Wedding Photography

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October 15, 2011 by Elizabeth Myers

Haywood Hall Wedding :: Carly and Bill

Kiss me with rain on your eyelashes,
come on, let us sway together,
under the trees...”
-- Edwin Morgan

It's what every bride and groom who want to get married outside dread: rain. When you're choosing a garden venue or the beautiful grounds of an old historic house like Haywood Hall in Raleigh, you only imagine how glorious it will be on your wedding day, with the sunlight dappled through the trees. So you plan for the possibility of rain, but you don't think about it much and then only with a whispered prayer that it will stay away on your day. And then the wedding week arrives and the forecast is...well, not good. Rain is likely. So what do you do? You pull out the rain plan and if you're like the lovely Carly, you buy really adorable umbrellas that seem to have been made just for your wedding day, so perfect is the design and color. (When I saw those umbrellas, they were so right I knew we were going to be using them in photos, even if it didn't rain one single drop.)

Maybe more nerve-wracking than a steady rain is a rain that starts and stops. Will we get married outside this beautiful old house or under a dark tent? What if we call it now and and the rain stops ten minutes before the ceremony? It made me nervous, the teasing quality of the start-and-stop rain. Carly and Bill had elected to do a First Look and Frank and I had found the perfect (and perhaps only private) place on the grounds, but it was entirely dependent upon the rain holding off. Luck was with us and we had the time we needed. I love Carly and Bill's First Look, so you'll see a boat-load (ark-load?) of pictures from their time together.

Thankfully, the heavy rain held off and everyone, from the wedding party to the guests, were good-natured about braving a steady misting of the wet stuff to allow the couple the wedding they wanted on the front lawn with the Rev. Barbara Lodge officiating. Thank goodness we'd done the bulk of the photographs before the ceremony. We had just enough time to get the combined family portraits done before the rain started in earnest. Protected under a series of tents in the back yard, family and friends enthusiastically celebrated until late into the evening. Before heading downtown to continue the party, Bill and Carly slipped away with us for a few final shots. Enjoy some of our favorites from this lovely wedding day.

Carly and Bill getting ready for their wedding at Haywood Hall

Time for the First Look. I don't know which I love more: Bill's sweet expressions or Carly's emotional reaction to seeing her groom for the first time on their wedding day. Carly and Bill, we felt lucky to be there with you!

Carly and Bill's First Look at Haywood Hall and Museum in Raleigh NC

How perfect is it when even the greenery on the porch coordinates with the teal in your bridesmaids' dresses...and those two colors just happen to be your wedding colors? Carly is a graphic designer, so I'm betting none of that was an accident. :)

(Loved working with this wedding party! What a fun-loving group.)

Haywood Hall wedding

Catering Works provided the floral design and catering, with special touches provided by the bride.

Carly and Bill's wedding reception at Haywood Hall

Carly and Bill, we thoroughly loved every minute of your wedding day. We wish you thousands of sunny days together...with enough rain thrown in to make the flowers bloom!

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October 11, 2011 by Elizabeth Myers

Coffee Table Books on Sale!

Starting Friday, October 14, we're offering a 25% discount on press-printed coffee table books for one week only!

These are professionally printed, hardcover books with fully customized designs. Because the pages lay flat when opened, with no seam between the pages, these books are a great way to showcase your images. We can create books that would make great holiday gifts for the extra-special people in your life — parents, grandparents, spouses, kids, best friends and of course YOU yourself! And there are lots of interesting options for these books: glossy pages, matte pages, leather covers, cover images that wrap around the spine, etc. The discount works on pre-orders as well. Shoot me a message and I’d be happy to give you all the details: Elizabeth@sweetlifestudios.com.

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October 6, 2011 by Elizabeth Myers

Duke Gardens Wedding :: Allison and Chris

Allison and Chris were married at Duke Gardens on a beautiful sunny day in September. A memorable day in many ways, not the least for its date: 9-10-11. (Try to come up with a good excuse for forgetting your anniversary now, all you 9-10-11 grooms!) There were so many things I loved about this wedding, from Allison's adorable red shoes, the punch of color in the bridesmaids' dresses, Chris and company's super-modern classic khaki suits, calla lillies...but perhaps the best thing about their day was the overwhelming spirit of love, fun and celebration that was in evidence every where you looked. This couple is blessed with an amazing group of family and friends!

The day started out in separate suites at the Durham Marriott City Center. I love documenting the getting-ready portion of the day in hotel rooms. It's hard to beat window light and it can be found in abundance in hotel rooms thanks to those giant windows. Frank met up with Chris and his guys who were all pretty much ready because, let's face it, the guys have much less to do when it comes to "getting ready" than the ladies do! They headed out into the downtown Durham sunshine for some pre-wedding portraits while I photographed all the girly stuff. Then it was off to the gardens for some quick portraits. The couple chose the Angle Amphitheater behind the Doris Duke Center for their ceremony, perhaps my favorite site in the gardens for a wedding because of its relative privacy, something that can be in short supply in a very popular public garden. Chris's uncle performed the sweet and simple ceremony that featured the couple reading personalized vows to each other. Guests moved onto the North Terrace for cocktail hour while we shot some couple portraits and then it was time to celebrate! Be on the lookout soon for a post featuring their Photobooth images -- one of my favorite Photobooths ever!

Durham Marriott getting dressed on wedding day

Chris and Allison's wedding day portraits

Chris and Allison's Duke Gardens wedding ceremony

Doris Duke Center wedding reception

Enjoy more of our favorites from the wedding day in Chris and Allison's slide show below. Thanks for letting us share such a beautiful day with you.

We wish you a lifetime of love and happiness!

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October 3, 2011 by Elizabeth Myers

Raulston Arboretum and Downtown Raleigh Engagement Session :: Kelsey and Cory

Kelsey and Cory met at NC State in the Fall of 2008. Kelsey was a sophomore; Cory was a senior. Cory literally caught Kelsey's eye by riding his bike up and down the hallway of the dorm where she was trying to study, having been chased out of her room by an amorous roommate and her boyfriend. Kelsey and some friends noticed something or someone periodically zooming by the open door and, intrigued, she poked her head out to see what was what. What she saw was Cory, burning off energy (he's got plenty). He stopped, removed his motorcycle helmet and introduced himself. The two spent the rest of the night talking until 3 a.m. in the hallway. The rest, Kelsey says, is history. (Wonder if that's the subject she was supposed to be studying that fateful night?) :)

Fast-forward to 2011 and wedding plans are under full swing. When we started planning the engagement session, little did Frank and I know how much thought and time this couple would put into choosing just the right props to represent themselves as a couple. Of course, the match-making red bike would have to be a part of the session. (I knew I wanted to capture Kelsey still, with Cory whizzing by on his bike.) The couple are also huge photography fanatics, so they brought their DSLRs. We put aside our brand loyalties for a few shots and I'm happy to report that photographing a Nikon did not cause my Canon to burst into flames. I love the series of the two of them photographing each other. Cory must have jumped at least half-a-dozen times. Did I mention he's got a lot of energy?

On our way to the arboretum, Frank and I spotted this amazingly-detailed and brightly-colored graffiti wall. I was ready to get down on my knees and beg them to stop there quickly for a few shots, but they were up for anything. I LOVE the shots in front of this wall. I think I must have a repressed graffiti artist in my soul somewhere, just itching to be set free! The resulting shots are some of my favorites. I'm just crazy about all that color. And in case you haven't noticed -- how gorgeous is the bride-to-be? That close-up of her is one of my all-time faves.

JC Raulston Arboretum engagement session

After a quick outfit change, we were off to downtown Raleigh for the second half of our session. We found this purple and rusty-red wall that I couldn't resist, given the gorgeous colors in Kelsey's skirt. Kelsey and Cory love to cook. Baking and decorating cakes are specialties of Kelsey's and Cory reports that her Red Velvet cake is hands-down the best anywhere. They love cupcakes too and brought along a few from Gigi's near Cameron Village. I thought it would be fun to ask them to try to eat the cupcake together and see who could come away with the least amount of frosting on their hands and faces (no smashing allowed!). They enthusiastically embraced their mission and we only needed a few napkins afterward.

Kelsey and Cory's downtown engagement session

By the way, Kelsey? I love your shoes!!

Enjoy more of my favorites from the session in this slide show. Kelsey and Cory, we can't wait for your wedding next June!

Archive

September 28, 2011 by Elizabeth Myers

Southport Wedding :: Sara and Clint

Remember when you were a kid and there was that one special babysitter you actually liked? Who was fun and pretty and smiled a lot, always quick with a craft and a hug? The one who brought you presents and danced with you in the kitchen? Who wrote you poems and read you bedtime stories? That was Sara for our kids. We met her in the summer of 2000 when she was a teenager working in the neighborhood ice-cream parlor. She quickly became our go-to babysitter. The kids loved her so much that they often asked if she could come over to "play" even if we weren't going anywhere. As the kids got older, Date Night was often eclipsed by soccer games and play practice; though we saw less of her, we kept in touch. She'd pick the kids up and take them to a movie or to the mall. Every Christmas, she would stop by with presents for the kids, even if she hadn't seen them in a while. That's the kind of person she is: always thoughtful, always loving, always our "favorite." So when she told us she and Clint were getting married, we knew nothing would stop us from being there to document the day. And what a beautiful day it was!

Working with Wendy and Michelle at Seaside Wedding Connection, Sara and Clint planned a destination wedding in the historic coastal city of Southport, NC that was relaxed and family-oriented, meaningful, sweet and full of charming details and great food. I loved Sara's apple green and rustic brown color scheme with touches of vintage lace and natural elements like willow sprig centerpieces and Granny Smith apples. The little white chapel could not have been more perfect and the reception next door in the charming Yacht Club was unique and fun, with dancing outdoors on the lawn and lots of heart-felt tributes from friends and family, many of whom traveled great distances to celebrate with them. I particularly loved the rustic, hand-made directional sign that listed both Sara and Clint's respective hometowns in Texas and Connecticut and the farthest distance a guest had traveled to be with them (Guatemala, where Sara's sister lives). Sara's lovely raffia-accented bouquet was crafted by Don Baker of Brunswick Town Florist and the simply elegant cake accented with bright green spider mums (one of my favorites) was by the Crazy Cake Chicks on Oak Island.

The final image in this post is one of the bride and our children, Dan and Kat. They're mostly all grown-up now, but they will never forget their favorite babysitter. And neither will we. Sara and Clint, we wish you and Nathan a lifetime of love and happiness!

Sara and Clint's Southport wedding