A Simple, Elegant Wedding at the Nasher Museum of Art in Durham, North Carolina

Carla Hermida, 27, Attorney and Matt Clements, 28, Mechanical Engineer met as freshmen at Duke University through Campus Crusade for Christ. They were friendly throughout college, but it wasn’t until a few years later that the two really made a connection. They reconnected during Duke’s homecoming weekend. “We all hung out all weekend and Carla and I really hit it off. The key moment for me happened at the North Carolina State Fair. Since I didn’t know Carla that well, I had the impression that she was a ‘girly-girl.’ But, when I saw her eating a giant turkey leg at the fair, I realized that she really cool and a lot of fun,” says Matt. They recognized they’d come across something special and decided to give a long distance relationship a chance. On the two year anniversary of their first date, Matt decided to pop the question at an ACC basketball tournament in Greensboro, NC, which mirrored their first date. Matt enlisted the help of Carla’s mother and her bible study leader (who ultimately saved the day) to pull off the public proposal. Despite having encountered a few problems during the planning process, on the day of the proposal, things went off without a hitch. Matt lead Carla into the gym where she was greeted with a festive display, complete with a balloon arch, music and a banner that read “Carla, will you marry me.” To celebrate their nuptials, the couple looked no further than the place it all began — Duke. Before kicking off the festivities, Carla and Matt exchanged vows in a traditional ceremony at Duke Chapel. For their reception, the newlyweds and their guests headed over the Nasher Museum, the perfect backdrop for their elegant affair. The unique setting required little embellishment and offered guests an interactive experience; guests were allowed to walk through the galleries during the reception. They chose a playful color palette of bright pink, black and white and incorporated lots of fun, personal touches like a surprise choreographed father-daughter dance, a cookie table (a Pittsburgh tradition) and a stadium groom’s cake, complete with skyline and jumbotron.