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Aimee & Kyle
October 10, 2010 at Proximity Hotel
By Page Leggett  |  Photography by Carisa Chee Photography
 
Ceremony & Reception Proximity Hotel
Officiant Reverend Gerald Donnelly
Photography Carisa Chee Photography
Wedding Director Amanda Martin from Proximity Hotel
Ceremony Director Maria Mellonas
Invitations weddingpaperdivas.com
Gown “Madison Marie” by Maggie Sottero
Bridesmaids’ Dresses J. Crew
Hair Joselin M Color Studio 
Make-up Natasha Chamberlain from MAC
Formalwear The Men’s Warehouse
Caterer Print Works Bistro
Florist Just Priceless
Cake Delicious
Music/Entertainment Complete Music
First Dance Song “Hold You in my Arms” by Ray LaMontagne
Accommodations Proximity Hotel
Honeymoon/Travel Secrets Maroma Beach in Cancun, Mexico
Transportation Proximity Hotel
Favors Daisy flower seedlings and personalized drink coozies

Aimee Dorrell and Kyle Jackson’s marriage seems to have been preordained. The Dorrell and Jackson families have known each other since Aimee and Kyle were four years old, but they didn’t start dating until college. And even then, it happened almost by accident … like fate was nudging them together but wasn’t going to rush it.
 
Aimee and Kyle, high school classmates who didn’t know each other well, enrolled at East Carolina University (ECU) in 2002. Aimee joined a sorority and needed a date for a sorority event. Being new on campus, she hadn’t met many people. She thought, “I’ll just ask that guy I went to high school with.”
 
They dated casually – once every three or four months – until they went on what they consider their first official date on January 2, 2004. They dated for six years before taking that next big step.  
 
After six years together, you might suspect the engagement was a foregone conclusion – that Aimee knew exactly when it was coming. But, Kyle managed to surprise her.  Aimee recalls the day vividly. “It was Thursday, December 17, 2009,” she said. “I woke up…and complained about having to go to work. Kyle said, ‘Don’t go.’”  When Aimee told him she had to, he was more insistent. “Really. Don’t go,” he said. “I talked to your manager, and got you the day off because we have to go pick up your Christmas present.”
 
The couple went out for breakfast and then walked around Duke Gardens in Durham. (They were living in Raleigh at the time.) Kyle found a bench suitable to his purpose and suggested they sit. He
got down on one knee, pulled out the engagement ring and asked the woman he had known since childhood to be his wife.
Then, came the planning.
 
Many a groom has found himself stunned by the logistics involved in pulling together a wedding. Kyle expresses the sensation most grooms have felt when he said, “I had no idea how much was involved in the wedding-planning process.” But, he had confidence in his bride and her choices. As an assistant property manager at a student apartment community, Aimee has to be good with details.
 
“I knew with Aimee and her mom being the planners they are, that everything would get done, and the day would be just what we wanted.”
 
“I really wanted to be involved with choosing the photographer and the music but other than that, I trusted Aimee to decide on all the little details.”
 
The flowers are among those many details. The florists at Just Priceless in High Point put some samples together, and Aimee chose daisies and lilies in pink, green and white for the bridesmaids and a bridal bouquet of assorted white flowers. For a natural touch twigs or small branches were incorporated into the bridesmaids’ bouquets. 
 
Aimee chose a color scheme right for the season –  “spiced wine and gray,” she said. Her seven bridesmaids dressed the part in knee-length, halter-style dresses in a spiced wine color, which Aimee said was “perfect for fall.” 
 
Finding a dress – one of the biggest tasks on any bride’s to-do list –  turned out to be a snap. “It was the first one I tried on, and I just knew it was the one,” said Aimee.
 
The dress that seemed predestined to be hers was a one-piece, strapless, A-line gown with a sweetheart neckline and corset closure. It featured a ruched bodice and gentle gathering at the side skirt. Beaded embellishments and Swarovski crystals added texture and sparkle to the neckline and hip.
 
Choosing the place for the wedding and reception turned out to be easy, too.
 
“We visited a couple of places, but the staff at Proximity Hotel really made us feel welcome and showed a genuine interest in us and what we wanted the feel of our wedding to be.”
 
Aimee and Kyle, an illustrator/graphic designer, agreed the choice of their wedding photographer was crucial.
“I think one of the most important things to spend a good bit of your budget on is photography. The day goes by fast, and all you will have when it’s over are the pictures to look back on.”
 
Kyle and Amy agree they made a great choice in selecting Cari Chee, owner of Carisa Chee Photography, as their photographer. “She was amazing,” gushed Aimee.
 
Actually, the whole wedding was amazing. Aimee said, “It was perfect – more than I expected, and I don’t think I would have changed anything. Everything went as planned, and all our vendors were on time and just as excited as we were. The staff at Proximity made the day perfect.”
 
And, of all the planning that goes into making this day perfect – the dress shopping, choosing the florist and caterer, finding the dress and veil – it all, in the end, comes down to just one thing: who you’re planning to share the rest of your life with.
In the end, Aimee’s most memorable part of the big day was a simple moment. 
 
“The most memorable part … for me was when I turned the corner and saw Kyle’s face at the end of the aisle. He was smiling from ear to ear and, even though there were over 100 people there, all I saw was him.”