Providence Cotton Mill | Milner, NC Wedding Photography
This wedding was photographed at Providence Cotton Mill in Miltner last summer. Let me tell you, when I say it was a hot… but then, you look at the images from the day and I just see great light, a perfect location, and people having utmost fun. The bride wore a non-traditional dress- just a complete stunner. The theme was loosely leaning toward till-death-do-us-part and sort of tongue in cheek. Who said forever had to be so serious?
The venue features like 10k square feet, chippy paint on bricks lots of grass and a bricked courtyard. Swampfans helped keep the temps down and the venue is ready for a breeze with completely open windows.
I’d love to work at this venue again!
The Ridge at Asheville, NC
Perfect day in the mountains of Western North Carolina for a wedding!!
I was so happy to get to help Sean Szitas with this wedding. As the new gal in Asheville, building business can be a little daunting. Getting to shoot is like Christmas though, when you love doing it, so THANK YOU to those who have let me help them. Sean is a super relaxed guy, and works hard to take lots of great portraits. Our style varies a little, so I am able to add my journalistic eye as well as details he isn’t able to cover.
The couple privately exchanged their vows while we documented the moment. Both were in tears, as you can see and no kidding, I was a mess about their love story. It is a huge privilege in my life to have witnessed and learned about love from so many wonderful couples. The gist of their message to one another was what a gift to have found each other- and specifically I recall the bride telling her man how easy love is with him, and life, no matter the challenge. Just so amazing to find that!
The wait.
Love lens flare!!
Lens baby images for fun…
..after the safe image, of course
A big part of the wedding day FOR ME is honoring all you put into planning it. Although images of a couple alone are beautiful, I believe if you wanted to be alone you’d have eloped. The real story is here, the details of kissing surrounded by those you love, your intimate companions and long distance family that loves you enough to make the trip. It is a cultural celebration of those you cherish, not just the bride and groom. And of course.. lens flare. If you choose this time of day, I’ll be sure to incorporate the drama lighting can give us!
Ha! I was out paparazzi’d
The bride was in love with seeing the moon during sunset - she said all my favorite things are right here in this moment! I love fellow romantics! <3
I’d recommend The Ridge venue for anyone wanting a great location with perfect views right near Asheville! There was no end to the places for images, and the venue offers indoor and outdoor spots for the reception. There are onsite golf carts for quick jaunts across the property- definitely cannot wait to get back to this one!
Renata and Rodrigo | Biltmore Asheville, NC
One of the fascinating things about this location is almost every direction, you can find something else to work into the shot.
These two newlyweds were just so sweet and cute. I am so happy for you both! Thank you for working with, and I hope to do another shoot for you again soon!
Pretty Place Chapel
If I were to marry again.. it might be at a spot like this. Sure, if I knew it wasn’t going to rain or I could afford some light rain on my wedding day… I’d go with a flower farm with a view. Hands down. But this…
Pretty Place is an affordable spot with a to-die for view that offers abundant shelter for the ceremony. So if it did rain.. you’d be set. You’d still have the view, the open air feeling.. Perfect elopement spot, too! There’s a certain innocent vibe; Austin told me when he was a boy he and his friends and cousins would be there. Imagine how surreal to have those memories and then to be…marrying at that very same spot.
It’s pretty rare, but sometimes the best man DOES forget the ring. It made for a nice lighthearted moment.
The only thing I thought but didn’t say at their event (and it’s now some months later so I guess I feel like they probably will never see this although I’m sure he knows…) that the groom looks like Bradley Cooper. Do you see it? Hello Dopelganger! I wonder if it’s true that we all have one…somewhere in the world.
If you’re wondering about this particular photo, the groom had just picked up his bride and lifted her over a particularly steep step. Side note: if you have a fear of heights tell me before we get to the ledge.
Such a gorgeous couple- love them! Also fun and easy going. I’m excited for their new family!
I have a theory that love and laughter are essential to make it work.
I would LOVE to have a reason to go there again! If you’re interested in visiting this spot with me, here is the link: Pretty Place Chapel Call me for your elopement or session! 828.777.6186!
Twikinham Mountain Wedding
Something happens when you arrive at Twickenham. It’s like when you take the mask off after an hour in a store- you know, like you can finally really draw a nice deep breath and relax.
And after postponing their perfect wedding for over a year for the pandemic, it’s kind of a good analogy.
What I know about about this gorgeous couple could barely fill a ring box. They met in a poetry class. They live in Europe. They are easygoing. Plants, nature and conservation are important to them. The bride’s dress is a family heirloom. A video from family in Europe was played during the reception.
Cassy and Thomas chose this venue particularly for the beautiful view. At the end of the day, just before I headed home to Asheville, we took about 30 minutes to hit the spot for sunset pictures. They gave me all the time I needed with creative freedom, were easy going and fun to work with, and I was able to not only make a few cinematic images for them, but also to allow them to just enjoy a few seconds “alone” to watch the sunset. I don’t think it can be more romantic than to pause on your wedding day with your love and reflect. I’m hoping it’s one of their favorite memories together, just watching the day fold into night.
Their Vendors:
You can check out Thomas and Cassy’s venue here- Twickenham House and Hall is located near Boone, NC. Leigh Harrow was the lead coordinator at the event and I’ve just never had a coordinator so lovely to work with. It’s truly an art to know how to lead people pleasantly and graciously.
The delicate flora’s are the creative art of Shady Grove Gardens.
The cake I had was worth every calorie- highly recommend Stick Boy.
And finally, Earthworks did all the other food, which is carefully cultivated and locally sourced. Heartfelt thanks to the chef and to the earth for providing!
Lake Norman
dreamy lakeside love.
I am really, really truly lucky in life. Blessed.
Without giving away too much personal info for the couple, they met on a dating site. I know some people are still hesitant about them, but more often I am doing weddings from couples that met there. Message me to ask which dating site. :)
I love candid expressions.
Random photo probably only I like. Reflection of chairs outside and one person inside in the exact right position to look like she’s sitting on the chair. If you ever see me shooting and are like what the heck is she doing..I’m doing something like this. Not only does it entertain me but it probably beats me simply staring at you waiting for a moment. You know? It’s a little less intense.
While I’m rambling about me, it’s a tiny bit of a drive from Asheville to this location, but I’m used to that. I usually listen to music to get in the zone, maybe eat an M&M Blizzard or a Krispy Kreme for that sugar high. For some reason I decided on self help videos and water only for the two hour drive down so by the time I got there, I was really, like… ready for a nap. That wasn’t my best idea for pre-wedding.
If you can imagine it, as soon as I got on the property, ya’ll, I kid you not, I smiled. Like, I genuinely started grinning because it was GORGEOUS with the lake background and small pool and hot tubs and bar and palm trees and whatnot. Life is funny like that. The clouds were perfect puffy companions to a Carolina blue sky with the breeze whispering a promise of summer across the lake. I’m not joking when I say from that second I was teleported into someone else’s romantic heaven.
All that joy I felt was even before seeing anyone there. And when I did, my first glimpse was of a bridesmaids decorating corpses for the “till death do us” underlying theme (not shown here.. I also left out the tiny fake spider in the brides bouquet. I needed to cull some of the images from the blog post). It was like, ok, this is a gorgeous day with some cool people.
And it really was.
They both kept their eyes tight shut to save it for that moment at the altar. But they did want to make sure I got a photo of them touching per-ceremony.
The face that says I’m ready. I’m excited. Let’s do this!
Holy smokes! Stunning bride seeing her groom waiting!
Yes, they DID do their entrance to “I got chills, they’re multiplying” and totally admire one another while dancing up a storm all the way down the beautiful stone steps and up the stone walk to the waiting guests.
Somewhere around this image I started balling. I had to stop shooting for a second because my camera may not have been waterproof enough to handle it. Not sure. But you know what, this couple has the perfect balance of silly and passion and it just is inspirational. Big fan over here!
Ok, so when you love someone you make sacrifices, right? And this bridesmaid missed her own college graduation so the bride said well we are doing a little something something and they did a mock ceremony and I loved them all the more.
Ok, it is really easy for me to be like you know what you should do? Totally go in the water on your wedding day in clothes you spent a fortune of money and time to find. But these two agreed. THANK YOU BOTH! I Love love love couples that hire me to do my thing and then will agree to it. I kicked off my shoes and socks and joined them, rather pointlessly since I have the lenses to do it from the shore. But it was fun and they weren’t alone being cold and wet after that. In fact, I had sand in my socks all evening long because at a wedding you dont get time to clean up when you’re the photographer- you just jump right to the next thing.
Backlit by the sunset, super romantic.
perfect expression, Nicole! I love it.
fireworks! just a tiny bit of photoshop went into this image, but so worth it.
All my love and best wishes to the bride and groom! Your love and connection are truly beautiful. <3 Lacey
E& W Engagement Session | Duke Gardens, Durham, NC
When I moved my domain, I lost showing off this couple.
I love getting to know a couple during their engagement session, getting some emotions, smiles…that spark! It is such an honor to see the images on their wedding website, or later, at the wedding in a book or on display. Congratulations (again and again) to the happy couples out there! Send some of that love magic my way <3
Bass Lake
Sometimes I struggle with what to say after a wedding. I hate when I read other peoples wedding posts and they sound as cookie cutter as the images (ok, I’m just saying) and they rave about how perfect everything is, and how they are going to be lifelong friends with the clients.
Sometimes the truth is a better story: despite a 30 minute delay to the start of their sunset wedding, and the rain starting immediately when it was finally show time, the wedding still took place with love and grace- and as far as I know, as planned. The plum colors and the flowers and yes- even the rain- were beautiful. The guests didn’t leave when everything became wet, but they did take shelter nearby, observing from a distance. In a way it created a dynamic sense of what a new couple is- part of a whole community of family and friends, but separate unto itself- a ship in an ocean.
After the ceremony, the rain tapered. My equipment was completely wet and blurry and rain was draining off the roof of the pergola into my bag on my equipment for some time. Experience paid off and despite the challenges, success!
Moments I’ve shown here include the brides mother and father doing a choreographed dance to like a 15 song montage. Each sound clip they’d switch their dance, it was really great! I also thought the friends who got on their hands and knees to dry the dance floor post rain were just lovely (omitted here because they maybe didn’t want that shared, not sure). Private laughs and tears are some of my very favorite..
Thank you so much for allowing me to work with you on your wedding day! I hope I hear from you and hear about your future together.
Maternity
These two lovelies have met their new daughter already, and soon I’ll get to photograph her- I can’t wait!
Although I don’t know them well, I met Ashley initially when she was… probably younger than 8. After all these years have passed, it was interesting to see her again, and in a way an amazing experience to see the similarities in how I recall her as well as the amazing changes in her life. She’s a very warm and inquisitive person- something that has withstood her life. I think some things are innate for each of us.
Flattering is not the right word for how it felt to be remembered and chosen to do this session for her. There are so many photographers- I have a few friends as well as several people who initially chose me as their wedding photographer and then went on to becoming wonderful photographers in their own right. There are so many people she knows, I am sure, or who someone she knows would recommend, but for some reason she gravitated to me and my work. Thank you Ashley!
Ashley’s maternity session included her partner, Richard, a friend of my sons- hence Ashley circling back into my life. The world is vast but very small, it’s sometimes like we really are magnets… pulled back into one anothers lives. This session was at Lake Crabtree, which was incredibly packed, but we made it work, of course. The day before, the sunset over the lake was phenomenal but the very next day it was a bit overcast… still gorgeous though. Photoshop and I worked to make the sky stand out.
In just about a week, I’ll get to meet their beautiful daughter for a baby session.. check back!
Pandemic Life and Asheville
Hello, hello!
I hope you and those you love remain healthy.
For my part, moving to a new city just weeks before we realized Covid-19 was going to crush everything we knew, really hit me hard. I’m not complaining- I have so far been quite fortunate to stay well, my family has all stayed safe and followed protocols as best they were able. The few people I know who tested positive have pulled through alright. My side business blossomed, I got a cat, a friend. The fish are struggling, I must admit.
I am sure you are aware of the massive social and political upheaval across our nation (and frankly the world, but I think most of us have been inundated by- and struggling to process- what is local to us). I mention it only because this entire year, so far, has seemed to be one of change and growth in a burn-the-house-down sort of way. We usually make our choices, we live our time our own way- ok, I’m finding it hard to reword what JRR Tolkien already expressed perfectly in his character Gandolf- “all you have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to you.” I love that quote.
But this season sort of turned that brutal truth on its head, did it not? I suppose types like Elon Musk maybe are still doing what they set out to do this year (he is in Mars, right??). As for me, starting over in a new city has been thwarted, both in business and in personal life. What few weddings I had booked when I moved here canceled for Covid concerns, understandably and my heart moves for how that must feel. Personally, of course, I was waylaid in meeting new friends and building a sense of community. But given that, I’ve found this year helpful in burning away some of the outer layer I’d concealed myself behind.
I realize this is a very serious post, but I did want to admit that I developed a good case of apathy for quite some time. At the heart of doing nothing, I could sit with myself and find happiness. I can smile (behind a mask) for no reason at all. And again, I am finding beauty in the world and appreciating it everywhere I can go (“can go” really should be underlined in this sentence).
The mountains are already home. They have been since before I moved here. And when Covid started, and I ran back to Raleigh, I found I missed them all too much. Within days, I couldn’t wait to come back. And so I did.
Below, I’ve added a photo of myself impersoning the gray Wizard himself, shouting at a specter, you shall not pass. I think it’s pretty funny. If you want to know how it was created, let me know and I’ll write a post about that. Side note- you can see more of my work on my Instagram page (Photolace), but I deleted my Facebook Biz page. It seemed redundant to me, and I am tired of spinning my wheels so many places.
I have some photo work coming up and some I’ve never shared, and so I will once again bring this page to life. Maybe more than it’s been in years.
I hope you, reading this long post (one of the things I learned during Covid was what tl;dr means. This post probably applies…) are well, safe, happy and expanding into new life.