CAMERON + BRANDON - The Arbors Wedding

Cameron and Brandon know how to have FUN, and I love that about them. Their wedding day was full of emotion, and I enjoyed every second. And just look at how gorgeous they are!

Cameron and Brandon were married on a chilly but beautiful day at the end of October in Cleveland, North Carolina at The Arbors. I loved this venue because it had a rustic chic vibe to it, and it fit their wedding style perfectly. Cameron's dress was SO beautiful on her, and the bouquets were perfect. I also loved the charming dessert display and adorable cake toppers.

Bride's dress: Allure, purchased from Anjolique Bridal Bride's shoes: Carvela Kurt Geiger Bridesmaids' dresses: Donna Morgan, purchased from Poffie Girls Groom and groomsmen attire: Marc Ecko, purchased from Men's Wearhouse Makeup and hair: Lindsay Pizzuti with Mirror Bomb Studio Florals: Albertine Florals Coordinator: Kelly Martin with Head Over Heels Weddings & Events Cake and cupcakes: Polka Dot Bake Shop DJ: Steve Govan aka DJ Groove Caterer: Visions Catering

My favorite memories of Cameron and Brandon's special day included Brandon seeing Cameron for the first time (surprise, surprise! I'm a sucker for the groom's face at this moment) and the toasts. The toasts were hilarious and sweet. I'm so lucky to have been there to document this day for them. Thanks to the newlyweds! Scroll to enjoy my favorite snaps from this awesome day.

Special thanks to the always lovely Anna of Anna Routh Photography for photographing the gentlemen beforehand and helping me throughout the day!

Aren't the bouquets gorgeous?!

LOVE this of the mamas hugging after the ceremony.

CLARE + HAMILTON - Claxton Farm Wedding

Ohhhh these two. THESE TWO. I think these two people are SO selfless and SO wonderful. Their wedding day is one of my all-time favorites! No exaggeration.

Clare and Hamilton's wedding was so, SO wonderful. Everyone was so chill yet so ON TIME. This makes for a super happy photographer. : ) Everything about the day was dreamy. Some favorite things that come to mind...

-The weather. It was a PRISTINE day, and the temperature was perfect. -The emotion. During the ceremony, Clare's hilarious uncle officiated and had all the guests laughing. I love it when an officiant throws in personal anecdotes about the couple's relationship; it makes the ceremony so much more special. Also, the couple's sweet vows to each other choked up quite a few (including me). -The rustic, beautiful tablescapes. Along with the gorgeous florals from Sweet Earth Flower Farm (love their sustainable methods!), Clare's mom and sister worked hard on the decor and it was SO lovely. -The attire. I LOVED Clare's dress and the fact that all the ladies in the wedding party (including the bride!) wore boots making it easy to walk around for photos. : ) And the guys looked pretty handsome too. ; ) -The band was excellent, which made for a rockin' dance floor full of guests! -The venue. This is my fourth time photographing a wedding at Claxton Farm, and I LOVE taking in the gorgeous scenery and the serene atmosphere each and every time.

Bride's dress: Allure Bride's shoes: Frye Bridesmaids' dresses: Anthropologie Groom's attire: Charles Tyrwhitt Groomsmen attire: own clothing Bow ties: Tangled Ties shop on Etsy Hair and makeup: Ananda Salon Florals: Sweet Earth Flower Farm Coordinator: M7 Event Solutions Ceremony music: Alec Gross Dessert: S'mores by the bride and groom Band: Risse Caterer: M7 Event Solutions Invitations: Minted.com Rings: Eternity Wedding Bands

Clare and Hamilton, it was an absolute pleasure to be with you on your special day. Your wedding will forever be in my memory as a true testament of the love you share for each other and for your family and friends. Thank you for trusting me with such a beautiful day! xoxo.

And thanks to Jennifer Callahan Photography for shooting with me!

I loved walking around Asheville in search of portrait spots. A favorite town with quirky alleys!

These ladies are so gorgeous!

Of course we had to take a photo in front of "Carolina." : ) Clare and I met in college (yay UNC!).

What studs!

Loved the groomsmen gifts. Each flask had a personal nickname!

Clare, you're stunning even when you get emotional. Such a beautiful moment...

I don't think this gorgeous smile left her face the entire ceremony. Love it!

Love!

That burst of sunlight was ahhhhmazing.

I should probably explain this one: the couple's shared last name is McNutt. These signs were cleverly made for the women's and men's bathrooms. : )

MAILE + TOM - Figure Eight Island Yacht Club Wedding

Maile and Tom's wedding was major. I have so many fond memories of their day and this quiet moment between them during their "married portrait session" is definitely in my top five!

Maile & Tom got married in early September in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina at St. Therese Catholic Church. The weather was pristine! After the ceremony, their AMAZING party was held at Figure Eight Island Yacht Club, which is such a beautiful place. I loved how the whole day felt so natural and low-key, yet the details and setting were just beyond gorgeous.

Wedding dress: Legends by Romona Keveza, purchased from Traditions by Anna Bride's dress: Something Bleu from BHLDN Bridesmaids' dresses: LulaKate Groom's attire: Hugo Boss Groomsmen attire: JoS. A Bank Hair and makeup: Adrianne Lugo Florals: Bella Florals by Theresa Coordinator: Jennifer Mitchell Ceremony music: Angela Daughtry Cake and cupcakes: Creative Cake Design by Tammy Hodge Cocktail music: Bonnie Brooksbank Band: The Rubber Band Videographer: Cassie Brooksbank Caterer: Figure Eight Island Yacht Club Invitations: Bethany Poteat (design) & Mindy & Angie's (printer) Programs: Erin Lesica

Back to my favorite parts of the day... #1 would have to be... the whole ceremony. : ) Maile's uncle married them -- he also married Maile's parents and baptized Maile -- so it was just super personal and touching to hear all the stories he told. Another favorite moment was the "digging up of the bourbon," which is later explained in the post.  : ) And one more that comes to mind is just getting to spend time with their genuinely nice friends and families (see goofy family pictures below). Congrats to this amazing couple -- I wish y'all all the best!

Thanks to Jeff Janowski Photography for helping me shoot their wedding! Enjoy, y'all. (And coming up soon: a major announcement, which is why I've been so MIA recently here on the blog!)

Maile's mom got emotional while she was getting into her dress. So sweet.

The first time the couple saw each other during the ceremony = priceless.

A little explanation needed here. Maile's uncle gave Erin, Maile's sister-in-law, a Clark candy bar on her wedding day (because Clark was her maiden name) and said to Maile's brother that she was just as sweet as one. So, Maile's uncle searched high and low for a Holman  (Tom's last name) candy bar and found one just in time! ; ) Everyone in the ceremony got a good laugh. I was cracking up!

"Panda " and "penguin" are nicknames that Maile and Tom have for each other. How adorable!

Following the ceremony, we took a trolley ride to the beach for some portraits. As I was setting up the first wedding party shot, I noticed Maile and Tom sharing a kiss. SO SWEET.

Gorgeous flowers!

Tom and his brothers. Jeff got some really great shots on the beach!

I thought this was so neat -- as a way to honor grandparents who passed away, Tom wore one cufflink from each grandfather.

This wedding party was SO fun and SO full of energy! Loved working with them!We got back to the yacht club for some family portraits and these are some goofy ones during that time. Hysterical!

Their cocktail hour was amazing! So many fun lawn games!

Here is the digging up of the bourbon. Figure Eight Island Yacht Club has this tradition where one month prior to the wedding, the family buries a bottle of bourbon upside-down in the ground. The tradition was started several years ago as a way to ward off bad weather. On the day of the wedding, the bride and groom unbury the bottle and drink from it. The families and guests are encouraged to drink from it as well. After the unburying, Dr. Lesica (Maile's dad) explained to the guests that he chose to bury the "Rare Breed" brand because Tom is a rare breed. : )

A few more portraits at sunset. : )

This little dude got into the photo booth accessories a little early into the night. HILARIOUS.

The Rubber Band had EVERYONE singing!

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. : )

KAT + MATT - Claxton Farm Wedding

In late July, I had the honor of joining Kat & Matt and their families in Asheville, North Carolina to photograph this lovely couple's wedding day. Aren't they beautiful?

I know Kat from my college days at UNC. When we met, she was the editor of the Blue & White, and I was a photographer for the magazine. I remember meeting with her after an assignment to get feedback on my photos. She was really helpful and one of the sweetest editors I'd met. : ) I'm so proud to have been chosen to photograph her and Matt's wedding. It's truly the biggest compliment EVER to photograph a visually talented person.

Bride's dress: Justin Alexander Bride's shoes: LightInTheBox.com Bridesmaids' dresses: LightInTheBox.com Groom and groomsmen attire: Macy's Makeup: Blush Asheville Hair: Lola Salon and Gallery Florals: Blossoms at Biltmore Park Coordinator: Cortney Jackson of Asheville Event Company Cake and cupcakes: Patty Cakes Bake Shop Pies: Just Simply Delicious Invitations & programs: DIY by the bride Rings: Kirk Kara, bride; Macy's, groom

Kat and Matt were married at St. Eugene's Catholic Church in Asheville, and the reception was held at Claxton Farm, where I never tire of shooting. : )  When I think back about this wedding, two words come to mind: casual elegance. Everything was gorgeous and everyone was having a ball! No fuss, only fun. I LOVED the florals (a little too much, if that's possible) and the atmosphere. I also LOVE that Kat and Matt both come from big families (Kat is the youngest of seven sisters!). Photographing the kiddos at this wedding was a treat.

I wish all the happiness in the world for these newlyweds -- they definitely deserve the best! Enjoy some of my favorites, y'all.

SO PRETTY. I DIE.

Kat, you're so gorgeous!

ADORE this series of Kat's mom and dad and all the grandchildren.

Nephews - love!

Kat and her sisters - double love!

FAVORITE. Hands down.

Their photo booth prop and guestbook table was amazingggg.

I love how they laugh with each other. I saw them sneaking looks at each other like this all day long!

Each sister gave a toast that was so touching (and funny at times!).

These ribbon wands were meant for the exit, but I love how everyone used them to dance. : )