You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness, and let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another, but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
On Marriage, by Kahil Gibran
*So you knew there had to be more….
Sarah Crisp and Danny Clampett have been together for 11 years and engaged for most of that. They are in love and committed, but never felt driven to stress themselves with planning a wedding. Instead, they focused on each other and let their love be that moving sea between them. And, more practically, planning a wedding is for wedding planners and those who really want to do it and have the time and inclination to put all of the pieces together.
Sarah and Danny are not any of these types. They just wanted to live their lives. They would begin to plan and then life’s other priorities would sneak in and hijack the momentum. But once they decided to dive in and really do it (after a decade) – it happened within months. It tumbled out!
Even though Sarah is a girlie girl (one of 4 girls in her family), she made Danny – a country boy – feel at home in a more rustic environment for their engagement portraits. We photographed them in Davidson, NC and they were, ARE, just a truly beautiful pair.
Stay tuned for their wedding pics!!
Dear Wedding Guest: We decided to buy a house.
So, we’re taking our big wedding plans and making some changes.
Thanks for understanding, for being present and for loving us.
This is how it went down and this couple is nimble to say the least.
Elisabeth Bolick & Isaac Spillman were planning on a 2016 wedding. Elisabeth was a bride-to-be we met at the Wilkes Wedding Expo in March of 2015 and she was looking forward to her wedding: planning it, grabbing info, meeting vendors and extremely excited. Then just a few months later Pixels got a call. The couple found a house and were ready to invest in a home versus a big wedding. Big change of plans – and for a good reason. Now, they were talking about 50 guests, no attendants and a ceremony during the middle of the day on a Friday.
The reconfiguration of plans was seamless and the ceremony took place at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, NC and the reception at WinMock. The church on the Tanglewood property is rustic and old world. It was built in 1809 and is one room with open windows for a breeze, and it was perfectly decorated for them. Decorations included Southern magnolia garland branches from the Spillman’s new house property. Even though they changed the ceremony, Elisabeth and Isaac are self-described “big softies,” and they paid attention to the little details. Lady guests were invited to wear Derby hats. Elisabeth’s shoes were a cross between Marie Antoinette and Annie Oakley and her bouquet was created from broaches, tie pins, cuff links, coins, and other important pieces that she requested from both sides of their family. She even had a sixpence in her shoe. A change in plans can cause a change in emotions sometimes. This was not true for Elisabeth and Isaac. “Our favorite moments from the day were the special time of just us doing the post-wedding pictures before the reception, the looks on our faces as we recited our vows to one other and how much fun it was (and not stressful)”
Yes. That (above) is the Groom’s cake. Isaac loves to fish. And below – check out the Magnolia garlands.
Congrats to Elisabeth and Isaac. Much love to you both. Your wedding was magic.
Last October, Pixels participated in the Pumpkin Patch (I’ll pause here so you can wipe the spittle off of your face). The Pumpkin Patch was designed and hosted by the Midtown Garden Market in North Wilkesboro, NC and we loved being a part of its inaugural year. At our photo booth, we were able to see former and current clients and met new ones. Jamie Goforth and Daniel Harrison were two new people we met and we took a pic of them that included Daniel’s young son. We loved them immediately! 5 months later, we saw them again at the Wilkes Wedding Expo and after chatting, it sealed our desire to work with them and them with us to capture their engagement photos.
Jamie and Daniel met in middle school, but found each other again many years later. Their first date was fueled by nerves that led to Jamie spilling a drink (a story they now tell through laughter) and they reminded us of us. [QUICK DIGRESSION: When Ryan and I first started dating, we went to The Landmark – still our favorite diner in Charlotte, NC – and the ketchup bottle exploded as I was doctoring my fries and I basically baptized myself with ketchup. You never know when a moment of mortification is going to be a story for your grandkids. Take that to heart, gang!]
Anyway, …. after that first date, there was a time of chasing and distance and then their paths crossed and they decided to go out again. What truly cemented it though was a trip to Asheville, NC and where they stayed at the famous Grove Park Inn.
At Grove Park, it was Daniel’s turn to spill a drink all over himself, Jamie, the waiter and the people next to them. Just kidding.
This is where they fell in looooove.
They sat out on that awesome porch, nay, veranda and Jamie played songs from her phone and they talked well into the night. At one point, they started dancing and it began to pour rain. Jamie said, “it was my kind of perfect.”
Shooting their engagement portraits where they had their first date – The Cody Creek Depot – was a blast.
When we asked them what they were looking forward to most on their wedding day (in Roaring Gap, NC in October of this year) they – these two are seriously cute – both said first seeing each other when Jamie comes down the aisle.
Grounded by their faith, their supportive families and each other, the pair has way more than a good shot at a golden anniversary someday.
In the meantime, they are dreaming about their next trip to the Grove Park Inn.
20 years ago, Kelly and Chris Shumate became a couple. They eventually created a new life as husband and wife: Kelly started a new business – Bridal Traditions – and they lived happily ever after.
And scene.
Actually, there’s more. 20 years more and they did live happily, but as their wedding anniversary approached, Kelly decided that she wanted the photos that they never had when they first tied the knot. She contacted us to take them, since she now wanted the more artistic style that wasn’t an option on their wedding day. We were happy to help them commemorate and really celebrate. And Kelly – who’s in the bridal business – had a very specific vision.
Part of what made this shoot fun for us, other than the fact that they were celebrating a momentous wedding anniversary, was the theme. Kelly loves gothic architecture, the antebellum era (think: Gone With the Wind), bare landscapes and an era gone by. We chose a cemetery near the River Arts District in Asheville, NC, during winter. The results were just what she wanted: sparse, real, gothic and graphic. And we loved the juxtaposition of new and old. A renewal of their marriage and an opportunity to capture them in themed clothes and as a couple who were invested in each other for better, worse and the whole nine yards.
Ok – so some notes. How do you like the dress? This is the gown that Kelly was married in originally. It still fits.
IT. STILL. FITS. In fact it was actually too big and had to be altered smaller. (no jealousy……… well maybe some)
Another fun fact: this gown is the first one she bought for her bridal shop, which is pretty auspicious.
Kelly was also specific about setting, which is why this cemetery worked so well for the shoot. In the bareness of winter in the cemetery, she and Chris stand out like a couple of players from a Civil War play or Ken Burns’ mini series. She – Scarlett O’Hara or Melanie Wilkes – and he Captain Rhett Butler or Ashley Wilkes.
They truly look their parts. He comes home from war (brother against brother, people!!! lest we forget) and there she is, after waiting, praying and keeping the farm afloat despite major setbacks. You can almost see the letters from Corinth, MS:
“My dearest Kelly Emeline,
The war does not go well. I can scarcely remember the curves of your lovely visage….”
Pardon the digression, but seriously – look at them and watch this slideshow of their portraits.
This photo shoot was literally a year in the making. It took a little time to plan, but it mostly took will and faith and perseverance. As all marriages do, the Shumate’s union was ebbing when Kelly contacted us. They were struggling as a couple, wondering about the future, trying to understand what to keep in their relationship and what to jettison and whether or not the “us” in them was still alive. Digging deeply, they moved forward, but 99.9% of the success in their marriage was their faith in God. They knew marriage was hard, but giving up was not something either of them was interested in. So this photo shoot was about WAY more than grabbing pictures of great clothes in a cool setting. It was an actual celebration of making it for 20 years and looking forward, with renewed hearts, to the next 20.
And the 20 after that.
Not only were we thrilled to be a part of capturing this day, Pixels created a wall of photos for Kelly’s shop office. Something she could point to that says, “we did it and we’re still here.”
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.