We like to put our photojournalistic shooting style into overdrive when we shoot weddings, and this one was no exception. Sarah and Bill had a Biltmore Estate wedding at the Lioncrest venue and there were so many wonderful moments. Part of what’s so intriguing about documenting weddings is photographing the anticipation and build-up before the ceremony. Not only is this great for the bride and groom to look back on, but it helps fill in the narrative of the whole day.

The ceremony was officiated by Sarah’s father which was very special, and there were lots of emotional ceremony photos to be taken. The children guests were particularly adorable at this wedding and might want to look into a career as “hilarious wedding dancers”.

The talented Blush by Wendy was the makeup artist, Lola did her hair, and we got to work once more with Asheville Event Co (planners). And of course we have to mention Bloom Room and their beautiful floral arrangements! It’s worth checking out the bridal shoot we did with Sarah a few months ago. She looks so elegant and relaxed in these and on her wedding day. Not to mention, everyone at the wedding was so unbelievably nice to us all day. This always makes us jump for joy (not literally. Or maybe?) at the thought of being wedding photographers.

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Tags: Asheville, Biltmore Estate, biltmore lioncrest, biltmore photographer, Biltmore wedding, Lioncrest, lioncrest venue, lioncrest wedding, NC, Photography

Have we ever told you how much we love to travel for weddings? Taking the journey with cameras in hand to Nevada City, CA was no exception.  Some of the kindest, most genuine people inhabit this beautiful little town nestled in the foothills of Gold Country. Jen and Mike’s family and friends surrounded them as they prepared for their day at two historic inns set in the small town of Nevada City. Jen prepared for the wedding in the lovely Parsonage bed and breakfast while Mike got ready just down the street at The Outside Inn. Nevada City has such a fascinating history which is evident every where you go, including the chapel where they said their vows, St. Canice. After witnessing the heart-warming ceremony, the guests split up to eat lunch and reconvene later that evening for the reception. The portraits that followed lunch was at the awe inspiring Crystal Hermitage Gardens at Ananda Village. Can you imagine a more lovely spot to take your wedding day portraits? Tulips, cherry trees and mountain views were just a part of the recipe that made this beautiful couple so easy to photograph. Jen looked absolutely stunning in her dress which was reborn from her Mother’s own wedding dress. Doesn’t she look like an angel in that first photo?

The reception took place at an old Gold Foundry in the center of Nevada City which is now the Miners Foundry Cultural Center. An old-timey group of musicians played bluegrass and mountain music as the guests danced the contra while whooping and hollering into the night. Delicious appetizer dishes, drinks and desserts adorned the hall on all sides making it one tasty evening. It was an absolute pleasure traveling to California to capture their wedding photography!

The next day we spent a lovely sunny afternoon in the Wedding Orchard. What is a wedding orchard you ask? We just love this idea! You get your closest friends and family together and plant fruit trees. Everyone chose which variety of fruit they wanted to be represented by, and then planted the trees with help from the resident botanical expert, Michael Many Blessings.  As you can probably see from the photos, this was no easy task but worth every bead of sweat in the end. What fruit tree are you?

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Tags: California, california wedding, california wedding photography, Crystal Hermitage Gardens at Ananda Village, gold country, Miners Foundry Cultural Center, nevada city, nevada city wedding, photographer, Photography, wedding, wedding day, wedding dresses, wedding orchard, wedding photo, wedding photography

Two years ago we received a comment online (flickr or somewhere) from a bride with the monicker Hindsight Bride. After a few “clicks” we found out she was a wedding blogger. We replied to her comment and told her she could post the photos on her blog if she wanted, because, hey, we love to share. Wedding blogs are wonderful sources of information, many of which are written by brides who have been through it all. We were particularly intrigued by this wedding blogger because her wedding story includes an unfortunate tragedy. No, the cake didn’t fall to the ground, nor did a groomsman faint. It’s something far worse, something permanently catastrophic and not recoverable. Ok ok, enough drama. Her wedding day photos were ruined by the amateur photographer she hired. She thought she did her homework and was being clever by using a student from the university she was working at. The end result, however, was bad. Of course we were not thinking “Ha ha that’s what you get” but rather this could be a moral for brides to hire professional photographers.

“Every time I looked at my wedding picture disks, I cried. I mean real, big, ugly, self-pitying sob sessions.” ~Hindsight Bride

A few social media comments and emails later, she popped the question to us. She wanted to get all dressed up and do an anniversary shoot while recreating the DIY details of her wedding. We were honored and beyond excited that she asked. So we met her and her hubby on their one year anniversary at the NC Arboretum and spent a few hours taking portraits and detail shots. Both of them were completely amazing to work with and it makes us love our jobs even more when we get emails like this: “We can’t thank you enough for helping us capture the moments that remind us of how much we love one another… While I can never go back in time and redo my wedding photos, this is the next best thing.”

Weddings are never perfect. Something is bound to go wrong, and after photographing many weddings we are always expecting the unexpected. You can’t control every aspect of your big day, but you can chose a photographer wisely. So we encourage you to read Hindsight Bride’s whole story here. She says it best, we are just her anniversary photographers ;)

“If you want professional photography, you need to hire professionals. They don’t come cheaply, but they’re worth it!” ~HSB

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Tags: anniversary, anniversary photo, bloggers, bride, brides, hindsight, hindsight bride, nc arboretum, photographer, Photography, professional, professional wedding photography, shoot, wedding, wedding anniversaries, wedding anniversary, wedding anniversary shoot, wedding day, wedding photographer, wedding photos, wedding pictures, wedding stories