Allison and Chris were married at Duke Gardens on a beautiful sunny day in September. A memorable day in many ways, not the least for its date: 9-10-11. (Try to come up with a good excuse for forgetting your anniversary now, all you 9-10-11 grooms!) There were so many things I loved about this wedding, from Allison's adorable red shoes, the punch of color in the bridesmaids' dresses, Chris and company's super-modern classic khaki suits, calla lillies...but perhaps the best thing about their day was the overwhelming spirit of love, fun and celebration that was in evidence every where you looked. This couple is blessed with an amazing group of family and friends!

The day started out in separate suites at the Durham Marriott City Center. I love documenting the getting-ready portion of the day in hotel rooms.  It's hard to beat window light and it can be found in abundance in hotel rooms thanks to those giant windows. Frank met up with Chris and his guys who were all pretty much ready because, let's face it, the guys have much less to do when it comes to "getting ready" than the ladies do! They headed out into the downtown Durham sunshine for some pre-wedding portraits while I photographed all the girly stuff. Then it was off to the gardens for some quick portraits. The couple chose the Angle Amphitheater behind the Doris Duke Center for their ceremony, perhaps my favorite site in the gardens for a wedding because of its relative privacy, something that can be in short supply in a very popular public garden. Chris's uncle performed the sweet and simple ceremony that featured the couple reading personalized vows to each other. Guests moved onto the North Terrace for cocktail hour while we shot some couple portraits and then it was time to celebrate! Be on the lookout soon for a post featuring their Photobooth images -- one of my favorite Photobooths ever!

Enjoy more of our favorites from the wedding day in Chris and Allison's slide show below. Thanks for letting us share such a beautiful day with you.

We wish you a lifetime of love and happiness!

Kelsey and Cory met at NC State in the Fall of 2008. Kelsey was a sophomore; Cory was a senior. Cory literally caught Kelsey's eye by riding his bike up and down the hallway of the dorm where she was trying to study, having been chased out of her room by an amorous roommate and her boyfriend. Kelsey and some friends noticed something or someone periodically zooming by the open door and, intrigued, she poked her head out to see what was what. What she saw was Cory, burning off energy (he's got plenty). He stopped, removed his motorcycle helmet and introduced himself. The two spent the rest of the night talking until 3 a.m. in the hallway. The rest, Kelsey says, is history. (Wonder if that's the subject she was supposed to be studying that fateful night?) :)

Fast-forward to 2011 and wedding plans are under full swing. When we started planning the engagement session, little did Frank and I know how much thought and time this couple would put into choosing just the right props to represent themselves as a couple. Of course, the match-making red bike would have to be a part of the session. (I knew I wanted to capture Kelsey still, with Cory whizzing by on his bike.) The couple are also huge photography fanatics, so they brought their DSLRs. We put aside our brand loyalties for a few shots and I'm happy to report that photographing a Nikon did not cause my Canon to burst into flames. I love the series of the two of them photographing each other. Cory must have jumped at least half-a-dozen times. Did I mention he's got a lot of energy?

On our way to the arboretum, Frank and I spotted this amazingly-detailed and brightly-colored graffiti wall. I was ready to get down on my knees and beg them to stop there quickly for a few shots, but they were up for anything. I LOVE the shots in front of this wall. I think I must have a repressed graffiti artist in my soul somewhere, just itching to be set free! The resulting shots are some of my favorites. I'm just crazy about all that color. And in case you haven't noticed -- how gorgeous is the bride-to-be? That close-up of her is one of my all-time faves.

After a quick outfit change, we were off to downtown Raleigh for the second half of our session. We found this purple and rusty-red wall that I couldn't resist, given the gorgeous colors in Kelsey's skirt. Kelsey and Cory love to cook. Baking and decorating cakes are specialties of Kelsey's and Cory reports that her Red Velvet cake is hands-down the best anywhere. They love cupcakes too and brought along a few from Gigi's near Cameron Village. I thought it would be fun to ask them to try to eat the cupcake together and see who could come away with the least amount of frosting on their hands and faces (no smashing allowed!). They enthusiastically embraced their mission and we only needed a few napkins afterward.

By the way, Kelsey? I love your shoes!!

Enjoy more of my favorites from the session in this slide show. Kelsey and Cory, we can't wait for your wedding next June!

Remember when you were a kid and there was that one special babysitter you actually liked? Who was fun and pretty and smiled a lot, always quick with a craft and a hug? The one who brought you presents and danced with you in the kitchen? Who wrote you poems and read you bedtime stories? That was Sara for our kids. We met her in the summer of 2000 when she was a teenager working in the neighborhood ice-cream parlor. She quickly became our go-to babysitter. The kids loved her so much that they often asked if she could come over to "play" even if we weren't going anywhere. As the kids got older, Date Night was often eclipsed by soccer games and play practice; though we saw less of her, we kept in touch. She'd pick the kids up and take them to a movie or to the mall. Every Christmas, she would stop by with presents for the kids, even if she hadn't seen them in a while. That's the kind of person she is: always thoughtful, always loving, always our "favorite." So when she told us she and Clint were getting married, we knew nothing would stop us from being there to document the day. And what a beautiful day it was!

Working with Wendy and Michelle at Seaside Wedding Connection, Sara and Clint planned a destination wedding in the historic coastal city of Southport, NC that was relaxed and family-oriented, meaningful, sweet and full of charming details and great food. I loved Sara's apple green and rustic brown color scheme with touches of vintage lace and natural elements like willow sprig centerpieces and Granny Smith apples. The little white chapel could not have been more perfect and the reception next door in the charming Yacht Club was unique and fun, with dancing outdoors on the lawn and lots of heart-felt tributes from friends and family, many of whom traveled great distances to celebrate with them. I particularly loved the rustic, hand-made directional sign that listed both Sara and Clint's respective hometowns in Texas and Connecticut and the farthest distance a guest had traveled to be with them (Guatemala, where Sara's sister lives). Sara's lovely raffia-accented bouquet was crafted by Don Baker of Brunswick Town Florist and the simply elegant cake accented with bright green spider mums (one of my favorites) was by the Crazy Cake Chicks on Oak Island.

The final image in this post is one of the bride and our children, Dan and Kat. They're mostly all grown-up now, but they will never forget their favorite babysitter. And neither will we. Sara and Clint, we wish you and Nathan a lifetime of love and happiness!

We met Erin at the Southern Bridal Show and Expo back in April and instantly fell in love with her mega-watt smile. Who could possibly resist her? Certainly not Steve, her fiance. The two met at Appalachian State when Erin and her roommates needed a fourth to replace a girl who was moving out. As Erin puts it, "We weren't having much luck...until we found this boy online. Steve was brave enough to move into a house occupied by three women! We became instant friends." The pair stayed friends for two years while Erin worked on her Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy in Greenville at East Carolina. Romance didn't beckon until they traveled with friends on an autumn excursion to a winery in Virginia. They've been inseparable since and will be married this May at Crenshaw Hall in Wake Forest.

Since Erin and Steve love to spend time together outside, an engagement session at Umstead Park seemed like a natural fit. We loved meeting Steve and hearing about his new job, gathering soil samples in the mid-west for testing to help farmers in the nation's Bread Basket make the best decisions on how to manage their land. The day was overcast which is perfect for portraits....nice, soft light that flatters and makes colors pop. We were about two-thirds through our time together when a cold front literally rolled in across the lake before our eyes. Before we knew it, we were caught in a tremendous down-pour. Laughing, we all took off running for the cars, knowing no matter how fast we ran, we were still going to be soaked. As we dashed down the path, I held the camera up at chest height and started shooting, hoping something would be in focus, even though we were running as fast as we could go. That's the last shot...and one of my favorites of the day!

Erin and Steve, we feel so lucky to know you and are excited about your wedding in May!

Enjoy more favorites in Erin and Steve's slide show:

Sara is now a married woman, so I can officially share a few of my favorites from her bridal session in Southport in June. I love the first image and was so excited when she chose it for her large bridal portrait. We had so much fun driving all over the quaint seaside town looking for interesting places to shoot. Sara was such a delight and I can't wait to share images from her wedding to Clint this past weekend. Stay tuned!