U.S. National Whitewater Center Wedding | Charlotte, NC | Danielle + Dean

U.S. National Whitewater Center | Charlotte, NC

The first time I spoke to Danielle on the phone and she said their venue was the U.S. National Whitewater Center, I had to stop and ask myself if I heard her correctly. You hear Whitewater Center and think… rapids and picture kayaks and giant rafts. You just do. She also said that she and Dean wanted a non-traditional, relaxed wedding and that’s exactly what they had months later.

The drive to Charlotte was one giant rain storm. The highway was riddled with traffic because the rain wouldn’t end. The only thing that Danielle and Dean were worried about was the weather, so of course we had rain leading up to the day. When the sun came up, the sky was blocked by more clouds and my heart fell. It wasn’t until the drive to the Whitewater Center that the clouds moved on and the sun came out.

I could feel the tension in the air in the bridal suite as Jackie put the finishing touches on Danielle’s hair and as the dress was being zipped up. It was the same in Dean’s room, save for the jokes from the groomsmen. The ceremony of dressing for the wedding day is a beautiful act, full of quiet tense emotions that crescendo as the couple sees one another for the first time.