Wilmington │Bridal Portrait Session
Bridal Portrait sessions are something that not all brides choose to do, but they are SUCH a brilliant way to capture gorgeous images of each bride before their wedding day! Brides, if you are considering booking a bridal session, allow me to sway you with this image collection!
Bridal Portrait sessions are something that not all brides choose to do, but they are SUCH a brilliant way to capture gorgeous images of each bride before their wedding day! Whitney, her mother and I chose Fort Fisher as the perfect bridal portrait location. We also happened to choose the windiest day I have ever experienced which was challenging, but really made for beautiful images with her veil being caught in the wind! Whitney, you are absolutely stunning! We had such a fun time at your engagement session, I am so happy we got additional time to do a bridal portrait session as well. Brides, if you are considering booking a bridal session, allow me to sway you with this image collection!
Bridal Session = Wedding Day Practice
One of the smartest things you can do for your bridal session, is to also plan your hair & makeup trial on the same day. This will allow you to get a feel for the complete look, and when going through your bridal portrait images, you will see exactly what you love or want to change before your big day!
Bridal Session Props a Must!
Whitney just so happened to find a chair that she thought would give us some pose options for her bridal session. I love the way the soft, muted colors of the chair gave a certain feel to her images. Great find! I always suggest that my brides bring a flower bouquet with them to their session. You certainly do not have to spend an arm and a leg to do so, you would be surprised how a basic floral bouquet from Whole Foods or Trader Joes can really add the perfect finishing touch to your images!
Golden Hour is Prime Time for Photo Sessions
You cannot go wrong with a golden hour photo session, and this is certainly true for bridal portraits. The hour before sunset is perfect for flattering images because you have nice even light, very little under eye circles from the harsh overhead sunlight, and you get the added benefit of beautiful sunset-filled skies as the session shifts from daylight to night.
Whitney, you were such a beautiful bride! Thank you so much for spending the evening with me at beautiful Fort Fisher! Stay tuned for a blog post of Whitney & Chad's Oak Island wedding!
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Vizcaya Villa Wedding │Domonique & Darryl
I met Domonique & Darryl in Wilmington when they arrived for their engagement shoot at Hugh Macrae Park. They had driven all the way from Fayetteville, not necessarily needing a wedding photographer, but they wanted to capture special images from their engagement stage and I was so happy to do that for them. Check their engagement session out here! I felt a real connection to them right away, and secretly hoped that something would work out and they would need me for their wedding after all. As luck would have it, they did ultimately choose me to photograph their Vizcaya Villa wedding in Fayetteville, North Carolina and what an awesome day it was!
I met Domonique & Darryl in Wilmington when they arrived for their engagement shoot at Hugh Macrae Park. They had driven all the way from Fayetteville, not necessarily needing a wedding photographer, but they wanted to capture special images from their engagement stage and I was so happy to do that for them. Check their engagement session out here! I felt a real connection to them right away, and secretly hoped that something would work out and they would need me for their wedding after all. As luck would have it, they did ultimately choose me to photograph their Vizcaya Villa wedding in Fayetteville, North Carolina and what an awesome day it was!
How sweet was that First Look between Domonique and her Dad! I love those wedding moments!!! Not a dry eye in the house. While I was photographing the girls, my second shooter Erica was with Darryl and the boys photographing their wedding prep. This is typically what we do when we work weddings, I will stay with the ladies all morning while they do their hair and makeup, documenting those candid moments in between, while my second shooter hangs out with the men!
Military weddings have my heart! I grew up an Army brat, with both Navy & Air Force grandparents, married to a man who was an Army medic, so when I get requests for military weddings, the heartstrings are pulled and I am so on board!
The ceremony at Vizcaya Villa in Fayetteville, North Carolina was absolute PERFECTION. The ceremony location is stunning, in the middle of garden on their property, overlooking a pond, under a beautiful vine-wrapped wrought iron trellis.
We spent a few minutes after the vows photographing the couples' family & friends, before setting off to take Bride & Groom portraits in the garden.
Absolutely perfect bouquets from Rainbow Florist in Fayetteville, NC. They could not have complimented the bridesmaids' dresses better in shades of lilac, lavender, magenta and plum.
Friends, let's talk about this stunning David Tutera gown! A) How gorgeous does Domonique look in this gown that fits her like a glove. B) Domonique had a wedding goal of David seeing just how amazing she looked, and we actually made that dream come true via this Instagram post!
On to the reception. It's a shame this couple had no fun at their wedding, am I right? Dancing, laughing, the best family & friends! One of the most special moments for me was when Domonique was surrounded by her sorority sisters as they sang their traditional song, with tears filling Domonique's eyes. Beautiful! Loved every minute of it and who doesn't love a sparkler exit??
Domonique & Darryl,
I wish you nothing but happiness as you begin your life together!
Thank you to these incredible vendors:
Venue │Vizcaya Villa in Fayetteville, North Carolina
Florist │Rainbow Florist
Limousine │Exclusive Limo and Shuttles
Makeup & Styling │FaceCafe NC
Hair │Aisha "Pinky" Cole
Elizabethtown Vineyard Elopement │ Thomas & Gillian
When I was contacted to photograph Thomas and Gillian's Cape Fear Vineyard elopement ceremony, I was so excited! I love this location and couldn't wait to see this couple say "I do." It just so happened their wedding day was VERY LUCKY, i.e. it poured down rain for the majority of the day, ha! Luckily, their simple ceremony took place under the cover of the property's lakeside gazebo. The rain held off just long enough to whisk the couple away under umbrellas to the ceremony spot and we were off! In this area, there are only a handful of wedding venues that include a beautiful vineyard, lakeside ceremony gazebo, beautifully landscaped grounds as well as carefully curated lake cottages to accommodate your out of town guests: Cape Fear Vineyard & Winery is easily the one of the best local vineyard wedding venues if you are on the hunt! Thank you so much for including me on your wedding day, Thomas & Gillian!
I have been so fortunate thus far in that this career has set me directly in the path of meeting so many incredible couples. I have been able to witness and photograph moments in their lives that will likely be looked back on as some of their absolute happiest days. When I was contacted to photograph Thomas and Gillian's Cape Fear Vineyard elopement ceremony, I was so excited! I love this location and couldn't wait to see this couple say "I do." It just so happened their wedding day was VERY LUCKY, i.e. it poured down rain for the majority of the day, ha! Luckily, their simple ceremony took place under the cover of the property's lakeside gazebo. The rain held off just long enough to whisk the couple away under umbrellas to the ceremony spot and we were off! In this area, there are only a handful of wedding venues that include a beautiful vineyard, lakeside ceremony gazebo, beautifully landscaped grounds as well as carefully curated lake cottages to accommodate your out of town guests: Cape Fear Vineyard & Winery is easily the one of the best local vineyard wedding venues if you are on the hunt! Thank you so much for including me on your wedding day, Thomas & Gillian!
After a little bit of wedding day good luck torrential downpour rainfall, I joined Thomas & Gillian in the vineyard and around the property of Cape Fear Vineyard & Winery for their official bride & groom portraits. Such a beautiful place and love the ease of this vineyard elopement!
“Congratulations, you two lovebirds! All my best, Tiff”