W E D D I N G S
BRANNON & HEMSWORTH
W BY NICHOL AS MOT TA PHOTOGRAPHY BY KRYSTAL KAST KRYSTALKASTPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
Will Hemsworth and Chapel Hill native Mandy Brannon first
met at a friend’s New Year’s Eve party in 2014. The two UNC alumni reconnected on their first date in May 2015, and they’ve been together ever since. A year-and-a-half later, the couple took a weekend getaway to Asheville where Will planned a stay at The Inn on Biltmore Estate and a surprise proposal. They walked up the hill to see the statue of Diana on the grounds and set up a GoPro for a selfie. When Mandy got into place, Will got down on one knee. After a “yes” from Mandy, the overjoyed couple returned to an evening by the fireplace with dessert from the inn. The pair exchanged vows on September 9, 2017 at the open-air church at the Chapel Hill Carriage House. Mandy’s uncle, Dick Powell, a Texas pastor, officiated the wedding. With 200 friends and
family at the wedding including their parents – Julie Amos, Rick Brannon and George and Molly Hemsworth – the couple felt the love surrounding them. After the ceremony, guests sipped signature cocktails, enjoyed unique food stations and played lawn games out 144
chapelhillmagazine.com March 2018
near the barn. Carriage House owner Brenda Leeper even brought out her goat and alpaca, who were dressed up as a bride and groom, to join the festivities. Guests kept the party going all night on the dance floor and the couple exited among a sea of sparklers. Following the wedding, Will and Mandy went on a two-week excursion to Hawaii for their honeymoon. They now reside in Raleigh with their dog, Cole. CHM