Carol Anne has to be one of the sweetest and most down to earth people I have come in contact with. I was over the moon when she decided to have bridal portraits taken as that meant that I could see her again right before the wedding.

Carol decided to do her session at her wedding venue located in Dobson, NC. The restaurant is called Cody Creek and it has this serene look to it, bountiful in greens with the cutest little chapel and gazebo. This was the perfect place for her portraits! Just the right amount of southern!

My favorite images are the black and white ones found later in this post, but the ones of her and her pup are just adorable! It was so hard to pick favorites with this session! I am in love with the veil images, as well. Carol wanted to incorporate her mother's veil for her wedding day look and I think that is the sweetest gesture of all.
 

The Triangle's NACE community is, by far, one of the best I have ever seen. I love how creatives, entrepreneurs, and just all around great companies come together once a month to learn more about the events industry. For the month of October I had the privilege of photographing their event that was held at 21c Hotel in Downtown Durham. This month's event focused on how to cater to unusual venues and the like. 21c Hotel was perfect as this venue hosts some of the most modern artwork in the triangle area, has a bold layout, and is just out of the ordinary extraordinary. 

Upon entering you are greeted by melodic sounds stemming from a local guitar soloist and sites of a mesmerizing acrobatic. The first thought that comes to mind is "this is going to be a great event." Each guest is given a number correlated with a team. From here you find the rest of your team with the same number and are given a task to find certain items throughout the museum hotel. There are 3 floors to the museum, and about 10 or so items that you are needed to find. Once you were done, you head back downstairs for a panelists Q & A, along with delectable food to pair. Dinner was served family style and Slice Pie Company came in for a delicious dessert to boot. I not only went home full, but inspired. 

Vendors

Venue 21c Museum Hotel
Planning and Coordination RSVP Events
Florist Tre Bella
Specialty Catering Slice Pie Company
Rentals American Party Rentals
Table Decor Table of Contents
Event Lighting Get Lit Special Event Lighting
Stage Design and Furniture AFR Event Furnishings
Performance Art Cirque De Vol

Out of all of the weddings, I have the softest heart for elopements. There is something so special about marrying the one you love, with or without a handful of your closest of friends. When Leia reached out and told me of her and Jeremy's plan, my heart swole emotion. This was totally them, to go away and just get married. 

Leia and Jeremy are bee enthusiasts, keepers, and just a good all around activist for bees. Earlier this year Leia and Jeremy were out with their bees when Jeremy plopped down on one knee and proposed. From what I hear, it was a beautiful site to see. With their history in mind, they wanted to keep their elopement simple, but with key ingredients of details--like their love for bees. One of my favorite details is Leia's bouquet made up of solely lavender--a bee friendly plant which also happens to grow in their backyard.

Leia and Jeremy headed down to Carolina Beach and met up with 3 of their closest friends. Their Officiant, who is also a part time rockstar, came to the rescue to give the quickest little ceremony on the beach at sunrise. If you are thinking "wait, did you mean sunset?"--just know that I stand correct. This couple was not going to go the easy route--they wanted the best light, view, and peacefulness the day could bring, and let me tell you; it was gorgeous, serene,  and one of a kind. 

Once the ceremony was over, all of us headed to the cutest little carnival place right down the road. We basically had our pick of the litter for any rides, and there was something so nice about actually being the only ones inside the park. My favorite image from this pit stop? The one of Leia on the merry-go-round. If you look closely, you will see that she chose the chicken to ride on. How ironic--she also farms chickens. Full circle. 

Kure Beach was right down the road and this place is the only place on the east that hosts those awesome little "squiggly" trees. One of the locals told me the actual name of these things, but for some reason "squiggly trees" just stuck. Go figure. We all had a grand time overlooking the ocean here, and the trees gave a nice shaded spot for some intimate portraits. I love how every single one of these turned out on film. To me, when I look at these images it just takes me to an emotion of intimacy. This was what the bride and groom wanted, and it is just an overwhelming feeling to know that you were chosen to bask in it. 

For more images, please visit Love and Lavender as this wedding was featured on their blog this week!

Vendors

Photo Scans Richard Photo Labs
Ceremony Site Carolina Beach, NC
Boutonniere Cosmic Firefly
Earrings from J Design
Bee Hair Clip Days long Gone
Groom Attire Ticknors Mens Clothiers
Bridal Salon Camille's of Wilmington
Bridal Suite at The Hampton Inn of Carolina Beach Hotel