Tag: Triangle weddings

Allie and Tyler tied the knot on May 25, 2014 at The Oaks of Salem in Apex, North Carolina. This was my first time shooting at this beautiful venue, and I hope it’s not the last! This fun couple said their vows underneath a massive oak tree (complete with a swing!) near the pond, and the scene couldn’t have been more picturesque.

So picturesque, in fact, that Allie and Tyler invited a local event artist to paint  the scene of their ceremony. This is also something I had never seen before at a wedding, and I wish that Justin and I had thought to hire someone to create a unique piece of art from our wedding day. If you have a moment, check out local artist Tesh Parekh’s portfolio and see if you can spot him in the pictures below. 🙂

Also, a big thanks to Alex Boerner of Burning Silver Photography for helping a sista out. Alex brought decades of photojournalism experience and his mad reflector skills to the table, and I had a lot of fun collaborating with him on these photos.

Allie and Tyler, thanks for being such a spunky couple to work with. I loved your hilarious selfies (and recreation of the famous Ellen Degeneres Academy Awards photo) and your playfulness throughout your wedding day. Your humor made it so easy for me to just blend in with the crowd, not to mention it made editing these photos a lot of fun. 🙂  I hope that these pictures bring a similar smile to your faces as you relive all of the emotions of your day.

Enjoy!

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

Venue: The Oaks at Salem

Second Photographer: Alex Boerner

Dress: Mori Lee by Madeline Gardner

Shoes: Vera Wang

Bridesmaid dresses: Bill Levkoff

Groom’s clothing: Jos. A. Bank

Florist: Daniel’s Florist

Cake: Once in a Blue Moon Bakery

Catering: Beau Catering

Invites: Magnet Street Weddings

DJ: Darren Hunicutt

Live Event Artist: Tesh Parekh

Kelley and Mike didn’t meet in high school or on OKCupid; they fell in love while working on a case that ultimately exonerated a man who spent 14 years in jail for a murder he never committed. This story made headlines in major news outlets like CNN, and Mike and Kelley received several prestigious awards for their work that freed Floyd Brown. Kelley’s eyes lit up when she first told me about how Floyd brought them together. I could tell that the accolades and awards paled in comparison to the love and respect that Mike and Kelley have for Floyd, and for each other. Their life stories will be forever intertwined, which is why I wanted to start this blog entry with a portrait of the three of them.

Kelley and Mike tied the knot last month in a classy fall Chapel Hill wedding. They exchanged vows at the United Church of Chapel Hill and partied the night away at the Carolina Club on UNC’s campus. Some of my favorite moments were of Kelley’s nephew Kian, who was a complete ham. He held his own on the dance floor among lawyers and family members. 🙂 A big thanks to my talented interns Julysa Sosa and Layson Peters for assisting me, as well.

Kelley + Mike, thank you so much for giving me the privilege of photographing your wedding. Your love for justice as well as your compassion for others is so apparent and inspiring. It was a joy documenting your love story, and I hope that these photos preserve that for years to come.

Prints from this wedding AVAILABLE HERE!

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

Bride’s Hair: Megan Sandy

Dress: Tre Bella Bridal

Shoes: Nina

Bridesmaid dresses: Bridal Mart

Groom’s clothing: Tom James

Ties: Beau Ties Ltd. of Vermont

Florist: Tre Bella Flowers

Cake: The Carolina Club

Catering: The Carolina Club

DJ: Stephen Scott Professional Entertainment

Transportation: A Formal Affair LLC

When I booked Ami+Dave’s wedding back in May, I knew it was going to be the wedding of the year.  I devoted a whole week in September to shooting their fun wedding festivities, which included an intimate shoot in Duke Gardens, multiple henna parties, a small traditional family ceremony on Thursday, their Sangeet party, and then the wedding day itself—which was packed with emotion, beautiful rituals, amazing Indian music and food, and bright colors.  In other words, their wedding was a photographer’s dream wedding!

The breadth and intimacy of Ami+Dave’s wedding week coverage provided a unique wedding coverage experience for me.  I had really great conversations with their family and friends over a series of days, learned a ton about Ami’s family’s culture, and got to witness and photograph some really beautiful moments that I can’t imagine seeing without spending so much time with them.  It was a privilege to feel like I wasn’t just a witness to their family’s celebration—I was a part of it!  I came home from each shoot feeling refreshed, as if I had spent quality time with my own family.  It was life-giving, to say the least, and reminded me of my college days when I would dive into a documentary project.

Ami+Dave, thank you so much for inviting me to document your wedding celebration. You both have such bright spirits and bring joy to everyone you meet—I experienced that first-hand each day I shot with you.  I was truly touched by the toasts at your wedding, which made me cry (and I usually don’t cry at weddings!).  I hope that these photos reflect the light that you bring to all and the love around you. And a big thanks to Justin Cook and Ted Richardson for shooting with me this week.

Enjoy!

Some of my favorite weddings to shoot are the ones that aren’t
traditional.  I love seeing couples express their unique relationship in
a setting that is truly their own–whether it be a relaxed wedding in a field at sundown, a beautiful Jewish ceremony
held outside, or something more homely.  Katie and Matt celebrated
their nuptials in a setting I’d never seen before: their neighborhood
cul de sac.

I have never felt so relaxed shooting a wedding, and owe that to the
warm, cozy environment that was my photographic playground for the
afternoon. All the elements of a usual wedding were present, but the
location they took place gave the day a twist for me.  A little girl put
on her dress in the living room downstairs, family members lounged on
the couch before the ceremony, family portraits took place in the
backyard instead of in the front of a church, Katie and Matt said “I do”
on the front porch of their Durham home, guests hula-hooped in the lawn
at the reception.

I’d love to shoot more weddings like this in the future.  The
off-beat nature of everything was really refreshing, making ordinary
wedding moments that I capture all the time seem like something totally
different.  If I could get married again, I’d probably make my wedding
something like this—an intimate gathering of family and friends in my
backyard (since I don’t have a cul de sac)!