Posts Tagged: destination wedding
A Destination Wedding | Asheville, NC
This wedding is not only beautiful when you see it in prints, the day itself was magical. Elaine and Ryan are well-traveled movers and shakers who moved to Chicago from California, but wanted a special spot for their wedding day after 11 years together. They chose the Crest Pavilion in Asheville, NC, but also planned some special moments at the famous Biltmore Estate, the location of their rehearsal dinner, first look and private vows. It goes to show that when you visit a place you love, it sticks with you. Destination weddings don’t always take place on beaches in the Caribbean.
What made this day particularly amazing for Ryan and me was our ability to dodge every curve ball thrown at this special day. Two such moments were a sudden downpour while heading to Biltmore for a private portion of the ceremony, and the wedding officiant getting caught in bumper to bumper traffic making him nearly an hour late . Both caused various shuttling and last minute decision making. We thrived and so did this killer couple!
Elaine is a planner, but no one can control everything and this bride trusted us, our readiness and our judgment. I cannot tell you how much that means to us. When it was time to zig instead of zag, we all pivoted as a team and with great results.
While the weather was not ideal for the “first look” and other planned shots at the Biltmore Estate, this couple powered through and decided that they not only wanted to do a first look, but that they wanted to continue their plan to read their vows in private with just their wedding party. The rain that came, thankfully went, and while it was a bit foggy at first, the fog too lifted.
Elaine: “One of my favorite moments was when Ryan turned around to see me for our first look. It had been pouring and during our vows, we both cried.”
One thing that Elaine shared with us is how pleased they were to incorporate their sweet dog in the ceremony and how detailed their personally written private vows were. Over their 11 years together they had revisited their relationship, so over a decade later, their vows were indicative of a long relationship, a deep knowledge of each other and a true and lasting connection.
At the Crest Pavilion, the sun was out and surrounded by their families and friends from all over the country and world, they said I Do.
There is no denying the commitment these two have to each other, their pup Elle, their friends and family. Dolly, Ryan’s mom, wept while Elaine was putting on her wedding gown. They are all such a tight-knit and loving crew.
Elaine and Ryan’s gorgeous reception was the fulfillment of Elaine’s plans and dreams of bohemian chic and it was a PARTY! So many friends who had met through this couple over the years or felt as though they knew each other, would clump together to dance, laugh and swap stories or shared memories. Elaine and Ryan’s faces betrayed just exactly how loved they felt and how much fun they were having. As photographers, this is the best, because smiles and laughter are in every corner.
One hilarious comment from Elaine about their sendoff which included sparklers, a kiss and Ryan popping the top on a bottle of bubbly: “you don’t need to pop a bottle of champagne during the sparklers… just walk through; just kiss and dip!” Spoken like a happily married woman.
Congratulations to this absolutely amazing and BEAUTIFUL couple! We got home from your wedding, fell into bed and felt so completely happy for you both and so grateful that we could be a part of your day. You two nailed it and we loved every second!
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
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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.
What Makes a Wedding ….. A WOW
If you take an informal poll about which weddings people remember and what made them amazing, you’ll get a few surprising answers, but several themes come quickly into relief. The same goes for reading blogs and checking out WeddingWire. There are exceptions, but mostly the same categories bob to the surface.
The dancing. “Everyone was dancing. When it got late, the shoes came off, but most everyone just stayed on the dance floor.”
The details. “They spent so much time thinking about each element – from the seating, to the little gifts for the wedding party, to their vows.” The food and drink. “My dad kept saying, ‘it’s all about the food and booze and he was right. Our reception was the highlight. Everyone kept telling us how tasty everything was and how much fun they were having.”
As you can see, there’s usually a little bit of everything in the course of a wedding season, especially since the wedding season has become nearly three quarters of the year.
The venue. “We LOVED the views and everyone could roam or go inside to relax and then back outside to eat and dance.”
Ryan and I have shot weddings at some amazing places.
This and the shot above taken at On the Windfall.
Above and the preceding photo taken at Leatherwood Resort.
Those last two were taken in West Jefferson at Twickenham House. The food and music and views matter, but then there is the couple. Often, this is expressed as “how much love everyone felt.” We all need love and many of us cry at weddings, because they are such a fresh, new, pure and unapologetic celebration of it. Marriage is, we all hope, for a lifetime; watching two people say “I do” is a pretty overwhelming.
The final answer if you’re planning your wedding is YOU. You make it special by bringing people you love together to watch you take an enormous step into your future. Plan well, do your homework, work with the best you can find and afford, but remember that surrounding yourself with people who love you and bringing your heart to the party will make it a WOW. We hope to be there to capture every last detail.
Pixels is booking weddings, engagement and bridal portraits now for 2017 and 2018. Contact us! We’d love to work with you.
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.
Happy Anniversary | February’s One Couple
Lauren & Joshua – Five years on February 11th
I’m going to let my fellow North Carolinian, the late and oh-so-amazing Nina Simone take this one. Enjoy it here.
And Happy Anniversary to Lauren & Joshua Holley – our only February anniversary.
A certain kind of light
I want my whole life to be
To live it with you
Live it with you
Everybody says
Do each and every little thing
What good does it bring
If I ain’t got you, if I ain’t got you
I ain’t got you, I ain’t got you
What it’s like
Baby you don’t
What it’s like
To love somebody
To love somebody
The way I love you
Ryan and I say: Amen to that.
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.
Attention Brides to Be……….
We interrupt your regularly scheduled online shopping, tree lighting, card writing, baking, deep breathing and ugly Christmas sweater wearing for this brief announcement:
Tis ALSO the season for engagements, weddings and planning for the spring and summer wedding season.
Pixels will be shooting more winter weddings (in fact several this month), but we are keenly aware that when 2017 arrives and we all return to the regular day-to-day, there will be more than a few brides-to-be out there who will need to get organized and start planning for spring, summer and fall weddings.
Pixels has worked over the last 11 years with some phenomenal vendors, at amazing locations and for absolutely wonderful couples. If you’re engaged and are looking for engagement and wedding photographers who are creative, focused on you and your vision, can help shape that vision and then capture it for posterity, we hope you’ll give us a look.
We love our work – ask anybody. In fact, we ask our clients all the time and we hope you’ll check out some reviews of us on WeddingWire.com.
To note: June, September and October dates typically book quickly, so if those are months you’re looking into, quick action is the way to go. For those of you whose wedding or engagement we’ve photographed, we hope you’ll tell your engaged pals about us. Thank you all!
And now, back to that office party snicker-doodle recipe you’re downloading instead of working.
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.