• J.D., cum laude, Campbell Law School, 2012
• B.S., University of Maryland, 2009

• Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce
• Cary Chamber of Commerce
• North Carolina Bar Association — Section: Labor and Employment Law, member; Career Services Task Force, Chair, 2016-2017; Strategic Planning and Emerging Trends Committee, member, 2014-2017; Division: Young Lawyers – Wellness Committee, Chair, 2015-2016

• North Carolina, 2012
• United States District Court for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina

One surprising thing people don’t know about me is that I was late to my own wedding—because I fell down the stairs on my wedding day and started bleeding profusely, on my dress, right before I was supposed to walk down the aisle.

The extended version:  I was in the balcony, stealthily watching my precious and precocious two-year-old nephew (a.k.a. the ring bearer) walk down the aisle.  After he had reached my bridesmaids, my dad and I turned to walk down the concrete balcony stairs.  While holding my dress and hurriedly walking down the steep stairs, I missed a step and fell straight on my back and elbow.

As I was getting up, my dad blurted out “Lord of Mercy, Devon, are you alright?!”  My adrenaline must have answered for me when I said, “I’m fine,” because my dad’s voice showed serious concern as he informed me that my elbow was gashed and there was blood all over my veil and dripping down onto my dress.  Yes, this seriously happened.

Meanwhile, my future husband, bridesmaids, maid of honor, and precious ring-bearer were all at the altar waiting for me. Our guests were also standing and waiting, and my processional music was playing (the entire time).

My dad somehow miraculously got the blood off of my veil, and I used my great grandmother’s special handstitched handkerchief (my “something borrowed” that became my “something old” after this ordeal) to cover my elbow while we walked down the aisle.  My processional music had played for approximately 2.5 minutes, with the audience standing, before I made my appearance.

I know that everything happens for a reason. In this case, it was to keep all the men in my life— my dad, my husband, and my father-in-law, who had married us —smiling and laughing over my clumsiness rather than teary-eyed.  In fact, as my dad walked me down the aisle, he smiled and said, “well honey, you’ve always known how to keep things exciting.”

The best part of the story is that my 6’5” husband had to hold my wedding bouquet during the ceremony so that I could link my arm around his and still hold the handkerchief on my elbow. We had to stand very close together so I could do this. Several lifelong family-friends from church (none of whom knew I had fallen) told our moms after the wedding that they thought it was so cute how close we stood together, and they could tell we were so in love.  We were and we are, but little did they know I had to stand that close to stop the bleeding!