It is such a blessing to get to watch a child grow to being a teen, and then into a man. It is an even bigger honor to get to photograph that man as a groom on his wedding day.
To say I know William is an understatement. I, Meriah, remember when this “kid” was born. I watched him in the nursery at church when I was a teenager, I was his “sparks class” teacher when he was a kid, and then I was his youth leader. We have shared loads of laughter and have many stories from our “youth days” together. We have also wept together and I have watched he and his family mourn the tragic loss of his brother Ethan.
We grew up together in a lot of ways and my response when I first saw him on his wedding day was unexpected. I DID NOT expect to “ugly cry”. I walked in and saw our “Billy” down the hallway surrounded by bridesmaids pinning on his boutonniere. He looked up and saw me and smiled that ever so big smile of his and I totally lost it. I had to walk away to compose myself after I hugged him. I thought to myself… “Pull yourself together Mozingo, you have a job to do!”
And then I saw Sarah. The ever so lovely, gorgeous, “Kate Middleton step down cause there is a new princess in town”… Sarah. 😉 She embodies grace and was a “show stopper” in that wedding gown. I don’t know Sarah as well as I know Billy but it was awesome to get to spend some time with her at her bridal session some months ago and get to know her a bit then. She insisted on twirling in her dress and that to me says SO much about her ability to have fun. I love a good twirling bride! We had a blast getting to ride around Laurel Ridge Country Club where she would one day have her wedding. Here are a few of our favorite moments from her bridal session!
Here is a bit more from Sarah and William on themselves and their wedding day!
A bit about Sarah: I grew up in Black Mountain, NC, with my Mom, Dad, and sister, Janie. They are just the best. I cherish every moment I get to spend with them. My dad went to NC State, so I followed in his footsteps for my undergraduate years. I majored in Elementary Education as a Teaching Fellow. I am now a second grade teacher in Morrisville, NC. William and I now live in Apex and love our new small town!
A bit about William: I was born and raised in Canton, NC. I have a big family, with my parents having four children (including me): my brothers, Ethan and Holder, and my sister, Ivy. We grew up spending a lot of time around sports and doing everything together, and I am so grateful to be so close with my family! After graduating high school, I attended NC State. I majored in Environmental Science and now work for Duke Energy in Cary, NC. Oh, and I have the best wife to come home to everyday!
How did you meet? We met our sophomore year of college. Even though we grew up within 40 minutes of each other, we didn’t meet until NC State. In November 2012, NC State had its homecoming game against Virginia and we both were there cheering our team on. (William more than Sarah.) Sarah’s friends knew William and had pointed him out to her, so she saw him at the game but didn’t introduce herself (too nervous! He’s so cute). After the game, our mutual friends wanted to go to dinner, so we tagged along. William noticed Sarah at dinner and we spent the rest of dinner only talking to each other. We both knew the other was special from the very beginning.
Describe your first date? Our first date was a few days after we met. We went to Bruegger’s Bagels for breakfast. William took Sarah for her birthday before he went on a trip with a group of his friends. He was almost late to the airport because he wanted to stay longer on the date. We just sat and talked about our lives and continued getting to know each other. We both knew we wanted there to be many more dates after this one.
How long have you been together? We have been together for four and a half years!
What are your favorite hobbies and activities to do as a couple? We love to Netflix binge, go out to eat, go to the beach, and travel together.
Who popped the question and HOW? Every year, Sarah’s family goes to Kiawah Island, South Carolina on vacation. For the past couple of years, I (William) have joined in on these family trips. After gaining permission from Sarah’s parents, I decided to propose at Kiawah this past summer. In order to keep it as much of a surprise as possible I planned to pop the question on my birthday. This way Sarah would just think we were dressing nice and going to dinner to celebrate. So that night, we went to a nice restaurant on the island and had a wonderful dinner. Following dinner, we walked to this beautiful courtyard just beside the beach, where I had a photographer hiding in the bushes. I knelt down and told Sarah how I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. It was the perfect moment, and I was so grateful that she said yes. After taking some pictures, we went back to the house where we were staying and Sarah’s family had prepared an engagement party for us!
Why did you pick Waynesville and the Laurel Ridge Country Club? We knew we wanted to get married in the mountains near where we grew up. William suggested Laurel Ridge and when we visited it we knew it was everything we were looking for! It was rustic and displayed so beautifully the mountains we call home.
What adjective best describes your spouse on your wedding day?
Sarah: William was so handsome. I just loved looking at him and seeing him smile.
William: If I had to choose one, I would say perfect, because she encapsulated everything I could picture in a wife.
What tangible detail of your wedding day did you love the most?
Sarah: I loved the flowers. A close family friend designed and created all the flower arrangements and my aunts came early Saturday morning to set them all up. My bouquet even had some hosta’s in it to honor my dad who plants them in our backyard. It was such a blessing to know how much love and care went into the flowers.
William: My favorite thing was the photo memory book that Sarah gave me. She put different pictures together in a journal with stories reminding me of some of our favorite memories together and of what she loves and admires about me. She also left space at the end for us to add more memories that we make together as a married couple. It was so thoughtful and will be something that I cherish forever.
How many guests attended the wedding? 180
What did you and your guests eat at the reception? We had fried chicken, pulled pork, green beans, mashed potatoes, and salad. William’s favorite was the pulled pork and Sarah loved the mashed potatoes!
What was the flavor of your wedding cake? We had a vanilla cake with buttercream frosting.
What was your first dance song and why did you pick it? Perfect by Ed Sheeran. We chose this song because this was our perfect day together.
What stood out to you the most when you think of your wedding? We think of what Sarah’s pastor said about marriage. When we meet Jesus one day face to face we should recognize Him because we have seen Him through our spouse throughout our lives together. We should see Jesus’ love and kindness for us in each other. This reminds us of our purpose as a couple and as wonderful as our wedding was, the most beautiful part is that we can love and serve each other for the rest of our lives through our marriage.
And now here are a few photos from their amazing wedding back in June!
First look with the bridesmaids!
First Look between Sarah and William!
Father and sons.
Donuts from Krispy Kreme and cookies made by William’s Grammy!
Congrats to the happy couple!!
Shout out to these professionals that made this day happen!
Venue coordinator – Leshall Conklin with Laurel Ridge Country Club
Makeup artist – Wendy Balance with Blush Asheville
Hair designer – Amanda Hughes with Hughes Hair Design
Floral designer – Ann Ashley
Caterer – Laurel Ridge Country Club
DJ or Band – Dennis Byrd
Officiant – Reverend Richard White
Cake designer – Cathy Berlin
Videographer – Austin Evans
Wedding hashtag- #oneinamills
