There are some people that meet that you instantly become smitten with. Megan was that lady for me (and her mom!). Megan had originally wanted to tie the knot on the beach, but instead decided to go with the gorgeous Carolina Inn located right here in Chapel Hill, NC. Both are beautiful landscapes, but I know she made the right choice for what she and Derrick wanted. To have the best of both worlds she decided to get out her beautiful Hayley Paige gown again and twirl in the sand for me, Derrick included.

I love how these images came out and how intimate the entire bridal photo session came out. Megan wanted this to be super low key, but still romantic and classy. The session took place at Carolina Beach located right next to Kure, NC, and we waited for the perfect time to come out from under the pier. Of course, the date we chose would have a chance of thunderstorms, but I am so glad we waited for it die down. The atmosphere was perfect and it was so much fun to see Megan and her mom Lauren again after spending so much time with them this past year--hello Tre Bella!

Wedding Gown from Tre Bella in Durham, NC
Wedding Gown Designer is Hayley Paige
Jewelry by Jenny Packham
Photo Scans by Richard Photo Labs

It's taken some time, but I can finally start to see some true progress in my business. To have a dream of owning your own business and actually putting forth the constant effort of building it are two vastly different avenues. For years, I'm talking years, I have dreamed of working for myself, for the people who love my craft. To say it has been hard is an understatement, in its truest form.
With the limited time that I do have, I can't help but to think of more photography! Ha! This is the downfall of being a photographer; everything I see I think of how beautiful it would look on canvas. A blessing and a curse--all the same. That's what happened with Bethany. Always thinking of the next big thing I can do. She was it.
I met Bethany a couple of years ago when I was hustling in photography school. I helped with a few shoots with her, and oh my God, I thought she was gorgeous! I reached out to her some time ago and mentioned I would love to get her in front of MY camera. And? She totally took me up on that! I put together an impromptu session within a few days and let me tell you--she rocked it!
We started off the day at Makeup For Your Day's studio in Raleigh, NC. Those ladies are killer, and I can never truly thank them for the work they do for me. Once the beauty portion was done, Bethany and I headed to the Eno. I had found this eery little cabin a while ago and thought "this is it, I am using that creepy little cabin." So we marched right on out there like we owned it and set up camp. Bless Bethany as she had been running on only a few hours of sleep, but I could never tell. How did I end up knowing so many amazing people?

Vendors
Bridal Salon: Tre Bella
Gown Designer: Lazaro
Veil Designer: Modern Trousseau
Florals: Tre Bella
Hair and Makeup: Makeup For Your Day
 

Have you ever met someone and just instantly thought "Oh My God, this lady is gorgeous!" Yep, I said that with Valentina. She has such a sweet sweet beauty that completely surrounds her and the people she comes in contact with. And, she has a contagious laugh! Just wait til you see these images, there is no way you can not agree.

We decided to do her bridal portrait session at the Kings Daughters Inn, located in the heart of Durham, NC. The staff there were oh so friendly and made Valentina and our crew feel so incredibly welcome. We can not thank this wedding venue enough!

Makeup For Your Day provided the extraordinary beauty service that really accentuated Valentina's already beautiful face. It is always an extreme joy working with this company, they really do know how to make a lady feel completely special on her wedding day.

Tre Bella provided the florals and the wedding gown. Tre Bella is a wedding and special events florist, as well as one of the triangle's premier wedding gown boutiques. We were so happy to work with local vendors, especially ones located in Durham, NC for her bridal session. Seriously, all of the vendors were great!

Vendors
Gown Designer // Modern Trousseau
Gown and Florist // Tre Bella
Venue // The Kings Daughters Inn
Beauty // Makeup For Your Day