Umstead Park Engagement Session :: Erin and Steve

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:

 

Sep 27, 2011 | Wedding Photography | Leave A Comment »

Butler Chapel Wedding :: Lauren and Daniel are married!

In honor of Father's Day, I thought I would start Lauren and Daniel's post with this sequence of her dad seeing her for the first time in her wedding gown on her wedding day. You can tell that the bride and her father share a close relationship. I'm sure Marty was bursting with pride: just a few weeks earlier, Lauren graduated from Campbell University's Pharmacy School. Lauren played softball throughout high school and college. Marty logged plenty of time in the bleachers cheering her on and this day would be no different. A girl's biggest fan is her daddy!
 

 

 

Lauren and Daniel were married in Butler Chapel, Campbell University's new chapel. It truly is a stunning building, full of light on the inside and highlighted by a beautiful stained-glass window in shades of blue and green that evoke a summer's day.

 

 

Lauren was truly one of the most relaxed, laid-back brides we've had the pleasure to work with. She had a no-nonsense approach to her wedding planning, so naturally, she and Daniel chose to do a First Look. :)

 

 

Poor grooms...they don't get as much time in the spotlight as brides do, but Daniel deserves his 15 minutes. He's just finished up his second year of law school at Elon University and hopes to practice in the area of estate planning. What a handsome guy! Lauren told me one of the reasons she chose the bright teal color for him to wear is because it brings out the blue in his eyes. I really enjoyed photographing these colors, so you won't see a ton of black and whites in this post. The colors are just too good to resist.

 

 

How gorgeous is the light in this chapel? You don't see this quality of light often in a church; most of the time, churches are on the far end of the dim scale where light is concerned. After the ceremony, Lauren and Daniel came back down the aisle to personally greet their guests row by row from the sanctuary. I loved this idea as it provided some great candid moments as friends and family greeted the newlyweds. The little dude a few shots down wasn't a fan; he was ready to get to the party. He liked having his picture taken, though!

 

 

The reception was held at Chicora Country Club in Erwin, NC. Lauren and Daniel are both so friendly and down-to-earth. Their reception felt like a big family reunion. The decor had an elegant Southern feel and I loved how the shades of black and white, bright teal and hot pink worked together.

 

 

Lauren's bouquet toss has to be one of my all-time favorites. This poor girl looks like there's a ballistic missile headed her way. Usually it's the guys who cringe at the thought of participating in any activity that might hurry marriage into their future. Don't worry, hon; there's no rush!

 

 

Off to St. Lucia! Lauren and Daniel, thank you so much for allowing us to photograph your wedding!

 

 

Check out Lauren and Daniel's slide show for more great moments from their beautiful wedding day:

 

 

Venue/Wedding: Butler Chapel, Campbell University, Buies Creek, North Carolina

 

Venue/Reception: Chicora Country Club, Dunn, North Carolina

 

Floral Design: Dutch Iris Florist

 

Cake Artist: Ambrosia Cake Creations

 

 

Jun 17, 2011 | Wedding Photography | 7 Comments »

Preston Woodall House :: Susan and Taylor are married!

Susan and Taylor were married on May 14 at Preston Woodall House in Benson, NC. Before jumping into the story of their day, here are some of the details of this lovely wedding, featuring shades of apple-green and coral-pink. You can see the couple's fresh and modern touch in everything, from the table markers to the hand-made wooden bird favors. Everywhere we looked there were fantastic details to capture.

 

 

How gorgeous was Susan's dress??? And it suited her perfectly. One of my favorites! The vintage pins in her hair and on the back of her gown were a beautiful touch.

 

 

Taylor and the groomsmen looked smashing in bespoke charcoal suits with sophisticated pin-stripes.

 

 

The weather was iffy all through the early afternoon. At the rehearsal, both Susan and Taylor talked about how much they wanted to get married outside. Even with a great rain plan in place, I could tell they were both really hoping that the rain would hold off just long enough for the ceremony to take place. At about 4:30, the clouds opened up in great torrents, but slowed to a light drizzle eventually. Diane, the coordinator at Preston Woodall House, held the ceremony for about 15 minutes, long enough to get the seats dried off and the guests seated so that Susan and Taylor could have the ceremony they wanted. The sun even came out briefly during the ceremony. It was lovely.

 

 

What a fun reception! It was obvious everyone had a great time, but none more than the bride and groom. I love their dancing photos!

 

 

At 10:30, the couple had a sparkler departure, but the surprise was on the guests -- after "departing", the bride and groom lead the guests in a conga line back into the house for more dancing and Photobooth fun.

 

 

See more of Susan and Taylor's big day in the slide show:

 

 

 

 

 

Susan and Taylor, thank you so much for allowing us to share in your wedding day happiness! Here are the vendors who helped make the day such a success.

 

Venue, Catering and Accommodations: Preston Woodall House, Benson NC

 

Coordinator: Diane Seymoure

 

Flowers: The English Garden

 

Cake: Cake Dreams by Sally

 

DJ: John Carter, Perfect Day DJ

 

Check out all the fun from Susan and Taylor's Photobooth on Facebook!

 

 

Jun 06, 2011 | Wedding Photography | Leave A Comment »

NC State Engagement Photography :: Markee and Dave

Full disclosure: I was raised a Carolina Tar Heels fan. When I was growing up, NC State was Carolina's big rival, not Duke, as is more common today. But when I decided to go to college at Meredith, I remember my uncle, himself an NC Sate alum, telling me that living in Raleigh meant I was going to have to learn to pull for State. Naturally, I scoffed at such a ridiculous notion. Of course, he was right. You just can't live in Raleigh for four years and not gain an affection for the Wolfpack. Yeah, I switched sides. My grandmother still hasn't forgiven me.

 

One of the best things about living in Raleigh now is going back to State's campus (and yes, I spent quite a bit of time there when I was a student at Meredith) for engagement sessions. It is one of my most favorite places to shoot. Some might say the university isn't as picturesque as UNC or Duke, but I beg to differ: the bell tower, the Brickyard and of course, the Free Expression Tunnel, rank right up there at the top of my list of great photo locations in the city. Frank and I met up with Markee and Dave, one of our fabulous October couples, for their engagement session this Fall. Here are just a few of my favorites.

 

 

 

 

This is the image Markee and Dave chose for a gallery-wrapped canvas.

 

 

 

Markee and Dave, we'll see you when the leaves are vibrant again...on your wedding day!

Mar 26, 2011 | Wedding Photography | Leave A Comment »

Dads and Daughters

Alright, I admit it, I cry at weddings. What a cliche, right? But it's true. And typically the waterworks will start during the Father/Daughter dance. So in honor of Father's Day, I thought I'd pay tribute to all those dads out there who've given us beautiful brides to photograph over the years by highlighting some of my favorite shots from Father/Daughter dances. Here you go. Try not to tear up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(and I have to throw this one in as a counter-point to the sweet one above -- love the expression on Patricia's dad's face as he dances with her!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quite often, the song that's played most frequently during the Father/Daughter dance is Heartland's "I Loved Her First." I always, always get chills when I watch a father dance with his daughter while this song plays in the background. I thought I'd share the lyrics. You can also hear the song on Youtube here.

 

Look at the two of you dancing that way
Lost in the moment and each others face
So much in love your alone in this place
Like there's nobody else in the world
I was enough for her not long ago
I was her number one
She told me so
And she still means the world to me
Just so you know
So be careful when you hold my girl
Time changes everything
Life must go on
And I'm not gonna stand in your way

But I loved her first and I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she'd find you someday
But it still hard to give her away
I loved her first

How could that beautiful women with you
Be the same freckle face kid that I knew
The one that I read all those fairy tales to
And tucked into bed all those nights
And I knew the first time I saw you with her
It was only a matter of time

But I loved her first and I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she'd find you someday
But its still hard to give her away
I loved her first

From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
Someday you might know what I'm going through
When a miracle smiles up at you
I loved her first

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jun 20, 2010 | Wedding Photography | 3 Comments »

May Madness

Goodness, but it's been a while since I posted! I'm blaming it all on May.

You've heard of March Madness, I know. Well, we in the wedding photography world have our own crazy month and it's May. More people get married in May now than in June. (I think that's because it's just too hot here by the time June rolls in.)

 

There are two months that I know for certain, year after year, will always be full-to-bursting with weddings. One is October (usually perfect weather in North Carolina); the other is May.

 

I love May. As I sit here writing this on a Friday night, I'm so excited about the wedding we'll photograph this weekend. And next weekend. And the weekend after that. And the weekend after THAT. By the time May 31 rolls around, I'm going to be exhausted and the real work will only be just getting going: editing images, creating slide shows, designing albums. It's a happy tired because nothing gives me more joy than photographing weddings.

 

So when things get busy, the blog gets the short end of the attention-stick. I've got lots of posts with the word DRAFT in big red letters beside them, just waiting for me to show them a little love. They're on their way, I promise. Until then, how about a sneak peek from Stephanie and Scott's April wedding. One of my all-time favorite recessional shots. I love it.

 

 

I love the pure emotion on their faces. I love that they're not paying any attention to me. I love that their happiness is just jumping right out of the image. This is why I love weddings. If you're getting married this month or have been honored with an invitation to a wedding, soak all that pure joy up. It's a rare thing.

 

Soon, there will be lots of new stuff on Pixel Dust, I promise. Happy May!

 

May 08, 2010 | Wedding Photography | 3 Comments »

The Wedding Show: January 2 and 3, 2010

 

I have a confession to make: I like bridal shows.

 

I know I risk sounding like a total wedding geek, but I love the sights, sounds, color, chaos and -- yum -- all the itty-bitty wedding cake samples. I love seeing all my colleagues in the wedding business; the "Hey!"s and "How are you?"s and "Did you have a great 2009?"s that we call out to each other as we're busy carting in and setting up all the components that make up the booths. Some of the best people you will ever meet are in the business of making wedding dreams come true. And even though we're supposed to be fierce competitors, I love seeing all my photographer friends. There are so many extraordinary photographers in the Triangle area and it's awe-inspiring and humbling to look at some of the work they've produced over the past year. I feel proud to be in their company. Over the years, I've gotten pretty Zen-like in my philosophy about the clients we book from these shows. I truly believe that the clients who commission us to photograph their weddings are the clients we're supposed to have. So it's not hard to wish my fellow photographers good luck and hope that they have a successful show too. 

 

But the best part of bridal shows? YOU. The brides, their moms, mothers-in-law-to-be, sisters, maids-of-honor, even those reluctant grooms showing how much they love their fiancees when they tag along on these orgies of all things wedding-related. The excitement in your faces. Hearing your engagement stories. Finding out what's important to you when it comes to your wedding day photography.

 

Wedding planning can be truly over-whelming. I'm convinced that it's like having a second job. Attending The Wedding Show is one way to make it infinitely easier. Any person, any thing, any service that you could possibly need to plan, execute and pull off the wedding of your dreams will be under one roof. You'll get amazing ideas. I can promise you that if you're one of those lucky newly-engaged couples, you will experience a little shell shock from the sheer number of vendors. You'll start thinking: Oh wow, I never even thought about that. Or that. Or that! Bring comfy shoes, your support team and enjoy the chaos. And definitely plan to stop by our booth! Frank and I will both be there and ready to help in any way we can. So come say hi and tell us your stories. We'll be offering 10% off any of our packages at the show.

 

Here are some of the amazing couples that we've meet through bridal shows over the years.

 

Heather and Jason:

 

 

 

Siobhan and Mario (who are expecting their baby boy any minute now!):

 

 

 

 

 

Michelle and Frank:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kate and Randy:

 

 

 

 

 

Ryan and Michelle:

 

 

 

 

 

Lindsey and Clayton:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carey and Daryll:

 

 

 

Jaime and Craig:

 

 

 

Meghan and Preston:

 

 

 

Stephanie and David:

 

 

 

 

 

I'm so excited about 2010. I know it's going to be an amazing year. Some of the couples who'll make it so great we'll meet Saturday and Sunday, January 2 and 3rd amid the wonderful chaos of the Wedding Show. The anticipation is killing me! (Almost as much as my feet will be killing me at the end of the show!) Congratulations on your engagement -- we can't wait to meet you!

 

Dec 30, 2009 | Wedding Photography | Leave A Comment »