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Do you remember Jessica and Mike? Yes, they are the super gorgeous couple we photographed for their engagement session in Manhattan last June. And now it finally was the day of their wedding!

And I can tell you: it was awesome. New Jersey style, with all the bells and whistles. Mike looked sharp and Jessica was just plain stunning. I started with the guys getting ready at their hotel, and the flasks the groomsmen got as presents were way cool: they came with a little funnel! Of course this had to be tested – along with some flavor testing ;-)

If you want to know what was going on with the girls getting ready, check out Critsey’s blog, she covered the ladies.

After the ceremony at St. Lucy’s in Newark, NJ we went to Lambert Castle in Paterson, NJ. Mike had booked the whole interior for the afternoon to get great shots. Way to go Mike!

The reception was at the (“One and Only”) Westmount Country Club which is plain gorgeous. Please excuse the plethora of food shots, but what would be a NJ wedding without all the food? And yes, flamed sweets. Oh, and check out the live and freshly made Mozzarella. This so made my day!

Mike topped it off with the coolest garter grab we have ever seen. While he was rummaging under Jessica’s dress, what he pulled out was not a garter, but … a cigarette. That rocks.

Jessica and Mike love photography and they were game for anything we did. This was definitely one of  our best weddings in 2009. And now for the pictures!

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Happy Anniversary Jessica & Bryan!

Today is the couple’s 1st anniversary and their wedding was truly memorable. Not only are the two so adorable, but they are also fun, fun, fun!
Their ceremony was at the Fountain of Life Lutheran Church in Kernersville, NC and the reception at the Magnolia Manor in Greensboro, NC.

All the best to the two of you and a wonderful year #2!

It has been a while that I traveled across the Atlantic Ocean for a wedding. This time it’s going the other way: I will be in Munich, Germany for Werner and Alice’s wedding.
The two want lots of pictures showing the beautiful places, so get ready to see some great stuff from Good Old Germany!

Of course we will also take the opportunity to visit friends and family and then Critsey will head on to London and Paris for her Couture Boudoir Tour (I’m jealous!).
For me it’s back to the USA on June 11 for Kami and Adam’s wedding that I am really looking forward to.

If you want the definition of gorgeous blue eyes – that’s Sissy. Really, her eyes are unbelievable. Together with her red hair and her beauty this made everybody speechless. What kind of a man gets to merry such a girl? Meet David! He’s a really cool dude and his guys backed him well during the photo shoot.
The wedding was at a little lake South-East of Charlotte and it was a beautiful setting. The crowd was great and everybody partied hard. No wonder with Split Second Sound on the turntables!

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The more details I got to know, the more I got excited about Emele and Eric’s wedding, but I wasn’t prepared for how gorgeous it really would be.
Arriving at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Davidson, I ran into Emilio, Emele’s dad. First I thought he had a bad foot because he wore sneakers, but soon I found out that all the guys wore Converses. Très cool!! But … Emele outshone them in her stunning Vera Wang dress!

The weather report was mixed and while I was taking the girls outside for photos, the sky got all black and we expected the worst. Well, it came. Right after we ran inside it poured down! Fortunately by the time the ceremony started it already got better.
After the ceremony we went to North Harbor Club to get on the boat that would take the newlyweds and the bridal party over to The Point Lake and Golf Club. Just in Time was the boat’s name and just in time we got there to cross Lake Norman to a gorgeous dusk.

On the other side many of the guests were out on the docks to greet the couple. After getting refreshments we took some beautiful pictures by the lake and then went inside where a stunningly decorated club awaited us. Carolyn Shepard Design Group did an outstanding job here!
After dinner the reception got pretty hot and the band In The Pocket got the party going strong. This was definitely a memorable event and planner Rebecca Farlow made it one of the top weddings I have photographed this season!

Emele and Eric said goodbye to all the guests and we got back on the boat once more where the two could wind down and get their mind on their honeymoon.

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Charleston, SC is a beautiful town and Cecily and Shannon are a hot couple. They also are owners of the Charlotte, NC and Raleigh, NC Bella Bridesmaid boutiques. For months, each time we bumped into each other somewhere we were talking about how cool their wedding would be. Well, it was!

Weather was bright and clear, temperatures were in the high 70s and I was relieved that it was not as hot as Charlotte when I left there (89ºF !).

Cecily got ready at The Wickliffe House where the reception took place as well. The house is owned by Mediterra Catering, who did a great job that day. Cecily and Shannon decided that they would see each other before the ceremony. Not many couples do this, but it is a wonderful and unique moment. I am sure they will never forget it.

After this, everybody walked over to the church, St. Luke’s Chapel, just a few houses down the road. Another thing that I love when couples do it!

The reception was inside of the house as well as outside, where all the dancing and party took place. Shannon had originally planned to have a carriage take them from the reception, but the horse died the night before! Can you believe it?! No horse, so a cat had to jump in – a black Jaguar took the couple into married life …

Since many great moments in Cecily and Shannon’s lives happened on Charleston’s East Bay Street, Shannon got a beautiful painting of the corner of East Bay Street and Faber Street where S.N.O.B. (Slightly North Of Broad) is located. I went there the next day and shot an interpretation of this painting.

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Rebecca’s bridal portrait was an indicator for her wedding: it started with rain and ended with sunshine and a beautiful heavy-clouded sky.
Rebecca and Rick’s wedding at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden was no different. Right when Rebecca got ready to be walked down the aisle by her dad it started to pour down. Programs were used as umbrellas but everybody was amused and not much later the sun came through the clouds!
The gardens made for great pictures and an elegant vintage Rolls Royce too the couple away …

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Congratulations to Lisa & David, one of my most outstanding couples in 2008. Their wedding was a blast, you can see more here.

And now their story is featured in the April/June issue of Carolina Bride Magazine!

Sometimes the planets line up and extraordinary things happen. Exactly this was the case in beautiful Vero Beach, Florida and the planets were an awesome bunch of friends and family as well as some of the sweetest vendors (many from Charlotte). And the center of this constellation were Danielle and Andy.

It started with a windy rehearsal and then a scenic evening bus ride to a very intimate reception dinner close to Melbourne, FL.

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The weather report for Saturday was bad. “Partly rainy, cool.” I kept looking at the weather report every day that week, hoping for a miracle. And I guess Katie and Daniel did the same. The night before, it drizzled in Asheville.

Then, on the wedding day we were greeted by a crystal clear, deep blue sky. The miracle has happened! It was a gorgeous day beyond words and the fall foliage was a burst of colors.

We started out at the Inn on Biltmore Estate where Katie and Daniel had decided to see each other for the first time. The terrace overseeing the estate was a beautiful scenery. Next we went off for photos—the bridal party were a blast!

The ceremony at the Lioncrest’s veranda was very touching—the side covers were opened bringing the bright orange trees in as a wonderful background. The Lioncrest’s 2nd floor is a gorgeous room with a great ambiance. Perfect for the reception.

We ended as we started: more pictures, this time during the couple’s romantic cart ride around the estate. What a wonderful way to take in this outstanding scenery!

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