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 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 MoreIf you know me, you know just how much I advocate for making your wedding celebration(s) perfectly tailored to you as a couple and as a family. When I met Jennifer and Pete at the Rickhouse’s February open house and heard them excitedly talk about their plan to get married in Aruba surrounded by family, then celebrate with family and friends back home in Durham, I knew that we’d be exactly the right fit for each other! And they absolutely proved me right - from their laid-back reception allowing them to interact with all of their guests, to their exceptional food choices (including an ice cream truck!), ending the evening with sunset portraits on the field “photobombed” by their children and children’s friends - it was the perfect balance of easygoing elegance, history, and joy.
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!
Bringing together large groups of people can be daunting, particularly when planning a wedding in the middle of Covid not knowing what everyone’s exact circumstances might be. But when Amanda and Harrison’s families and friends came together for their wedding last month, I was struck by just how amiable every single guest and vendor was. Amanda’s bridal attendants especially were completely devoted to ensuring that the happy couple have the best (and smoothest) day ever. So I have to give a shoutout to that exceptional group of ladies for helping me to round up people for photos, for being conscious of time so that we remained on time to the minute all day long, and for putting together a really sweet getting ready playlist!
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 MoreBut most of all, to document their commitment ceremony precisely two years to the minute from the start time of their first date - an evening when each realized that the other was something very special - may have been the most meaningful piece of all. Particularly since Nick’s vows left every single one of us in tears.
Reliving this wedding, I still can’t believe how quickly these two pulled together such a beautiful and flawless event. I’m honored that we not only got to document the occasion, but that we could also live stream their intimate ceremony so that her parents and other family and friends back home still got to very much be a part of their day.
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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