mixing their cultural heritages (Indian and American) at this fusion wedding against the backdrop of The Merrimon-Wynne House. This was accomplished one way through putting both of their mom’s wedding dresses on display at the reception accompanied by the related wedding day photos framing the wedding cake. Music at the reception seamlessly switched between both American and Indian music throughout the night making for the perfect blending of cultures.

The couple shares two cats whom they adore that they also incorporated into the details. Craft cocktails were named after the cats, in addition to placing their faces on the cocktail picks and setting two figures of the cats alongside the cake. This inclusion of their separate heritages combined with parts of their lives that they shared together (their cats!) was extremely special! 

The Dance is in the Details

• Getting Ready: The groomsmen started the day off by playing poker. The ladies enjoyed the morning wearing bright red pajamas while the bride wore pink pajamas with a red-bow pattern.

• Wedding Party Portraits: The bridesmaids wore either black bows or headbands in their hair complimenting the black  bridesmaid gowns. Both the bridesmaids and the bride also wore elbow-length silk gloves which made the day so classy and elegant. 

• Wedding Reception: Savanna changed during the reception and put on Berta legging boots that sparkled and had everyone in awe!

Documentary-Style Film Wedding Photography Adds Depth to the Day

Savanna and Uday love the look of film and both the vintage and nostalgic feel that it creates. Capturing their wedding partially through film photography in 35mm added a timeless touch to their day at The Merrimon-Wynne House.

Loving the look of film wedding photography generally lends itself to having a more relaxed experience of having your wedding photos captured. It allows me to shoot from a fly-on-the-wall perspective documenting intimate moments without interruption.

Film creates a timelessness to your photos that truly never goes out of style. Shooting wedding photography on film naturally slows down the wedding day because film requires a slower process. This allows for you to take in the moments more intentionally with your beloved so that you don’t miss actually experiencing your day.

Savanna and Uday had patience even for the rain that started during the wedding party photos but held off most of the rest of the day. Savanna even took the time to twirl with her flower girls during portraits which was so sweet!

This was a lovely wedding day with an editorial flair perfectly suited to tell this couple’s love story. These two got a documentary-style, artful day that turns into fine art they can later hang on their walls. It was all that they wanted!

Ready to design your own wedding day of your dreams?

Wedding Vendors

Photographer | Hannah Rosser Photography
Venue | The Merrimon-Wynne House
Second Shooter | Darby Bobo Photo
Shoes | Amina Muaddi (ceremony) & BERTA (reception)
Makeup | Beauty Asylum & Magali Rachel Beauty
Hair | Beauty Asylum & Hair by Nataliya
Dress | Bloom Bridal Greenville
Suit | Lily Yatawara, Tom James
Invitations | Minted
Catering | Azitra & Rocky Top Catering
Cake | Ashley Cakes
Lighting | Get Lit Event Lighting
DJ & Photobooth | DJ Ones
Rentals | Curated Events Raleigh