Though October is usually a bustling and joyful month here in WNC - particularly for the wedding industry - this year has, for obvious reasons, been both quieter and much more uncertain. So, it was with even more excitement than usual (is that possible?) that Anna and Andrew’s family, friends, and wedding vendors came together to create what was one of the most relaxed, seamless, and happy celebrations that I’ve ever been a part of in my 12 years of photographing weddings.
Read MoreI think we and the wedding party collectively spent hours watching last Friday’s radar, optimistically discussing our fair-weather photo plan but realistically planning for the rain. Julie & Cormick’s wedding day dawned gray and rainy, but just as it was time for their first look, the skies cleared and the sun brilliantly shone through.
However, when it really came down to it, these newlyweds were just as giddy to dance together in the rain that came down moments after they said “I do!” Thank you so much for trusting me with documenting your beautiful day, and thank you to everyone who worked their wedding magic! 💙
Read MoreOctober 14, 2023: beautiful day with the very sweetest family. The meticulously hand-stitched wedding gown designed by the bride’s sister, the ceremony officiated by her parents, the pages worth of tear-inducing vows from both partners, the first dance set against the just-changing leaves, the exceptional toasts, and the happy couple even taking the time out of their special day to congratulate all of the recently married and engaged couples. We had the most perfect October day in the mountains possible - first cozy under a blanket of fog and then brilliantly colorful once the festivities began - and it was such an honor to get to document a day full of love like this one.
Read MoreCombining my own love of travel with a desire to capture my couple’s stories more personally, getting to photograph a couple’s engagement session in their neighborhood - where they’re spending this season of their lives together - is such an intimate part of the wedding process because they’re showing me a glimpse into their real personal lives, and it makes the photos that much more meaningful.
After months of uncertainly, an almost-rescheduling, and making the decision to postpone for one day as I sat in Grand Central watching a nasty thunderstorm roll though, I finally got to spend an evening at their subway stop, their favorite ice cream shop and the nearby riverside park.
Read MoreWhen I first moved to the Triangle, one of the things that really interested me about the area was the historical architecture. While I’m a nature girl at heart, photographically I’ve always preferred the lines, colors and abstract shapes that geometric backdrops provide - especially if their stories add another dimension to those within my images. When touring venues and getting to know other local wedding vendors, The Cookery stood out to me as the exact indoor + outdoor wedding venue with a variety of textures and lighting steeped in Durham history that I first envisioned!
In particular, the bar area built from Durham’s former trolley line and backed by the building’s original brick spoke of jazz music and speakeasies - and I later learned that it had actually been a jazz club in the 1920’s. In my mind I immediately created this portrait of a bold bride in black, perhaps resting between dances and totally stealing the show with her vibrant accent colors set against the alternative flowing gown.
While the weather’s restrictions may have initially created some strict parameters in which we had to rethink and re-explore our original ideas, I think that’s the perfect analogy for a creative life: even the best laid plays go astray and it’s how you create amidst the changes that really matters. Thank you so, so much to everyone who helped us create this epic photoshoot! I’m now more excited than ever to be a part of this incredible wedding community.
Read MoreThe absolute best thing I get to hear as a photographer is that a couple - who began our partnership weary of having their photo made - genuinely enjoyed the experience. When I first met Stephanie and Marc in person for their spring engagement photos, Stephanie had just had back surgery. So, not only were they both nervous to have their portrait made, but I was scared I’d somehow pose them in a way that wasn’t doc-approved! . By our fall engagement session (we’d split it into two to allow Stephanie time to recover) they were cautiously dancing together in the garden, preparing for their first dance. By their wedding day? They smiled for the camera as if they’d been doing it for years!
Read MoreSet against the formidable Mt. Hood, decorated with home grown flowers, catered by their families, and featuring many sweet speeches from loved ones, their wedding day was full of beautiful and personal touches. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a couple cry so many happy tears, a testament to just how happy they were to have finally found each other.
It’s a great honor for another photographer to trust you to document their day, and I had an exceptional weekend on the West Coast capturing their joy!
If we gave out superlatives for wedding couples rather than vendors,Laura and Gabe would definitely get “most welcoming.” Certainly from their loved ones - it seemed like everywhere they turned they threw their arms up excited to hug another guest, almost all of whom traveled quite a distance to attend. In every single photo, I caught both Laura and Gabe with huge grins on their faces, making sure each person knew just how much their attendance meant to them.
Read MoreAnd as always with this kind of theme, their wedding day dawned with the sure promise of rain right at the time of their first look. As their photographer, this was disappointing for me as well because I’d scouted what I knew to be an epic selection of first look and portrait locations amongst the River Arts District studios, but Mother Nature had other plans. Not only were Mike and Lexi exceptionally relaxed as we changed plans on a dime, but they graciously trusted me to guide them through their first look, wedding party portraits and couple’s photos in a location they’d never seen, simply happy to be together.
Read MoreIf there is any perk to planning and replanning a wedding several times, from across the country, over the course of three years, it’s that by the time their wedding day finally arrived, Amy and Bryce had created a wedding perfectly suited to them. From their focus on sustainability through local, eco-friendly florals to their use of the Stardust theme throughout their reception decor; their incorporation of hand fasting into their ceremony to their personally-design trivia game for the reception, every detail and experience told a story about their relationship.
Read MoreIn true Jenna and John fashion, their ceremony featured a clinking of their wedding rings. This was one of many personal touches, as they also spent countless hours creating and painting every floral bouquet, designed dice with their wedding date specifically for the occasion, and were serenading by many of their extremely talented musical friends during the cocktail hour and reception. These two also smartly took care of the legalities of their marriage the morning of so that their good friend could preside over the ceremony, which resulted in a ceremony equally full of giggles and happy tears.
Read MoreSeeing their faces light up, eyes shining, as they saw each other for the first time in their wedding finery, it was like no one and nothing else in the world mattered at that moment. I love first looks for that reason, but particularly because even in the middle of a hectic day, the instant they were together they both breathed easier, seemed so much more at peace.
After an engagement session, a bridal portrait shoot and several hours spent planning, I felt like I really knew these two, so watching them exchange vows left me just as teary-eyed. To get to celebrate two people who are unendingly caring and sweet to all they encounter was such an honor!
Read MoreI’ve been doing things differently this year simply offering coverage of the entire wedding day rather than trying to condense it into one smaller packaged set of hours. And this especially came in handy when we decided to drive separately up to the Blue Ridge Parkway 25 minutes away for their first look! The first look is almost always my favorite part of the day anyways, but getting to coordinate one with the sunlit mountains in the background, no one else in attendance and only the sounds of birds chirping and breeze blowing? Absolutely perfect.
Read MoreBy nature of their small event, we actually spent much of the day taking portraits together, enjoying the long afternoon golden hour that November brings and then running off to the Old City after their short and sweet ceremony. We spent the whole day ahead of schedule, allowing for plenty of time for them to safely mingle with their families without feeling the rush that a big wedding can bring. And finally to end the night, these two ultra runners changed into their much-preferred shoes and literally ran off into the distance (towards ice cream.)
Read MoreWhen Cassie and Charles cancelled their wedding back in the spring, concerned that COVID-19 wouldn’t allow for a safe and enjoyable wedding, Emmaleigh and I knew we wanted to do everything we could to ensure they still had a beautiful day together, even if it wasn’t what they originally planned. And boy were we rewarded; this was such a reminder that everything happens for a reason. As I write this on October 10th, the day they had originally planned to wed, it has been pouring nonstop all day long. But on Thursday, two days ago, Cassie and Charles got to read their vows to each other on a quiet hill under a vibrant sunset. And then the four of us shared an incredible cake and a bottle of champagne (purchased by sweet strangers!) by the fireplace after dark.
Read MoreBethany and Raul, their friends and family, and my photography team got to start the new decade in the best way possible: with an outpouring of love and faith. The love part is obvious, but seeing Bethany and Raul’s faith manifest in more subtle ways was equally beautiful.
What’s more, as it was a rainy, chilly January day, they had to have a lot of faith in us to make sure that their photos were beautiful, while still enjoying the experience! Not always can you convince a bride to get her train wet (post-ceremony, of course!) so that she can have a few romantic outdoor photos in the rain, but Bethany was game for anything, trusting that we knew what we were doing and that we’d take good care of her gown. Luckily, she had her new husband to keep her warm, and then the two of them danced the night away within the excellent architecture of Waterfront Hall.
Read MoreFor the very last photos of their Charlotte engagement session, Laura and Chris (per Chris’s half joking idea) ran through a fountain. We finished our photoshoot all laughing; them completely drenched, Emmaleigh’s shoes and pants soaked through from holding a flash, me nicely dry but nonetheless ecstatic about our photos.
A few weeks later, Emmaleigh and I stood on the balcony of the penthouse suite of the Indigo Hotel watching an enormous rain cloud roll over West Asheville towards us, this time quite a bit less excited about the impending drenching.
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