Today I get to share images from a special family's mini session. I photographed Kelly and Bob's wedding almost five years ago now (!!!!). Since then, they've added a couple of precious kiddos: Claire and Weston. : ) Weston is only about a month old in these photos, and Claire is such a sweet big sister to him! Both of the kids stole my heart. I love watching families grow, and I'm so thankful that I get to continue to capture special milestones.
THE KNITTLE FAMILY
This family is the greatest. No really, I mean it. I've known Claire and Paul since college, and I'm extremely grateful to have recently connected with them again since moving to the D.C. area. They are two of the kindest, most fun people you'll ever meet (if you follow me on Instagram, Claire's the one who's been cooking for me on my strict dairy- and soy-free diet!). Three weeks to the day before Brooklyn, Claire gave birth to Eleanor. Sweet, beautiful little Eleanor. I loved photographing her! We've had a couple of play dates with Brooklyn and Eleanor and I've seen Eleanor smile a ton, but for some reason on the day of the shoot, she was being super serious. I got a couple of smiles out of her but I mainly got to capture her thoughtful side, which is equally as cute. : ) Enjoy this precious babe and her gorgeous parents! Love you guys!
This is when Paul was trying to get Eleanor to smile. SO funny.
That face!!!
No more photos, please. ; )
ALL THE SINGLE LADIES! (well, not anymore...)
When I was a junior in college at UNC, I studied abroad in Sydney, Australia. During that time, I really grew into myself and discovered who I wanted to be. I even took my first darkroom class at the college of fine arts on UNSW's campus. I made some amazing lifelong friends (Americans and Australians!), and I can't speak enough good words about the whole experience. This blog post is meant to commemorate a very special thing. While in Australia, I formed a pretty tight-knit group of American friends, who I still keep in touch with today. We don't talk everyday, by any means, but once you share an experience like we did, it's kind of hard to break that special bond. ; ) In fact, I've had the extreme honor of shooting every single (yay puns!) one of these lovely ladies' weddings (from L-R): Bernadette, Nicole, Rachel, Susie and Claire. What a beautiful bunch -- look at us in 2005, we're babies!
I got married first! I was so happy that Nicole, Bernadette (Bean, as we affectionately called her in Oz) and Susie were able to attend my wedding on 06.4.11.
Nicole got married on 10.1.11 in Corolla, North Carolina. Here are Nicole, Claire and me with two close Australian friends on her wedding day:
Next up was Claire! She got married on 05.12.12 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Pictured are Nicole, Claire, Lizzie (who also studied in Oz!) and me:
Rachel was next on the list. She got married on 08.11.12 in Manhattan Beach, California. My husband and I traveled there a day early for the "beach day" to celebrate the bride and groom.
...and here's a photo of me in action on her wedding day!
Bean got hitched next in Baltimore, Maryland on 04.13.13. Here I am with the beautiful bride (thanks for the photo skillz, Steph!):
And last but certainly not least to get married was Susie. Her wedding was in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin on 07.13.13. Here are a few iPhone snaps from her reception:
I'm extremely grateful to each of these ladies for their trust in me, generosity in having me, and of course, their huge hearts. Here's to the next big chapter(s) in our lives! Love y'all. : )
CLAIRE + BLAKE - Artspace Wedding
You may remember this gorgeous couple from their rainy day engagement session. : ) Claire & Blake were married at All Saints Chapel in Raleigh, North Carolina, and had a SLAMMIN' celebration afterward at Artspace.
Just LOOK how much they love each other! It makes me so happy to see one of my friends find her match. Shooting this wedding was delightful, because everyone was SO sweet and SO on top of things. The day went flawlessly, and Claire & Blake make one beautiful couple!
Bride's dress: Paloma Blanca, purchased at Bridal Boutique of North Carolina Bride's shoes: Kate Spade Bridesmaids' dresses: After Six, purchased at Victoria's Bridal Couture Groom and groomsmen attire: Jos. A. Bank Makeup: Michelle Planté, friend of the bride Hair: Sadi Dorrier, sister-in-law of the bride Florals: Dogwood Tree Floral Designs Coordinator: Megan Barlow, friend of the bride Ceremony music: Arioso Strings Cake: Ashley Cakes DJ: Randy Bennett of Joe Bunn DJ Co. Caterer: Catering Works Invitations & Programs: emDotzee Designs
Fun fact: During college, Claire and I studied abroad together in Sydney, Australia, and we took a darkroom class together at the College of Fine Arts of UNSW. It was during this time that I discovered my love of photography, and Claire shared that experience with me. So, shooting her and Blake's wedding holds an extra special place in my heart. : )
Thanks a ton to Nathan Clendenin of Cana Collective for helping me document this happy day!
Penny is such a cute pup!
Claire got Blake a really nice Armani watch, and he made sure to set it to their wedding date... the 12th!
Beautiful.
These bridesmaids = gorgeous and fun!
Claire's grandfather officiated the ceremony, which made it extra meaningful for them.
This little boy was SO adorable riding on the trolley for pictures.
SO HAPPY!
There were AWESOME dancers in this crowd!
CLAIRE + BLAKE ENGAGED!
Claire and Blake are two friends of mine, and I met up with them in North Carolina for their e-shoot.. and what an adventurous e-shoot it was. : ) We started the session in a downtown area and right when we got rolling, it decided to POUR, so we hopped into a random soda shop for a few minutes hoping it would let up soon. About 20 minutes later, we continued to duck under awnings, front porches, etc. We decided to go ahead and head north to the lake for the second portion of the shoot, and we were greeted with some really nice light. The couple's adorrrable pup Penny joined us for some shots toward the end. C+B, I had a fun time with y'all (thanks for being so willing in the rain!), and I'm really looking forward to shooting your wedding next spring!
Always good to carry a golf umbrella in your car. Thanks, Dad. ; )
LOVE.
PENNY!
