part 2 continued…after karen & dave’s first look, we all went inside for a little cool-down intermission. the thing i loved and love about karen & dave is their ability to make someone feel completely at home. you see, their wedding day was our first actual meeting. they are both from raleigh, and although we had several phone consultations our first face to face was the morning of their wedding. they have such a calming sense about them.

i believe one of the sweetest things i have seen at a wedding was at this wedding. graham, karen’s 4 year old son, a toe-headed beauty, walked karen down the aisle. he was PRECIOUS!!! and his giggle…contagious.

because karen & dave did a first look, they were able to go straight into their cocktail hour with all their closest friends and family. it was flawless and effortless. the mood was light, happy, and without stress. just what a wedding should be like! having their cocktail hour on the banks of the river was just incredible. so serene and peaceful!!!

after the cocktail hour, we perused up into river house for the most AMAZING, repeat AMAZING dinner. it was my first time trying duck, and it really was quite good. thanks for the experience guys!!!

all in all, this wedding was one for my books. perfect beyond compare and so full of joy. a huge thank you to karen & dave for having me document your wedding. it was incredible and such an honor! love to you both.

here are a list of the vendors from this fete:

venue: the river house inn at grassy creek

gown & groom’s suit: jcrew

bridal shoes:  steve madden

floral – bouts: diana renfro

brides paper bouquet & all handmade wooden signs:  morgan hill designs

jewelry:  vintage earrings & handmade cufflinks from etsy

caterer & cake: the river house inn

violinist:  eva mowry

look at that face! in love…

a super sweet hug from karen’s dad…i love the look on his sweet face.

cocktail hour without a finger in the nose is no cocktail hour at all…in my humble opinion.

graham needed a little alone mommy time…

love this first dance shot…

loving. organic. natural. these are the words the come to mind when i reflect on karen & dave’s grassy creek destination wedding. it was a small intimate affair, 15 people, on the banks of the new river. grassy creek boasts the beautiful river house inn, a very special place where ceremonies & receptions alike leave their guests feeling like they just stepped out of a little fairy tale. karen & dave were married under a huge sycamore tree. as graham, karen’s 4 year old son walked her down the aisle, the smile on dave’s face could have lit up the whole of NC. these two are perfect together. they just make sense. a wonderful love that i had the perfect opportunity to capture. there were just too many photos to only have one post from this super sweet wedding. so without further ado, here is part 1… (a huge thanks to my second shooter beka…<3)

karen found her vintage pearl earrings on etsy…gosh i love that place.

karen you are simply divine…

dave, you looked incredible!!!

karen & dave decided on a first look…it was priceless.

the buildings on the river house property are a photographers dream…oh the light.

so glad you made it back friends!  i don’t blame you though, told ya amanda & jesse were super sweet to look at!  so…back to our regularly scheduled program…amanda & jesse decided to do a first look.  i love the first look.  it helps calm the nerves on both sides and gives us plenty of time to do some really fun & unique romantic shots of the couple.  they actually had their cocktail hour prior to their wedding, which i thought was a wonderful idea!  and guess what?  they actually got to attend it.  how cool is that??? 

so you wanna hear about all of their awesome vendors?  i knew you did, so here ya go…

venue:  homewood

gown:  j majors

floral:  aria floral

officiant:  howard hanger

caterer:  carolina allured catering

entertainment:  the awesome dylan skidmore of blazin sounds entertainment

transportation:  the trolley company

bakery:  short street cakes

musicians:  james barr productions

to amanda & jesse…i really had the most incredible time with the two of you.  from our fun noda engagement session (which will be coming soon to the blog), to your beautiful & heartfelt wedding.  i know life has wonderful things in store for the two of you and can’t wait to see what it is.  xoxo…t

yes please.
the ceremony site could not have been more perfect. seriously.
see that smile on jesse’s dad’s face? it was there all day. loved it!!!
check out their officiant, howard hanger…he was INCREDIBLE!!! makes me smile just thinking of this ceremony. :)
aria did an amazing job with all the florals & decor…loved the little birds & trees in the table centerpieces!!!
kim, you are a crack-up!!!
so since amanda is a uber talented dancer, i knew that they would have to come up with something really special for their first dance. it started off oh so sweet and slow…just the two of them gracefully moving with the music…when all of a sudden…BAM! broke out into a little hip hop…oh yeah…they nailed it and the crowd went WILD!!!
bless him…he was the sweetest thing and kept dana talking all night…jesse’s grandfather.   and boy he could cut a rug too! 
check out the shot that dana took below, amanda can do a kick and a half! perfect capture sweets!!!
this little chicka below did a FULL rendition of the devil went down to georgia, complete with singing and dancing…hysterical!!!

if i could bottle up amanda & jesse and wear them like perfume i would.  that’s how much i love these two.  they are super silly, spontaneous, sinfully beautiful, yes even you jesse, and just my kind of bride & groom.  amanda is a classically trained dancer, and jesse a mathematician.  add this all up and you get one heck of a party that knows how to calculate their expenses…ha!    they decided they wanted to have a destination wedding, and why look any further than the gorgeous city of asheville.  this was the first time i had the opportunity to shoot at homewood.  it is phenomenal.  love it.  very gothic-like inside, the light is beautiful…and the outside looks very castle-esque.  the glen was where the actual ceremony took place, and it was simply lush that day, a photographer’s paradise for sure.  i get tickled every time i think of the part of the ceremony where amanda & jesse shared wine together…jesse was so lady-like and sipped his…amanda chugged hers like a man…insane and so them!!!    and their officiant was by far one of the most spectacular people i have ever met…he has such a unique way he commands an audience with his wit and sincerity…really really loved the ceremony.

here’s part one of their wedding day…part 2 will contain their awesome vendors!  enjoy!!! 

and a HUGE shout out to my second shooter dana for helping a woman out in asheville!  i had the BEST time with you!!!

pay close attention to amanda’s necklace.  one of her talented friends made it out of a vintage brooch, it’s BEAUTIFUL!!!
and yet another friend of amanda’s hand-painted her reception shoes to match the theme of their wedding, rockin’ little birds with earphones, the cutest!!!
jesse you so purdy…
okay…this was TOTALLY amanda’s idea…she is hilarious…her take on BRIDEZILLA! a classic to be sure.
so on the property where amanda & the girls were preparing was a wonderful orchid greenhouse…the owners of the property put so much time and effort on the grounds, it was wonderful, so of course we HAD to take a few photos inside…it was HOT!!!
SINFUL…told ya.

*part 2 of trista & andrew’s wedding*

now for a little commentary…

trista…you are a rockstar. 

the human pyramid…totally their idea…it was HILARIOUS!!!

ATTENTION:  yummy cake alert!!!

you can totally see the love on trista’s face during their first dance…what a moment!!!

epic last shot!  congratulations guys!!!