Alex + Bailey | Lake Chautauqua NY wedding

There are many ingredients to a wedding that make it great. To us, our favorite thing is family and this wedding was all about family. From the day we arrived at Lake Chautauqua Bailey and Alex made sure we felt welcome and introduced us to as many of their family and friends as possible. We were invited to all the events not as photographers but as friends and were warmly received by everyone. Aside from our wonderful experience it just beautiful to watch both families come together and have such genuine love for each other. There was rarely a moment where someone wasn't hugging, smiling, laughing or crying tears of happiness. We were lucky enough to interact and photograph Alex and Bailey and their group over a 4 day period and it left such a warm feeling in our hearts. Below is just a small sample of their wedding day that reminded us of what it was like to be there.

Fevia + Derek | North Carolina Wedding

Warm, happy-good-vibes, loving family, intimate.

Kristiaan and I spent the weekend in North Carolina at Peter Rabbits Place aka Fevia's grandmother property in Halifax, NC. This was one of those weddings where everything felt good. From the day we arrived, we were happily welcomed into both sides of family and friends - they truly made us feel at home.

Their wedding day was simply perfect, it was one of those warm but not hot or humid summer days where the air was just sweet. The days schedule was without incident. Smiles and tears aligned perfectly during their touching ceremony followed by a group of heart-felt toasts at the reception. The rest of the evening involved some very memorable dancing.

The day after their wedding we spent a few hours around the town of Weldon before returning to Peter Rabbits place for some final shots of the day.

Huge congrats to you, Fevia and Derek!

Traci + Nick: Intimate Wedding in Napa

What a pleasure this was for me! Traci and Nick, along with their family and friends showed their love and support for one another openly.  There is nothing more beautiful in life than that!  It doesn't hurt that Traci and the location were stunningly gorgeous.  Meanwhile Nick is dashing and funny, so laughter and smiles also had a strong presence throughout the day.  For all of these reasons, and more, I don't doubt that these two will enjoy many lovely years together.

As if I could ask for more, the day before the wedding, amazing local photographer, T.J. Salsman, was generous enough to spend several hours showing me around his favorite spots in Napa for photos.  This was invaluable and really helped me deliver a gorgeous set of images for Traci and Nick.

And since I was shooting without my usual partner in crime, I was blessed to have another wonderful local photographer, Sara Wilbur, second shoot with me.  She was so great that I didn't feel completely lost without my ninja photographer at my side.  That says a lot.  Yes?!

To top all of that off, I was home.  My aunt lives 20 minutes from Napa so I was able to stay with her for a few days and spend time with my cousins.  My mom, brothers, grandmother, aunts, uncles and friends are only another 40 minutes from there and I got to spend time with them too!

In closing, California is awesome.  I can't wait to shoot another wedding there (soon, please)....

From the bride:

In the presence of God, surrounded by our family and closest friends, with perfect weather in wine country, our wedding was more than we could have ever dreamed.  Such an intimate wedding, with only nineteen guests, made everything personal and meaningful!  Travel, food and wine have all played a role in our relationship and we were able to incorporate each into our special day:  destination wedding in wine country with a reception dinner at the highly acclaimed Bottega under the direction of celebrity chef Michael Chiarello.

Dress Designer:  Enzoani- Harmony gown Hair & Makeup Artist: Jocelyn, Bella Bridal Bride’s Shoes: Ivanka Trump Ceremony Venue:  Churchill Manor Reception Venue:  Bottega Restaurant Groom’s Apparel & Accessories: Brooks Brothers, Tiffany & Co. (cuff links) Cake: Sweetie Pie's and Cate & Co (small gluten free cake) Florist: Garaventa's Florist & Gifts

Kristin + Will | Chesapeake Hyatt Wedding

From our bride Kristin: The day....I'm sorry; "THEE DAY" could not have been more perfect. The sun was out! The weather was cool and there was no rain, which is required for an outside wedding along the Choptank River at the Chesapeake Hyatt in Cambridge, MD.

Kristin went for a nice long run in the morning with her sister through the various running trails on the resort, and then spent the rest of the afternoon in the suite with her bridesmaids and flower girls getting her hair and make-up done while enjoying mimosas and brunch. Will enjoyed the morning with a nice hearty breakfast before getting into the swim trunks and down to the sand Volleyball courts for drinks and relaxing at the pool.

 As "THEE TIME" came closer, both Kristin and Will's "butterflies in the stomach" really started to ramp up. As guests started to file into the manor lawn to take their seats, Will was in the middle greeting guests and noticing how not only were guests of the wedding attending the wedding, but just about every hotel guest that had a room facing manor lawn had come out on their deck to witness the marriage.

 The beginning of the ceremony went down without a hitch. The Flower girls did their job to a tee, spraying the runway with various coral and mint flowers. Colby, the little ring security guard, walked down the aisle with a big smile on his face. Kristin and her dad walked down the aisle weeping, which is expected as the father gives his daughter away. Finally Kristin's dad gives Kristin to Will and they looked into each other's eyes as Will's Uncle provides words of wisdom and the marriage vows. Kristin and Will say "I do" go in for the big Kiss and then down the aisle to "I will walk 5,000 miles" played by Shawn Owen.

 The wedding followed by cocktail hour on the manor lawn as Shawn Owen played various good-feeling cover songs throughout the hour as guest enjoyed cocktails and hors d'oeuvres.

 Now onto the reception. The reception was held at the Choptank Ballroom. The room was covered with coral peonies, pale green hydrangeas, peach roses and green salals which were decorated by florist, "Intrigue Design". The walls of the ballroom had various marquee signs that had Kristin and Will's names decked out in lights, which were designed and made by technical lighting producer "George Reich". The Maid of Honor and Best Man gave speeches that toed the line of a roast while eloquently explaining the love that Kristin and Will have for each other. After the speeches and dinner, it was TIME TO GET FUNKY! The dance floor opened and “Prime Time”, the band, took over. Prime Time played hit after hit all night long, while nearly the whole wedding reception danced and sang. The night finally ended to Will and Kristin coming outside to the “Arch of the Sparklers” as each guest lighted a sparkler, wishing Will and Kristin on their merry way.

Wedding Details:

Venue location: Manor Lawn and Choptank Ballroom at the Chesapeake Hyatt in Cambridge, MD Wedding Planner/Designer: Intrigue Design Dress Designer: Maggie Sottero. Dress from Bridals by Elena Catering: Chesapeake Hyatt Cake Designer:  Melinda Roe Florist: Intrigue Design Hair stylist/Salon: Tresses for Dresses Makeup Artist: Makeup Memories Wedding ceremony and Cocktail hour music: Shawn Owen Reception Band: Prime Time Band Marquee Lighting: George Reich

angie + joey | tidewater inn wedding

From our wonderful bride Angie:

It was a beautiful and not too cold winter afternoon. We had snow flurries all morning. Both the church and the reception venue were historic locations walking distance from each other in a small town on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The bridesmaids wore lilac colored Amsale dresses and the bride wore a simple, yet elegant dress made by Judd Waddell. The groomsmen wore classy grey tuxedos. The flower arrangements were made by a local florist who grows her own flowers locally on a 36 acre farm.

Joey and I kept our vision simple. We wanted to get married! Everything else was just a bonus. We were so lucky to find amazing vendors and pretty much let them do their thing. From the wedding coordinator at the Tidewater, to the florist, the cake baker, and the photographers, we were working with incredibly talented artists. Joey and I were also so fortunate to have his sister, Annie--a recent graduate from SCAD, lead the effort with our invitations, programs, and seating charts. We had the Dean of our new church together and the Dean from Angie's church she had gone to in Laurel perform the ceremony together. They performed an absolutely beautiful ceremony. The whole day could not have gone more perfectly. We found ourselves surrounded by people we love, in a beautiful setting, celebrating a wedding that we felt could not come soon enough!

Genuine thanks to Kristiaan and Lionel for everything. They did beautiful work and were among the most fun guests at the reception :)

Details Venue location(s):  Trinity Cathedral/ The Tidewater Inn, Easton, MD Dress Designer:  Judd Waddell Catering, Cake:  Tidewater Inn provided dinner/ Julie Bakes did the cake Florist:  Wenfei Uva with Seaberry Farms Hair stylist/Makeup: Studio 2, Kate was the hair stylist and make up artist Notables: Our Master of Ceremonies was Steve Moody. He was fantastic.