CARLY & CHARLIE // CHAPIN, SOUTH CAROLINA

baby, baby, baby
i'm coming home
to your tender sweet loving
you're my one and only woman
the world leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, girl
you're the only one that i want.

carly and charlie had THE sweetest day. they were married in her dad's backyard, the home she grew up in. there were so many sweet moments between the two of these guys that i was super lucky to capture.. and really, just witness.

i loved seeing their first look. i loved watching carly's totally transform from being quiet and anxious to having this huge goofy grin that she gets when she's around charlie. i loved seeing them pray over their wedding day, and their marriage. i loved seeing the care and gentleness in which charlie treats carly. i loved seeing her and her gorgeous girls laugh together. i loved seeing her first dance with her teary dad. i loved sneaking back out with them and doing more portraits and letting them have some time to let the day sink in (i recommend this for everyone!) i loved their lavender-toss exit and how hard they laughed while being pelted with the seeds.

these guys are the real deal. i truly cannot wait to see how they continue to grow and enjoy experiencing life together.

love ya'll :)
em

KAITI & KENNY // ENGAGED // BOONE, NORTH CAROLINA

i had so much fun exploring one of my favorite spaces in boone with these two lovebirds. we had the perfect weather and i was so happy to hang out and get to know them as the amazing individuals they are. i'll save my long blog post for their wedding (which happens in two weeks!)

meet kenny and kaiti. 

CAITLIN & AARON // HAWKESDENE // ANDREWS, NORTH CAROLINA

your face is all i see
your smile, tears
your laughter have captured me

and everything around is beautiful
everything around is love.

---

i will, for as long as i shoot weddings, look back on working with aaron and caitlin with such a happy heart.

even this long blog post can't fully show you just how sweet their day was.

caitlin reached out to me (at least) a year before her wedding, and i knew immediately that i wanted to work with them. i'm so glad we made it happen. although we didn't meet until their actual wedding day, (at gorgeous hawkesdene in andrews, north carolina) - we texted, snap-chatted about makeup and our dogs, and emailed so much that i felt like i knew her. so when we tackled each other with a giant bear hug at our first meeting, it felt just like saying hi to an old friend. 

i can't put a price on working with a bride and groom who trust me, love my work, and want me to have fun doing what i do. they let me and my awesome friend david (he's an insanely talented videographer/photographer that i will recommend again and again - click to see his website  - and make sure to scroll down to the very bottom for his linked video of the day!) basically run their day. as a photographer, that never happens. but caitlin said "i trust you" and we all went from there. that meant shooting for a good 45 minutes, chasing the sun. that meant letting us into their intimate moments full of tears. that meant crying together and getting personal and letting those walls crumble down. that meant venting and listening and helping to fix problems that inevitably came up. that meant drinking and dancing and putting our cameras down to experience the day with them. 

caitlin and aaron, you have some of the kindest hearts i've been blessed enough to cross paths with. don't ever stop loving each other the way you do, from the little touches to the sweet sideways glances that neither of you see each other giving. 

i can't thank you enough for letting me be your photographer, and now, friend. 

also, can we just give caitlin and round of applause for planning and setting this whole thing up from florida? she had her hand all over all these little details that filled up their reception like a gorgeous garland filled fairy-tale. 

MARIAH & CHRIS // JOSHUA TREE, CALIFORNIA

where to even start with mariah and chris?

i've known mariah (from the incredible world of the interwebs) for a couple of years now, but i can honestly say that meeting her (and chris!) in person, was so much better than i could have ever expected. 

they are newlyweds. they are madly in love, and they have such a beautiful way of looking and holding and touching and just being. my words are failing me but shooting people who trust you and love your work and are comfortable just letting you in to see their vulnerability is so wonderful. i could have shot them for days and days and i cannot wait to get them back in front of my camera - hopefully soon ;)

so, enjoy a handful of my absolute favorites from our sweet time together in the mythical, magical land of joshua tree.

btw, this place is BANANAS. if you ever have the chance, you need to get your little tail there, asap. i am so in love with the west coast and all of it's glory - IN FACT, if you're getting married out there and need a photographer, shoot me a line and let's talk. don't let travel fees scare you ;)