Don’t worry, you’re in the right place: Pixel Dust, the Sweet Life Photo blog.  I just felt like changing things up a bit. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

And since a post without a photo is just plain wrong, here’s a sneak peek from Kristina and Wesley’s December wedding. Kristina’s mom Pam was helping her with her jewelry and leaned in to kiss her shoulder. I just about lost it. Don’t you just love weddings?

Alysia and Luther were married on a beautiful November day, the kind of temperate winter day we're so lucky to enjoy in NC. They were married at Millbrook United Methodist Church here in Raleigh. The church is right on the corner of two busy streets and it can be tough to get a good shot of it -- you practically have to step into oncoming traffic! I love this shot Frank got with that gorgeous winter sun peeking around the corner.

Alysia, her mom and bridesmaids started out the day at Primp Salon Bar on West Street in Raleigh. Primp will forever be one of my favorite salon locations to shoot for the simple reason that they have cupcakes from The Cupcake Shoppe that they pass around to their clients (and the occasional wedding photographer.) Strawberry is my favorite flavor...no wait -- make that lemon.

Alysia's make-up was done by the talented Rodney Robledo. Rodney's recent move to Raleigh is Miami's loss and Raleigh's gain. I'm such an advocate of having your make-up done by a professional make-up artist for your wedding day. It's a lot of fun, but more importantly, can make a big difference in how you look in your wedding day photographs. Why spend all that money on a dress, veil, shoes, jewelry, hair, etc. and have your face look exactly the way it does every day? A professional make-up artist knows that brows, eyes and lips need special attention to really pop in photograph and photograph. OK, sermon over. Just give Rodney a call. Moving on...

 

Alysia's mom Ada, her sister and bridesmaids help place her mantilla-style veil in the perfect position.

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful window light.

 

 

 

At the church, Luther gets a little help with his tie from a groomsmen. As you'll see, Luther has a 1000-watt smile that just electrifies the frame when he lets it rip.

 

 

 

 

 

See that little black book Luther's holding? That's his wedding gift from his bride-to-be -- photos from a boudoir session we did back in the early Fall at the Matthews House in Cary. Having seen the photos, I can tell you -- Luther is one lucky man. Ladies, if you're looking for a wedding gift that he'll never forget, give me a call to schedule a boudoir session! (Love the socks, too.)

 

 

 

 

Alysia is pretty lucky, herself.

 

 

 

 

Preparations complete, Alysia waits upstairs for the ceremony to begin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The church was super-strict about photography. Luckily, after we promised to be good girls and boys, we were allowed to shoot if we stayed in the back and didn't go crazy.

 

 

 

 

 

Extreme temperatures in June meant we had to reschedule Alysia's bridal portrait session not once but twice, so Alysia and Luther decided to swap out that session with a Fearless Bridal session this Spring. I'm so excited about this session, especially since a tight schedule and a wedding beginning at 5:00 pm meant no outdoor couple portraits. Here's a shot of the two of them before heading off to the reception and a close-up of Alysia's stunning bouquet by Stephanie at Wild Bloom Flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

The reception was held at the beautiful Capital City Club in downtown Raleigh. I love to shoot here -- it's a lovely location and the staff is terrific. Here's a street-side shot of Alysia and Luther arriving in a Rolls at the reception with the bridal party waiting for them.

 

 

 

 

A romantic first dance with a great finish:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes we get lucky. I'd like to say that I planned this sequence of Alysia's dad giving his toast with a shot of the couple, her dad's arm lifted in a toast in the reflection and the bride trying to keep her emotions in check...but I didn't. I'm just glad it happened!

 

 

 

 

I'm sometimes asked if a room full of windows will pose a lighting problem during the reception. My answer is always a qualified "NO" -- especially when you can get cool reflections and capture the lights of the city at the same time. The only time windows are a problem is when Uncle Bob stands behind me and fires his flash straight into the window! Here's a shot of Alysia & Luther's delicious cake, by the always amazing Lorie at Simply Cakes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The part of the night that never fails to get me all misty-eyed...

 

 

 

 

Luther got the party started by surprising Alysia's mom Ada with a special request: dancing to"Low" by Flo-Rida. It was a great moment and set the tone for a very fun party! (Isn't Ada's emerald-green dress to-die-for??)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do I have the greatest job or what?? Getting to photograph gorgeous people in a swanky setting having a great time?

 

 

I love this shot of Luther surprising Alysia with an impromptu lap dance before undertaking the traditional garter-removal expedition. My thanks to the guest responsible for that well-timed flash.

 

 

 

Mission accomplished!

 

 

 

 

 

 

All too soon, it was time for the final dance and one last toast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alysia and Luther, it was such an honor to be share this celebration with you. We wish you both a lifetime of love and happiness!

There are enormous wolf sculptures out front that are meant to look
like they'd been carved from rock. The kids (including the sisters of
the birthday boys) had a blast climbing on them. They call this their
"album cover" shot.

Kat digs in to a monstrous pastry called a "S'more" in the bakery by the waterpark. Funny, I don't remember s'mores weighing a pound.

Daniel on the fake surfing ride. He loved it, but didn't last long. The water is so powerful that it shoots right back up to the top where you get on the board in a split-second if you fall off.

Nate takes his turn. I think of Nate as "The Zen Master." He's always so calm and self-possessed, way beyond his years. He's really smart, too.  I love this picture -- it looks like we could be anywhere. Yeah, that's right, we went to Hawaii to celebrate President's Day. Didn't everyone?

Claire's favorite part of the park is a pool where you cross by holding onto a net and jumping onto these floating, but very slippery, lily-pad-type discs in the water. She was the best at it of all the kids.

Such a goofball.

Of course, Kat hates this picture. But I love how the water nearly matches her eyes.

These guys have been friends since they were babies and I'm looking forward to watching them grow up and celebrating their birthdays in even more adventurous ways!