Jon & Cait | All Dressed Up and Somewhere to go | Wedding Portraits

My little brother has found himself a pretty amazing lady to spend the rest of his life. They got hitched this June in Franklin, Tennessee, and our parents threw them a second wedding reception in our hometown of Canfield, Ohio at the end of last month. I documented the hometown reception and did a post-wedding portrait session with them. This is my version of “trash the dress,” and I call it “all dressed up.” Usually the couple has “nowhere to go,” but Jon & Cait’s shoot was a few hours before the reception, so they did. (Reception photos will be posted soon, and photos from the photo booth are here.)

If you’ve been following my blog since the beginning, you probably remember Jon & Cait (see them here). They may just be my favorite couple to photograph. We share a love for natural and airy photographs. Plus, they’re just so darn cute together. 

Jon and I are five years apart in age, and I have seen him grow from a little brother, who constantly picked on me, into a strong and courageous young man. I am positive he is a faithful and loving husband and Caitlin is made for him! When I met Caitlin, I immediately wanted to get to know her, not only because she was dating my brother, but because she introduced me to Bon Qui Qui. She constantly keeps us laughing and is a joy to be around.

Josiah, McG and I (baby in-tow) were all in the Franklin wedding, so I could not take my camera along. That was really hard! But I needed to experience their wedding with my own eyes, not my lens. I saw my brother as I walked down the aisle toward him in his last moments as a single man. I stifled my own tears when I saw his as they celebrated Christ’s covenant with communion.

They hired an amazing photographer (Jenn M. Photography), but I still had that yearning to mark the event myself. This session completely fulfilled my desire to capture their marriage.

Jon & Cait! Thank you so much for allowing me to share in this special time of life with you in so many ways. We were looking forward to your marriage from the day Jon was born! We are so blessed to have you in our family now, Caitlin. Love you guys!

Aimee ∙ All Dressed Up at Fort Macon

So I’ve made a few attempts at getting brides to trash the dress, but none seem too keen on the idea. And I cannot blame them. My dress was dry-cleaned and sealed in a box , which now sits on the top shelf of my closet. Aimee is the first bride who was willing to brave the salt water and sand to get some fun photos.  

We met at Fort Macon State Park on a lovely Sunday and snapped some shots inside the historic fort. Next, we were surprised when we got to the beach to see tons of surfers out in the water. Apparently Hurricane Igor was causing gigantic waves, which Aimee and I both experienced! It was an adventure! Aimee had a great attitude and looked absolutely gorgeous despite getting drenched.

 

Aimee, I am loving these photos! It has been such a pleasure working with you and getting to know you. I wish you and Isaiah the best and will keep you both in my prayers during his deployment and your future together.



Elite Bridal Concierge ∙ Featured!

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach when I looked at my first blog feature that was posted just moments ago by Elite Bridal Concierge! I’ve seen my name in print before, but it’s always been on the byline. This is the first actual public review of my work and I am just honored!

 I was so excited when Tabitha Dantzler, owner of Elite Bridal Concierge, emailed me asking to feature Joe, Kristi & Kara’s session, on her blog. Tabitha and I met in February at a bridal show and she was so enthusiastic and generous. We have kept in touch and she has offered me a wealth of wisdom regarding social media and blogging. She is the one who really inspired me to start this blog.  

It just so happened that I met Kristi at the same bridal show and here we are again all connecting. Kristi hired Elite Bridal Concierge as her wedding consultant and I know she was thrilled with their work. Tabitha has a keen eye for style and will offer sound advice when it comes to your wedding. Check out her blog for tons of ideas and inspiration.



“All Dressed Up” ∙ Joe, Kristi & Kara ∙ New Bern Wedding Photographer

I got a very excited email from Kristi in March with lots of CAPS and exclamation marks. She was asking about my “Trash the Dress” sessions.  This, in turn, made me super excited because I desperately wanted to shoot a trash the dress with a bride.  So we emailed back and forth all those months while she was busily getting ready for her wedding day. A little bit after Joe and Kristi got back from their honeymoon, I got a very sad email that she just couldn’t “trash” her dress and she was going to have to cancel the session.  

I was sooooooo disappointed, but I didn’t give up. I wrote her an email encouraging her to reconsider and assuring her that we didn’t have to “trash” the dress. In fact, I had been thinking about renaming my trash the dress sessions because most brides just don’t want to trash their dress.  Actually, I already had two failed attempts at getting brides to trash their dresses.

Well, I was successful with Kristi and we did the session, which I now lovingly call “All Dressed Up.” It is a watered down version of “trash the dress” (maybe “watered down” is not the right phrase – haha!). It is a just-for-fun session after the wedding day with the happy couple dressed in their wedding garments.  We can go to some places that may lead in a little dirt or sand on the dress, but nothing serious. There is always the option of really “trashing” it, but it’s definitely not mandatory. It gives the couple some images that they did not have time to get on the wedding day.

Kristi still wanted to trash a dress, so her sister, Kara, and her brought a couple bridesmaids dresses. They took a little dip and we got some awesome photos. I could have gone on all day with these guys! They just kept firing new ideas at me that I loved.  

Thank you, Joe, Kristi & Kara for coming out to New Bern and having a bit of fun with me! You all are hilarious! I wish you lived closer so we could hang out. Kristi, thanks for going through with the session. Joe, you are one of the best grooms I’ve ever photographed and you had such awesome ideas. Kara, thanks for your help and for getting drenched. Call me when you need some senior photos!

 I had such a hard time choosing which photos to post today. I think I posted nearly half!

Taylor & Jo ∙ Trash the Dress ∙ North Carolina Wedding Photographer

For those of you who are local, you’ve noticed that it’s been roastin’ in the Eastern Carolinas this week. (My heart goes out to the Bridal Parties of June and July weddings this year. It is HOT!) I am so thankful Taylor and Jo were willing to get out in the heat for a Post Wedding Photo Shoot. Before we even started the photography, all three of us had beads of sweat forming on our brows.

We started out in downtown Washington and then ventured into the woods to cool off in the Pamlico River. Yes, we all got wet! This is the real deal! Jo was brave enough to get her gown a little sandy and wet for some unique photos. Taylor and Jo were the perfect couple for this session. They are used to getting a little silly and crazy because they work with kids and teens as Youth Ministers. Plus, they brought their fishing gear.

Come on brides! Take the plunge! Nothing a little dry cleaning can’t fix. Right, Jo?

Taylor and Jo, I had a great time spending a couple hours with you. You are such a great couple! I can tell you have a lot of fun together. I will be praying for your ministries and that God blesses your union.