We hope that right now, you’re out relishing a day off. No one should labor too hard on Labor Day. This long weekend is one of the last siren calls of summer. School is back in session and people are back to a structured schedule of work and perhaps longing for the next thing to look forward to.
For us, it means harvesting items from our garden, chasing our son around who’s threatening daily to walk right out the door and thinking about our clients – old and new – and our vendors. We love the vendors we have the privilege of working with and thought that we’d share a few of them with you. These come highly recommended and not just by Ryan and myself.
Leatherwood Mountain Resort is a pretty spectacular spot for weddings and we’ve photographed our fair share in this amazing location. For more views, and instances of our work at Leatherwood, take a look.
From the country to the city and that takes us to a pretty glam spot – Holiday Inn Center City Charlotte. If you want a wedding where there is plenty to do over the weekend and a diverse crowd or wedding party who want lots of options for dining and activities, Charlotte, NC is hard to beat. The skyline views also make this Holiday Inn perfect for photos – engagement, bridal or otherwise.
And for the Part 1 finale on vendors (don’t worry, there’s another blog to come), we have to mention Bridal Traditions Wedding & Prom Attire which is located near us in North Wilkesboro. We are friends-like-family with Kelly at BT, and have collaborated with her and her team more times than we can count. Gorgeous gowns, tux options, gifts, and ideas pour out of their doors.
That little number in the gown above just happens to be Kelly, the owner of Bridal Traditions’. She knows what she’s doing.
We love making suggestions, when asked, so if you’re planning your wedding in North Carolina and would like to know more about the vendors we think of highly, please reach out. Vendor Love Part 2 comes soon!
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.
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All photos are ©2018 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
Katie Vance loves Disney Princesses and Patrick Carlson is a computer engineer and self proclaimed geek. Together they are absolutely perfect for each other and their wedding was perfect too. Perfect location, perfect weather, lots of sentiment and love, laughter and tears. It’s what you hope for when you decide not to elope.
From the tiaras and sparkling purple sneakers to the roses under glass centerpieces, Disney – and specifically The Beauty and the Beast – was on display when these two said their vows at Leatherwood Mountain Resort (and a BIG shout out to our friends there). We loved getting outdoor shots of all the flowers and purple sashes, the smiling friends and family and the many details, including Patrick’s boutonniere which contained a circuit board and wire. He really is a computer geek and we’re allowed to say that because he said it first!
The couple told us that their favorite moments were the toasts from the maid of honor and best man, watching Katie’s dad try to keep it together while dancing with her and Patrick dancing with his mom. Family and friends from all over and from various cultural backgrounds came to Leatherwood to celebrate with these two and boy did they ever. The dance floor was jumping. The DJ and vendors they chose are listed at the end of this blog and everyone worked well together to keep the stress to a minimum — something Katie shared with us that she was so grateful for.
Katie arrived to walk down the aisle and the couple departed in Katie’s Dad’s classic muscle car, a Supersport Nova. Not bad, huh?
Key Vendors at Katie & Patrick’s Wedding
Location: Leatherwood Mountain Resort
Wedding Gown: David’s Bridal, Charlotte
Wedding Planner: Abbie Hanchey
DJ: Soundstorm DJs – Boston Bobby Cavanaugh
Catering: Woodlands BBQ
Cake and Desserts: Lowes Foods
Another big shout out to our close friends Anna & Devin Ulery of Boone Photobooth.
CONGRATS to the newlyweds! We wish you nothing but happily ever after!
Just a few weeks ago, we shot another June wedding. Katie Vance married Patrick Carlson at Leatherwood Mountain Resort. We photographed Katie’s bridal portraits on November 4, 2016 at this very same spot. Katie wanted photos at Leatherwood both in the fall as well as in the summer to show off the various scenic views. Leatherwood – a place we love and have shot many times for brides and grooms – is a favorite for its bucolic setting and rustic atmosphere. Katie chose it to showcase the opposite. She is more princess than country bride and loves to sparkle. Even the Vans she wore with her gown had purple glitter on them. Katie grew up in Boone and loved being in the glorious mountain views that surrounded her all year. She loved how the mountains could be so massive and still be charming in the details. Her challenge to us was not to photograph the farm’s rustic style but instead to capture the more elegant natural surroundings. We were happy to oblige. Wedding photos are coming soon! If you’re interested in Leatherwood, here’s more about this venue from us.
It’s taking ALL I can do not to bring up Vivaldi’s masterpiece, The Four Seasons. And now I’ve done it, so if you like any of the 4 movements, or Vivaldi or classical music, it’s now stuck in your head. You’re welcome.
Meanwhile, our autumn portrait sessions booked up (THANKS EVERYONE) and I’m reminded that we shoot year-round because we can. North and South Carolina provide an embarrassment of riches for portraiture, not just for nature photographers. Mountains, gardens, farms, barns, fields, streams, valleys, the Biltmore Estate, the Blue Ridge Parkway and any number of purpose-built resorts and views surround us. We find ourselves consistently tramping through the woods, climbing rocks, on ATVs and by moving water capturing memories. Here is a small sampling of locations in our distinct seasons. If you need a reminder of the dizzying array of options, enjoy. We’re here and we’re always ready!