Okay, I think we all need to just take a moment and stare in wonder and amazement at the gorgeous dress that Morgan choose for her wedding. She wins the prize for the most awesome and breath taking dress I have ever seen! Total fairy tale princess! Her dress was from the private collection of St. Pucchi by Rani. If you want some eye candy- just visit the site- completely off the charts! So the dress was totally to die for and don't even get me started on the diamonds! Wow! Incredible!

Okay, now for the gorgeous location. If you haven't been to Brookgreen Gardens in Pawley's Island, South Carolina- it is time to schedule a trip! We barely even saw a small part of it and it is the most beautiful garden I have ever seen. Morgan and Joel's romantic ceremony took place in Live Oak Allee with majestic oak trees lining each side of the walkway. It was so breathtaking, I remember thinking that if I could image heaven- it would look like this!

Morgan and Joel's guests enjoyed a beautiful cocktail party in the Palmetto Garden with signature drinks in mason jars complete with little umbrellas and a cherry and then they literally danced the night away under a starlit tent. It was so fantastic it is hard to do it justice with words. I guess that's why I carry that heavy camera around! Enjoy the photos! Congratulations Morgan and Joel! 

I am so excited to announce that one of my photos will be featured on the cover of The Bride's Book magazine. It is always a huge thrill to be featured on a cover and I am so pleased that the image is one of the photos that I took of Rachel at the Dudley Mansion this past July. Congratulations to all of my ladies involved in this shoot! Tonya with A Carolina Wedding, Jennifer with Salt Harbor Designs, Amy Kennison with Mac makeup, and Jan Wutkowski with Amuse Artisanal Finery.

I love it when couples personalize their wedding to reflect their interests, hobbies or something that is unique to them. Leah and Brad did a fantastic job representing who they are as a couple through the cool details of their wedding. They were married and had their reception at the State Club in Raleigh. Leah and Brad both went to 'State' and they are big Wolfpack fans! They loved the wolf statues surrounding the club and wanted to take photos with them to show their team spirit! I adore the colors they choose- hot pink and black! My favorites! And you can never go wrong with polka dots! So much fun!

They are also the proud owners of two adorable pugs and they were represented in photos at the head table and on their 'too cute for words' cake topper! It was such a fun party and Leah and Brad put in a special request to create a photo with a heart 'painted' in a photo with a sparkler. A trick I had never done before- so I bought some sparklers the night before and we practiced to get it right! Here's the end result- very cool! Congratulations Leah and Brad!

We have truly been blessed with SOOO many beautiful weddings this year and Kelly and Rob's was no exception! They were married on June 13th at the St. James Episcopal Church in downtown Wilmington and had their reception at the beautiful Bellamy Mansion. Kelly and Rob chose the most historic places Wilmington for their wedding. St. James Episcopal Church was the first church built in Wilmington in 1729! While the ceremony was taking place, we were sitting up in the balcony taking photos. I started looking at the flags on the sides of the walls of the church, and I was blown away by the dates on them. There were flags from the 1700's- it's so incredible that they have been preserved for so many years.

The Bellamy Mansion is beautiful antebellum style house that fell into the control of the Federal troops during the Civil War and became their headquarters when they took control of Wilmington. Now, the house is a museum and in the evenings, you can have weddings and parties in the house and gardens. Kelly and Rob will now have a permanent place in the history of the Bellamy Mansion with an engraved brick lining the walkway in the garden behind the house.

Kelly and Rob had such a wonderful wedding. It was the perfect night to dance under the stars and celebrate! Congratulations Kelly and Rob!

Jennifer and Cullen were married in Oxford, NC surrounded by family and friends in the same chapel that Jennifer's mother and father were married in. Jennifer grew up in Oxford and her wedding was a major event! I think close to 400 guests attended the reception at the Henderson Country Club! What a party! Jennifer is a girl after my own heart and had really fun details. Her color scheme of hot pink, lime green and polka dots was featured in the adorable polka dot shoes the bridesmaids wore and the alternating colored sashes. She also had polka dot table linens at the reception- I love it when the colors really stand out and make a statement! The party was rockin' with the Johnny Dollar Band playing all night! What a great wedding! Congratulations Jennifer and Cullen!

I am so excited to share Annie and Brian's wedding. They were married at the beautiful Porter's Neck Country Club in Wilmington. Annie and Brian are one of those couples that are 'just meant to be' and when you see them together- you can't help but smile. Their wedding was just gorgeous and one of the highlights was Annie's little nephew being pulled down the aisle in a pirate ship wagon by the flower girl. Annie and Brian danced all night long and had a fabulous time. It was so great to be a part of their beautiful day! Also, take a look at their wedding video highlights by our favorite videographers, Life Stage Videography. Congratulations Annie and Brian!

The grandeur of the Duke University Chapel is always an impressive site. Michelle and Alex are an equally impressive couple and chose the perfect place for their wedding. Michelle and Alex met while stationed in Japan. Michelle was a flight nurse in the Navy and Alex was one of her patients on a flight. I guess the rest is history and now they are a happily married couple! Congratulations Michelle and Alex!

Julie and Jeff got married this May at the historic High Grove Estate in Fuquay Varina. I really enjoyed photographing this location. The bride gets ready in the main house and then the ceremony takes place outside at a pergola overlooking Laurel Lake. It is a beautiful setting! We had a few rain drops during Julie and Jeff's ceremony, but it held off until the ceremony ended. It was nice to have overcast skies to make the day a little cooler! Then the reception is just steps away in an elegant lined tent with chandeliers. It is so nice to have all of the events so close together in one beautiful place! Julie looked great and we just loved her shoes with rhinestones down the heel! Julie and Jeff had a great party with lots of dancing and fun! It was great to be a part of their fabulous day! Congratulations Julie and Jeff!

We photographed this beautiful destination wedding for Melissa and Chuck at Bald Head Island. Melissa grew up in North Carolina, but her family has since moved to Washington. They enjoy coming back to Bald Head Island each summer to stay at their beach house and Melissa always dreamed of someday getting married on the island. Melissa met Chuck through work and the rest is history- as they say! We were lucky enough to document that history for them! We adored Melissa's Monique Lhuiller  wedding gown and the easy, yet elegant style she incorporated throughout the day. It was a very laid back relaxing evening where guests could just mingle and enjoy each others' company. A perfect reflection of the atmosphere of Bald Head Island. Congratulations Melissa and Chuck!

Here's another cool romance! Jodi and Lee met in High School and fell in love. They are the sweetest couple! They got married on Topsail Beach, and I have to say that I don't think I have ever cried so many tears of joy at a wedding as I did at Jodi and Lee's ceremony. It was really touching and  I think all of the cute country songs about love and marriage that they played as the bridal party entered the ceremony really pushed me over the edge! I'm a romantic and sometimes I just can't help it! They had a beautiful wedding that ended with a 'send off' in a boat. We were able to photograph them from another boat to create some really fun images! Congratulations Jodi and Lee!