When fellow photographer Eric asked me to photograph his wedding to Danielle I never figured that it would take place in one of the most unusual and stunningly beautiful places I’ve ever been! After flying me to their home state of New Jersey, Eric and Danielle’s June 25th wedding took place at Grounds for Sculpture located just outside of Trenton NJ.

The couple had a brief ceremony, followed by a lunch at Rat’s, a lovely restaurant located within the park. After lunch, we spent a couple of hours wandering the park and shooting photos. I rarely have the luxury of having this much time devoted to photography, so it was a real treat for me. I will always be grateful to Eric and Danielle for this gift of time.

After the lunch break, the real fun began!!

When Allyson booked me several months ago, she told me that her dream was to have a “storybook wedding”. I think she accomplished her dream. Jeff and Ally were wed at a beautiful home in 12 Oaks in Holly Springs on Saturday, June 18th. Ally spent the night before the wedding at the Umstead hotel, pampering herself. I met up with her at the Umstead while she was having her makeup applied by makeup artist Stephanie Sevilla. Ally’s daughter and Jeff’s daughter joined her as she was getting ready for the ceremony. After the wedding, the couple and their guests enjoyed a fantastic dinner at Jimmy V’s in Cary where event coordinator Helen Burrell made sure that everything was prepared to perfection.

Of course, June in North Carolina usually means hot weather and Saturday was no exception. The temps were in the mid 90′s and since the ceremony was outdoors it did get a bit warm for all involved. But officiant Kayelily Middleton kept things on time and delivered a beautiful and moving ceremony.

This is the second marriage for both Ally and Jeff. It’s apparent when you see them together, that this time, they got it right!

Ally reads a letter from Jeff

Ally's gift from Jeff

Jeff's beautiful daughter gets her makeup done

Brilliant and beautiful. That’s how I describe Amanda. She is a newly minted Ph.D with a degree in Sociology. Larry, her newly minted husband, is one lucky guy!

Larry and Amanda were married Saturday, June 4th, at Haywood Hall, a beautiful historic home in Raleigh, North Carolina. The weather was nearly perfect and the guests enjoyed a delicious buffet and open bar provided by Carolina Brewery. On hand to provide his unique Irish spin on the evening’s dancing was DJ Mark McNally from Joe Bunn Company.

I may have gone a bit overboard with the number of photos I’m posting here but when you have a lovely couple, a fun loving family and a beautiful setting all rolled into one memorable wedding, you can’t blame me. Enjoy!

I did say that the family was fun loving!