The Cloth Mill at Eno River Wedding
Megan & Patrick’s Wedding at The Cloth Mill at Eno River
It’s not every day that I get to photograph a friend’s wedding! I was beyond excited when Megan Collins, my college suitemate, booked Fancy This Photography. Megan and Patrick Prince hosted a winter-wedding ceremony and reception at The Cloth Mill at Eno River in Hillsborough, NC on Dec. 11, 2021.
Megan first met Pat through her former roommate Estefany, who dated Pat’s twin brother David (Estefany and David are now engaged). Megan and Pat were just friends until they reconnected as singles in 2018. Pat needed a date for a friend’s wedding in Savannah, Georgia and Megan agreed to go as a friend. Spoiler: Megan and Pat left that wedding as more than friends.
On Aug. 14, 2020, Patrick proposed to Megan in Spruce Pine, NC. Megan didn’t expect an engagement when they originally set out on the camping trip. But, she grew suspicious when Pat asked if she planned on putting makeup on before a hike. Suspicion grew even more when Pat bribed Megan to finish the hike with a prize. The bribery was necessary because Megan was ready to turn around when the “moderate” trail had them both grasping at roots to reach a romantic waterfall view.
The couple jumped right into wedding planning after Megan said “yes” to Pat’s hiking proposal. When selecting a photographer, the bride-to-be remembered her fun former college suitemate.
“Ever since [Nikki] began Fancy This Photography, I’ve followed her work and have been a big fan of her style,” says Megan. “Nikki and her team were a dream to work with - neither of us are particularly comfortable in front of a camera, but they made Pat and I both feel at ease, and really captured all of the fun in the day.”
Keep scrolling to witness Megan and Patrick’s winter wedding at The Cloth Mill at Eno River.
Planning a Wedding at The Cloth Mill at Eno River in Hillsborough, NC
The Cloth Mill at Eno River is located in Hillsborough, less than five minutes from I-40 and I-85 and 15 minutes from downtown Durham. Franklin St. is just a 20-minute drive away and it takes approximately 45 minutes to get to downtown Raleigh from the venue. The Cloth Mill can accommodate a maximum of 250 guests for both a ceremony and reception.
Rental of The Cloth Mill at Eno River includes:
Exclusive access to the outdoor courtyard, mill, dressing suites and amenities
Tables and chairs for 250 guests
Market lights
10 hours of venue access
Three custom portable bars
Catering prep kitchen
Privacy
Ample free parking
Couples who get married at The Cloth Mill can choose from their exclusive list of caterers. The venue also has a full ABC license, which means they offer a wide variety of liquor, beer and wine. Bar packages include beer and wine only, specialty drinks or full-service liquor options.
My favorite thing about The Cloth Mill at Eno River are the gorgeous, cathedral-size windows. Seriously. It looks magical when the sun sets just right, and the warehouse windows create marvelous shadows. The Cloth Mill is a large space, so there is tons of room for creative event design. Combine this with exposed brick walls and original wood beam flooring … It's simply beautiful.
“We had a wonderful experience at The Cloth Mill,” says Megan. “It was the perfect backdrop for our vision of the day, and Nicole and her staff were super great to work with.”
Outdoor Wedding at The Cloth Mill at Eno River
My favorite moment from Megan and Patrick’s wedding at The Cloth Mill happened during the ceremony. It was when Megan's dad, Tim Collins, walked her down the aisle. You could tell that he was so proud and happy for his daughter. Those photos are some of my all-time favorites.
The ceremony was held outside and began at 4 p.m. Megan’s cousin, Matt Waller, played live guitar during the event. Abbe Collins, the bride’s sister, served as Maid of Honor and Lindsay Finch, the bride’s best friend, was Matron of Honor. The bride’s cousin, Amy Ancone, Estefany Vruwink, sister-in-law, and friend, Ashley Prince, were bridesmaids. Megan and her father walked down the aisle to the song “Bron-Yr-Aur” by Led Zeppelin.
Pat’s twin brother, David Prince, served as best man. Matt Barnes, Kevin Holmes, Erik Woods and Scott Pitaro are longtime friends and happily claimed the role of groomsmen. The ceremony was officiated by Reverend Richard Spell, Patrick’s uncle. Mr. and Mrs. Prince exited the ceremony to the song “I believe in a Thing Called Love” by The Darkness.
Beautiful Bridal Portraits by Fancy This Photography
Bride Megan looked angelic in a strapless, ball gown wedding dress from New York Bride & Groom of Raleigh. Statement earrings from Olive + Piper and green shoes from the Sarah Jessica Parker collection completed her winter wedding-day attire. Megan’s hair and makeup were both styled by Wedded Kiss.
The Best of Both Worlds: Black & White and Colorized Images
I used two Nikon cameras to capture Megan and Patrick’s wedding. One camera is a Nikon D850 and the other is a Nikon D750. You might notice that some of the images in this blog are in color and some are in black and white. If strong emotion is showcased in a photo, I love to also include a black and white version of the same image. In other words, any black and white photos that clients receive will always also have a colorized version.
How to Capture a Wedding Veil: Let It Be
Megan had a fabulous wedding veil. Sometimes, a veil will do what it wants to do. My advice? Let it be. Veils that are cathedral length are stunning. As wind catches a veil, it creates a cinematic motion in the air. The best way to photograph the veil when this happens is as-is. I like to lean into my photography organically. To me, this is what made Megan’s bridal portraits so unique.
Winter Wedding at The Cloth Mill at Eno River
Guests enjoyed a cocktail hour after Megan and Patrick’s ceremony. During this time, the newlyweds sat together and ate dinner in privacy. This brief, intimate moment gave them a chance to breathe and cherish the day. Raleigh-based Donovan’s Dish catered the formal wedding reception.
The wedding’s theme was under-stated Christmas with lots of candles and greenery. Ivory, white, gold and green filled the color palette. Linens, place settings and glassware rented from American Party Rentals paired perfectly with floral designs by Specialties Events.
Instead of a traditional guestbook, Megan and Patrick asked guests to sign a personalized Jenga game set. Miniature mercury glass holiday ornaments served as escort cards - a nod to Pat’s job as a contractor.
Raleigh-based Love Cake prepared an incredible, four-tier wedding cake adorned in flowers. Megan’s mother, Judy Ancone Collins, added 600-plus assorted handmade Christmas cookies to the dessert table. These paired perfectly with individual, old-school cartons of milk.
As you can see, I simply adore warehouse-style weddings. Click here to see Joshua and Stephanie’s industrial-chic celebration at The Bottle Factory in Monroe, NC.
Photographer // Fancy This Photography
Venue // The Cloth Mill at Eno River
Wedding Dress // New York Bride & Groom of Raleigh
Bridal Shoes // Sarah Jessica Parker
Earrings // Olive + Piper
Hair & Makeup // Wedded Kiss
Tux Rentals // Men’s Wearhouse
Cake // Love Cake
Florals // Specialties Events
Catering // Donovan’s Dish
Linens, Place Settings & Glassware // American Party Rentals