Posts Tagged: blowing rock wedding photographer
Wedding redux #3 ~ straight up advice!
Sherae Jones married David Johnson under a glassed-in rooftop in Charlotte in 2014. It was glorious. We got to know this couple when we photographed their engagement session and that’s when we discovered how cool and real they are. So, when we asked Sherae to look back to provide some perspective – this is what she told us …. no holds barred!
Name some things you would do differently, if, by some strange wrinkle in the universe, you could do it all again (with the same person of course).
I would have had a few more important pictures taken and by important I mean family, and a couple more with us and our Officiant.
The arrangements for my hair. I trusted a friend to do my hair and she didn’t even do a trial for me. She also ended up bailing on me two days before. Luckily someone else stepped in, but it was something I should have hired a professional to do.
Name things you would NOT change.
My decorations… I had two pillars with flowers at the altar. I also had rose petals down the aisle. For the tables I had glass vases with floating candles and marbles. Given the venue, I didn’t need a whole lot. What I had was just enough. I probably would have had more artificial flowers. Looking back it wasn’t important to have real flowers.
The Cake & Candy Bar – for my cake I had two tiers and then a cupcake tower. I also had a few cake pops- which were a big hit! For favors, we did a candy bar. That was also a big hit and very popular for the adults. LOL!
Food– Instead of doing a buffet or traditional sit-down dinner, I did heavy hors d’oeuvres. That was something that the venue coordinator suggested. I got a lot of backlash about that from family, leading up to the wedding. However, on the actual day they loved it! It doesn’t seem like a lot, but having a good variety of food to choose from works and guests had the chance to get SECONDS!
What if anything do you regret?
I regret that Dave and I didn’t get around to each table to say thanks TOGETHER. I have gotten some negative feedback from guests about that. However, there was a lot going on, I was busy dancing, it rained and everything was moved inside.
I also regret that I cut the top tier of my cake. I had two tiers and a cupcake tower. Because I cut the very top tier and not the bottom, the venue assumed it was ok to cut all the cake. As a result, all of it was eaten and we do not have any for our first anniversary.
Positive and negative advice on any or all of the following:
Attire. Who cares what anyone thinks. It is YOUR day. A lot of people will give advice, but you do not have to take it. Wear whatever you and your spouse-to-be are comfortable with. I wore Chuck Taylor’s under my dress… probably one of my favorite parts. I also did not wear a veil and I was fine with that. Instead, a good friend of mine made a head piece for me that was truly one of a kind.
Food. Make sure it is good. Most people remember the food, the bride’s dress, and the music.
Gifts. Always appreciative of gifts. If you do a registry, pick things you want.
Location. If you are worried about the weather, pick a venue where you can have a backup space if weather gets bad. Also, another suggestion is to have everything in one place. So much easier for guests and vendors.
Decorations & decor. Budget for linens, as they tend to be a little expensive. Some chairs are beautiful, but are not comfortable. And decorations can be subtle; they don’t have to be extravagant. Small vases and floating candles are very affordable and the vases can be bought at the dollar store if you want to save money for other items on your list.
Number in the wedding party. I suggest no more than 5. Five is the perfect number to keep up with. If you have a bridal party that is larger than 5, not only is it more expensive for bridal party gifts and for those standing up for you, but also the procession of the bridal party takes some time and makes your ceremony longer.
Number of guests. Whatever you can afford. A good average number is about 150. Some will decline and you may get some no-shows on the actual day. I suggest keeping the number reasonable for your pockets because food is very expensive and so is alcohol if you plan to serve it.
Time of year. Time of day.
Everyone loves summer/early fall weddings, but those tend to be the most popular times to get married. Try a winter wedding. Those are just as beautiful and rain will not be an issue since everything is indoors. Spring weddings are not bad, but everyone knows it rains a lot and that could be an issue if your wedding is outdoors. I suggest early afternoon (2 p.m.) and evening weddings.
DJ vs. a band.
I like both. DJ’s are probably more pocket friendly, but bands bring a classier vibe to the whole shebang.
Wedding planner or friends and family approach.
I would say definitely go with a wedding planner. They are professional, organized and will help your day run smoothly. They can be expensive, but if you go with a venue where the fee is included, go for it. If your venue does not include the coordinating, and you have to hire outside, hire someone of quality. Someone who has great reviews. Remember you get what you pay for. I had 4 wedding planners working the day of my wedding, and I had no worries. They took care of everything! The family and friends approach is not bad, but you have to know who you are dealing with. I’ve personally been to weddings where there were family and friends in those roles or no coordinators at all. Honestly, those weddings were not organized at all.
Vows. Writing your own is obviously more special and intimate. However, there is nothing wrong with the traditional ones. I mean, after all, traditional vows sum up everything so perfectly.
Pixels will continue to share feedback from our brides and grooms in the hope that you’ll be able to balance both the stuff you dream about with the practicalities of planning and the day!
In case you missed them, click here to read Redux part 1 and Redux part 2.
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 babies and kids, 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.
Wedding Redux…. What would YOU do if you could do the day again?
This was the wedding of Meghan and Josh in August of 2015. The groom made the arbor they stood beneath (a gift to his bride) and she walked down the aisle to Bruno Mars’ “Marry You.” There were amazing details in every direction – from the mountains behind them as they pledged to be together for life, to the bouquets, color choices, and reception where everyone danced and partied late into the evening and stayed for the weekend.
BUT. What if they could do it again….? Do it all over again.
If you’re planning your wedding – listen up.
We asked Meghan and Josh what they would change and here is what they said. [insert the high-pitched rewind sound here and clip of everything moving at top speed in reverse]
Name 3 things you would do differently, if, by some strange wrinkle in the universe, you could do it all again (with the same person of course)?
I wouldn’t worry about a shuttle service to get people to and from town. I wouldn’t book vendors based solely on price and I wouldn’t try to do things I wasn’t completely happy with just to save money.
Name 3 things you would do again, if you could?
I would definitely do a small destination like we did where we all stayed in cabins together for the weekend so it was an extended celebration. I would still have my personal and humorous wedding. I would use my florist, caterer, and my photographers a million times over.
Tell us about vows. Any changes?
I LOVED our vows! We wrote our own and they were completely original and US. They were humorous, but still sweet.
How about the number of guests?
DO NOT invite everyone you have ever known and don’t worry about people getting their feelings hurt. Throughout this process, I started to notice that for every person we added to the guest list, we were adding approximately $75/head. This is where I should have cut my budget instead of scrimping on other things or trying to put too much work on myself.
Did you use a wedding planner or the “family-and-friends-all-hands-on-deck” approach to planning?
I had a planner and don’t know how we would have done it without her. I wish we had utilized her even more instead of me trying to do it myself to save money! I tried to do a lot of things on my own or use people who were “cheaper” to try to cut costs. I would have paid the extra amount and had everything taken care of and not worried about it! Do you notice a trend here?!
Time of year? Time of day?
I never wanted an August wedding, but then I never planned a wedding until I had to. August was perfect! Late summer was perfect for my colors and the time of day and location (on top of a mountain) made the weather absolutely unbelievable!
Location?
My fiancé and I wanted something that was natural and gorgeous, which is exactly what we got. We had to go way out in the county to find this, and didn’t want people to worry about driving. We wound up spending more money for a shuttle service to and from town and up and down the mountain than if we had just paid extra somewhere else. We had to rent two sets of chairs because of two separate locations, get generators, and lug things up and down the mountain just to try to get everything we needed into this “natural” space.
What about the elements of the ceremony?
Make it ALL about you! Traditional or not, putting your personal touches on these makes all the difference in the world and it is what your guests will remember.
Decorations & decor?
Make sure they fit your venue. I wanted glitz and glamour mixed with the natural space and additional vintage elements. Sometimes your venue is decoration enough!
Number in the wedding party?
I would suggest going with the smallest number of people possible. My 6 were perfect, but the smaller the better.
Positive and negative advice on any or all of the following:
Attire?
Dress in things that will look good, but also fit your location.
Food?
EAT! I said, “oh we are GOING to eat!”…then we didn’t. We loved the food we selected and then we didn’t even get our to-go boxes.
Gifts?
Don’t register for things you have no intention of using, regardless of what people think you need!
Flowers?
My flowers were one of the TOP things that made my wedding! The colors were gorgeous and tied together my color scheme perfectly! In an attempt to save money, I tried to use potted plants at the altar, but I should have let my florist do those as well.
What, if anything, do you regret?
I don’t regret anything, however, there are a few family members that I wish I would have taken pictures with before they left. I wanted the majority of the pictures done before the ceremony so that we could use the full time for the reception. I had some older family members I assumed were going to stay through part of the reception, but they left right after the ceremony, so they aren’t in any of my photos.
What do you wish you’d done, but were afraid to do?
There are a few moments of my wedding that I wish had been slightly more serious, but that is just not my personality. I was scared to have anything even slightly sentimental because I knew I would cry, so I did everything in my power to make sure that I didn’t break down.
What would you do more of?
If I could do it over, I think I would have enjoyed things more. I don’t say that to mean I didn’t enjoy it, but it was a very stressful time, and I went through different phases and a boat load of emotions. I had days where everything mattered and I didn’t care about the cost; other days, I wasn’t spending a dime, and nothing was a big deal because it was just a “celebration.” Looking back, I see that these were things I will only get to do one time and I would have cherished every moment even more if I had truly had a concept of this.
Stay tuned for more in this series — Wedding Redux, especially if you’re a bride-to-be, maid of honor, mother-of-the-bride or newly engaged. Hearing from those who’ve stood where you are about to stand can make all the difference in the world.
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 babies and kids, 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.
a perfect ending to a perfect romance ~ and a wedding
This is where it began. Two book lovers. Two romantics. Elizabeth and Kyle met working at a game store in college, realized they were both nuts for Dr. Who, books and each other. These two feel like family already to us and in fact their extended families do as well. We photographed their engagement portraits (a BLAST) and Elizabeth’s bridal portraits (gorgeous and romantic) and now, finally, the big day – just one month ago. It’s one for the books, for sure.
Everyone was emotional, naturally, but what we noticed most was how much unbridled love they all have for each other. Seeing Elizabeth with her parents was priceless.
Expectant groom Kyle was nervous and serene, fun with his groomsmen as was Elizabeth with her bridesmaids and bridesman. If you haven’t revisited their engagement session or her bridal portraits, there is a very cool detail in the bouquets and boutonnieres. They were all HAND-MADE with pages from each person’s favorite book. The color in the bouquets, groomsmen’s vests and elsewhere? Dr. Who “blue.”
Elizabeth and Kyle’s wedding took place at the First Baptist Church in Boone, NC and the reception was held at The Green Park Inn in Blowing Rock, NC. Family members played major roles. Sometimes this is the case, but not always. Elizabeth and Kyle included many friends from childhood and college as well.
Some memorable moments for us: Kyle saved a voice message from his recently deceased grandfather congratulating Kyle on his engagement to Elizabeth and it was played during the unity portion of their ceremony. Everyone wept, including us. A recording of Elizabeth’s deceased Godfather singing was also played. We loved their thought and attention to detail.
Another fave….. Kyle and Elizabeth’s four grandmothers were the flower girls! It was seriously one of the best ideas that I’ve seen at a wedding and the Grandmothers loved it.
When we asked about most memorable moments Kyle and Elizabeth were in lock step.
Kyle: “I cried when I first saw Elizabeth walking down the aisle. She had the biggest smile you could imagine on her face while silently mouthing to me ‘do you like it?’ in reference to the dress. It’s an image that is burned into my memory.“
Elizabeth: “My favorite moment of the ceremony was seeing Kyle waiting at the end of the aisle and watching him watching me. He never stopped looking at me and I could tell in that moment that he was sure of every decision that led us to that moment.”
Like the wedding, with tears and laughter – the pastor kept things light in all the right places – the reception was filled with levity, tears, toasts, passion, family, crazy friends and DANCING. The speeches in particular were heart-felt, fun and meant so much to the bride and groom. Elizabeth told us that she snagged one given to save in their memory book.
Kyle: “The cherry on top was having over forty people form a circle during the last song and all sing Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. It summed up the immense energy that surrounded the entirety of the event. I’m still trying to track down a video of everyone singing at the top of their lungs.”
Elizabeth: “I think my favorite moment of the reception was our first dance. We were in front of everyone, but we were really only there for each other in those few minutes. I also really enjoyed our last dance. Out of nowhere, everyone still there got in a huge circle with arms all around each other and we sang Bohemian Rhapsody together while people danced in the middle, laughed, and cried a little!!”
Elizabeth: “SNOW! Kyle had been telling everyone that he wanted it to snow, but I was keeping pretty quiet about that. I wanted it, but I was afraid to say it out loud and then be disappointed. God decided to give us our wish and I was so happy to see it in our home-away-from-home in those gorgeous mountains. So many people traveled so far to be with us! We had family that has known us all our lives, friends we just made in the past year, former teachers, friends of our parents … so many people celebrating with us … and our friend, Oscar, made it back from his year in China less than a week before. It was a wonderful surprise.”
Notice the TARDIS on her garter strap.
Dr. Who used a tardis (time machine) to get where he needed to go. Elizabeth and Kyle are well on their way, with or without one. Best wishes! We love you guys!
Kyle: “I can’t believe that we actually pulled off what we consider to be our dream wedding.”
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 babies and kids, 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.
2015 Pixels highlight reel ~ part deux – WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY!
Starry, starry night in the mountains
As a followup to our engagement highlight reel for 2015, you knew we had to do a wedding version; I mean, c’mon. It’s fun for us to remember and reminisce about the couples and their families, but also about the locations, the weather, the unexpected moments that entered our lenses and the magic that happens when a planned photo has an element of surprise. Whether these couples were basking in “end of the night starlight” or nestled on a rainy church lawn, in a field with horses or smooching under a glass roof, they were in their own perfect moment. Here are just a few of our favorite shots from the weddings Pixels had the privilege to photograph.
Above are Micala and Tyler at their reception. See more of their wedding in Todd, NC and reception in Laurel Springs.
Below are Rebekah and Josh. Their wedding is a guide for any couple who have a theme in mind. They didn’t miss a single detail.
Wedding with Scottish details and Scottish weather
This outdoor wedding provided us with so many opportunities to experiment (including the shot below) and so many moments of tenderness with the couple and family.
Caught in God’s perfect light…
This shot of Meghann is not from her wedding, but from her bridal session, but we had to include it. Taken near her family’s farm in Warrensville, NC, she took our breath away in every shot.
Bride in a perfect mountain landscape
A Charlotte City Center wedding is an event unto itself, but these two only saw each other that day. Their wedding under a glass ceiling was gorgeous and special. We love this shot.
Center City Charlotte rooftop kiss
Whitney and Preston’s wedding was deeply personal and rife with details about them.
Joy in the meadow
The best portraits aren’t always of the bride and groom. This one of Sarah and her decorated military dad was just too perfect. And so was her wedding to Danny. Not one shot of Sarah and Danny disappoints.
Father and bride….
Katie and Josh’s wedding managed to be Elegant Celebration and Crazy Party in one evening. Autumnal details for the groomsmen’s ties and bridesmaids’ bouquets at the wedding gave way to glowing necklaces and bracelets for the reception.
The Big Send Off in Blowing Rock, NC
A fan favorite as weddings and wedding stories go – Elisabeth and Isaac. These two decided to buy a house and up-end the whole wedding timeline. It didn’t stop them from having a brilliantly simple and gorgeous Tanglewood Park wedding, though.
“We did it!”
Amber and Andy’s wedding was special for so many reasons, not the least of which was that they were starting a new family with Andy’s young daughter and cementing a new life anchored in love, respect and joy. This shot captured part of that vibe.
A New Family Story Begins
So many of our favorite shots of brides and grooms are taken outside where nature can play a role. This one of Kendall and Nathan though was just perfect. See some of them outside as well at their lovely wedding in Wilkesboro, NC.
A private moment in the pews
We are booking weddings for 2016 and 2017 and would love to help capture the moments that solidify memories – both planned and unexpected. Call us at 336.990.0080 or email us mail@pixelsonpaper.net and let’s get started!
Scottish wedding with rain, bagpipes, celtic tunes, a rose and her beloved
O my Luve’s like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June:
O my Luve’s like the melodie,
That’s sweetly play’d in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.*
*Robert Burns is perhaps Scotland’s most famous poet. He loved, and believed in, luve. And that poem is particularly sweet because it’s about waiting for the one you luve, no matter how long it takes. More on that later. First – you should meet our red rose, bride Rebekah Bolick (nee McDonald). She was radiant and one of the most serene brides we’ve photographed in a long time… porcelain skin, raven hair, rose-red lips and a gorgeous dress. In other words, worthy of poetry.
Both Rebekah and her groom, Josh wanted to incorporate as many personal details into their wedding and reception as possible. There was nothing but live music for the entire day, starting with a bagpiper who provided the processional. The bride’s father wore a kilt and a celtic band played the reception. Josh’s deceased brother was honored and remembered with photos and music provided by his best friend, the decorations were handmade by family members, the flower arrangements were made and coordinated by the bride’s mother, the cake was created by her aunt, and her amazing headpiece was made by one of her best friends. There was no wedding planner and they clearly didn’t need one since they had a vision they were all thrilled to execute together. It was simply perfect – every element!
While the sands o’ life shall run.
And fare thee weel, my only luve,
And fare thee weel awhile!
And I will come again, my luve,
Though it were ten thousand mile.
St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church, Blowing Rock, NC
So a little note on that last stanza of the poem (above). Rebekah and Josh actually met (and even “dated” for 2 weeks) in the 6th grade when they were only 11. So it wasn’t “10 thousand mile” but it was 8 years or so, when they reconnected while both were attending Appalachian State University. Rebekah was nursing a broken foot and basically laid up for the summer. Josh heard she was immobile, remembered that they lived only a few miles apart and went to visit her and keep her company one afternoon.
Rebekah: “I had no idea at the time that such a pleasantly unexpected visit would bring about the deepest love and friendship I ever could have dreamed for. We proceeded to spend almost every day of that summer together. I couldn’t do much because of my injury, but he made doing the most simple things so enjoyable. We share a mutual love for baking and while we waited for cookies, scones and cakes to rise we built jigsaw puzzles at the kitchen table and talked about any and everything.”
While the wedding day was less sunny than that summer memory, the weather did not beat us.
It didn’t just rain the entire day of their wedding, it poured. We might as well have been IN the highlands of Scotland. After assuring Rebekah and Josh that we would use the rain to our advantage and make the most of this once in a lifetime moment, we captured some of our absolute most favorite images in the rain. With umbrellas in tow, they were cheerful and beautifully romantic while trusting our direction for the only outdoor photos that we would capture that day.
Their reception was lively and fun and filled with all of those thoughtful and beautiful details and care provided by family and friends.
Rebekah: “The best thing about our wedding day was how stress free we were. We were just so happy to be getting married and to have all of our dearest people with us to celebrate. We had so much carefree joy that day. Wedding nerves were a non-issue. I just remember my face hurting at times because I could not stop smiling and laughing.”
Celtic tunes for the reception at The Green Park Inn, Blowing Rock NC
One takeaway as a photography team from this rainy day adventure is that if we cast away our own fears and doubts, our worry about equipment getting wet, dresses getting dirty, hair falling, etc. then our clients will also have no fear or doubt in our capabilities and the amazing images will be worth whatever adversity they face. A second takeaway is that no matter the place, the day, the weather, the couple or the circumstances, we love, luve, LOVE what we do!