Posts Tagged: Boone Wedding Photography
a late summer wedding that captures the setting, the details and the romance
Any wedding planner, wedding photographer, wedding magazine editor or veteran wedding attendee has a list of elements they feel make a wedding sublime. The invitations, the setting, the music, the food, the personal touches and now the many ways to share the day via social media. We love the details as far as the ceremony and reception go (we love seeing how each couple “brands” themselves on their big day), but way more importantly, it’s the couple. It’s always the couple and everyone who loves them and surrounds them with that love. The Bare-Rash wedding was one of those perfect weddings and we do not say that lightly. From the personal to the paid-for, everything was just right from beginning to end.
Pre-ceremony hugs and prayers.
Micala Bare and Tyler Rash got married this August at Bethany Church in Todd, NC and held their reception at Doughton Hall Bed & Breakfast in Laurel Springs, NC. The setting was simply amazing, complete with an historic stone church, quaint red barn and miles of green in a landscape of rolling hills and mountains.
(YAY, North Carolina landscapes. For the millionth time – you ROCK!!)
I spoke of “the elements” that make a wedding successful…. we photographers cherish light and the weather was the headliner, just behind the bride, groom and setting. From first thing in the morning until late in the evening, the lighting was our friend. Both inside and out, everyone shined.
Men who wear argyle together, stick together.
These two shared what is now being called a “First Touch” before the ceremony. We do everything we can to orchestrate these moments so that they’re private, unobtrusive and romantic. The couple don’t lay eyes on each other during this time, but can touch, speak to each other, exchange letters and just be near each other before really meeting when the bride first walks down the aisle.
“We cried when the wedding was about to begin and we knew we were about to see each other for the first time.”
The best moment of their wedding ceremony?
“When we were finally able to kiss each other and when we were pronounced as Mr. and Mrs. Tyler Rash!”
We took Micala and Tyler’s engagement photos in June and this pair continues to get more and more romantic. [Check out how they got engaged…. particularly romantic. The groom-to-be played the guitar. Just saying….]
Three favorite things they want to remember about the day:
“The moment we exchanged our letters with each other and what each of our letters said.”
“The moment when we realized that the groom’s wedding band had been forgotten and a member of our wedding party had to crawl on her hands and knees for a replacement, which happened to be the bride’s great grandpa’s ring.”
“When everyone left the reception and we finally got to go up to our room for the first time, where we had a bottle of champagne and a cheese and fruit tray waiting for us.”
The reception was a blast. Even with a little bit of rain, everyone danced, played games, and partied! Micala: “When asked about the reception, we almost always mention when the DJ asked everyone to form the huge line and all of the guests joined in to dance around the reception area.”
Micala & Tyler wanted their wedding reception under the stars. And this again called for perfect lighting and it was there. Receptions with tents are elegant, but being out of cover was more festive and more beautiful than we could have hoped for.
“I Do.” “Me, too.” Forever.
a bridal portrait session in the greens of mother nature
Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous
to be understood.
How grass can be nourishing in the
mouths of the lambs.
How rivers and stones are forever
in allegiance with gravity
while we ourselves dream of rising.
How two hands touch and the bonds will
never be broken….*
Bride-to-be, Kendall Shephard, reminds of us a swan a little bit. Dressed in white, gorgeous but not overdone, long, lean, elegant. She stands out, but just so, in all that green. Her fiancé, now husband Nathan Williams, works for the North Carolina Wildlife Commission and the couple spend an enviably high percentage of their time outdoors hiking, playing and exploring. We chose the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock, NC for her bridal portrait session and it made perfect sense. She was happy and completely in her element, even in a wedding gown.
Kendall shined, surrounded by shades of summer green, rippling water, moss, stone, rocks and branches. She was this perfect column of light. A classic beauty in the middle of natural beauty.
These portraits were taken in June of this year and the couple were married in August. She was just as, if not more, beautiful on that day with Nathan by her side and surrounded by her nearest and dearest, so stay tuned for the blog about the Shepherd-Williams wedding. But this day was Kendall’s and she could not have been more clear and pure and alive wandering in the woods and musing with us about her upcoming wedding.
*Let me keep my distance, always, from those
who think they have the answers.
Let me keep company always with those who say
“Look!” and laugh in astonishment,
and bow their heads.
– Mary Oliver, nature poet
a mountain top wedding – filled with color, light and perfect outdoor views
Meghann and Josh know how to do it up right. Their August 2015 wedding goes down in our book of faves. Meghann told us several times that she didn’t realize everything that was going on at once or recall all of the details until she saw all of the photos we shot. That, to us, says mission accomplished. Brides and grooms plan for everything, but can’t be a part of Every Single Thing.
That’s why they hire photographers.
We loved the color palette of this wedding, we loved their families and friends and we loved the property – On The Windfall in Lansing, NC. This wedding, sports fans, was literally at the top of a mountain and guests were delivered to the site via designated 4 wheel drive vehicles. There were no other buildings around. The views in every direction were spectacular.
And we loved the million little thoughtful details. (Their wedding coordinator was Sammie Roberts of Something Perfect Wedding & Events and the attention to detail was unerring. Nice job!) When we meet with engaged couples, we advise them to put as many personal and significant details in their wedding ceremony as they can and these two went above and beyond. One example…. Meghann had small portraits of her late grandparents sewn into her bouquet.
Josh’s job centers around being outdoors and he and Meghann spend their free time outside and in the woods as much as possible. So, one of Josh’s personal touches/contributions was that he built the arbor/altar where they said their vows. The mountain-top setting took everyone’s breath away and then, topping it off, was this hand-made gift Josh made for his bride. I mean, C’MON!!!
Meghann countered his personal touch by choosing to walk/dance/strut down the aisle to Bruno Mars’ “Marry You.” Josh LOVED it, and so did everyone else. The mood was already electric and this just goosed it that much more.
Part of their ceremony included a beautiful representation of them joining their lives and they did it in form of something that will live on and grow. The couple planted a tree together using soil that they brought from each family homestead. Like the Unity Candle or the Sand Ceremony, the blending of families in this way was beautiful and touching and incredibly apt in that setting. These two are just so cool!
The reception……. oooooooooh my. The sun started to fade as the toasts were made and food was served and then the karaoke got started. It was a PAR-TAY!! So much joy, so much dancing and storytelling and singing and silliness. Meghann told us that she’d cried several times while planning the ceremony and reception (the Good Cry; the “I love him and can’t wait to be his wife” cry) and was certain she would “be a mess.” But she said afterwards, “I can honestly say that no tears were shed that day…which is surprising. When we look at our pictures, we are laughing in so many of them – and not just with each other – it’s during every phase of the day. Mostly, I remember laughing when we read our vows. Some of it could have been nerves, but for the most part, it was hearing that we had chosen some of the very same things to say to each other without even knowing.”
We want to end this blog with quotes directly from the bride and groom about their day and their feelings about life ahead. We asked them the 3 things they want to remember about their wedding day and here’s what they said:
1 – The biggest thing I want to remember is a lesson: Above all else, we have each other and everything is okay.
2 – Life is easier and you can relax when you put things “in your garden”. Minor details never matter! Smile, breathe, and LAUGH!
3 – Everybody around us worked SO hard to pull this off … doing things behind the scenes that I didn’t even know about. Always remember to love and appreciate everything that everyone has done for you. It may not look like a lot, but for every little bit you see, there is a lot of deep rooted effort.
remembering prom during wedding season ~ outdoor beauty is outdoor beauty
Gertrude Stein wrote, “A rose is a rose is a rose,” and academics have been breaking down the meaning of that turn of phrase for decades. For our purposes, rose means beauty – simple, natural, understated beauty.
This particular rose is Laura Souther, a junior at West Wilkes High School, who showed up in our outdoor portrait studio and gardens for her prom photos. She has beauty and light coming out of her eyes, smile and sweet self. Laura does not have a “Look at Me” personality, yet you cannot take your eyes off of her. She’s shy, humble and quiet, but so gorgeous you wonder 3 things: 1) REALLY? Is this fair? 2) Why are some of us luckier in the looks department than others? 3) But seriously, … REALLY?? Isn’t she supposed to be in London, married to a prince?
Photographing Laura was so much fun and a bit surreal, since Pixels’ Misty has known Laura’s mom since elementary school. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? How are we kiddos one minute and the next photographing a friend’s teenager?? TEENAGER!!!!!!
Therapy aside, taking her photos at this wonderful time – the beginning of her adult life, sorta – reminded us of photographing brides as well. They are at the beginning of a new chapter – bright, beautiful, happy and hopeful roses. We LOVE capturing these moments, whether it’s a bride, an engagement, new babies or new families.
college football ~ waterfalls ~ baby girl and a bright future ahead
There is a moment in the life of every bride-to-be when she worries about how she’ll look in her gown posing 5 feet from a waterfall. If we had a nickel…… So we’re going to start at this point in the Minick story – the moment when Rachel navigated her way through hill and dale for bridal pictures, looking radiant in her wedding gown and Keen’s. You heard us. You gotta do what you gotta do.
She told us, it was the funniest part of all the shoots we’ve done with Pixels. “Hiking around the location where my bridal portraits were taken was a blast. Wearing Keen’s with my wedding dress and getting strange looks from people fishing at the waterfall was the best!”
Rachel and Ryan met at an Appalachian State football game and so began their relationship. 4 years later we are still photographing them and enjoying not only their company, but watching their family grow and their lives take the various twists and turns it does.
For us, this is not just a business of photography. We’re documenting, watching history unfold, and creating heirlooms that will link generations. The Minick’s, like many of our clients, have become our friends. We “do life” together when there are no cameras around. We feel very strongly that God has given us this gift so that we can become another supportive resource, cheerleaders and advocates for the married couples we’ve met through Pixels. We love seeing them create families and celebrate milestones and feel honored to be a part of the journey. Creating relationships has become as important to us as the photography work.
Below are just a couple of wedding pictures, but we hope you’ll view more of the Minick’s Big Day (teaser: check out Rachel and her bridesmaids’ shoes – they are not Keen’s, but they rock!)
Not surprisingly, people who love each other as much as these two do were destined to add to their family. So two became three with the arrival of Amelia. We’ve enjoyed capturing her with her parental units in a variety of settings. Always fun!
Pixels has an expansive and versatile photography studio for certain shoots, and we love photographing newborns, family portraits, prom pictures, weddings, engagement photos and the like. But we also absolutely embrace those moments when we can be creative in mother nature, and are experienced outdoor photographers in NC. We’ve been able to do both with the Minicks.
Rachel: “I want to remember the early days of our marriage and family and look back at the stages of Amelia’s growth. I know that I will delight in these portraits for years to come and love creating future family heirlooms with Misty and Ryan.” WE look forward to it, too. We love you guys.