eloped // tripti & bruce // asheville wedding photographer

"i remember us beautiful and exhaustless. 
we loved, both hands full of life. we loved." 

i was beyond excited when tripti initially emailed me to photograph her and bruce's elopement. although their plans changed several times, i knew it'd be a gorgeous day regardless of where it happened, full of love and excitement for these two. 

they had a teeny tiny ceremony with their immediate family in greensboro and then escaped to the mountains for a honeymoon in a remote cabin for a couple of days - which is where i met them. we didn't get to meet before their session, but speaking to them on the phone, i could tell they were in this for the right reasons. meeting them just solidified that. 

bruce cherishes tripti, you can tell it in the way he holds her. and she's so giddy and giggly around him (as you can tell), it's adorable. we had so much fun exploring the area around their cabin, embracing the beautiful and bright summer sun. 

so enjoy their portraits. lots of kissing, hugging and laughing.
these two are naturals at loving each other. 
 

wed // natalie & james // carmel valley, california wedding photographer

"i love you more than i have ever found a way to say to you."

honestly, i don't know how to even begin this blog post.

i've known james since about 2008 and immediately just loved his sweet & kind spirit. but when he moved away from boone (where we met, at appstate) and joined the navy, we lost touch for a little bit. but i'm a stalker, and i would see this pretty girl named natalie commenting on his stuff and popping up in his instagram - so naturally, i asked him about her. he told me he was pretty sure (at that point) that she was the one, which for james was a huge deal. 

and she is. 

i met them down in charleston not long after james proposed and we did their engagement session at cypress gardens and magnolia plantation (right on the lawn where he asked her to be his wife!) - i knew they were hoping to have a wedding in california (where natalie is from) and we talked about it a little, but i figured they'd book with someone local to help with cost.

man, am i glad i was wrong. we talked back and forth for a couple of months before it was solidified that they wanted me to come be their photographer in the beautiful area of carmel valley at the super cool hidden valley music seminar. when natalie told me she wanted to do their first look photos at big sur, i'm pretty sure i started sweating with excitement. i mean, c'mon. really? if you've been, you know it's one of the most magical places in the us for sure... even if it took james and me an hour to find the dropped pin that natalie sent us. literally, we drove around for an hour. at least we were laughing and catching up and enjoying the beautiful morning. 

when we finally did catch up to natalie and her sweet sister, they read their teary vows to each other with big sur in the background and a sweet breeze in the air. 

their day was full of tears, excitement, beautiful weather, tequila and dancing.
literally a day to remember.

james and natalie: i can't thank you for bringing me thousands of miles to be the one to capture your day. you two are amazing, perfect for each other and have a love that can move mountains. love you & can't wait to see you again! 

destination wedding // jess & danny // destination wedding photographer

last year, when i was writing my end of year recap, i made some goals. a bucket list, if you will.

among the usual ("shoot an elopement", "shoot in California", "be published") i wrote "shoot a destination wedding".

thankfully, i have an incredibly talented bestie named paige who books amazing destination weddings and when her sweet husband couldn't come along, she asked me! i'm forever thankful she gave me this experience and to have found another photographer who i admire and work so well alongside. 

i always hear about people being "relaxed" on vacation. i usually vacation with family (love you guys!), so i never fully understood the meaning of crazy word that until arriving in mexico, unpacking our suitcases and enjoying the beach-front pool with amazing service.

and that WATER. damn.

the only negative part to our trip was when paige got crippling food poisoning... the water myth is true, guys. but she's a huge trooper and pulled through and ROCKED this wedding! go take some time and check out not only her amazing images, but peruse the rest of her blog. she's so amazing. CLICK HERE! 

all that being said, i have to tell you.

jess and danny are literally two of the most awesome people i've had the pleasure of working with. they exude this calm, warm, inviting presence and you can tell they're totally in it for the long run. the way danny looks at jess, and the way she smiles at him.. you can tell they have a rhythm together that's been perfected over the years and is totally in sync. they also have some seriously badass australian accents. 

i learned a couple of things from shooting a wedding with a ton of australians: they're all absolutely gorgeous, they like to drink, they like to party, they like to take their shirts off, but more importantly, they have the kindest hearts and will accept you like family, right off the bat.

huge huge huge thank you to paige, but also jess & danny for letting us be a part of your day. (and i hope danny gets you that dog you've wanted!) 

& thanks rando guest for snapping this! 

engaged // mandy & jacob // huntersville, nc

"the first time i saw you, my heart fell. 
the second time i saw you, my heart fell.
the third time fourth time fifth time and every time since, my heart has fallen."
-james frey, a million little pieces.

the moment i met mandy and jacob, i knew they were the real deal.

they're adorable, warm, and totally in love with each other in a quiet, understanding way. they're not loud about it, but it's in the little things. the way he smiles at her, the way she leans into him to protect her without even realizing it. they're beautiful people, inside and out.

they invited me up to their house on lake norman to do some shots where they feel most at home: on the lake! we hopped in their boat and drove to a little island where they take their two chocolate labs all the time. it was absolutely gorgeous, so peaceful, and i couldn't have imagined a more relaxed or perfect spot to do their engagement session. we had the best light and i forgot how awesome the feeling of cold water and cold sand can feel on a summer day. 

i cannot wait for their wedding day in less than a month! knowing what i know of them and the details for the day, it'll be stunning and overflowing with love!