This was my first time working with Katie, Lee, their newborn baby, and their cat Oliver. I love meeting new people and attempting to win over their cats. I was warned several times that it would probably not be possible with Oliver, but I’m pleased to report that he tolerated my presence and politely posed for photos. ;) What a handsome guy! Tied in first place of handsomeness with his younger human brother, of course. Their baby was so wonderful to work with! He slept, he chilled, he swaddled, he slept some more. What a gem. We took some pictures around their home in their first few weeks of parenthood and discussed the travel adventures that they’ll do with their son when he gets older. Katie and Lee are avid travelers, and their baby’s nursery reflects one of their favorite trips to Africa where they saw some baby elephants (Katie’s favorite). It was a quiet, lovely morning to photographing this beautiful new family!

We photographed Zan and Michael’s wedding ten years ago (!!) when we became fast friends and have loved them ever since! I work together with Zan a lot for shoots at Gilded Bridal, so it was so much fun to finally get them in front of the lens for this super fun fashion shoot with them and Michael! They wanted something dark and voguey, so we set up shop with one of Gilded’s backdrops inside of the store and went to work. As usual, we listened to a lot of U2 (we are all U2 dorks) and had an amazing time! I am obsessed with the beautiful emerald dress that Zan had custom designed and created for them, as well as Michael’s amazing dark green floral blazer. And I don’t work with backdrops all that much, but I actually have a great time being forced to create inside the confines of one. You can focus on the posing and the mood of your subjects without the distraction of the background or lighting (and we all know I’m very easily distracted by those things). I had a wonderful time celebrating my friends and their love for each other through ten years of marriage and over twenty years together. Hair & Makeup by Wedded Kiss!

I’ve been working with Gilded Bridal in various capacities for yeaaaars. They are my pals, my rockstar small biz colleagues, my boardgame partners. This time I was tasked with getting updated photographs of their beautiful shop in downtown Raleigh. It’s filled with amazing wedding gowns, all of which I wish I could try on and run around the store. Dresses of every size, shape, variety – sleeves, no sleeves, black, white, ivory, lace, satin, etc. So many beautiful fabrics and accessories that it’s a dream to walk around it. Annnd it’s a dream to work with their staff, who are my favorite people. Zan, the owner, has been my friend for many years (actually over a decade now, I just checked, woo!) and I adore them. They’re a badass boss and a formidable board game opponent and they went on a safari and showed me videos of lions and it was great. Their amazing team is also incredible! Makenzie and Pamela are a ton of fun, hilarious, and easy to work with as a photographer (and as a bride!). As part of this small business branding shoot, I updated their shop photos as well as their individual and group headshots while we listened to a lot of U2 (Zan and I are big fans) and ran around doing silly things. I love this group of people and this unique and fun bridal shop!