A chilly fall wedding at the lovely Twickenham House in Jefferson, North Carolina. I had the opportunity to work with Enowen Photography as a second photographer and meet this fun couple.
Experiencing shooting at weddings venues close to my new home in West Jefferson, North Carolina has been a thrill! Twickenham House was high on my list. With stunning mountain top views, cozy fireside reception vibes, and a house that is FULL of character where couples get ready for the festivities - it has a lot to offer.
MARRIED AT PRETTY PLACE CHAPEL
Carrie Anna and Thomas tied the knot in front of their nearest and dearest at Pretty Place Chapel!
It’s always a pleasure working with this talented team of vendors:
Florals: Petal and Fern
Hair and Makeup: AnaRie
Venue: Pretty Place Chapel
BREVARD WEDDING INSPIRATION AT THE SHAMROCK ROOM
A new wedding reception venue in downtown Brevard, NC, The Shamrock Room, is a wonderful, versatile space. I was thrilled to be included in a recent styled wedding inspiration shoot. Meeting and working with local talent in a creative environment always makes for a fun day!
Read moreMATERNITY SESSION IN THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS
The Blue Ridge Parkway offers my favorite backdrops! We lucked out with beautiful sunlight on the evening of Yasmin and Caleb’s mountain top maternity session. Yasmin connected with me through instagram months before our session together. Her early planning paid off and we shared a gorgeous hike in celebration of welcoming a baby girl into their family.
Read moreENGAGEMENT IN THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS
A mixture of clouds and sunshine graced us for an adventurous engagement engagement session in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We rode up the mountain together, a place they both call home, and I had the pleasure of getting to know them better and hearing their love story! We took in the views of the Blue Ridge together and splashed around in a waterfall, all while documenting their sweet engagement story.
Read moreINTIMATE WEDDING AT PRETTY PLACE CHAPEL
Capturing this Pretty Place Chapel intimate wedding ceremony was a dream! These two and their families welcomed me with open arms to share in this joyous day. In addition to meticulous planning and preparation that truly paid off, the couple was blessed with a clear view of the mountains from the chapel, and a glowing sunset. This destination wedding at Fred W. Symmes Chapel in Cleveland, SC was one of my favorites this past fall! I had the opportunity to meet the bride, and mother of the bride in person prior to the wedding day. With destination weddings, this isn’t always the care, but a welcomed bonus! Seeing everything fall into place made it all the more meaningful. Brevard locals Anarie and Petal and Fern did a fabulous job with hair and makeup and stunning florals, respectively. Congratulations, Courtney and Greg! Thank you for trusting me to photograph your wedding day!
Read moreBRIDAL INSPIRATION WITH ROMANTIC HUES AT THE VENUE | ASHEVILLE, NC
A fabulous team created the most beautiful bridal portrait setting at The Venue in downtown Asheville. The Venue is a versatile venue location with space for both a ceremony and wedding reception, large or small. With a brick wall back drop, soft and natural window light, and a balcony overlooking the city, the open space at The Venue offers multiple photography settings to be creative. Brittany with Petal and Fern put together some show stopper florals with pops and mauve, blush, ivory, and eucalyptus. Not only did they look incredible being held by the lovely Amayah, they also smelled amazing! Bridal hair and makeup by Anarie photographed beautifully - a natural and romantic look for the bride. Maggi Bridal found the perfect dress! Jesse of Vintage Indigo worked her magic and pulled the colors from the florals to create a sweetheart table setting, complete with vintage furniture, crystal glasses, and golden pears, that tied the whole look together and complemented the setting for bridal portraits so well.
After an amazing time together at The Venue, we ended our day with a treat from French Broad Chocolate, conveniently located just around the corner in downtown Asheville. Special thanks to The Planning Asheville and everyone’s talent to help create these beautiful bridal portraits!
Read morePRETTY PLACE CHAPEL INTIMATE CEREMONY
Pretty Place Chapel draws couples from all over with it’s beauty! This sweet couple traveled from California to hold a self uniting wedding ceremony in front of a few of their closest friends and family. The weather was clear and allowed for a breathtaking view of the mountains behind the cross in the chapel.
Some of my favorite moments from their wedding day include -
- They chose to have an intimate first look in the woods prior to the ceremony to help relax their nerves.
- A mix of Chinese and English were spoken throughout the ceremony. They each wrote and shared their own heartfelt vows.
- An incredible amount of thoughtful planning and detail was put into their wedding, which allowed for ample time for bride and groom portraits. I don’t think they ever stopped smiling during this happy time!
LAKE TOXAWAY INTIMATE WEDDING SURROUNDED BY FLORALS
Intimate weddings are always especially close to my heart, since they remind me of my wedding day. Mark and Mary were married at the elegant and quaint - The Greystone Inn in Lake Toxaway, North Carolina. Mary beamed the entire day and the love that she and Mark share was beautiful to capture. Brevard, NC floral designer Petal and Fern adorned the terrace with hanging greenery and a floating floral arch boasting blush and cream roses. Guests were seated under the canopy of greenery and twinkle lights, listening to live musicians perform as they waited for Mary to walk down the rose petal covered aisle. The floral aroma was incredible! After a sweet ceremony officiated by a friend, the wedding guests enjoyed cocktails on the terrace overlooking Lake Toxaway and a mountain view. A reception followed in the Lovelace room, with a family style table eloquently designed. Again, the flowers smelled amazing! It truly was a day filled with so much beauty and love it was an absolute pleasure to document.
FAMILY - FINAL DAYS OF SUMMER
One of the BIGGEST compliments is when families return throughout the years. Ironically, we were planning on using this field two years ago for a family photography session. Right before photo day, it was mowed! We revamped and ended up sharing a beautiful sunset together on a mountain top. If you want to see click here!
While scouting for the perfect spot for our session together this summer, my mom and I drove past this field. At first, not even realizing it was the same field from two years ago! It was in the process of being mowed that very moment. We got out of the car and jumped over rows of hay to flag down the gentleman working. He thought we wanted to buy hay and kindly stopped the tractor. :) Luckily, half of the field was still available for one more day! Perfect timing and a lovely evening was shared with this sweet family, capturing moments and making memories.
MERRIMON WYNNE HOUSE WEDDING
In addition to being a beautiful wedding day at The Merrimon-Wynne House in Raleigh, North Carolina, this day was also a reunion! The lovely bride, Arezu, invited friends to make up her vendor team. It was a joy to work alongside so many dear friends and see many familiar faces at throughout the day.
Thoughtful details adorned ever mantel and table in the historic and charming Merrimon-Wynne House. A sofreh aghd, a Persian tradition, was displayed. Every ingle item used to make up the sofreh symbolized something special for the couple. For example, the candles symbolize energy and clarity in the couple’s life together. See what I mean about all the thoughtful details? So special!
The wedding ceremony took place out on the lawn followed by a dance party reception complete with glow sticks.
A big thank you to the wedding couple - Arezu and Ankur, for making it a priority that everyone share delicious food together and have a fun night celebrating! Your family has a special place in my heart and I feel very grateful that you invited me to photograph your wedding day.
Read moreBLUE RIDGE PORTRAITS WITH THE PUPS
I mean… it’s hard to beat a gorgeous mountain sunset hike with the sweetest couple who is adorably in love. Add in their precious, well behaved pups adorned with beautiful floral wreaths made by Petal and Fern and there you have it - the perfect evening! Hannah and Nate brought a friend with them to help with the pups so they could also have some portraits with just the two of them. They danced on the mountain top together as the sun set behind them. They grew up hiking this mountain and now have beautiful moments captured in a place that’s special to them.
Read morePRETTY PLACE WEDDING AND KEY FALLS INN RECEPTION
Rachel and Anders wedding day was the definition of an intimate wedding. They had their immediate family with them as they shared their vows at Fred W. Symmes - Pretty Place Chapel at YMCA Camp Greenville. Pretty Place is known for the amazing view looking out over the blue ridge mountains. Petal and Fern adorned the cross at Pretty Place with gorgeous roses and Rachel held and equally beautiful bouquet. It was the perfect backdrop for Rachel and Anders to say “I do”. There’s something about live music in the chapel that adds even more to the experience. We all enjoyed listening to Sharon play. After a meaningful wedding ceremony and sand pouring unity, the newlyweds ventured out on the rocks to take in the view together. The family gathered for a celebration reception at Key Falls Inn in Pisgah Forest . Laughs, hugs, and tears were abound and then everyone enjoyed a delicious meal which included the bride’s favorite - macaroni and cheese!
Floral Design: Petal and Fern
Ceremony Venue: Pretty Place Chapel
Reception Venue: Key Falls Inn
Hair for the Bride: Pure Beauty Asheville
Musician: Sharon Gerber
BLUE RIDGE ENGAGEMENT
I can remember nineteen years ago when my parents would have friends over for “Survivor” night parties to watch the show together. I invested in a one-on-one mentor session with Julia Sears, a photographer I greatly admire, and she goes to “Survivor” night parties since she’s friends with a cast member! So fun that she invited Chris and his beautiful fiancé, Kate, for an engagement session in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Julia let me pick her creative brain and spent a generous amount of her time with me.
SPRING MATERNITY IN BREVARD
If you want the sun to come out, this family is your lucky charm! Even with a cloudy forecast, the sun came out and we shared a beautiful sunset together! These three kept me laughing and I truly enjoyed our time together. It was the peek of spring and the forsythias in Brevard were showing off. The perfect setting to capture this special time before baby boy arrives. Congratulations! I can’t wait to meet the new guy!
MOUNTAIN TOP MATERNITY
Lauren and Chris traveled to the Blue Ridge Mountains for their baby moon. Chris’s first trip to the parkway and the view did not disappoint! We shared a gorgeous sunset, sprinkled with a few clouds that added character. I’ve known Lauren since high school and she reminded me of the days when we were on the dance team together and I would tell her where to stand and demonstrate the steps for a dance move. Little did I know it was great practice for giving direction and posing couples! Here are a few of my favorites from my evening with Lauren and Chris.
FLY FISHING ON THE RIVER ENGAGEMENT SESSION
Their first date was fly fishing together - how fun is that? When Olivia reached out and shared her vision for her engagement session, I couldn’t wait! All suited up in their fly fishing gear, they took me to the river and I photographed them in their element. A place that brings them joy, peace, and laughter and where they have shared wonderful memories together. We hiked out of the river just in time to catch a beautiful sunset and a countless number of laughs. Aside from having gorgeous locations for our backdrops, Matthew and Olivia were so much fun to photograph because they are incredibly happy. I wish you two a lifetime of happiness!
PLAYING IN THE LAND OF THE WATERFALLS
My friend Brooke found her person and I couldn’t be happier for her. In the midst of planning her wedding, she squeezed in a day trip to the mountains to splash in the waterfall and celebrate her engagement to Chris. Standing next to a waterfall is thrilling, refreshing, and mesmerizing. There is something about the sound of the water and witnessing such a marvelous creation of nature that rejuvenates the spirit. Combine that with giddy feeling of just getting engagement and there was a whole lot of happy at this portrait session!
Congratulations, Brooke and Chris!
LOVE IN SAVANNAH WITH A SURPRISE PROPOSAL
Every corner I turned in Savannah was a glorious new sight for a photographer's eyes. Color, texture, and light peeking through the historic buildings made me so excited! White jasmine climbed over walls with the most amazing smell. I picked some jasmine and combined it with some other local florals to make my sweetest smelling flower crown to date. Beautiful mom-to-be Sarah, her precious daughter Vada, and Joey with a surprise up his sleeve joined me as we walked through downtown Savannah. Expecting their new little girl to arrive soon, Sarah wanted photographs taken in Savannah as it is a special place for them. Joey had his heart set on proposing in the park - our last stop of the evening. He stayed calm and collected, but as we neared the park, his pace grew a little bit faster. We picked an open green secluded area, with stunning Southern Oak trees framing the scene. I couldn't stop smiling waiting to hear Sarah say "yes". She was so surprised and happy! The only thing that could top this moment was when Joey then turned and gave Vada her very own ring. Best job in the world to be able to capture special memories like this one. I can't wait to meet your new little girl! She sure is lucky to have you all for her family.
BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAIN | FAMILY + SENIOR SESSION
Graduation deserves to be celebrated! This family picked the perfect location to reflect their love for the outdoors and adventure and document senior pictures before graduation. I wish this style of senior pictures had been a thing when I graduated high school! We hiked Black Balsam Knob just in time to catch a gorgeous sunset with phenomenal views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. After an awesome hike, they had pizza waiting for them in their car! I knew I liked this family right away and the forethought to pick up a pizza solidified it!
