November 24, 2018 Intimate Wedding at Clarklewis || Portland, OR

A couple weeks ago I got to live out one of my many dreams; I got to photography a wedding in Portland. The milestone was exciting, but it was my experience at the wedding that really reminded me why I began photographing weddings in the first place. Every single piece of this celebration - from the seating assignments using a photo of one or both of the brides with the assignee to the dozen toasts to the chorus of every guest singing the final ceremony song - was personal. The atmosphere of the entire day was one of thoughtfulness, of peace, of brilliant happiness (both for the couple and from them.)

Wiseman's View Surprise Proposal || Julie + Trevor

We ended our photoshoot in signature fashion, adding another layer to this couple’s experience to even better remember their sweet weekend. To create this ring photo, Julie and Trevor collected leaves they thought were beautiful. Then, being a wildlife biologist, Trevor pulled out his field journal so they could press the leaves and keep them. Julie has reportedly dried and kept every flower Trevor has given her, so this was a fitting way to memorialize his proposal. I love getting to be a part of any surprise, but especially one so thoughtful as this!

Biltmore Estate Surprise Proposal || Kelsey + Kyle

Though golden hour is gorgeous, I just as much love shooting in that harsh late morning light, using natural spotlights to highlight my subjects’ emotions while pushing everything else into the background. This is, perhaps, hard to do when the background is a majestic mansion or an incredible mountain range, but Kelsey and Kyle’s elation still stole the show. As they were all smiles and laughter, I wanted to show off their playfulness, so they spent several breathless minutes laughing from the hilarity of chasing each other through a field and giving piggy-back rides.

Magical October 20, 2018 Wedding at Mountain Magnolia Inn || Alicia + Dave

October in the mountains at a Victorian inn built in the 1800s: this wedding was already a recipe for magic. But when Emmaleigh and I arrived at Mountain Magnolia Inn to begin capturing Alicia and Dave’s day, we didn’t realize just how much magic we were in store for.

Allie + Eric || Arboretum Elopement Photo Album

Among many other reasons, one of my favorite things about elopements is the amount of time I get to spend with each couple taking photos of simply the two of them. As we had over an hour of time for just couple's portraits at the North Carolina Arboretum, Allie and Eric's photo album is a beautiful showcase of their joy in becoming one!

Allie + Eric's Arboretum Elopement

Y'all know I love weddings, but I adore the romance of a couple so in love, they only want to focus on their commitment to each other. Allie and Eric were two such sweethearts! They made things legal at the courthouse that morning, then got all dressed up and met me at the North Carolina Arboretum for vows and portraits.

Portland Family Session + Birthday Celebration

Since they hadn't gotten photos with the whole family together in quite a long time, we started the gorgeous sunlit evening with some group portraits out in front of the house - first with just Sue and her daughters, then with spouses as well. Not only did their outfit colors all coordinate with each other (and the house!), but they had so many perfect seating spots for portraits - especially the wooden swing - so I felt like the yard was made just to be a photographer's playground.

October 14, 2017 Artsy Fall Wedding in Black Mountain

I've worked with quite a few crafty couples, but Alexis and James may just take the cake for the most personalized elements in their wedding. Not only did James and Alexis's parents create all of the beautiful bottle decor and her niece make the cute little owl cupcakes, but the bride herself was adorned in family heirlooms with a handmade dress crafted by her mother to take the cake! But, as beautiful as all of these things were, it was the amount of time behind them, the amount of effort that the families put into Alexis and James' big day, that truly showed how special the pair is.

September 9, 2017 Wedding at the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville, NC

Lauren and Eric's special day was no different; in fact, is was quite possible one of my favorite weddings I've ever shot because I got to see such an honest and wholehearted outpouring of love on all sides for the entire day (and a different side of Lauren than I saw capturing her on the tennis court!) From sweet mother and daughter moments while getting ready to the ladies-only trolley ride singing "Goin' to the Chapel", the devout Catholic ceremony to the celebratory kisses in front of the church, the tearful toasts to the energetic dancing - the whole day flew by as we soaked up every moment. Thank you to Lauren and Eric for letting me capture your big day and thank you to everyone who made their wedding so special!

Savannah and Kevin || Wedding Album

I love getting to watch my clients open their wedding albums for the first time. I don't always get to - sometimes I have to ship them or my couples want to go through them by themselves to quietly savor the moment. But when I do get to be there, the reactions are priceless! And Savannah and Kevin were no different. They were blown away by just how big the 12 x 12 inch heirloom album is, especially the breathtaking their beautiful images look as full page spreads.

Savannah and Kevin's Fields of Blackberry Cove Wedding

Savannah and Kevin may not have had the most conventional wedding - they're not the most conventional couple - and I think that's awesome! During the planning process, I try to make sure my couples are planning the wedding that they want, the one they'll enjoy in both moment and memory and that suits their personalities. Savannah and Kevin's did just that.

Jillian and Matt's Biltmore Engagement

Thanks to the power of the internet, I got to work with this fabulous couple from Florida last November capturing their engagement. Actually, not only did I get to shoot their engagement session, but I got to document the very moment she said "yes!" Matt had emailed me a couple months previously saying that he was planning to propose to his girlfriend at the Biltmore Estate and would love to have some photos to remember the whirlwind event and as a lover of proposals, I jumped at the chance.

Jodie and Surain's Arboretum Wedding

Through our planning process, I knew Jodie and Surain were looking for simplicity in their day - to focus on their union and their new family. They were a perfect couple for me to work with because this gave me the freedom to focus on their emotions; their excitement at seeing each other in their fancy wedding outfits, their happy tears through the ceremony, their content smiles during portraits and their giddy excitement during the reception when the realization of their new life together had started to set in.

The Rogers || Couple's Photo Album

As one of my favorite shoots of the fall, I've been meaning to sharing this album for a while, but wedding season certainly kept me busy. Now that I've got some time, here's a look at The Rogers' album from their couple's session around Waynesville.

The Rogers || Couple's Session in a Pumpkin Patch

I've said it before and I'll say it again: a man who gives his wife a photo shoot and album for her birthday is a man who knows what he's doing! I met Ashleigh at Kudzu Brands so I had actually photographed her before, but it was fun to do so in a more relaxed setting.

Asheville, NC Wedding on November 25, 2016

The day after Thanksgiving, I got to witness Terri and Jodi promise their lives to each other. While I get to see this quite often, their genuine happiness to make their vows and the pure outpouring of love from their families and friends brought more than one tear to my eye.

Katy and Mark's Crest Center Wedding

Through either ridiculously good luck or really smart branding I've somehow managed to shoot weddings exclusively for people with whom I feel sure I could be friends. Katy and Mark were certainly no exception and I was actually sad when leaving their wedding because I would more than likely not get to see them again as they live in New York City. They may sound strange to an outsider, but as a photographer (and a wedding shooter especially) you scrutinize people waiting for the most "them" moments - moments that will capture their essence and tell their story - so I felt like I knew the lovely pair incredibly well even though I'd only spent roughly 10 hours in their presence.

Asheville, NC Wedding on November 13, 2016

Neither sickness nor cold air nor wildfires could keep Savannah and Kevin from making the most of their special day. Their deep love and admiration for each other shone through in every look, every touch, every stolen smile as they celebrated their new life together. This autumn day called for some beautiful festive fall details from vibrant shoulder wraps to warm-toned flowers to pumpkins. Thank you to all the friends, family and fabulous local vendors who helped make this couple's day even more special! Stay tuned for Savannah and Kevin's full wedding blog post soon.