Katy + Pat | Durham Arts Council Wedding | Durham Wedding Photographer

Courtney — Tue, 20 May 2014 16:45:35 +0000

Katy and Pat tied the knot in downtown Durham on April 19, 2014 at the Durham Arts Council. This venue is one of my favorites, and not just because it’s three miles from my house. The massive windows encasing the first floor atrium makes for soft, beautiful light- especially on a cloudy day. The stairs leading up to the second floor make for the perfect spot to capture a bird’s-eye view of the scene, and the twinkle lights hanging from the ceiling create a romantic ambience that calls for minimal decorations.

In general, weddings are a communal affair- made possible by the love and support of family and friends. Katy and Pat’s wedding, in particular, was characterized by familial love through every step of the process. The cookies, cupcakes, and Boston-creme donuts that graced the dessert table were all made by family members. Katy’s brother designed the invitations, and cousins provided the flower arrangements. Katy’s mom even accompanied her for our initial consultation about photography! By the end of the wedding-planning process I felt like a part of this affectionate family. (I don’t think I’ve ever been hugged by so many people before at a wedding!)

Speaking of family, Katy’s bond with her grandmother was one of the sweetest I’ve ever seen. Katy told me her grandmother Penny is the reason why they chose the Durham Arts Council as their wedding venue. When they saw the wall adjacent to the parking lot that says “Penny’s furniture,” Katy knew it was a sign that this was destined to be their venue. My favorite photo from the day is of Katy and her Nana embracing in front of this wall, which is why it is the cover image for this entry.

Katy and Pat, thank you so much for being such kind, welcoming clients. Your copious hugs and thank-you’s were a breath of fresh air that gave me the energy boost I needed to edit several spring weddings. Thank you for reminding me why I love being a wedding photographer and for giving me the privilege to capture such precious moments on your wedding day!

A shout-out to all our fab vendors for making this day possible:

Dress: Tre Bella Bridal

Shoes: Naturalizer

Catering: The Original Q Shack and Pour Bar Services

Second Photographer: Grace Farson

The post Katy + Pat | Durham Arts Council Wedding | Durham Wedding Photographer appeared first on Courtney Potter Studio.

Jessie | Cotton Room Bridal Portraits | Durham Portrait Photographer

Courtney — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:13:19 +0000

Now that Jessie + Eric have tied the knot, I am excited to share the images from Jessie’s bridal session last month.

Jessie and Eric win the award for being our most adventurous couple- they agreed to an engagement session submerged in the Eno River last summer. Justin and I scratched our heads wondering how to top this with Jessie’s bridal portraits at The Cotton Room, so we decided to do something a bit unconventional. Some photographers brand themselves as “natural light wedding photographers” (which implies they just don’t know how to use artificial light), so we wanted to do the opposite for this shoot. Justin brought some bright pink background paper and an assortment of lights, and we turned a typical Southern portrait session into a fashion shoot. And for the majority of our “natural light” photographs we manipulated the light with our trusty reflector.

We all had an awful lot of fun during this shoot, and I am quite pleased with the final images. Jessie- thank you so much for continuing your adventurous streak and humoring us with our crazy background paper. We have been dying to post these images online and are glad the time has finally come!

To view all of the photos from Jessie’s bridal session and order prints, please visit her full gallery on my online print shop!