Posts Tagged: raleigh cary wedding photographers
Duke Gardens Engagement Session
We are excited to introduce the newest addition to our Southern Bride & Groom Family, Anna Kirby Photography.
SB&G works with a select group of photographers, and we think its important to give our readers a selection of various styles and personalities. We’ve been falling in love with Anna’s beautiful style since we met her last year and began following her work. She has a classic style with a twist – her signature dramatic use of light accentuates her distinct eye for creating a beautiful scene. We’re happy to share some shots of an engagement session Anna shot with one of her local Durham couples.
Wynn proposed to Kate on top of Duke University Chapel tower. They were married in Ohio last December, but currently reside in Durham, where Kate is a nurse at Duke University Hospital, and Wynn is a Duke medical student. Needless to say, the picturesque Duke Gardens was the perfect choice for an e-session!
Kate shared some words of wisdom from her wedding day, and we thought it was a perfect way to introduce Anna:
“As stressful, confusing, and overwhelming as wedding planning can become, have confidence that the wedding day will be every bit as beautiful and wonderful as you would have hoped. Also, definitely take the time to find an excellent photographer – someone who can take the lead with their creative license, and promise not to do a lot of posing. We don’t remember seeing Anna most of the day, but her photos clearly managed to not only capture those big moments of walking down the aisle and dancing with our parents, but also the little stuff – like happy reunions with college friends, relatives telling jokes, the nervous smiles before the ceremony… a reflection of how much joy and love was being shared that day. Being able to look back on the day and remember these things means the world.”
Southern Bride & Groom Summer/Fall 2013 Cover Reveal
All of the gals at Southern Bride & Groom are thrilled to reveal our second cover for 2013, and the 26th edition of our Triangle-based wedding planning magazine!
Our stunning Summer/Fall cover was captured by the amazing husband and wife photography team, Meridith and James of Photography by Walters & Walters, on a pleasantly-cool summer day during our floral shoot for this year’s magazine.
The shoot took place at the picturesque Rose Hill Plantation in Nashville, NC. Rose Hill is a quintessential Southern wedding venue complete with beautiful, well-manicured grounds, a stunning historic plantation home, and a lofty reception hall. Though the plantation lies only minutes outside of Raleigh, you feel as if you are entering another world as you make your way up the Crepe Myrtle-lined country lane leading up to the historic estate house.
The cover photo features a sweet bouquet designed by Flowers by Gary. This bouquet oozes Southern charm with its seersucker wrap, blue hydrangeas and magnolia leaves. Our lovely model is wearing a stunning gown from Lana Addison Bridal, a boutique located in Cary, NC, and is adorned with a David Yurman necklace and pair of earrings from Bailey’s Fine Jewelry. Her hair and makeup were done by the talented ladies at Bella Trio Day Spa.
Want more of the floral shoot? Grab a copy of this year’s Southern Bride & Groom, and check out our behind-the-scenes blog post, complete with never-before-seen photos of the shoot!
Real NC Wedding — The Grand Marquise Ballroom
In honor of Wedding Wednesday, we’ve got a fabulous Real NC Wedding feature for y’all today! Sherena and Xavier married in March at The Grand Marquise Ballroom, and she was SUCH a stunning bride! Congrats Sherena and Xavier, your wedding was gorgeous!
Sherena first laid eyes on Xavier outside of Harrelson Hall on NC State’s campus, and it was love at first sight! Six years later, the day after her birthday, Xavier asked Sherena to be his bride, and of course, she said yes!
Since she was six years old, Sherena had dreamed of having a big, fairytale wedding, and because her husband-to-be’s last name was King, she settled on the theme “A King’s Affair.” After months of searching for the perfect venue for her “royal” wedding, she stumbled across The Grand Marquise Ballroom, and knew it was the place she’d been looking for. Sherena fell in love with the ballroom’s Louis XIV interior, marble columns, ornate trim and coffer ceilings with crystal chandeliers.
The duo’s charcoal and silver wedding took place in March, and the royal theme was carried out through a custom emblem surrounding the wedding monogram – used on everything from the aisle runner and the programs to the reception floor lighting and the wedding signage!
After receiving a copy of Southern Bride & Groom at The Grand Marquise, Sherena and Xavier used many members of the SB&G family to make their day perfect, including: Shawn Schindler of Your Special Day Weddings and Special Events, beautiful florals by Fresh Affairs, a delicious “K” monogrammed cake from Sweet Memories Bakery, and delicious food from Rocky Top Catering.
Wedding & Reception Location: The Grand Marquise Ballroom – Garner, NC
Minister: Rev. Algernon McKenzie
Rerhearsal Dinner: Babylon Restaurant
Wedding Planner: Shawn Schindler of Your Special Day Weddings and Special Events
Catering: Rocky Top Catering
Bridal Gown: Ines di Santo
Bridal Shoes: Pink Paradox London
Bridal Jewelry: Erin Cole
Bridesmaid Dresses: Watters & Wtoo
Formalwear: Ronnie Warner – Life Tailor Made & Black by Vera Wang
Hair: Ebony J. Loving Your Hair Salon
Makeup: S. Davis Makeup Artistry, LLC
Photographer: Michelle Gunton Photography
Videographer: Hart to Heart Media, Inc.
Florist: Fresh Affairs
Cake: Sweet Memories Bakery
Invitations: Magnet Street
Ceremony Musicians: North Carolina Harp Ensemble
Reception Music: Joe Bunn DJ Company
Rentals: CE Rentals
Guest Accommodations: Wingate By Wyndham
Wedding Favors: Krispy Kreme donuts
Transportation: Blue Diamond Limousine
Raleigh NC Wedding — The Oaks at Salem
In honor of Wedding Wednesday, we’ve got a fabulous Real Raleigh NC Wedding feature for y’all today! Enjoy Stephanie and Ted’s beautiful photos from their big day last fall!
Stephanie and Ted married at The Oaks at Salem, a picturesque venue in Apex complete with gorgeous trees, a quaint pond and a stunning manor house. They brought together an amazing team of vendors to make their big day exactly how they’d pictured it, including Erin McLean Events, Kevin Milz Photography, Rev. Barbara Lodge, Elegant Violin Duets, The English Garden, MakeUpForYourDay, Party Reflections, and Cute Buttons.
With an elegant color pallet of navy blue, green and ivory carried out through the flowers, bridesmaids dresses and stationary, the couple transformed The Oaks into their own unique space to celebrate with their family and friends. A delectable dessert table complete with cupcakes, brownies, cookies and cake kept the guests full and on the dance floor all night long!
Enjoy these gorgeous photos by Kevin Milz Photography, and congratulations to Stephanie and Ted!
Wedding Planner: Erin with Erin McLean Events
Ceremony & Reception Venue: The Oaks at Salem
Photographer: Kevin Milz Photography
Clergy: Barbara Lodge
Ceremony Musicians: Elegant Violin Duets
Caterer: Belle’s Catering
Florist: The English Garden
Dessert Bar: Erin McLean Events
Hair and Makeup: MakeUpForYourDay
DJ: KMDJ Company
Rentals: Party Reflections
Invitations: Cute Buttons
Real Raleigh NC Wedding – Wil & Brian
In honor of Wedding Wednesday, we’ve got a fabulous Real Raleigh NC Wedding feature for y’all today! Enjoy Wil & Brian’s sweet ceremony and beautiful photographs from their big day last August!
Brian and Wil hit it off when they met at a Halloween party. They have shared a wonderful, loving relationship for several years and are even business partners, running a full service event design company specializing in destination weddings and travel arrangement – Blue-17.
Wil officially propsed to Brian at The Umstead Hotel & Spa‘s Herons, with an engagement ring presented on top of a delectable cupcake! After a legal ceremony in New York in July 2012, the couple held a symbolic ceremony here in North Carolina so they could celebrate with their friends and family. And of course, the duo incorporated The Umstead into their special day by sharing a suite and using the grounds for some beautiful portraits.
For a unique spin, Brian and Wil held their reception at Heat Studios in Raleigh. As a personal training studio, Heat Studios isn’t traditionally considered a “venue,” but the couple loved the exposed beams and beautiful oak floors, and with a little draping and rearranging, the space truly turned out beautifully!
The couples used several members of the SB&G Family to make their big day exactly as they’d pictured, including: a rehearsal dinner at Sparians, flowers and catering by Catering Works, Reverend Barbara Lodge, photography by Kevin Milz, The Umstead Hotel & Spa, and entertainment by Ryan of SPIN. The studio happened to be featuring artwork with a Vegas style at the time, so for a little extra fun and unexpected entertainment for the reception, Wil and Brian added casino tables.
As an event planner, Wil knew he would have “a little trouble letting go” on his wedding day, but “with Maid of Honor Ami and Lorin Laxton (of Catering Works) at the helm, there was nothing to worry about!”
Now enjoy these wonderful photographs from Kevin Milz! The heart-felt moments that radiate in these images are truly what a wedding is all about! Congratulations, Brian and Wil – we wish you both a happy marriage!
Reception: Heat Studios
Caterer: Catering Works
Entertainment: Casino tables from RSVP Events
Officiate: Rev. Barbara Lodge
Photographer: Kevin Milz
Men’s Formalwear: Calvin Klein and English Laundry
Florist: Catering Works
Cake and Candy Station: Cinda’s Creative Cakes
Invitations: Made by Wil
Rehearsal Dinner: Sparians
Wedding Consultant: Blue-17 and Lorin Laxton of Catering Works
Musicians: Ryan of SPIN
Linens: CE Rental
Transportation: Blue Diamond and EcoStyle
Guest Accommodations: The Umstead Hotel & Spa
Favors: Boxes from the candy station
Couples Wedding Fashion at Raleigh’s Historic Cobblestone Hall
In the latest issue of Southern Bride & Groom, we featured a real bride and groom in a photo spread dedicated to the most current looks in couples wedding fashion.
Our gorgeous bride, Catalina, and her beau, Adam, married last year, and had a blast reliving their wedding day for our shoot at Raleigh’s Historic Cobblestone Hall with the ever-talented Neil Boyd Photography. Cobblestone Hall was an ideal location for this shoot, with its cobblestone lanes and old brick walls, we were able to capture our bride and groom against stunning natural, eclectic backdrops.
The photo above features an adorable short wedding dress from Gorgeous Gowns in Cary. While the groom sports a khaki tuxedo from Bernard’s Formalwear. Ninth Street Flowers created a gorgeous, brightly colored bouquet for this shoot.
This fun, tulle wedding dress from Gorgeous Gowns is ideal for a beach or more casual ceremony. Its lightweight fabric is perfect for a wedding during the warm summer months! Our groom’s khaki tuxedo from Bernard’s Formalwear is a wonderful match for the bride’s casual look.
These beautiful wedding dresses are also from Gorgeous Gowns in Cary. On the left, our bride wears a demure one-shoulder satin gown with one of our favorite details — pockets! On the right, the back-view of the lightweight tulle gown from previous photos can be seen. With its subtle train, we think it’s perfectly elegant.
This gown, a detail shot from the opening photo, is an adorable short satin dress with matching shrug from Gorgeous Gowns. The sweet and Southern jewelry is from Anfesa’s Jewelers, and Douglas Carroll Salon did a fabulous job bringing out Catalina’s natural beauty!
These stunning formal wedding gowns are from Savvi Bridal, while our groom sports a more classic look from Savvi Formalwear. We love the dropped-waist on the gown on the right, and the bejeweled bodice adds the perfect amount of glam.
One-shoulder gowns have become increasingly popular, and with styles like the one above from Savvi Bridal, we understand why! The ruched bodice and jeweled waist detail give this dress a Grecian vibe that we’re totally smitten with. Our groom’s tuxedo is from Savvi Formalwear.
So, brides and grooms, when you’re looking for the latest in wedding fashion, don’t leave Gorgeous Gowns, Bernard’s Formalwear, Savvi Bridal and Savvi Formalwear off your list! And if you’re looking for a venue with old-world charm, look no further than Cobblestone Hall.
We’d like to extend a huge thanks to everyone who made this wonderful shoot possible, including: Neil Boyd Photography, Gorgeous Gowns, Bernard’s Formalwear, Savvi Bridal, Savvi Formalwear, Douglas Carroll Salon, Ninth Street Flowers, Anfesa’s Jewelers, Cobblestone Hall, and of course, our sweet couple — Catalina and Adam!
Alexia’s Bridal Boutique Fashion Event
We were honored to attend a beautiful cocktail soiree at Alexia’s Bridal Boutique, the Vera Wang salon in downtown Raleigh last week, which centered around a bridal runway presentation featuring the newest, most glamorous couture designs in bridal and eveningwear. The evening started off with hors d’oeuvres from Crave and Sweet Memories Bakery, and a jazz trio from John Brown Entertainment Group, while guests enjoyed perusing the gorgeous gowns in the bridal boutique and catching up over champagne.
Alexia’s Bridal Boutique
Alexia and Michael Joyce, owners of Alexia’s Bridal Boutique
Jazz Trio from John Brown Entertainment Group
Team SB&G: Donna Parks and Jenna Olender
The highlight of course was when we were seated for the runway presentation. Fresh Affairs set the scene with beautiful floral arrangements, and James from Photography by Walters and Walters captured the event.
We couldn’t wait to share the stunning images of the new lines from top bridal designers from their fall collections. From black to red; mermaid to ballgown, these dramatic gowns are what is hot in bridal fashion.
The first wedding gown we saw was Douglas Hannant “91212″- a plaid patterned silk taffeta gown with long beaded sleeves and a dramatic low cut back.
Vera Wang’s “Kaye” is a mermaid gown with chevron pleated bodice and a tulle skirt and a shoulder floral applique.
Vera Wang’s “Katarina” is a strapless ballgown with a tulle panel skirt, flange applique and Chantilly lace detail.
Another Vera Wang strapless ballgown, “Katherine” has a hand rolled floral detail skirt and horsehair trim.
Vera Wang’s “Jessica” in black is a classic mermaid style, with micro pleated bodice and sheared organza full skirt.
Douglas Hannant “96512″ is a low back lace sheath gown with velvet accent.
“Joesephine” by Vera Wang is a V-neck halter ballgown with Chantilly lace bodice and a full tulle skirt.
Monique Lhuillier “Infinity” has an elongated strapless bead-encrusted Chantilly lace bodice with a full tulle skirt.
Kenneth Pool “Cintrine” bridal gown has lace and tulle scoop neckline atop a dropped waist ballgown with an organza flower at the hip.
“Viola” by Claire Pettibone is an embroidered mermaid dress with an illusion back and hand placed Guipure lace trims.
Monique Lhuillier’s “Poet” has a double layer Chantilly lace sheath with embellished bateau neck and back.
Hollywood-glam is the style of Douglas Hannant “90812″ – a one-shoulder mermaid gown with cut bead detail.
Kenneth Pool’s “Rio” is a tulle and organza natural waist gown with a crystal and pearl beaded belt and textured skirt.
“Luxe” by Monique Lhuillier is a scoop neck embroidered chiffon sheath.
Vera Wang “Kimberly” is a strapless bias-cut ballgown with hand rolled floral and floating Chantilly lace detail.
“Joanna” by Vera Wang is a strapless mermaid gown with chiffon laddering and a tumbled skirt.
Glamorous in Red! Vera Wang “Kylie” is a mermaid gown with asymmetrical tulle, draped neckline and floral applique skirt.
Vera Wang “Kassisa” at Alexia’s Bridal Boutique Runway Show
The finale in daring red! Vera Wang “Kassisa” is a strapless mermaid gown with an inverted flange bodice and floral detail skirt.
After the runway presentation, Alexia and Michael Joyce were joined by their daughter, Lana (namesake of their sister bridal salon, Lana Addison Bridal- located in Cary, NC). They graciously thanked everyone who contributed to the event. A big thanks to the Joyce’s for their friendship and for the amazing work they do for the Triangle wedding community!
Flowers: Fresh Affairs / Catering: Crave & Sweet Memories Bakery / Photography: Walters & Walters / Hair & Makeup: J&F Gemelli Salon / Music: John Brown Entertainment Group / Beverage: Sip… A Wine Store / Event Lighting: Get Lit Special Event Lighting / Event Rentals: CE Rental
Staff of Alexia’s Bridal Boutique & Lana Addison Bridal
Riley MacLean Photography Opens Durham Studio
Riley MacLean Photography opened a studio location in Durham for his wedding and portrait photography business. We attended his opening soiree and got to check out the new digs.
The room has a chic downtown Durham urban feel, and the highlight of the space that Riley designed is a wall of stunning photographs taken by Riley, and his studio-mate, Annemie Tonken of Megapixie Photography. The office is located on Foster Street, right down the street from Durham Central Park, and nestled between a favorite Durham restaurant, Piedmont, and one of our SB&G bakeries, DaisyCakes. (Its also right down the street from our Southern Bride & Groom Magazine office!)
Congratulations to both of these stellar Triangle NC photographers on their new location! We’re thrilled to welcome you to the hood as new neighbors!
Riley MacLean is a stand-out photographer who we are proud to recommend to our Southern Bride & Groom readers. His easy-going demeanor makes brides comfortable, and his photographs are always captivating, especially his portrait and landscape work.
Below are a couple of faves of ours from Riley’s collection.
New Real Wedding Feature – Bailey & Jason’s Wedding at The Sutherland
There’s a new Real Wedding on the SB&G website today! For the full story and photo gallery, go to the Bailey & Jason Real Wedding page!
Bailey and Jason met as undergrads in college through a mutual friend. When Jason popped the question with a Bailey Box, Bailey couldn’t refuse! This sweet couple wed at The Sutherland Estate & Gardens on June 16, 2012. A preppy Southern color palette of navy blue, deep fuchsia and bright green set the stage for Bailey and Jason’s big day, and the photography by f8 Photo Studios is absolutely stunning!
The couple used many SB&G vendors to make their day special, including: The Sutherland, Catering Works, f8 Photo Studios, Classic Party Rentals, and Island Sound & Video.
Here’s a sneak peek at some of Bailey and Jason’s gorgeous wedding day, but be sure to check out the full story (with more beautiful photos!) on the Bailey & Jason Real Wedding page!
Sandy forced photoshoot reschedule to Lovely Fall Day!
Southern Bride & Groom took a risk this year and scheduled a photoshoot late in the production season so we could have a nice fall setting. Who could have predicted Hurricane Sandy would blow through the night before the big day? We have been very fortunate at SB&G and have never had to do an emergency reschedule of a photoshoot (which is amazing with 25 years under our belts- but then again, NC has pretty amazing weather!). However, last week we did not want to risk the cold, strong winds and threat of rain.
Moving the shoot turned out to be a great choice, because yesterday was an absolutely perfect autumn day. The air was cool and crisp, but the warm sun made it quite pleasant outside. The beautiful green, yellow and orange colors still gracing us with their presence out in the countryside of Pittsboro NC also helped – these are colors that will probably last only the rest of this week. So we feel quite lucky with how everything turned out!
The winners of our SB&G 25th Anniversary Photoshoot Contest, Becca Jane and Todd, drove down from Washington DC to participate in the shoot, and they made absolutely beautiful models. This sweet couple had a beautiful reception at The Carolina Inn this June.
We planned the shoot at the beautiful Pittsboro wedding venue, Het Landhuis, a beautiful rustic venue with elegant Dutch influences. We enjoyed living the country life out there for the day, and made friends with their dogs, cats, horses and goats!
We worked with team of talented SB&G vendors to plan our shoot’s theme, including Erin McLean Events, English Garden Florist, Cyn Kain Photography, and Life Stage Films. Products and additional support was from Party Reflections, Charlotte’s, Savvi Formalwear, Traditions by Anna, Beauty & the Bull Spa and Raleigh Cake Pops.
We don’t want to spoil the shoot, but here are a few teaser photos. The real deal will appear in Southern Bride & Groom’s 2013 issue, which will be released in December.
