We finally did it! I have been talking with Frances about her June wedding at the Trivium Estate since last summer and we have had a heck of a time trying to schedule their engagement session. After two reschedules, we finally scored the most beautiful day out at the lake. We walked around the marina and pretended like we could actually afford to own any of those boats! Definitely made for some super fly shots though ;)
So excited for their wedding in just a few short weeks!
I suddenly had this idea for a super bright and colorful shoot back in April. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted it to look like, except that I knew the theme had to be “bright and saturated” and “mismatched”. I also knew that it was going to have to be a pretty quick turn around since the May season was about to explode. So, I got in touch with my top vendors in the area to see if they would be interested/available. I gave them the outline of my disjointed vision and asked if they could fill in the blanks. Boy did they deliver!
Lauren McQuillan of Max and Dexter put together a beautiful table setting and Debbie Miller at Bloom By Doyles filled everything in with a gorgeous bouquet, flower tiara, and extra stems for the table. The delectable treats you will see below were provided by none other than the fabulous, Jennifer England of La Bella Torta, (aka MY MAMA). Shelby England (aka MY SISTER) rocked the makeup game and Emily Harris of Body Works killed it as usual with her amazing hair design. Church Street Bridal provided not one, but TWO gorgeous gowns for us to use and create two different looks with (we had some fun and went a bit more dark and moody at the end). Lastly, the Avoca Museum was the perfect backdrop, tying everything together with its classic elegance and charm.
I am so excited with the way everything turned out! I can’t wait for you all to see :) Enjoy!
Venue: The Avoca Museum
Styling: Max & Dexter Event Design
Pastries: La Bella Torta
Florals: Bloom By Doyles
Dresses: Church Street Bridal
Makeup: Shelby England
Hair: Emily Harris of Bodyworks Day Spa
Oh this little girl! Pretty Nora here has me firmly wrapped around her finger! For those of you who don’t know, she is the daughter of the infamous Nate and Bailey who have graced my blog a number of times over the years. They were one of my first couples and I have stayed close with them ever since. I can also proudly say that I hold the title of “Official Brown Family Photographer”. Has a nice ring to it am I right?
I am so happy that I have gotten to be there to document all of her big milestones, and I can’t wait to get to do the same for her little sister who’s on the way too! Woohoo!
I love a good smash cake session, and Nora’s spunky little personality did not disappoint. Enjoy, everyone!
I did Brittany and Trevor’s engagement photos last November. What a fun couple! Trevor is definitely the more outgoing one while Brittany is more chill and laid back. They definitely balance each other out in that way.
I had been looking forward to this wedding for over a year because I knew it was going to be Christmas themed! What’s better than a Christmas wedding? Few things let me tell ya. Brittany picked colors that matched the holiday spirit in the air. Her bridesmaids were decked in cranberry red dresses and bouquets that burst with deep evergreen. The halls of the Trivium Estate were decked with lights and garland ushering in that warm Christmas feeling. Together, the girls all primped and prepped while I went to see how the guys were doing.
Trevor and his guys were just chilling as they waited for things to get started. They each wore grey, three piece suits accented by that same cranberry red as the girls. He was trying to look nonchalant, but I could tell he was anxious for everything to get rolling haha
Then came the ceremony. The Trivium staff adorned the ballroom to be simply magical. A tree was set up on the stage to be the backdrop for the ceremony. Lanterns and flower petals lined the aisle giving everything a romantic glow. Brittany was nervous about being in front of so many people, so the ceremony was short, sweet, and to the point. That didn’t make it any less special though. Trevor lit up the moment he saw her, and Brittany seemed to lose sight of everyone but Trevor. They shared their vows and all of the guests went to enjoy cocktail hour while the ballroom was expertly flipped from romantic ceremony site, to warm and inviting reception hall.
While all of this was happening, I snuck off with the bride and groom to the front of the manor for some pictures. Trevor works for a landscape company and every year they do the lights outside of the Trivium. It looked amazing! Everything was trimmed in soft white lights framing the couple perfectly for some evening portraits.
After this, the bride and groom were introduced as husband and wife and joined their guests for the rest of the party! Lot’s of fun was had by all as they danced the night away. The tables were decorated with white lanterns and more evergreen to help set the mood. Later, the couple made their exit while canons of confetti were shot off to signal their departure. Over all, a magical night!
Venue: The Trivium Estate
Hair & Makeup: Allure Salon
Catering: Benjamin’s Restaurant
Cake: Kissed Cupcakes
DJ: Prestige Worldwide Productions
Flowers: Foraged and Cut
Christmas Lights: CLC Landscaping
Dress & Suits: Celebration Bridal
Alterations: The Gilded Thimble
I met Lauren through a mutual friend of ours who reached out to me to see if I would do some last minute head shots of Lauren before she left for Maryland. Luckily enough, I had time and so we got some things together real quick and chose a totally random location haha
Lauren and I got to talking, and I asked her what she would be needing the head shots for. She shared with me that she had partnered with an organization called Noonday Collection. Noonday seeks out Artisans from all over the globe and hires them to create these beautiful, handcrafted pieces of jewelry and clothing. These men and women live in extremely remote places and the techniques and materials that they use are out of this world! Never in a million years would you think to make earrings out of water buffalo horn?? (pictured in outfit 1) Or a necklace out of up cycled artillery shells?? (pictured in outfit 1) The best part is that then these people find a source of income that they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to and are can make a better life for themselves and their families. You can find out mor about Noonday and their mission here → https://www.noondaycollection.com/about/
Lauren was going to wear several of the pieces in her session and started showing them to me, detailing where each piece came from, and what material was used. They are stunning! I was instantly intrigued, so I decided that I would also do some more glamour/detail shots for Lauren as well so she could use them as marketing for herself and to give some praise to Noonday and their pieces.
Take a look guys!
Hair & Makup: Emily Harris Body Works Day Spa & Salon
Outfit One: Necklace One, Necklace 2, Earrings
This wedding was such a whirl wind! Ok, so a fellow wedding photographer, Heather Kidd, of Heather Kidd Photography had booked an associate wedding back in June. For those of you who don’t know, an associate wedding is when a photographer is booked for the day that you’re looking for but will offer to have another photographer that they trust come in and shoot your wedding in his/her stead. All of the editing and processing is still done by the main photographer so everything stays true to the style and quality you are looking for. Great offer to give to clients.
Unfortunately, for reasons completely beyond her control, Heather’s associate shooter was unable to work the wedding…she found this out HOURS before everything was scheduled to start. HOURS! Quickly she gets in touch with me and, miraculously, I was free and just sipping coffee in my pajamas. I got everything squared away as fast as I could (yes, I changed into real clothes first) and rushed out to Glass Hill. Daron, the bride, was so understanding and completely laid back about the entire ordeal and had complete and total confidence in Heather’s decision.
Once everything got rolling and I became acquainted with my last minute clients, the day unfolded beautifully. Ryan, who was actually Canadian and moved to the US to be with Daron, was celebrating his “American birthday” that day. First official day as a US citizen! Because he is so patriotic and excited to be and American, Daron made sure to have an american flag hung in the room where the guys were getting ready. You could tell that the two of them were so in love. Ryan only had eyes for her and all day long his antics never failed to make Daron belly laugh! The gorgeous mountains that served as the backdrop for the ceremony caught the light wonderfully and all of the guests got to enjoy a beautiful and heartfelt ceremony as the two became husband and wife.
The reception was full of creative ides such as an “I Spy, Wedding Edition” and seating numbers that had to be replaced with Polaroids of yourself once you took it. Canadian butter tarts made with apples from Ryan’s home town made up part of the desert bar along side Mama Crockett’s Cider Donuts. The evening was composed of playful toasts, heart felt speeches, and lots of dancing. All in all, 10/10 wedding!
Dress: Church Street Bridal
Gown Alteration: The Gilded Thimble
Venue: Glass Hill Venue
Catering: Love Is In The Air
Taylor and Cameron were two of our engagement session giveaway winners! I had so much fun tooling around downtown Lynchburg with these two! Found some cool spots and chatted the whole time :)
Where did you two meet?
Taylor: “We met our freshman year at Ferrum College. My friend lived on the same hall as him.”
Cameron: “We met at Ferrum College in my freshman dorm.”
What was the first thing you thought when you saw him/her?
Taylor: “My first thought was that he seems nice. A little shy.”
Cameron: “My first thought was ‘Wow, she’s beautiful’.”
How long have you two been together?
Taylor: “We’ll have been together four years on August 30th!”
Cameron: “4 years.”
Where was your first date?
Taylor: “Our first date was at Ippy’s in Rocky Mount with two other couples, except he didn’t know it was a date haha. We had a redo later at Hema’s in Rocky Mount.”
Cameron: “Rocky Mount, Virginia. Hema’s.”
What are some things you like to do together?
Taylor: “We like to do anything and everything, as long as we are together. He comes shopping with me and I’ll watch sports with him with minimal complaining J.”
Cameron: “Some things I like to do with her are watching shows we both like and going out on dates. Ice cream outings are one of our favorites.”
What are some things you love about him/her?
Taylor: “I love that he is so easy going and doesn’t stress over much, he balances out my worrying tendencies.”
Cameron: “I love that she will do anything she can for me and that she cares about everyone. She is one of the most caring people I know.”
When/how did he “pop the question”?
Collective answer: “We had planned to have some pictures done just because at my moms house just because. About halfway through, we came to a field and he got down on one knee. I was totally surprised and my mom captured the whole event! He had been planning for months, talking to my whole family.”
These two were so cuuuuuute!!!!! Also, how can you go wring with a field full of sunflowers? I have yet to find an answer to that question. Danielle and Arron were one of my engagement session give away winners. We decided on Seaman’s Orchard as our location and Danielle showed up in a killer red dress with her man sporting a dapper matching bowtie. PERFECT contrast to all of the yellow. We were sweating our butts off because it was well over 90 degrees, but these guys made it look easy haha.
