Posts Tagged: blowing rock wedding photographer
An Outdoor Wedding ~ in a casual way
Is there a penalty for saying this one was special, if it’s true more than once? We feel this way about more than a few of the couples we photograph on their big day, and this one goes in that category. While we don’t know Dylan and Elizabeth intimately, Dylan’s dad, Richard, has been a friend of ours for over a decade. Plus, who can feel cynical about the world when there is a bagpiper – IN A KILT – playing during the ceremony? Dylan’s uncle not only played the bagpipes at Dylan’s wedding, he played them at Richard’s, so this was a tradition worth keeping. Elizabeth and Dylan are a low key couple, extremely cool and fun, and so was their wonderful outdoor wedding.
You want to know how to mix the casual with the tender? Take cues from these two. Part of the laid back atmosphere they wanted to create for their wedding and reception was to have it at their new home in New London, NC surrounded by their families and friends and their beloved dogs. Elizabeth and Dylan had only been in their new digs for a few short months and worked hard to get the place ready. While the dogs made cameos, any dog owner will tell you that getting them to pose takes more than a nod and a wink but they made it.
On the traditional and tender side: Dylan was given a pair of cuff links just before the ceremony that were his grandfathers as a special touch from Richard. Additionally, someone shared the old Southern tradition of burying the bourbon at the ceremony site to ensure good weather the day of the ceremony. It worked!! As the tradition mandates, the bourbon is dug up and there was a toast of bourbon with the guests after the ceremony. The groom’s sweet Grandmother made the desserts and the catering was provided by Lexington Barbecue as in THE best barbecue. Richard commented, “who knew my son was a barbecue snob?!”
We stole the couple from the ceremony late in the reception because the sunset was just too gorgeous not to get photos with. These two are so relaxed with each other, so happy and in love and their future just appears to be only filled with light and joy and silliness AND DOGS.
We look forward to watching these two grow their family and their lives together over the coming years and loved being a part of their big day. Our thanks to Richard and their whole tribe for letting us in! We love you guys!
We love family portraits whether they are set in the studio, the great outdoors, a specific location like the mountains or high country, or on our property in our outdoor portrait garden. Pixels on Paper photographs, engagements and weddings, brides, and special events and portraits of all kinds in our Wilkesboro, NC studio. We would be honored to meet with you, learn about you and your family and be a part of taking special portraits that will become, we hope, family heirlooms.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License
All photos are ©2017 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
Kendra & Nathan Wed at Elkin’s Barn at Blueberry Hill
On May 20th, we photographed the wedding of Kendra and Nathan as they tied the knot at The Barn at Blueberry Hill in Elkin NC. It was the first time we’ve ever shot a wedding at this venue and we LOVED it. It’s a real barn with a real barn feeling, but with air conditioning (!!) and the owner, event coordinator, setting – everything – was perfect.
What was also perfect was the couple. Even the groom’s goof made the occasion memorable.
Kendra is a lot like me: a Type A personality who wants every single detail to be perfect. She looked gorgeous and so did her bridesmaids in this setting. The weather turned out to be perfect (it rained for 5 days straight after the couple left for their honeymoon) and the guests were so much fun. There were no dull moments!
Groom Nathan teared up watching Kendra walk down the aisle. Kendra: “Most people might have needed a tissue after seeing Nathan become a little emotional as I walked in. I luckily, did not. I had the biggest smile on my face that nothing could wipe away. Why? Because I knew I was moments away from marrying the man of my dreams. Sounds cliché; I know, but it’s true. I had waited on that day for many years and that day, the day I had dreamed about for a long time, had finally arrived.” 
A highlight for the couple (and a laugh moment for the guests) was when the little groomsman just wandered across the aisle while vows were being said. Super cute!!
These two told us that Nathan’s performance really hit the high point when he kept messing up repeating his wedding vows. The pastor finally had to turn the page with the written vows so Nathan could just read them instead of trying to repeat them. 
Other memorable moments, according to the bride, groom and family include: when Nathan’s young cousin Ava walked up to the bridesmaid who’d caught the bouquet and snatched it out of her hands; when the groomsmen took over the photo booth to get shots of them wearing only their underwear and suspenders and when, coming back from their honeymoon, the TSA officer at the airport opened Kendra’s bag and those same underwear shots of the groomsmen were on display. They confiscated her belongings.
Kidding!
The barn vibe was so much fun, along with their photo booth, DJ, barbecue and amazing desserts. There was a LOT of laughter and silliness, dancing, chatter and sheer joy. Between Kendra & Nathan’s family members, there are 303 years of marriage experience surrounding them. This bit of info was shared at the ceremony and we thought it was so lovely. We hope that Kendra and Nathan add a minimum of 50 years to that total and enjoy every moment of it. 
Kendra & Nathan’s wedding vendors:
Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal
Wedding & Reception Venue: The Barn at Blueberry Hill
Flowers: Richard Hincher
Photographers: Pixels On Paper
DJ: Kevin Carter of Dirt Road Entertainment
Caterer: Brushy Mountain Smokehouse
Celebrating June Wedding Anniversaries | Pixels On Paper NC Wedding Photographers
Ever heard of a June wedding? Me, either, but apparently they are really popular.
Pixels very first wedding was a June wedding – that of Sandy & Mark Sherill on June 18th 2005. That’s where it all began.
Sarah & Jeremy Caudle, 4 years June 1st
Winters & Greg Androney, 10 years June 2nd
Erin & Brad Farmer, 6 years June 4th
Kristy & Rob McConnell, 7 years June 5th
Shannon & Lance Townsend, 8 years June 6th
Jordan & Chris Ferguson, 7 years June 6th
Jordan & Matt DeFlon, 9 years June 7th
Kirsten & Nate Smith, 6 years June 11th
Kelsey & Andy Schuster, 7 years June 12th
Amber & Clark Schlinsog, 4 years June 15th
So now to Sandy and Mark – our very first wedding shoot. Sandy and I were middle school youth group leaders together as well as friends. She watched for a few years when Ryan and I would take candid photos whenever we were with the youth group. When it came time for her own wedding she asked us a few times if we’d photograph her wedding. We kept saying “no way.” She finally put her foot down after asking four or so times. “You two are going to shoot my wedding.” She was sweet and we caved and it was on. The only complication is that her wedding was at the end of a week that we were chaperones for our youth group’s annual mission trip to the Pittsburgh Project. We left PA early to head to the wedding in Norfolk, VA with a car full of middle school girls who were also attendants in their wedding. YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS STUFF UP! With equipment that was far from professional, packed in suitcases with our mission clothing, we made it and photographed our very first wedding together. 12 years later Sandy and Mark (just below) still love their photos and we’re still friends. Sandy even hired us to photograph her oldest daughter’s wedding years later.
Sandy & Mark Sherrill, 12 years June 18th
Katie & Tim Mahon, 1 year June 18th
Candace & Ken Bloch, 9 years June 20th
Robin & Nick Schroote, 8 years June 20th
Vicki & Brandon High, 3 years on June 21
Looking through these June weddings makes me smile. Each one represents a day that changed the trajectory of that couple’s lives forever and there we were, pulling those indelible moments out of the air and making sure they made it on film. So many stories!
Erica & Andrew Walecka, 6 years June 25th
Adrian & Banks Church, 1 year June 25th
Hali & Jim Pyles, 7 years June 26th
Sherae & David Johnson, 2 years June 26th
Neely & Eric Westbrook, 9 years June 28th
Lauren & Patrick Allen, 3 years June 28th
Meghan & Jeremy Arnold, 5 years June 30th
By my count, that is 22 and we added new ones to the list this year. Happy Anniversary to each one of you. Thank you for letting us be a part of your lives and keep celebrating! We love you!
Exposed Photography Retreat | Part 2
Last time, I blogged I wrote about a photography workshop and retreat I attended in late March and the pay-off was not only that I learned about natural light and how to manipulate it for photography shoots, but about how – through exercises, conversation and the community and sharing of other photographers – I had some light shined on aspects of myself that needed my attention. Elly’s Photography – and specifically Elly – hosted this retreat, aptly called “Exposed” and in 4 days I learned so much. It was the shot in the arm I needed.
The photos in this blog showcase artificial lighting techniques, including the use of off-camera flashes, gels, and fairly unrealistic kelvin settings.
In case you missed part 1 of this blog post, catch up on it here.
I mentioned in that last blog that I love using artificial light at photo sessions and that Ryan teases me. You know, if two lights are good then 12 will “really get me what I want.” LOL. For these shots, I practiced with different angles of light and exposure settings, as well as perspective. Some of these techniques I had knowledge of, but suddenly I was able to manipulate them in a way that I never had before. Others were completely new and opened an exciting new world of possibilities for my photos and our clients. My mind was focused, but part of it was note-taking for sessions to come.
The setting and the subjects were perfect and while it was a working and experimental time, it felt fun and relaxed. I would wager that I learned as much if not more personally about me and my craft than I did about photography itself. I realized that I needed to be out of my comfort zone to experience all that was in store. I learned that allowing myself to be exposed and vulnerable gives me a different perspective in life and through my camera lens.
I learned that I can only go so far alone. And I learned that I was ridiculously supported during this adventure.
a church wedding | two cultures and two families come together
Our hearts go out to the parents of brides and grooms. I think about this every time that Ryan and I shoot a wedding. God Bless the parents. They are exhilarated and stressed, proud and nervous, but mostly in love with their kids – who are no longer kids. How do you go from diapers to driving and then big decisions? How do you go from watching them choose a sport in middle school to a spouse for life? And with grace? To the parents, this must feel like it happens in 72 hours rather than a couple of decades. We honor the parents and love watching them love a celebration of their kids.
The tender moments included watching Ashley’s father place a pearl necklace around her and seeing them both in tears. The mind goes to the number of times they stood that close together as he watched her grow up and now, here she was: a bride.
While Ashley Caudill and Oscar Orozco married young (please read about their engagement to learn how they met), their wedding showed astonishing wisdom, love and faith. Prior to the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom were blindfolded and they joined hands while Oscar prayed for them. I (Misty) was the only other person in the room and it was incredibly touching. I wish that there was a recording of the words in Oscar’s prayer for them, because they were filled with humility, grace and wisdom far beyond his years. 
Both Ashley and Oscar agree that the best moment of the day was seeing each other for the first time. Neither of them could hold back crying tears of joy and reflect on those moments whenever they look back and talk about their wedding day. 
A lasso binding ceremony is part of the Orozco’s culture. A beautiful rhinestone cross lasso was placed around Ashley & Oscar by their parents symbolizing a binding unity as they prayed together and said their vows. We would love to see how the lasso will be used in future generations as an heirloom.
Another outward gesture of unity and symbol of their faith was a binding of three cords which Ashley & Oscar created and performed representing the scripture verse from Ecclesiastes 4:12 “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Oscar’s family is from Mexico, and they speak Spanish primarily, but it was amazing to see how these two families, two cultures and two language barriers were brought together in love. They combined elements from both into the wedding ceremony and the reception.
When asked, Ashley and Oscar said there isn’t one thing that they would change about their wedding day. The most memorable moments for them that they want to hold on to forever included performing the cross ceremony during the wedding, spending time with each other during pictures after the ceremony and of course Oscar said the vision of Ashley in her wedding dress.
Ashley and Oscar both recall laughing when seeing Oscar’s car covered in toilet paper after their reception exit.
Ashley was the couple’s wedding planner and she also hand-made all of the flowers, bouquets and center pieces, but their other vendors included:
Wedding Attire: Bridal Traditions
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Thanks Be To Calvary Baptist Church, Elkin NC
Cellist for the Ceremony: Steve Holman
Caterer: Oscar’s Father
Desserts: Kathy’s Creations in Sparta
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