Tag: wedding

Ying-Ju and Ming-Feng tied the knot on March 26, 2017 in a beautiful outdoor ceremony at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham. I loved everything about documenting this Asian-fusion wedding: from the beautiful dual traditions to the butterfly release in the conservatory after the ceremony.

This sweet, well-traveled couple met in 2004 at their college harmonica club and got engaged in 2016. Ming-Feng proposed with purple tulips in Amsterdam, and Ying-Ju obviously said yes!

After moving from Taiwan to Durham, North Carolina, this couple wanted to honor their roots during their Durham celebration. They incorporated many beautiful traditional Taiwanese details into their day, like Ying-Ju’s Chinese reception dress, gold jewelry, and hand-made guest favors.

Are you planning an Asian-fusion wedding this spring and looking for a photographer who is excited about your ideas?

Or maybe you’re blending two different faith traditions and are not sure where to even start? I love helping you clarify + celebrate your true values on your wedding day. Check out my wedding photography packages and let’s work together!

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

Second Photographer: Shaena Mallett

Coordinator: Friends Cheo-Ying & Lydia

Officiant: Friend Brian Head

Bride’s American Dress: Pronovia Ornani, from Tre Bella Bridal

Bride’s Chinese Dress: Made in Taiwan

Florist: Tre Bella Florist for bride’s bouquet and main table centerpiece; DIY guest table centerpieces and aisle markers

Dessert: Guglhupf

Catering: Southern Harvest Catering

Una + Sam tied the knot in Chapel Hill on April 29, 2017  in their colorful, spirited non-traditional Rigmor House wedding.

These lovebirds met as high school sophomores (shout-out to Mr. Reed and his outdoor ed class for bringing them together!) Fast-forward several years, when Sam proposed over a game of scrabble. Una said yes, naturally.

I loved everything about this Rigmor House wedding- from the lush ferns (grown by Una’s dad for months!) to the fire alarm snafu during dinner, which prompted Una to borrow a firefighter’s helmet for magic-hour portraits while everyone else evacuated the building, laughing and drinking, unfazed by the turn of events.

It doesn’t hurt that Sam has a glorious man-bun, either, or that Una makes the world’s best/scariest faces. All. The. Time.

This spirited couple sat down and talked with me about their Rigmor House wedding in their own words. Read about their experience below, and get ready to laugh! 🙂

1. What are some of your favorite things about your partner? How were these attributes expressed during or leading up to your wedding?

Sam : Una is my perfect other half. She is calm where I am high stress and high stress where I am calm. We balance out each other’s goofiness and seriousness. But most importantly, we compromise frequently and willingly, but we don’t ever let each other stop being our individual selves, and that was reflected beautifully and perfectly in our vows.

Una: Well crap, I don’t know how to compete with what he just said! But I love that Sam expresses his emotions with fullness and integrity and that he is so comfortable in his own skin. I love that he loved planning this wedding as much as I did, and that we did it together.

2. What was most important to you in planning your Rigmor House wedding?

Keeping it low-key, stress free, and enjoying the process of planning! (It only happens once!)

 

3. Are there any details or moments from your wedding that are particularly special to you? (E.g., you wore your momma’s dress, your partner unexpectedly serenaded you, there was a double rainbow all across the sky…).

Una: The morning of the wedding I woke up and went downstairs to eat toast and happened to glance out the window to see my parents digging up ferns in our backyard. TOO FUNNY. Isabelle, a family friend and our wedding planner, had spotted them weeks before and knew she wanted to use them for decoration. My mom made our wedding cake and I cherish that labor of love. She had never made a cake that large, much less a wedding cake, and it was beautiful (and DELICIOUS.)

Another sweetness was during the parent dances, which I expected to be chill dancing until my dad started spinning me around the dance floor. It was such a silly and fun moment.

Sam: I would add that our officiant (who is also a best friend from college) wrote the most simple but touching speech for the ceremony. And, since it was 92 degrees and people were melting in their chairs, it was thankfully short! And also the fire alarm – we can’t forget that! We always joked that as long as no one died at our wedding we would rate it a success, and we saw it as a good omen that the alarms do indeed work! (And no one died, so, success!)

4. Now that you’ve tied the knot (and survived!), what advice would you give to other folks planning their wedding?

Forget about the tiny details; if you’re worried someone is going to side-eye your napkins or something, know that they are going to side-eye no matter what. If you’re on a budget, scratch that, because you are on a budget, pick the things that really matter to you and go cheap on the rest. We knew we wanted a live band, so we splurged on them (they. were. AMAZING.) and in exchange, we spent $50 on my dress.

5. What is the first thing you want to do with the images? Wallpaper the hallway? Internet fame?

As a wedding gift, a friend of ours who frames art professionally is doing a few chosen photos. We are really looking forward to hanging those. And of course, we are going to make an album to be placed somewhere in our house that is easily reached for a nostalgic perusal.

6. What’s next for you as a couple? Any big plans?

Una: I finish graduate school next May and we delayed our honeymoon until after I finish. Since most of my extended family lives in Ireland, and Sam has never met many of them or traveled to Ireland, we are planning a long-awaited summer trip!

7. Anything else you’d like to add about your Rigmor House wedding or experience working with me?

While I was pretty sure from the photos alone that Courtney would be a perfect fit for us, after we met I was sure of it. She listened to our thoughts and nailed everything we wanted while also capturing wonderful moments we would never have thought to ask for. We spent zero moments worrying about photography once we booked her, and we couldn’t have had a better experience. Our wedding was joyous and loving and so much fun, and our photos reflect that.

Are you a low-key couple looking for a photographer to capture your own silliness and joy on your big day? Check out my 3 wedding photography packages and drop me a line– I’d love to hear from you!

A shout-out to our fab vendors who made this day possible:

Photography Assistant: Katy Hall

Coordinator: Isabelle Congleton

Officiant: Ethan Sagin- Sam’s college friend

Bride’s Dress: Rainbow’s End

Bride’s Shoes: Modcloth

Cake: Ann Walsh, bride’s mother

Florist: Isabelle Congleton; ferns by Larry Sammon, bride’s dad.

Dessert: Chapel Hill Restaurant Group

Catering: Chapel Hill Restaurant Group

Band: The Finns

 

Stacy + Jay tied the knot at the Rigmor House in Chapel Hill on April 22, 2017. This laid-back duo wanted a celebration that felt less like an extravagant production and more like a backyard barbecue.

And they wanted their dog, Pepper, to be the star of the day. They incorporated lawn games, s’mores around the bonfire, and ample room  for Pepper to roam and guests to stretch their legs (and slip her food!).

Do you think they pulled it off? Check out these pics, and sound-off in the comments below!

Are you planning a laid-back outdoor wedding and looking for a photographer who loves cornhole, North Carolina BBQ, and your fur-baby?

Or maybe you’re renovating your home for your backyard wedding and have no idea where to put all the guests? I love helping you clarify + celebrate your true values on your wedding day. Check out my 3 wedding packages and schedule a 30-minute phone discovery session with me by August 15 and receive 10% off your photography package.

A shout-out to our fab vendors who made this day possible:

Photography Assistant: Kasha Ely

Coordinator: Lauren Wilson

Officiant: Kathie McCutcheon

Bride’s Dress: Amy Kuschel, purchased at Lana Addison Bridal

Bride’s Shoes: Imagine by Vince Camuto

Bridesmaid Dresses: Weddington Way

Florist: Tre Bella

Dessert: Nantucket Bakery

Catering: Hillsborough BBQ

Invites: Wedding Paper Diva

DJ: Montgomery Morris

Transportation: Greenway Transit

Dana + Ben tied the knot in a beautiful DIY outdoor ceremony at Duke Gardens on September 24, 2016.

I photographed Dana’s sister’s wedding in 2014, and it was a special treat to document another family celebration just two years later. I loved the laid-back but romantic feel of Dana + Ben’s Duke Gardens wedding and am excited to share these photos!

Read the Q&A with this laid-back couple, featured below, to learn more about their Duke Gardens wedding inspiration and photography experience!

1. What are some of your favorite things about your partner? How were these attributes expressed during or leading up to your wedding?

Dana: Ben is kind, calm, and very organized. He’s good at remembering the things that might slip through the cracks- like getting a marriage license. I always feel like he’s on my team. He was holding my hand, dancing, and just with me all night.

Ben: Dana makes everyone feel very comfortable, and as a result our wedding was relaxed and friendly.

2. What was most important to you in planning your wedding?

It was important to us that everyone was going to have fun! And also that the wedding reflected us. Our ceremony felt very “ours”- like hugging our parents instead of being given away, and having our friend Virginia as the officiant.

Even though we kept our family in mind, we felt like it fit us. We tried to do some DIY things to keep costs down. We bought these rubber stamps and ink to decorate our invitations, and we used them again for the programs.

3. Are there any details or moments from your wedding that are particularly special to you? (E.g., you wore your momma’s dress, your partner unexpectedly serenaded you, there was a double rainbow all across the sky…).

Dana: Seeing Ben’s face as I walked down the aisle is something I won’t forget. Seeing so many loved ones. Getting ready with my sister and girlfriends.

Both: The toasts were truly special- heartfelt and touching.

4. Now that you’ve tied the knot (and survived!), what advice would you give to other folks planning their wedding?

Wedding planning takes a lot of time, especially the small things. Start early, and leave yourself enough time, and try to divide and conquer a bit. It’s so helpful when something is handled by one member of the couple and you know your own task.

Remember to soak up the day. It goes by so fast. Savor being with your partner on the special day.

5. What drew you to my photography style? Why did you ultimately decide to hire me? Was it worth it? 🙂

We loved your photography from my sister’s wedding, which was probably the best way to vet you too! You are so comfortable to work with. You are friendly and calm but are not afraid to tell people what you need. The composition in photographs is very nice, and it’s clear that you’re thinking about the whole frame.

6. What is the first thing you want to do with the images? Wallpaper the hallway? Internet fame?

I’m just looking at these over and over again, re-living the wedding. Social media posts to come, and we’ll certainly pick out a few to frame, and potentially an album. We also gave a few of the group shots to our friends and family as gifts.

7. What’s next for you as a couple? Any big plans?

We have a trip planned just the two of us- without the dog- to New Orleans. Just a short trip but it feels like honeymoon round two. We’re loving living together after being long distance. Life is so much better.

Are you planning a laid-back outdoor wedding and looking for an experienced North Carolina wedding photographer who supports your unique vision?

Or maybe you’re renovating your home for your backyard wedding and have no idea where to put all the guests? I love helping you clarify + celebrate your true values on your wedding day. Check out my 3 wedding packages and schedule a 30-minute phone discovery session with me by August 15 and receive 10% off your photography package.