Whitney and Brian (WB)

Faith and laughter. Those are the two words that pop into my mind when I think of Whitney and Brian. Strong faith in God and an always-at-the-ready sense of humor. The WB, as I came to refer to them in my head, were a pleasure to work with, from engagement portraits, to the bridal session, all the way through to the wedding day. Whitney was sweet and well organized--she was a bride who knew what she wanted but was very pleasant about getting it. That makes my job as the photographer SOOO much easier!!

WB's engagement session was fun and relaxed. It was beautiful day for outdoor portraits and we took advantage of the sunshine and mountain views:

I thought it was cute how the wind caught Whitney's hair and blew it across her face just as she was going in for the smooch

Whitney's bridal portrait session was fraught with challenges, including biting gnats, cars speeding by and a recurrent "hair issue". But Whitney was stalwart and patient and as a result, the pictures were beautiful. Here are a couple of pretty ones from the studio and the bridge over the James River:

I especially love her eyes in this picture

One of my favorite bridal sessions moments of all time occurred as Whitney was poised on the railing of the bridge, and we were taking a break to let a car go by. The car slowed down and rolled down the window. This fella stuck his head out and asked Whitney "where's the groom?" she smiled and replied "I don't know, I can't find him!" The guy, never missing a beat, said "Hang on, I'll be right back!" and made as if to turn his car around and join her. It was straight out of a comedy skit!! I still get a chuckle out of that story.

When the wedding day finally arrived, it was beautifully organized, and the atmosphere was surprisingly relaxed and calm. Trust me, folks, this is not a standard mood on wedding days. The usual gnashing of teeth and sweating of bullets was noticeably absent. Things flowed together like a well oiled machine!

Pate chapel is beautifully equipped to accommodate the bride and her girls, with a private suite to serve as dressing/staging area.

The gals had me chuckling with their very practical approach for preventing any wardrobe problems: duct tape! And it worked! Everyone looked beautifully flawless coming down the aisle!

Speaking of coming down the aisle shots, this is not an easy one to get. But when you CAN get it? Well, just look. The Groom sees his Bride for the first time on their wedding day. A moment of pure, honest emotion captured forever. *Sigh* I love my job.

The service was lovely and included communion for the new couple and a praise song in which all of the guests participated. This was a first for me and I really liked the way it brought the crowd together in celebration of the joyous event taking place. Very touching.

After the service, we had a long list of formal family pictures to get through, but my lighting set up was spot-on and the pics turned out great. Recreating studio lighting on location is a specialty of mine :-)

We ran around to the outside of the chapel with just the bridal party to grab a few fun, romantic shots

WB's reception was joyful and happy; filled with many hugs and much laughter. The newlyweds share a great sense of humor and have a fun group of friends who kept the party upbeat and lively. And yet another first, for me: The bouquet was tossed THREE times and was caught by the same lucky (and very determined) young lady each time. There were rumors of it being "rigged", but I chose not to believe such loose talk (LOL!!)

The expressions in these pics are priceless!!

There are about zillion more gorgeous pictures from this special day that I would love to share here, but I have to stop blogging and get back to editing them all. I am happy that WB's Big Day came off so beautifully well. And I am happy that they allowed me to play a part in such a very meaningful time in their lives. May the Lord richly bless the union of these two special people.

Jamie and Brandon's Wedding at the Lake

   If you've never been to Smith Mountain Lake, let me give you little description. There you are, driving along, seemingly in the middle of nowhere surrounded by non-descript fields and hills when you make one little turn and suddenly...you're at the beach---but with MOUNTAINS!! There's sand and sun and water and boats everywhere, all winding between layers of majestic blue-green mountains. It's a perfect backdrop for a wedding!

Jamie and Brandon held their event at a resort hotel, right on the water. The girls all wore turquoise satin gowns that really pulled out the color of the surrounding mountains and lake.
The bride's flawless tan and pretty, beach-blond tresses were highlighted by the brilliant afternoon sunlight. The groom and his boys were dapper in their tuxes with seashell boutonnieres---that was a new one on me; very unique and clever.

We had some fun and a bit of excitement with the formal pictures. I convinced the whole wedding party to venture out onto one of the narrow arms of the floating dock, placing the B&G  in the foreground, closer to the camera. Cool shot, right? Imagine their surprise (and mine!) when the dock started sinking under their combined weight!! I think some of the groomsmen actually got their shoes wet before the whole group was able to inch back towards the center of the dock and onto drier ground. Everyone was extremely good natured about it, though and smiled and waved for the pictures despite the wet feet! Thanks for being so nice about it, guys and gals!! As a result, the pictures came out great!

We captured SO many lovely pictures, that day. Here are just a few pretty highlights:

Putting on the finishing touches



It's all about the SHOES!!! :-)



The mountains and lake made a stunning backdrop for the ceremony

Isin't the lacing on the back of her dress just beautiful?

The bride and her Dad. I love her expression, here!

A classic. This shot never goes out of style. Love it!

Here are the pictures that darn near dumped the whole party into the lake (notice how the left side of the dock is sinking!)....but look how GREAT it turned out! :-)

One of my absolute favorite's from the day

Thanks so much, Jamie and Brandon, for letting me capture the special moments of your beautiful wedding day. You have all of my best wishes for a long, happy life together!

Brandie and Robbie

It was dumping buckets of rain when I got up that morning. As I was packing up my equipment, I had to use an umbrella. There was no sign of it letting up and the reception was scheduled to be outside. Uh-oh.

When I arrived at the church, folks were bustling about busily adding the last minute decorations and getting the food ready under the large tents in the church yard...all under a steady, wet drizzle. But nobody allowed it to dampen their spirits. It was Brandie and Robbie's special day and the show must go on!!

I drove to the MOB's house and stole a few pictures of the bride putting on the finishing touches: just the right shade of lipstick, a few sprays of perfume (Escape--I LOVE that fragrance!) and she was perfect!

As I zoomed back over to the church, the drizzle had slowed to a light mist and I thought I was detecting a thinning in the clouds. Might we end up with a sunny day for the event, after all? My fingers were crossed!

Friends and family happily packed in to the tiny, historic church in the country to celebrate the happy event. The ceremony was lovely, interlaced with dashes of bright, cheerful yellows and whites.

By the time the recessional ended, the sun was breaking through the clouds and blue skies were peaking out. Perfect timing for the reception!! Everyone flocked to the tent and enjoyed delicious, home cooked food and lively conversation as congratulations flooded in for the happy newlyweds.

Close family ties were evident throughout the day. Lots of smiles, hugs, tears of joy and bird seed fights (LOL!) made it a memorable occasion for everyone lucky enough to have been a part of it all. And that includes their humble photographer ;0)

Here are just a few of the pretty pictures from the day:


Applying the final touches


A handsome groom








Such a beautiful smile..she's glowing!






Brandie and her sister Crystal who happens to be THE very best dogsitter in the universe




I absolutely LOVE this one!



Congratulations, Brandie and Robbie and all of your friends and family!! I wish you many years of happy companionship and shared love. May the sun always shine on your marriage :-)
Thank you for allowing me to play a small part in your joyful day!