Eva grew up in a close knit family who celebrated the Christmas holidays each year by turning their home into a life-sized gingerbread house. Josh was presented with a quaint set of gingerbread cufflinks, to welcome him into the family. And to honor Eva’s grandmother, a lady who loved butterflies, the girls pinned little butterfly clips onto their flowers.

The gingerbread theme continued into the reception where a pair of bride and groom gingerbread men stood watch over the celebrations atop the cake.

But the highlight of the reception was a surprise musical presentation by Eva’s mother, father and family friends. The couple was serenaded with a song that Eva’s mother wrote entitled “Many Homes”.

“When we’re born, we cannot know of our many homes,
Homes that make us want to sing and write about in poems.
We know we want a home that’s filled with family and friends,
A home where we hope that the love never ends.”

I was honored to have been present and entrusted with capturing the moments that Josh and Eva will always cherish.

Several things were fun and unique about this wedding. The beautiful bouquet of butterflies was designed and created by Leanna herself to honor loved ones. There was a magnificent chocolate fountain, provided by The Chocolate Boutique in Raleigh, which featured both dark and milk chocolate cascading down multiple tiers. And finally, if you know Leanna or Matt, be sure to ask them about the “ambush” that happened a couple miles down the road as they left the wedding.

In addition to their wedding being the first one of the 2013 season for me, it was a real honor to shoot it because Leanna’s father and I are old friends and former co-workers.

I hope you enjoy just a few of the many images captured this day.

What a year 2012 was for me! I had the honor and privilege of meeting and photographing a number of wonderful couples. Their weddings took me to Miami, Savannah, Lumberton and of course, Raleigh. I also photographed weddings in the mountains of Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

There were sunny days, rainy days and everything in between. Some of my favorite images were shot under some very trying conditions. But in every single photo, there is a deep meaning to me and/or the couple.

As I went through all of the weddings I shot in 2012, I realized that it would be nearly impossible for me to select just a few favorite photos, as there were simply so many to choose from, however I did manage to make a final selection.

I hope you enjoy the following photos. They represent just a few of the wonderful, joyful moments I shared with some remarkable couples.

I met Ashlyn at the Southern Bridal show last Saturday. On Monday, she contacted me and booked me for her wedding in September. On Wednesday, I photographed Ashlyn and Thomas’s engagement session. Wow! Talk about a quick decision!! But Ashlyn had a good reason. Thomas is being shipped out this weekend for several months of training. He is in the service and since he will be gone for a while, Ashlyn wanted to get some photos before Thomas had to leave.

We spent a couple of hours in downtown Raleigh, wandering around and generally having a great time! Of course we shot some wonderful images as well.

Enjoy!!

After shooting many weddings in small churches and cramped reception venues, it was a treat for me to be able to work in such a spacious place. Of course, more room means I have to use more lights, but for a photographer who enjoys employing his lights, this was like giving me the keys to the candy store.

I hope you enjoy just a few of the many images I captured that day for David and Michele.

This bridesmaid was a real trooper!!

Cori is a school teacher and is a stickler for details. She did a great job of planning her wedding down to the smallest detail. From her funky shoes, to the candy station, and to the hand made gift she gave to Ben, she did not overlook a single thing. However I think the one thing she did not count on was the emotion of the day. Her and Ben’s “first look” and her dad walking her down the aisle, brought out tears of joy. And I was there to capture it all.

Enjoy!

Jim and Ashley chose to have a “first look” photo, which was very touching and emotional. We then spent some time, prior to the ceremony, walking around the campus to get some shots of the two of them celebrating their love for each other. This is a wonderful, relaxed way to shoot some photos without keeping guests waiting. This is becoming more and more popular among my clients.

Here are but a few of the many photos captured during their special day.

When I photographed their engagement session, it was at a fire station.  This was one of the most unique sessions I’ve ever done.  I’ve shot in some unique places, but when I found myself 100′ up in the air on a ladder truck, capturing a romantic moment between Brittany and Adam…well let’s just say that it doesn’t get any more real that that!    I was really looking forward to their wedding day.  Brittany and Adam made sure that all the right touches were in place for their wedding, from a toy fire truck, to the colors on the wall.  My favorite was the flower girl with a fireman’s boot full of flowers. There was even a game of “musical chairs”. I’m not sure it had anything to do with firemen but it was a huge hit with the crowd.

Brittany has been counting down the days on Facebook for months.  It was an honor and pleasure for me to be at her wedding to capture the emotion and true joy between this couple.

I first met Robert during a magazine photo shoot. Robert is a Special Ops Army Ranger, based out of Ft. Bragg. He is also an elite athlete who competes in Ironman competitions. Maxine is a wildlife artist from Rhodesia. Her father and sister are also artists. They travel the world, seeking inspiration for their art, and I must say, their work is amazing.

The wedding was held at The Grand Highlands lodge, a beautiful venue just outside of Asheville. The day started out sunny and warm, but just as the ceremony was getting under way, the wind howled, the rain fell and the temperature dropped about 30 degrees — making my job a challenge to say the least. Maxine and Robert, however took it all in stride and did not let the weather ruin their big day. In fact, after the storm blew through, the amazing skies and sunset allowed for some wonderful photo opportunities.

With so many incredible shots from this day, I had a hard time selecting just few images to blog. Here are a few of my favorites. Enjoy!

Just before the ceremony, the skies were really starting to get ominous.

Then the rain came.

Robert and Maxine were not going to let a little weather dampen their spirits.

Running for cover!

Waiting for the rain to stop.

Despite the wind and cold, as soon as the rain stopped we went back outside for some incredible photos.

Yes, that is a real bayonet being used to cut the cake.

A word of note, the painting above the fireplace was created by Maxine’s father. When I first saw it, I thought it was a photograph because it was so lifelike.