I asked Joanna to come out for this and she readily agreed (Thanks Joanna, you rock!) as it was an opportunity to have some fun and photograph what we wanted. As this was more for me then Joanna, I decided early on that an Urban Bridal Portrait was just what I was wanting to do. Locating a warehouse in Raleigh was a little more difficult but a friend came through for me and found one with access to do it in. All I can say is, I want, really want, to do this more often as we both had an absolute blast with it! Joanna brought out her Jimmy Choos to spice up the bridal portrait and, with the dress and a lovely wedding client, well the results were awesome!

The bridal portrait lasted about 3 hours and it literally flew by as we moved from floor to floor in the warehouse. Gems like this location are hard to find in Raleigh so we shot until the sun went down (which gave us some beautiful golden light to photograph with). Using mostly natural light, I think we really captured the feel of the location and came out with an outstanding example of an urban bridal portrait. It’s shoots like this that really recharge my artistic sensibilities and, as a wedding photographer, that’s essential to getting the iconic look and feel I want in my wedding photography.

Joanna, thank you so much for taking the time out to have some fun! I truly hope you enjoyed both the session and the photography we captured!

Bob & Christine have been dating for 8 years and were planning on getting married in Garner but the venue went out of business.  The NACE organization stepped up and found willing vendors to donate the catering, cake, flowers, dress, DJ, musicians, officiants, equipment rentals and, of course, photographers, and their time to give them both a fairytale wedding.  With their 3 children, the couple were married at the beautiful Sutherland in Wake Forest, NC and their family and close friends attended the ceremony.

When I first thought about helping, it was not a hard decision for me to volunteer to take part in such a truly meaningful and humbling event.  To be completely honest, I had no idea how I would hold up throughout the evening but after seeing Christine, in her beautiful Vera Wang dress and her overwhelming excitement gave us all the strength to focus on what was important, giving  her the perfect day.  Working alongside  Katie Hamister, we both got to witness a truly beautiful and radiant couple get married and work alongside the absolute best wedding vendors in the Raleigh, Durham & Chapel Hill area.

I cannot say enough about every vendor who stepped up to donate their time to this truly worthy cause.  I am very proud and honored to have played a small role in such a wonderful & selfless effort by everyone involved.  To Bob & Christine, thank you so much for having me as part of your day.  I cannot say enough about how much it truly means to me to be a part of it.

As a Raleigh wedding photographer, being featured in Southern Bride & Groom is truly a honor. The 2010 wedding season has definitely started out with a bang!  Having won an award for my Raleigh wedding photography booth, a wedding wire award, spending a week in Nashville for a wedding photographers convention, my  creative wedding photography being featured in the February Southern Bride & Groom newsletter and now to be a Raleigh wedding photographer, having a wedding I photographed featured in Southern Bride & Groom!  I can only imagine what the rest of the year has to offer and am definitely looking forward to it.

The wedding that was chosen took place in downtown Raleigh NC at the end of January,  and it was accompanied by 5″ of snow.  If you are not from NC, then you may know that Raleigh rarely gets snow so it was certainly a treat to be a Raleigh wedding photographer to have clients willing to play in it.  Please visit the Southern Bride & Groom website to see my outdoor wedding photography featured on their website.

Brian is an ward-winning Raleigh wedding photographer. He specializes in bridal photography, professional wedding & portrait photography in the Raleigh, NC area and recently opened a photography studio in historical downtown Apex. Brian models his wedding business on one simple premise: Personality, Photography & Price. In that order. In his own words, Brian is hooked, permanently, on creative wedding photography. The passion, the glamor (and the wedding cake) makes Brian excited to have the opportunity to give the bridal party an unforgettable gift of their life through his eyes.

Seeing them for this session was, quite literally, just like seeing some longtime friends for a great day out in the park. I can’t remember how long we actually shot, but it literally just flew by and before we knew it, the sun was going down. I love engagement photography because of this very reason, getting to know your clients and getting great photographs without a looming timeline of a wedding.  With their wedding fast approaching, I cannot wait to work with them again! Stay tuned for a beautiful wedding and reception on April 24th, 2010! Please check out their photos below!

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

Here are the vendors that helped me win!!

Flowers: Fresh Affairs
Carpet & Couches: Classic Party Rentals
Ottomans & Coffee Tables: Triangle Catering – Flair Division

Here are a few photos of my “award winning” photography booth!

We had talked quite a bit in the months leading up to their wedding day. We discussed all sorts of ideas for unique and fun photography between their wedding and reception. They had allotted about 90 minutes for photographs between the ceremony and reception time so we had so many options open to us that, really, the sky was the limit. After we left Edenton St. Methodist Church we moved to the NCSU belltower and Pullen Park in Raleigh, NC.

First we stopped at the NCSU belltower, an iconic Raleigh landmark ever since I have lived here (and that has been a while).  After working with the bride, groom and wedding party here, we moved on to Pullen Park.  I had one thing on my mind – carousel. There were so many options to photographing this and, honestly, I wanted something different. Most wedding photographers would kill for this setting so I ended up both riding on the carousel with the entire bridal party the first time, then on the ground as the bride & groom took a 2nd turn by themselves.  The photographs ended up being better then I could of imagined (*see below). We then took a walk around the park a bit to photograph some fun formals and more stuff of just the happily married couple enjoying a few minutes alone. Back into the limo we went and headed off to the Cardinal Club.

Let me preface this by saying I had been in a rut of rainy Saturdays lately. I love a rainy wedding day as it offers so many different opportunities then you would normally have for unique and dramatic photos. However, I had been aching for a beautiful blue sky and Geoff & Meredith arranged for the best one I had seen in a while (thanks guys). The cardinal club is on the 28th floor in downtown Raleigh and is an absolute wonderful venue to have a wedding or reception in. The view is breathtaking and the floor to ceiling windows really lets you take in the beautiful downtown cityscapes.

The reception got jumping thanks to Garrett with Lenny Fritts – touch of class DJ’s and the party got rolling. A side note here.. I had an assistant photographer for the wedding reception. I cannot remember his name but he was about 4′ tall and was running around with his digital camera taking some really decent photographs. I remember near the end of the reception he was without his camera and looking a bit downtrodden. I found out either his camera batteries died or he had no space left on his memory card. Well, far be it from me to deprive someone of something they are really good at, so I gave him my spare camera to photograph with. Let me say this.. I have NEVER, EVER seen a kid so happy before. Some of his photos are included in the disc to the bride & groom (yes, he is good) and I want to tell you KEEP AT IT!!!

Literally, before I knew it, the wedding reception was over and with it still being somewhat early (10pm), the bride & groom left the Cardinal Club decided to head out in downtown Raleigh – in their wedding dress and tux. They were gracious enough to invite me out, sans camera, to enjoy the rest of the evening with them. I cannot tell you how touched I am when I get invited out to help celebrate a beautiful wedding so, to Meredith & Geoff, THANK YOU for all of your hospitality, graciousness and just plain awesomeness! I had an absolute blast working with you both and I know you are just going to love your wedding photos!!!

DJ: Garrett – Lenny Fritts – Touch of Class DJ’s – Raleigh, NC
Wedding Cake: Sweet Memories – Apex, NC
Flowers: Dogwood Tree Floral Designs – Raleigh, NC
Caterer: The Cardinal Club – Raleigh, NC

Now on to a few of them:

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:

When I first entered the church for the wedding ceremony, I was literally floored. I love Catholic churches and this one was absolutely breathtaking. The stonework, adornments, colors and LIGHT all make for great wedding photography. Yes, I had another church with light in it! I have certainly withdrawn a few light credits from my wedding photography bank account so I am sure to run into a few Scottish dungeons soon. (I love the Scots, just saying your wedding dungeons are dark!).

Meeting up with Emily in her dressing room was, well, exciting! I hadn’t seen her since our engagement photography session in Raleigh and to be greeted with a warm hug and laughs just always sets a wonderful tone for the day! Emily was still getting ready so I had a chance to get photographs of her, her shoes, close friends, families and the wedding dress! I know I have mentioned it before but doing the wedding preparation photography is a favorite of mine… it’s just a wonderful time full of nerves, smiles, laughter and just raw emotion. Emily certainly had all of these going on and we got some great stuff in the room.

While she was getting dressed, I had a few moments to catch up with Mark upstairs. Shot a few portraits of him with his best man with a beautiful stained glass window before heading back down to meet Emily. Off to the ceremony we go (but not before grabbing a mini portrait of her in the church stairwell 5 minutes before the wedding). The ceremony was beautiful and, let me say again, what a beautiful church and the photography aspect was gorgeous!!! After the wedding ceremony, I got my favorite exit shot of the year. This one was not posed, just a quick kiss while they were walking out.

After the wedding, we headed off to the Hayloft for the wedding reception. Having never been there I was anticipating, well, shooting in a barn hayloft. What a cool place to have a wedding reception!  We had a few minutes for more photography outside and a couple of these shots ended up on my portfolio.  After the dances & dinner, the DJ got everyone moving and the Elvis impressions were unveiled (friends & relatives of the couple, not the couple themselves). A few more hours of partying and awesome photography, I capped the night off by spying on the newlyweds a bit and grabbing a few GREAT photographs of them dancing alone, outside.

Congratulations to you both Emily & Mark! You have both been incredible to work with and thank you so much for having me as your wedding photographer.

Wedding Planner: Brenda Cooper – Greensboro, NC
Wedding: Our Lady of Grace – Greensboro, NC
Reception: The Hayloft – Greensboro, NC
DJ: Herron House Florist – Fayetteville, NC
Flowers: Herron House Florist – Greensboro, NC
Cake: Ganache – Greensboro, NC
Caterer: Painted Plate – Greensboro, NC

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

If you have not been to Bay 7 on the American Tobacco Campus before, I highly recommend you make the time.  It’s such a unique space that has been beautifully renovated and includes a lazy river, many restaurants and other businesses that you will certainly enjoy your time spent.  If you follow my photography you will know I love architecture and this place really just has a wonderful “feel” to it.  I really appreciate you both freezing in the name of photography!!!!  As always, here are a few photographs and I am really looking forward to your wedding!

As Emily is used to the camera doing the weather every morning for WGHP, I had no doubts that our session would certainly be fun & relaxed. We were blessed with cloudy skies as we strolled around downtown Raleigh photographing the happy couple and yes, I did resist asking Emily stupid weather questions. Although I did embarrass myself at first, we won’t go into that so much because, well, it’s my blog. I think Emily had me laughing more then I had her laughing so I need to brush up on my photography banter before their wedding next month.

Here’s a few of my favorites shots from the day!

Leigh Ann & Frank had agreed to ride around Raleigh in a limo bus and shoot, basically, anywhere we wanted to. We definitely wanted to stop at the Raleigh Little Theatre Rose Garden and also any other places we saw between the Church and Reception Hall. In the Rose Garden, we did some of the funniest “crazy” formals I have ever shot and am seriously thinking about adding those to my bag of tricks. Back on the bus, everyone started up the party and were in high spirits getting to the Royal Banquet Hall in Raleigh.

I want to give a very heartfelt thank you & congratulations to Frank and Leigh Ann! You guys certainly know how to keep the party going and it was an honor for me to photograph your wedding!

Now, on to some photos!

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.

Walking down to meet Caitlin, I ran into Justin who certainly had the pre-wedding look in his eye. Not panic or fears fellas, excitement with a twinge of nervousness. I always thought Caitlin would make a beautiful bride and indeed she looked fabulous! After the preparation shots of both the guys and gals, it was time to saddle up and get on with the wedding. After the wedding and formals, the couple departed for the Crabtree Marriott.

Having just been here last week, I had one shot I wanted to duplicate but, other then that, I wanted fresh & new stuff for us. So after a quick tour of the grounds, we got down to the party! The wedding was a beautiful affair and I (as always) was honored to be a small part of their wedding day.

Here’s the photos!

Wedding: Good Shepard Lutheran Church – Raleigh, NC
Reception: Crabtree Marriott – Raleigh, NC
Flowers: Fresh Affairs – Raleigh, NC
DJ: Island Sound – Raleigh, NC
Cake: C.A.K.E. – Raleigh, NC
Ceremony Music: Symphonius Sounds – 919-598-9822 – Raleigh, NC

After the wedding ceremony and formal photography was over, the whole crew climbed aboard the Raleigh Trolley and rode over to the Raleigh Crabtree Marriott to celebrate their marriage. As always, the Marriott treated the couple to a wonderful event with wonderful food, impeccable service and warm hospitality. The room was breathtaking, the food delicious and the band got things rolling after dinner with a great mix of beach and classic rock music that kept the dance floor packed. This is one of those times I am so very happy I am so tall, as I can shoot over everyone and get the dance action in the middle of the crowd. Jeff, Caroline and I took a few minutes to get some special shots, just for them, and I got one of my favorites from the year so far on the round sofa.

My words really aren’t fully giving this celebration the justice it is worthy of, so I’ll let my photos do the rest of the talking.

Congratulations to Jeff & Caroline! What a beautiful wedding!!! Thank you so much for allowing me to capture such a special day for you!

Wedding: Benson Memorial United Methodist Church – Raleigh, NC
Reception: Crabtree Marriott – Raleigh, NC
Flowers: Dogwood Tree Floral Designs – Wake Forest, NC
Band: Hip Pocket – Greensboro, NC
Cake: Edible Art – Raleigh, NC
Video: Amazing Video Creations – Raleigh, NC
Ceremony Music: Symphonius Sounds – 919-598-9822 – Raleigh, NC
Raleigh Trolley: Raleigh Trolley Rental

So, after the Church wedding, Erin & Ken exited to bubbles and one of the most incredible summer skies I’ve seen in some time.  It most be the area because we rarely if ever get skies like this in Raleigh.  After some quick formal wedding photographs, we drove to her parent’s home on lake Gaston for the wedding reception. I will do my best not to drool on my blog post, but for those that know me, I am a huge architectural buff and her families home was, well, incredible. The amount of love and care taken in every detail is amazing. With rock laden streams running through the property, pools, fountains, walkways, boat docks, horseshoe pits, a (temporary) air conditioned tent and so may other things I can’t even start to describe, well, it was a real treat and certainly added to the beauty of Erin & Ken’s wedding photography!

It was an honor to have photographed such a special wedding day for Erin & Ken. I was treated like a member of their family the entire day and, when it came time to leave, I was a bit saddened as it felt like I was leaving behind my family as well. The night ended with a wonderful fireworks show over Lake Gaston were we sat lakeside and watched with more friends and family (and of course got some spectacular photography)!

So, a big thank you from me to everyone! Your hospitality & warmth will always be remembered!

Wedding: Lakeside Lutheran Church – Raleigh, NC
Reception – Her Family’s lake house on Lake Gaston
Photo Booth: ShutterBooth North Carolina – Raleigh, NC
DJ: Bow Tie DJ – Tracy Telenko – Raleigh, NC

On to a few photos!