Occasionally, I walk into a “preparation” room and have to pull up my boots because, well, it’s going to be a challenge. The preparation room here, however, was large enough to hold the ceremony in and beautifully adorned. A very fitting scene for my lovely couple and it instantly got the creative wedding photography juices flowing (which means I start doing crazy things like hanging wedding dresses from chandeliers and stuff).  After a beautiful ceremony and, what the officiant described as the “best wedding kiss all year”, we went outside Jones Chapel to capture a few bride & groom portraits… only one problem now, it was dark. Well, if you know anything at all about me, I LOVE shooting in dramatic lighting situations and, well, darkness can certainly be considered dramatic especially when used in wedding photography.

After I subjected the couple, specifically Christa, to December temperatures in a sleeveless gown outside Jones Chapel and in a parking garage, we headed up to the Royal to get the party started.  Ron Smith got the party jumping after everyone had their bellies full with food from Cafe Luna in Raleigh, NC (If you have never been there you must go!). Dancing, partying and laughter were everywhere for the rest of the reception events and the couple exited the wedding with a sparkler sendoff to their car. Apparently a few of the groomsmen had their way with the car and, ahem, I won’t be showing any of those photos.

So, congratulations to Christa & Aaron! You guys were awesome to work with and thank you so much for choosing me as your wedding photographer!  As always, here are a few of your photos!

Reception – The Royal – Raleigh, NC
Wedding Directors – Danielle McNeillie and Jack Armstrong – (919) 656-4551
Cake – Ashleys Cakes – Raleigh, NC
Flowers – Victorian Seasons – Apex, NC
Catering – Cafe Luna – Raleigh, NC

Jason & Lisa had their Umstead wedding ceremony on the back lawn. The lawn has concrete pavers leading out to a wonderfully scenic view of the lake and fountain making it a dream for a wedding photographer. After a very emotional wedding ceremony, the newlyweds and I got a chance to roam the lakefront and interior of the hotel to get some great couples portraiture of just the two of them. One of the things they really wanted was to enjoy part of the cocktail hour before the wedding reception. As they were announced into the crowd, it was evident how important friends and family really where to them as they, literally, were immediately surrounded and I got some awesome photographs.

I will award 2 points for the coolest way to leave the bride and groom notes wishing them well. A very old and operational manual typewriter was left out with fine paper to type on. Everyone who came by pounded out a few well wishes and, I know when I tried typing a note, I gained a new found respect for touch sensitive keyboards and the backspace button.   Once inside, everyone enjoyed a wonderfully prepared meal by the Umstead Hotel chef and some cool dinner sounds from Jeff Simpson.  As the wedding reception progressed, the toasts, cake cutting and general hugs & well wishes all faded into the history of the day as everyone got out on the dance floor (including their wedding photographer). With a great soundtrack from the 80’s including the cars, psychedelic furs, echo and the bunnymen and many other bands from the era kept everyone moving until the end of the wedding. I’d like to extend my sincerest congratulations to Jason & Lisa for a wonderful marriage and thank you so much for having me as your wedding photographer.

Officiant: Kaylilly Middleton – Raleigh, NC
DJ: Simpsound – Jeff Simpson – Raleigh, NC
Cake: Sweet Memories – Apex, NC

And now on to a few photos!

With a small wedding congregation of about 20 people and the bride & groom, this was a wonderfully intimate affair that (being selfish here) allowed me to really photograph Susan & Corey for quite a while. To say I am pleased with the results would be an understatement and a few of there wedding photographs will certainly be making it onto my main website. The day started off, well, in an interesting fashion as the couple discovered the guys boutonnieres had been left behind. I spoke with the Second Empire Manager and the found some beautiful white roses which were cut and would be perfect for the guys. One sticking point… pins. We didn’t have any pins to attached the flowers to the lapels so again, we had to be resourceful. I pulled out my trusty emergency kit and found needle & thread as well as safety pins to attach them.. the day is saved!!! Of course, as I was their wedding photographer I let someone else attach them while I was photographing.

Let me say, I LOVE the light where Second empire weddings are generally held. With a bay window allowing natural light in behind the couple, it adds a real ethereal quality to the wedding photos. After the ceremony and formals, Susan, Corey & myself hit the streets and photographed for quite a while in the block surrounding the restaurant. With it being a cloudy day, the conditions were perfect for wedding photography and, again, the results are outstanding. After we came back into the reception, champagne was popped and the cake was cut…. well, ok, it took an effort to cut the cake. Personally I think the cake cutter was defective (or Corey possesses Hulk like strength) but, needless to say, it didn’t survive the ordeal – see below photography of said defective knife. A replacement was quickly found (again, thank you to the Second Empire) and we proceeded again.

I’d like to thank both Corey & Susan for having me be their wedding photgrapher.

Officiant: Terry Michael Newell – Raleigh, NC
Cake: Second Empire – Raleigh, NC

So I know it’s called a Day After Session but, well, it was actually a couple of weeks. There is something to be said for consistency and we had to reschedule the session twice as the rain continued to follow our plans. Finally we were able to get a break in the weather, don the wedding dress and tux (them, not me) and capture some awesome day after photography.

Here’s a few of my favorites from the day:

We started out the bridal portrait slowly at first.  I mean, multiple lights and a guy with a camera, a nice guy that is (nice camera too), can be pretty intimidating at first so I thought it would be neat to shot the progression of our shots below.  I would like to thank the lovely Lauren for being my portrait client and especially for having fun during the shoot which enabled us to get the last shot, which she chose for her bridal portrait on display at the wedding.

I will say that Lauren’s wedding dress is one of my top 3 favorites this year. Simple, elegant with a very long veil set the perfect tone for our lovely bride. There was so much activity, smiling and laughing in the room it felt like mere minutes (but in actuality it was like 45 minutes) before I went to go find Brian. I got one of my favorite pre-wedding groom portraits of Brian (#5) as he waited patiently for the wedding ceremony to being. Dramatic, emotional and impactful – just the way I like my photography!  The Highgrove is such a beautiful place for wedding photography so I really had to keep my eye on the clock to make sure we didn’t run late.

As the wedding party walked down the aisle, I could see Brian holding back some emotion as the groomsmen walked by… But. as his bride walked down and he got his first glimpse, he couldn’t hold it back anymore and I grabbed a wonderful photograph that I think they will cherish forever!. After our formals and couples photography, everyone headed to the Highgrove tent for the wedding reception to begin. Dancing, laughing, and of course excellent food from the Highgrove set the tone for this wonderful reception. At the end of the day, the couple walked out thru a Wedding sparkler sendoff (which I love) to their waiting car. The last photograph I got of them leaving their wedding celebration/reception is one of my all time favorites. Check out a few photos from their wonderful day below!  Make sure you also check out Lauren’s bridal portrait.

A very big congratulations to you both and thank you so much for having me as your wedding photographer!

Officiant: John White – Raleigh, NC
Flowers: Victorian Seasons – Raleigh, NC
DJ: Island Sound – Jason – Raleigh, NC
Caterer: The Highgrove – Fuquay-Varina, NC
Wedding Cake: Ashley Cakes – Raleigh, NC

Feel free to check our Lauren’s Bridal Portrait – Bridal portrait at NCSU Alumni Club

The wedding day began at Lindsays parents home where all the girls were getting prepared with hair & makeup (and the photographer eating brownies). From there, we all headed over to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens in Belmont, NC. Having never been there before, I wasn’t sure what to expect but when I arrived, I can only say one thing – WOW! The gardens are absolutely gorgeous and I was instantly jealous we don’t have anything like this in Raleigh. Not only are the gardens beautiful, but the complex is to die for with beautiful natural light and very ornate furnishings.

So, I don’t normally talk about my wedding photography so much, but this is just too good to pass up. One of the true marks of a wedding photographer is dealing with adverse conditions. The place and surroundings were beautiful and the sun was setting just over the couple. The problem this creates is, of course, sun flare in your camera. There are a couple of ways to combat this but I’ve also learned to embrace it as well. You can see from some of the photographs below, embracing harsh conditions can produce some spectacular results. After the wedding everyone partied the night away to a great band, U-neek Flavur, and celebrated the marriage of Lindsay & Kyle.

Once again, thank you so much for your hospitality and congratulations to you both!!! Here’s a few photos from their wedding day.

Gwen & Mark’s wedding was unique in a few ways. A lot of effort was made to make the reception as green as possible. Using eco-friendly cups, paper products and locally grown veggies, every effort was made to have minimal impact on the environment. The News & Observer, Raleigh’s local paper, came out and covered the event to highlight all the effort that was taken by the happy couple to minimize the impact on the environment.

The reception was held on the water at the Bass Lake Recreation Center in Holly Springs. I had only been out once before but, again, never for a wedding reception. As a slight rain fell, Gwen & Mark had their first dance as a married couple. The rain turned out to be a blessing as it cooled it down outside and the rest of the night and let everyone dance and party their way to a lovely sparkler exit.

Congrats to Mark & Gwen! As always, here are a few photos from the day.

Wedding: Mineral Springs Bed & Breakfast – Fuquay-Varina, NC
Reception: Bass Lake Recreational Center – Holly Springs, NC
Catering: Green Planet Catering – Chapel Hill, NC
Flowers: Flower on Broad Street Fuquay-Varina, NC
DJ: Island Sound – Ryan – Raleigh, NC

When Tina and I had discussed the session, it occurred to me that this was going to be very much of a collaborative effort. Photography has come so far from the Sears portrait days and I wanted to do something that would reflect that. Tina wanted something that would capture her in life and leave a legacy for her family to look back on.

So, “her way” was born… This was a 4 hour session with professional hair and makeup, shot in her beautiful home. There were no set plans or poses, in the theme of a lifestyle shoot. My single goal was to capture Tina as she is and as I know her – to let her personality come through in the photos and, in the end, show her how I see her thru my eyes.

So, I present to you – Tina, her way!

While Kerri got ready in a beautiful suite in the Renaissance Hotel in Raleigh, Greg headed over to the church in downtown Raleigh with the guys and my 2nd photographer captured them doing their thing (Won’t be posting those, sorry guys – but I see there was a table harmed in the process). As Kerri got ready, it was very apparent how close everyone in the bridal party and family was. A big challenge for photographers on the wedding day is finding out the relationships between everyone so we can better tell the story. Well, with Kerri’s party, I couldn’t determine who was immediate family and who were friends – since they were all treated like family, I did the same.

The Sacred Heart Cathedral is beautiful and a great example of architecture in downtown Raleigh and following the ceremony, we were able to get a few quick photos in before everyone took a break. The reception picked up that evening at the Renaissance Hotel in Raleigh at North Hills and, with it being my first time there, I was very excited to check out the property. One words comes immediately to mind – beautiful! With the happy newlyweds and 100 of their friends and family celebrating, Kevin Majoros (Joe Bunn DJ) got the party rolling and, well, let’s just say a few pictures had to be censored for decorum purposes.

Congratulations to you both! I am always honored to be chosen to both document and create artistic imagery during a wedding day – so thank you for choosing me!

Wedding: Sacred Heart Cathedral – Raleigh, NC
Reception – Renaissance Hotel in Raleigh – North Hills – Raleigh, NC
Flowers: The Purple Poppy – Wake Forest, NC
DJ: Joe Bunn DJ – Kevin Majoros – Raleigh, NC

And on to the photos:

After studying up a bit on newborns & young children photography, looking at countless other photographers work, I felt I could bring something to the table that would be both different and treasured by my clients. While I love a good portrait as much as anyone, I usually prefer it to have a little more life and honesty. After all, while the baby won’t remember anything about the surroundings at that time, I can show how his arrival affect his parents lives, and that, I believe, is truly priceless.

So, after studying, researching and practicing on my own kids (my cat moves to fast), I felt I was ready but I had one major issue.. no clients. So while I had pondered on how to tackle this minor issue (this is sarcastic, really), I received an e-mail from Liz & Ryan who were expecting their first child soon. What great timing my clients have. So after talking a bit with them both and finding out they are, literally, within walking distance of me, we setup a rough time frame and waited patiently for the little guy to make his appearance.

Connor Hourihan was born on May 14th, 2009. As we setup a time to meet, it struck me what an absolute and true honor it was to be the first professional to capture his image & spirit on camera. So as I headed over to their house, I started remembering my own feelings as a father and how I could use that to photograph young Connor in such a way that, in 30 years from now, he can look back and see how his parents adored him so. That, as they say, is why I love doing this work!

I originally met Brittany & Shawn though another wedding photographer, her father, Jim. Jim and I have talked, met for lunch and bounced ideas off of each other for the past year and a half or so. When I found out his daughter was getting married, I jumped at the chance to photograph their wedding. When I found it was in Myrtle Beach, well, let’s just say I got a little excited. I’ve been wanting to photograph beach weddings for a while and even though the ceremony wasn’t on the water, we had some fun the next day with a little trash the dress session.

The wedding ceremony looked like it was under threat from rain but as we got closer to the start time, the wonderful beach weather kept the storms about 3 minutes inland from us. The effect of the clouds, however, was beautiful for photography as the filtered light lent itself beautifully to blue skies and softer light on the wedding party.

After the wedding, we got out onto the beach for a few formals then went off to Tommy Bahamas Cafe for the reception. Something I leaned a long time ago, is when you get put into a tough position in photography, you usually either get something “safe” or something that’s “beautiful” because of how unorthodox your solution was. With the reception outside under umbrella covered tables and a 4 foot awning that just covered the walkway, lighting this reception was definitely a challenge. In the end, I captured my favorite 1st dance shot to date. With true emotion showing from everyone involved to the familiarity and friendship I have with the families, I was proud and honored to be a part of their day.

So, with just a little more ado, I’d like to give my congratulations to Shawn & Brittany! I wish you guys all the best and thank you for letting me be a part of your beautiful wedding.

Location: Marriott Grand Dunes – Myrtle Beach, SC
Reception – Tommy Bahamas Tropical Cafe – Myrtle Beach, SC
Flowers: Dandelion – Myrtle Beach, SC
Cake: Janet Adams
DJ: Music on the Strand – Pat Taylor – Myrtle Beach, SC

Of course, here are a few shots!

When I first met Hannah & Steve, I remember thinking how much fun it would be to work with them. They wanted the “traditional” wedding photography to cover the main events but then they also wanted the more modern & artistic photography as well, just for their own album. As most of you can probably see, I flirt in between the photo journalism and portrait styles of wedding photography. There actually is a name for my style – portrait journalism. It really gives me the freedom to work with the couples and create some beautifully posed moments but still capture the true essence of modern wedding photography.

With Barbara Lodge officiating the ceremony under a beautiful but lightly clouded spring day, a beautiful couple & wedding party and Mel Manning with Joe Bunn DJ getting the reception jumping, the day seemed to fly by! Of course, I failed to mention myself as the wedding photographer – I really enjoyed working with the happy couple and the photography came out beautiful! Congratulations to the happy couple and I look forward to talking with you soon!

Location: Governors Club – Chapel Hill, NC

Flowers: The English Garden – Raleigh, NC

Cake: The Art of Cake – Chapel Hill, NC

DJ: Mel Manning – Joe Bunn DJ – Raleigh, NC

Officiant: Barbara Lodge – Raleigh, NC

Amy & Rommie’s wedding was held at the Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, NC.  Their ceremony was held in the parlor with the sun setting in front of their beautiful floor to ceiling windows.  Now, as a wedding photographer, let me say I both cringe and shout with glee in rooms like this.  They are very, very difficult to photograph in but you can get some of the most breathtaking photography if you think a little outside the box.  (Luckily, my mind left it’s box some time ago so it was natural for me) Sorry, back to the story.  After the wedding ceremony and formal photos were over, they made their entrance down the beautiful staircase in the Prestonwood Ballroom to a very supportive group of close friends and family.

Both Amy & Rommie have very different origins so the reception was a wonderfully diverse grouping of music, dance and customs/traditions.  It was certainly an evening full of dancing, celebrating and enjoying each others company!  This is a wedding photographers dream of course and I would like to offer my sincerest congratulations to both Any & Rommie!!! I’d also like to thank them for going outside at midnight, in the freezing cold, for the last photograph (below).  I’m betting Amy will never tell me she’s hot again. 

On to the photos!

Nathan & Katie are one of the sweetest couples I know. It had been a while since I saw them last and I’m sure Nathan got a good chuckle when I kept looking for him with no luck. Well, shaving the beard off didn’t help me out any either (The last time we met in Raleigh he was fully bearded). They brought their own wedding officiant into the church and it was a great sermon that had significant meaning to them both. Giving advice on keeping a healthy marriage (Go to bed at the same time, occasionally sacrifice your own desires for those of your partner, and hit the pub every once in a while to relax).

We had a great time working together at the wedding and the reception was held at their friends house in Greensboro NC. It was great to see all the groomsmen in full wedding dress from the waist up, and shorts at the reception. It’s sad I only post a few images of the day on my blog. There are so many more to choose from… well, with that being said, on to the photos!