Raleigh Wedding Photographer: Lindsey+Jonathan

Everyone’s favorite math professors have tied the knot! :) Lindsey and Jonathan are two of the most pleasant people we’ve had the pleasure of working with. Totally laid back, kind, generous, and all with a great sense of humor. Their wedding party and families were the same way and made for one heck of a Sunday night party!! I had been looking forward to shooting a wedding at Marbles ever since I was a nanny. The space is incredible… and even more incredible if you like bright colors like myself. :) It’s also awesome if you feel like acting like you’re twelve, which I also enjoy. It’s also great if you have a super bride and groom who don’t object to you kicking little kids out of a play ambulance so you can take their pictures in it. I don’t like to be totally goofy all the time – I’d like to think my photographs are mostly lovey and sweet without being overly dramatic, but Lindsey and Jonathan knew what they were getting in for when we had our consult… and my overwhelming desire to put them on pirate ships and inside fake underwater caves won out in the end and this is what you get. ;)

Date: July 17th, 2011

Ceremony+Reception Venue: Marbles Kids Museum // Raleigh, NC

Officiant: Rev. Woody Massey

Caterer: Green Planet Catering

DJ: Just Music! // Ross Merle

Hotel: Raleigh Marriott City Center

Get Away Vehicle: Raleigh Rickshaw

Let me just say that Lindsey is one of the sweetest brides and people on the planet. Just very very nice and good and sweet and lovely. Jonathan’s okay too I guess. ;)

Both Lindsey and Jonathan play on an adult soccer league and are both very…very into soccer. Both the guys and the girls were watching the Women’s World Cup while they were getting ready. ;)

Props to the little girl and the mom who we (politely) kicked out of the ambulance for this. ;) Although I can’t say for sure whether or not Jonathan is going to make it since his ace bandage isn’t wrapped terribly tight and his IV fluids seemed to have run out a while ago.

Before the wedding ceremony the couple and I had met a few times because I wasn’t able to attend their rehearsal due to another wedding the day before. Their ceremony was held in the Zanzibar room, and, having shot there before, I knew it’s a hard room to shoot in w/ the overhead light. It’s not really florescent, not really tungsten, and it’s almost track so you get those shadows over the eyes. It’s tough. So the three of us were devising a plan to make it look better when we met in the room and were flicking on and off lights. It turned out that we needed the light or it would’ve been seriously dark, but in doing so we found a black board behind where they were planning on having the ceremony. Initially I thought this was a really big chalkboard and was super excited, but Jonathan realized it was a projection screen (I’m so smart!). He then devised an ingenious plan of projecting one of their favorite van Gogh paintings behind them during the ceremony to spruce it up… and it was adorable! It turned out great and really livened up the space. High-fives for creative couples!

I loved their little flash/place cards on their tables. :) Math professor details! Also, what better place for ring shots than a kids museum?

Lindsey and Jonathan had an ice cream bar instead of cake, which I thoroughly enjoyed since I’m allergic to cake (gluten). :)

Lindsey and Jonathan, you are one of the sweetest couples ever. We wish you the best of luck teaching in West Virginia – and you’ll only be an hour away from the ‘Burgh, so we better see you again when we go home for stuff because if not, we will track you down anyway. Congratulations!!!

Raleigh Wedding Photographer in Chapel Hill: Melanie+Eric

Let me preface this blog post by saying that this was a commitment ceremony rather than a wedding, but “Raleigh Commitment Ceremony Photographer” is kind of a mouthful, so the header says it’s a wedding. :) But a terrific commitment ceremony it was. Just absolutely beautiful. Geoff and I had never photographed anything at Snipes Farm Retreat before, but I can soundly say that it’s my new favorite venue hands down. There isn’t an photogenic area within a mile of the property. Just gorgeous and absolutely perfect for our environmentally-conscious couple, Melanie and Eric. And, to be honest, I ran home after the rehearsal and called Geoff to tell him we totally should’ve had our Halloween-themed wedding here, had we known it existed. It would’ve been perfect! But alas. Anyway, we were super happy and thrilled to shoot here. Roger, the owner, couldn’t have been nicer or more accommodating, and their celebration was stellar. Living in Boston, Melanie and Eric came back down to North Carolina (where they first met in undergrad at UNC) to have their ceremony with close family, friends, and adorable details. I apologize in advance for this super long blog post, but I really couldn’t choose. :)

Date: July 16th, 2011

Ceremony+Reception Venue: Snipes Farm Retreat // Chapel Hill

Officiant: Rev. Robin Renteria

Florist: Bluebird Meadows (Alice)

Videographer: Rachel Julkowski

Caterer: Vilmala’s Curryblossom Cafe

Pies: Scratch (Phoebe Lawless)

Popsicles: Locopops

Dress: Chrissy Wai-Ching

Bluebird Meadows farm did a ridiculously awesome job of the flowers, and Melanie and Eric chose succulent plants to give for their favors (ours are growing on our deck!).

I could not possibly love this photo more, and I’m predicting that my mom could not love this photo less. ;) But hey, I’m a little offbeat, Melanie and Eric are a little offbeat, and together  we all decided that this would be hilarious and/or kinda weird and/or adorable. Or maybe all at the same time. :) When you find a fake cow skull at your venue, you gotta use it, right?

Above: the chocolate chip cookie mix in mason jar favors! Below: the beautiful pies from the bakery of Phoebe Lawless, complete with the tiny clay turtle and octopus as pie toppers. :)

Melanie wore a beautiful handmade purple dress with a tiny succulent plant in her hair, which was so very her and so very them. Best hair ever! Eric wore the vest/tie combo, which, I gotta say, is a great option for guys getting married in the South in the summertime. It looks nice but is much cooler than the full suit.

For those who follow the CSP business page on Facebook, you know I’ve been talking about this for a very long time… and here it is… and it did not disappoint. The Unity Volcano!!! Handmade by Melanie’s talented sister Audrey, the Unity Volcano was seriously epic. I just about died when I saw it. Tiny hand-painted wooden dinosaurs and palm trees, as well as Dora, Melanie’s super fat cat, stood guard over the seriously awesome volcano and waited patiently for the ceremony. :)

Rev. Robin Renteria officiated the beautiful ceremony with grace. What a wonderful woman! This was our first time working with her, and we absolutely adore her!

They chose to pass their rings around in a tiny glass bottle for people to bless or give good wishes to. It’s was a beautiful part of the ceremony.

And here it is… the unveiling of the Unity Volcano. :D

GOOD TIMES. We predict this will spawn multiple copycat Unity Volcanoes which will launch Audrey’s awesome Unity Volcano making career.

After the ceremony, our newly united couple walked down to the lake and had a couple minutes of private time, which is seriously highly recommended. They didn’t even want me with them, which is good. Sometimes couples need that breather in their day.

Best. Guestbook idea. Ever. Melanie made these herself and printed them out after not finding a guest book she liked. They were two-sided and whole punched and fit into a photo album binder. They asked questions such as wishes/advice for the couple, where they should travel, predictions for the future, and you draw pictures of yourself. It kept everyone thoroughly occupied and had me cracking me. Every hour or so I went back and checked on it to read the new ones. So funny.

Above: Drawing of myself and Geoff, done by yours truly. Also, predictions for Melanie and Erick in the future: Robots. And, one of my favorites of the evening: “Don’t be afraid to talk with an accent – it keeps things fresh.” Below: In lieu of a DJ, the couple had multiple games scattered throughout the farm. Everyone had a great time enjoying them and it was totally different and relaxing. And, thankfully, I went home without the Cha Cha Slide stuck in my head.

Fidelma, who brought the rings after the ring passing ceremony up to the front by the volcano, was jokingly being called Gollum by everyone, transporting the rings to Mt. Doom, our Unity Volcano. So, naturally, we had to re-create it. Fidelma, wherever you are, if you have a Facebook account, you need to make this your profile picture for the rest of your life. Also, thanks for being the best sport ever!

And yes, ring shots with Jenga! Geoff’s dream ring shot come true.

This scale is just sitting outside the venue, which to me was a total sign we should’ve had our wedding here. But it’s totally old! I freaked out when I saw it and everyone who didn’t know we’re from Pittsburgh looked at me kinda weird. Pittsburgh has always ended with an ‘h’ except for the time period of 1890-1911, when it briefly dropped the ‘h’. So this scale is old. And awesome!

In lieu of a first dance, they held a Melanie and Eric trivia game! It was hilarious and the answers were off the wall. Grading it was amusing to say the least.

Hey local Triangle peeps! Did you know Locopops can come to your wedding!? They apparently totally can! And had I known this, I would’ve been all over it for our wedding last year! Yet another failure on our wedding that this day brought to light. However, we had fun eating them. Melanie and Eric had pies, brownies, chocolate chip cookie mix, and Locopops… to which Geoff delightfully proclaimed to me, “They have all their dessert bases covered!”

This is my first wedding to end with Chinese Wish Lanterns instead of sparklers, and I must say they are gorgeous! You must be a decent amount away from any other land or airport due to the fire and the flying and the flaming things made of paper going high into the sky, but it’s pretty!

Congratulations, Melanie and Eric! We hope you had a great trip to the mountains and love the pictures upon your return. :) Have a lovely life in Boston and we hope you visit us someday again in the south!

 

Raleigh Wedding Photographer in Greensboro: Lindsay+Zac

This was a total breath of fresh air wedding! Lindsay and Zac, who were married at a new venue in Greensboro called Adam’s Place (a private property that’s been recently renovated to accommodate outdoor ceremonies and receptions), held a stunning wedding. What was so great was that they chose all bright, vibrant colors instead of a single color or two, and it just had such a happy feel about it. :) I met these two only very recently, but in the short time we’ve known each other it’s clear that they are amazing people with a wonderful group of supportive family and friends. We had a great time working with their wonderful bridesmaids and groomsmen as well! The ceremony was held outdoors and it was hot… and I mean hot. As in, both Geoff’s camera and my camera overheated during the ceremony (no, neither stopped taking pictures, thank goodness, but the red warning light was totally on and the LCD screen was blank for about five minutes). There were a few moments where I was prepared to black out. Maybe it’s because I’m from the north, as no one in the wedding party (even Lindsay with her heavy and gorgeous dress) broke a sweat. But the ceremony was beautiful and lead to an even more beautiful reception. Let me tell you – outdoor receptions in the evening in NC are just beyond beautiful (when the weather’s nice, of course). The lighting was perfect and they danced on the patio. It was super low stress and everyone was so nice. Lindsay and Zac took off at the end of the night and headed to Jamaica for their honeymoon. Enjoy their adorably detailed wedding!

Date: July 9th, 2011

Ceremony+Reception Venue: Adam’s Place // Greensboro, NC

Officiant: Rev. Rodney Wright

Florist: Roxie’s Florist

Ceremony and Reception Decor + Floral Arrangements: ABBA Design

Coordinator: Tonya Anderson

DJ: Nick Anderson

Is this not the happiest looking wedding ever!? So happy. :) I love the inside of this tent!

Lindsay and Zac left at the end of the night to their guests throwing white petals out of these little rainbow tubes. :) A cute idea!

Digging the seer-sucker suits on these dudes. Nice to see something a little different. All the guys rocked the look.

A wedding dragonfly! Add it to the list of CSP wedding animals. ;)

The ring bearer is so. ridiculously. adorable. Look at that belt.

Another couple of golfers! They had tees (above) as some of their favors and brought along a golf ball for the ring shot. I apologize for the excessive amount of ring shots that follow, but it was a really good location for ring shots. ;) And you all know how I love them.

Lindsay is sooo stunning and gorgeous and all things beautiful. Love the hair, love the dress. Very different and pretty. :)

Thank you so much to Lindsay and Zac for having us and to their families for being extra supportive and awesome. :) We loved your wedding and hope you had a great time in Jamaica!