whitney & jay

i'm off this afternoon to one of my favorite spots at the sarah p. duke gardens in durham (yes, on duke's campus...i can't help but love it anyway) to photograph whitney welch in her gorgeous bridal gown. since it would be a photographer's SIN to share the secret of how beautiful she'll be as a bride, i thought i'd finally post a few images from her engagement session instead. she and jay are so much fun and i can't wait to be there when they walk down the isle in october! it's right around the corner!

morgan & bb

it's only fitting that one of my last posts before MY VERY OWN WEDDING be of my last session til the end of july when we return from our honeymoon. morgan and bb were the perfect couple to put away my camera with - the bride-to-be was beautiful, and the groom-to-be was a little camera-shy...that's the perfect combination for some REAL laughter to shine through. :) i had a blast with these two at morgan's grandma's house, and i even came away with two hand-crocheted pot holders, courtesy of mrs. rogers!

thank you morgan & bb for making my last single-girl shoot so much fun! i can't wait til your wedding in december!!!

stephanie & david

everyone knows i love my carolina couples. looking back in my files, i've realized that about 70% of the engagement sessions i've done have been on the unc campus. i don't mind at all - what a great excuse to go back to my stomping ground!

i met stephanie and david through another pair of tarheels, and i'm so happy to be a part of their big day in october. these two are a blast to hang around and their laughter is infectious!

kristi & billy

drumroll please...it's my first engagement session in my soon-to-be hometown of roxboro! i had such a blast doing this session with kristi and billy. it may not have been the most beautiful day, but not even clouds and the threat of rain could make billy's family's gorgeous farm any less photo-worthy. i love it!
stealing a kiss in his childhood treehouse. :)

congratulations y'all! can't wait til september!

christina & brandon

christina was referred to me by our mutual friend (and my former co-worker at mmi), michelle. it's always fun to get a friend of a friend - it's almost like "connection clients" come with their own disclaimer based on who they know. with the understanding that this bride was lifelong bff's with one of the most awesome and down-to-earth ladies i've ever known, i couldn't wait to get to know christina and brandon. (i miss you michelle!!)

i've been waiting for so long to do a fair session, and when one of my favorite new brides, christina, told me that she and brandon had some special nc state fair history, i jumped on the chance to make it happen. thankfully, they were gutsy enough to brave the craziest fair crowd i've ever seen!

so, post fried pecan-pie and demolition derby, there we were - a ridiculously photogenic and fun couple and an overly excited photographer in the middle of the madness. i had a blast! THANK YOU christina and brandon for one of my favorite engagement sessions yet!

angela & mike

i went back to chapel hill for another fun engagement session last week with angela and mike - both carolina grads who love their old stomping ground as much as i do. :) they'll be married memorial day weekend of '09, and i can't wait to be a part of their day. (if the groom makes as many crazy faces on his wedding day as he did at this session, i'll have lots of laughs to look forward to...let's just hope no one splits their pants!)

thanks angela and mike! can't wait til may!!

chrissy & blair

it's a small world after all. the first time i heard from chrissy about her upcoming june wedding, i didn't expect the groom to be an old college buddy of mine. blair was my dorm neighbor once upon a time in my carolina days. i have a feeling that if i had known chrissy as well at the time, we could have roamed that campus together with the best of 'em!

these two are a prime example of a beautiful carolina couple. they even met at one of the finer places around campus...just kidding chrissy. :)

so excited for chrissy and blair! can't wait to document their day!

danette & mitch

being the blue-blooded carolina girl that i am, i agreed to photograph a wolfpack wedding in april against my better judgement...just kidding. :)

i met danette a few months ago at her wolfpack club office in raleigh. danette is a loyal alumna as well, and so is her fiance', mitch (at least they're not dookies - no offense blue devils, you'd talk the same trash about me, that doesn't mean we can't be friends!).

because i'm a versatile photographer and my ultimate goal is to please my client, i stepped on the ncsu belltower grounds for the first time in my life with this sweet couple. danette laughed, mitch managed to enjoy himself while fighting off a common case of groom photography dread (and a cold), and i...well, i just prayed that none of my college buddies would ride down hillsborough street that afternoon and catch me in the red lands. i'm happy to report that we had a great session and we didn't stay on campus long at all! (still kidding...it was wonderful.)

congratulations to danette and mitch on your beautiful afternoon and your engagement. i had a blast galavanting around raleigh with you two! can't wait to do it again in the spring!

lindsey & brandon

nothing like a two in one weekend! while in wilmington for carrie and matt's wedding (images coming soon), i had the opportunity to take a little extra time to hang out with lindsey and brandon at wrightsville beach. lindsey is a long-time friend of matt's, and i should have known from that association alone that i had another good-time couple on my hands.

lindsey and brandon will be married on may 30th of next year, and after this session, i'm positive that their day will be as easy-going and honestly romantic as they are. another beautiful wedding to look forward to!

back to the beach

i've been looking forward to christmas in july for some time now, and thanks to cara and martin, that's exactly what we'll have on the 19th! i'm told that santa might even make an appearance at their reception. (imagine the unique photo-ops there!)

i just had the pleasure of taking a trip with the funny couple to wilmington to do their engagement session. 4 hours in the car and not a dull moment. i've decided that engagement sessions are my favorite. i get the rare opportunity to get to know the couple on a regular ol' non-wedding day - stress-free, family-free, and fun-focused. cara and martin happen to be hilarious (and i'm pretty sure that cara and i may have been separated at birth). i can't wait to do more!