Kristen+Chris // Engagement in Charlotte, NC

These guys! We like them a lot. They like comic books and video games and regular books and good movies and tv shows and if we were all on a first date we definitely would’ve gone on a second one. They put up with all our antics and climbed through things and on things and laid on the ground in downtown Charlotte. There’s not much more we could’ve asked. They also wanted pictures of themselves eating pizza, which is a great and welcome relief in a sea of wedding guests who yell at us if they think we’re taking a picture of them eating (we’re not – we’re photographing usually the person next to you or behind you and you aren’t in the shot). EATING PIZZA! A messy and amazing food! We were excited to have two people just be themselves, madly in love with pizza (and at Fuel, especially, where great pizza lives in Charlotte). It was awesome. We harassed both of them quite a bit throughout the evening and we’re pretty sure they haven’t fired us from shooting their wedding in December yet! ;) We are very excited to be on Team KrisChris and can’t wait to see them again soon!

Nikki+Max Marry at Museum of Life and Science

Nikki and Max! Also known to everyone as Mackey and Nix or Mickey and Nick or a variety of other combinations. I’m pretty sure I arranged their names into my own version quite a few times despite clearly knowing who they are, and so did their officiant, Geoff, and possibly a few other people. I’m not sure why their names were so combinable, but I’m pretty sure they’d be the best celebrity couple ever. Like Nix, or maybe Mixxey. Or maybe Nax or Ikkiax.. or. Hmm.

Anyway, this was our first opportunity to photograph a wedding at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham and I have to say it quickly became one of our favorite venues. Awesome outdoor space, awesome indoor space, a ton of shooting variety, random sculptures of wolves with wings and bug eyes, and a whole lot of creepy crawlers that entertained the guests to no end (in particular was the giant orb spider who didn’t have an enclosure but rather lived on a tree inside the museum and just happened to stay there because that’s where they feed him. That’s right. He technically has free reign. Don’t set down your drink).

We had an awesome time getting to know Nikki and Max in real life outside their Instagram accounts that we’ve been stalking for some time. Geoff also had the distinct pleasure of meeting their cat Mickey (who is kind of like their celebrity combo name but the shelter had already named him when they got him so not really). I was a bit jealous because I had been waiting to meet Mickey for SO LONG and Geoff always gets the “getting ready” animals, so I just had to live vicariously through him through the pictures of Mickey trying to eat their snacks and unwrap their presents. A huge congratulations and thank you to our lovely couple, Nikki and Max!

Date: April 26, 2014

Ceremony and Reception Venue: Museum of Life and Science // Durham, NC

First Dance Song: “Unchained Melody” – Righteous Brothers

Nikki’s Occupation: Neuroscience Graduate Student

Max’s Occupation: Health and Public Policy research fellow

How You Met: Nikki TA’ed a class Max was taking

Honeymoon Destination: Cambodia and Vietnam

Vendor Credits: Officiant – Lori Burgwyn, owner of Franklin St. Yoga Center | DJ – Damien Mass | Florist – Saunders | Cake – Daisy Cakes | Caterer – Green Planet Catering | Hair – Caitie Rumbles | Makeup – BareMinerals | Coordinator – Kelly @ Museum of Life and Science

Kristine+Kevin’s JC Raulston Arboretum Wedding

I met Kristine a few years ago when I did promotional photos for a local veterinarian’s office where she was the receptionist. I liked her a lot because she was holding a bunny since she had cats that wouldn’t be good photographic subjects (I was doing head shots of the office staff with their pets). Fast forward a few years and she was engaged, contacted us, and we met with her and her fiancé, Kevin, and her amazing parents (who have been beyond helpful to us in this entire process). We knew they were incredible people inside and out. They were planning an intimate afternoon brunch wedding at the JC Raulston Arboretum in spring with close family and friends and were making their own cupcakes (!!) since Kristine’s an amazing baker (Kevin’s also an amazing cook and it’s their hope to one day open a restaurant which I would then frequent all the time).

And so finally it came to be that CSP encountered its first black wedding dress since its beginning in 2008. :) Yes! We were pretty pumped about this as we had a Halloween wedding and I (Carolyn) looked for a black wedding dress for some time but finally gave up since in 2010 they didn’t really exist so I was so happy to finally see someone get and wear one. And it was very Kristine and Kevin. :) I can’t really picture her wearing a white dress. And oddly enough, our getting-ready roles were kind of reversed for this wedding too. Kristine wore her hair normally while Kevin got his cut and straightened, so Geoff saw more hair-primping action than I did this weekend. ;) Which was, again, very Kristine and Kevin. Everything was! From their black and red color scheme to the cupcakes that they baked to the tattoo that Kristine got specifically for their wedding to the sandbox that they stood in for their ceremony (Kevin proposed by drawing a circle on the beach in which they stood for his proposal… so they were married in a circle in a sandbox!)… it was all very them. And they had a beautiful day filled with people who meant the world to them and we couldn’t be happier for these two. :)

Date: April 12, 2014

Ceremony and Reception Venue: JC Raulston Arboretum // Raleigh, NC

Kristine’s Occupation: Receptionist at Cat Clinic

Kevin’s Occupation: Delivery driver for Chinese restaurant

How You Met: Kristine went to school with Kevin’s two cousins. Kevin saw Kristine’s picture on Facebook under the “People you may know” section. He requested to add her and she added him back since “he couldn’t be that crazy, she knew his cousins”. They started talking and eventually after a few weeks of talking on Facebook and on the phone, they decided to go on a first date. They agreed to meet at the Food Lion up the street from her and they then would drive to “The Upper Deck” (a bar right up the street). Kristine needed some alcohol to calm her nerves, as did he. Once she actually got out of the car and was facing him, she knew he was the one, and he had felt the same way. It was total love at first sight. After some talking they drove to the movie theater to continue their date. And the rest is history.

Vendor Credits: Officiant – Rev. Barbara Lodge | Florist – The Blossom Shop | Cupcakes – Kristine and her mother | Caterer – Food Lion & Harris Teeter