T + R Tie The Knot at WhiteGate Inn & Cottage-- Asheville, NC Wedding

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Whether the guest list is 200 or 2, a wedding is still, at its core, about love and commitment. The two most important people are there, standing before each other and pledging to join their lives together forever. And that’s why I love weddings so much, because I just LOVE love!!!

It was wonderful to see this amazing couple say their vows and the love that was shining in their eyes when they looked at each other. Another little wedding day sprinkle came and went during the ceremony and then we were outside to complete our couple’s portraits. Everything was green and lush as we strolled around the gardens snapping pics along the way. T’s dress was GORGEOUS!! I’m a huge fan of wedding dresses of all kinds, but the billowy, cupcake, princess ones have a special place in my heart.

Inside for cake and our day came to a sweet end; with the bride and groom sharing in their first task together and cutting the cake. WhiteGate’s Inn’s chef is so talented and makes an amazing cake! Congratulations to you both, and I wish you so much joy and love throughout your many years.

VENDORS

Venue- WhiteGate Inn & Cottage

Flowers- Merrimon Florist

Small Family Wedding in the Mountains - Anissa + Shaun

In this complex world we now find ourselves in, couples are tying the knot wherever and whenever they can. And that’s one of the beautiful reminders this year has brought us…love always finds a way. So Anissa and Shaun got married at a family home with a beautiful hilltop and a gorgeous view of the mountains (and some goats!). Close family and friends were there to share in the celebration, and the weather completely cooperated! It rained in the morning and right when we were done with family photos. Thank you rain gods.

After a wonderful lunch on the porch, champagne and toasts were shared, and then—CAKE! I loved their cat couple on the top of the wedding cake. Of course we all had to share our photos of our kitty babies. It’s nice to be around fellow cat lovers.

Anissa and Shaun, I wish you a full and joyful life together filled with laughter and happiness in the good times, closeness and compassion in the challenging times, adventure and beauty in all the new things you will share, and blissful contentment and security as you develop family traditions together. Thank you for asking me to photograph your wedding and capture all the wonderful memories you will share with generations. Always remember this beautiful day that you joined your lives together. Congrats!

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Whtiegate Inn Steampunk Elopement- Kelly + Ryan

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I have officially had my first Steampunk wedding! Why it’s taken this long I’ll never know but this is definitely a favorite of mine. Their outfits were AMAZING!! The Whitegate Inn was a fitting setting with its vintage style and antique pieces throughout. Some scattered rain clouds brought the wedding indoors, but the fireplace set a magical ambiance, and the couple’s 6 foot distance measurement bar kept everyone safe. It was a comical nod to the ever uninvited guest…COVID.

I loved the special touches Kelly and Ryan had in their ceremony. A beautiful letter box which held a sealed love letter to each other to be read on their one year anniversary. They will continue the ritual replacing and reading the new letters every year there after. And the combining of spirits in a monogrammed decanter, symbolizing the joining of their lives, and the sharing of each other in their union. And always a great way to drink some whiskey during the ceremony! (Tipping my hat to your genius) All sealed with a kiss while family cheered on in the room and from iPhones.

The weather outside was perfect for photos, with just an occasional sprinkle coming down. Kelly and Ryan were a vision in Steampunk as they walked around the gorgeous gardens loving each other in their post nuptial bliss. We got some sweet couple portraits, and of course, details of their bride and groom fashions. Kelly, I am going to search for those boots online! OMG they were fabulous.

Another beautiful wedding for 2020 despite the craziness of the world. And what a joy to see them so happy together. Many joyful wishes to you both for a lifetime of love, happiness, and dressing up together. I was honored to be there to witness your special day as your photographer.

VENDORS

Venue - 1889 WhiteGate Inn & Cottage

Photography - Studio Misha Photography

Flower- Merrimon Florist

Lodge at Bear River Classic Asheville Wedding - Gee Gee + Brandon

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With an amazing venue like The Lodge at Bear River it was easy to be inspired to plan a wedding shoot.  Nestled among the mountains and right by the riverside, it is Asheville Style at it’s best.

We actually started the plans with a string quartet from Carolina Music Planner.  With this elegant ceremony element we continued to build the rest of the day with classic elements.  Kathy at Mitchell’s Tuxedos helped Brandon pick out a deep blue tux with pink accents.  And Gee Gee, loving all thing glam, loved the exquisite bead work on the Martina Liana dress from Wedding Inspirations Boutique.  Shawnte and Julie, the store owner, are masterful at helping pick out the perfect dress.  They knew what accentuated her shape the best and also paired the dress with the style of the day. With the two most important outfits chosen we now knew our color scheme.  We picked out a place setting, and spoke with Natalie at Mountain Life Services about flowers.  She grows most of her own flowers, which is amazing!! And after we told her about our plans and style choices, she knew exactly what to do.  The whole venue was transformed after she affixed buckets and buckets of fresh flowers everywhere; the arbor outside, the fireplace mantle and table settings, and some small decorative vases of flowers to place around.  Also, a key to any good wedding day is food!  Fresh As Can Be Catering provided us with a few platters for the tables.  I love this new trend of “grazing” since hunger doesn’t always wait for the main course at a wedding.  It’s always nice to snack!  And then of course desert from Gateaux Cakes and Pastries.  Lindsay is a genius and her shop smells amazing!! Makes you want to buy like 10 pies.  Her experience and expertise with cakes and confections is quite impressive.  

On the morning of the big day, Whitley and Lindsey from Hair and MU were magical.  It’s so important to have a beauty team that knows their stuff!!  Lindsey checked the bride’s makeup outside in the natural light and I was amazed.  Our fabulous musicians showed up and we began to get the ceremony site set up. Once Gee Gee and Brandon got dressed we were on. It’s a shame that, only after about 10-15 shots or so, a wall of rain came at a fast clip towards down the mountain headed right for us. Crystal gave a holler and off we ran. It was a cool blessing in disguise though because I loved the shots inside so much more. After that, dancing, table settings, and cake!!

The elements of the day all came together in a magical way and we had a blast doing it.  For me the highlight of the day is when Gee Gee and Brandon shared a dance in front of the fireplace, as the music from the string quartet echoed through Lodge and touched the hearts of everyone there.  It was truly a beautiful and romantic event.

VENDORS I LOVE WHO MADE IT HAPPEN

Photography- Studio Misha Photography                                

Venue- The Lodge at Bear River

MUA- Lindsey Rourke, Crafted Beauty Asheville

Hair Stylist- Whitley Hunter, Beauty by Whitssworld

Ceremony Musicians- Carolina Music Planner

Bridal Fashions- Wedding Inspirations Boutique

Groom’s Fashion- Mitchell’s Tuxedos

Flowers- Mountain Life Services

Cake- Gateaux Cakes & Pastries

Catering- Fresh As Can Bee Catering

Bride- Gee Gee Palmore

Groom- Brandon Sconiers

PUBLISHED IN THE 2020 ISSUE OF NORTH CAROLINA BRIDAL MAGAZINE

Mackenzie + David - A Beautiful Mini-Wedding in the Gardens at Whitegate Inn & Cottage

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It all started with a picturesque and gorgeous day in Asheville, NC, perfect for a wedding outdoors.  Luckily it wasn’t scheduled for the day before when it was snowing and there were huge gusts of wind making it feel in the negatives!  So on this beautiful day, Mackenzie and David joined their lives forever among the company of their closest friends and family.  And joy was everywhere!

David showed how much he knew his beautiful wife to be with sparkly glitter paper wrapping his special gift; inside was a blue “I Do” handkerchief which was greatly needed later in the day when the tears were flowing, and a blue hydrangea which was her favorite.  And this handkerchief was tucked smartly away in her pockets!  Yes, wedding dress trends are bringing pockets into the mix, which can be so versatile and helpful on the big day. 

Mackenzie was the epitome of a gorgeous bride.   The wedding dress was chic and elegant, with a white and green bouquet with of course, hydrangeas!  It was so sweet to see the love and deep connection that she had with her friends and family there while getting ready in the suite. 

Her Father First Look was so sweet.  This started the never-ending flow of tears between father and daughter.   Almost choked me up a few times.  He whispered some words of wisdom in her ear and then they were off for their big walk down the aisle (well, the garden path).  The small gathering of family and friends were waiting by an eager and emotional David as she approached the ceremony site.  Despite the fact that we’re still in winter, this garden was still colorful and lively with greenery and a few budding trees.  Mackenzie and David said I Do, exchanged rings, and then we were off to family photos.   Thank goodness The Whitegate Inn has such extensive grounds, because were all able to group together on a perfect little patch of green with the sun shining in the background.  It lit up her veil like a halo and put the beautiful Inn as the backdrop to all the family photos. 

Finally, first dances, a special song from one of her close friends, and cake and champagne to finish off the day.  Grandma provided the toasting glasses which she told me were almost 50 years old! If I remember correctly, it was from her own wedding day, so special! AND I got my first piece of wedding cake in over 15 weddings LOL.  It was so scrumptious!  Almond and vanilla with buttercream icing. 

My heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to this amazing couple as they start their first year of married life together.  May the joy you felt on this glorious day shine through your countless year together. 

Want to check out my previous wedding blog post?

Click HERE

VENDORS WHO ROCK!

Venue- Whitegate Inn and Cottage

Hair and Make up- About the Face with Kayce M. Young

A Maternity Session Bursting with Urban Colors - Candice + Charlie

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Some of my favorite people in the world are welcoming their baby into the universe, and I got to work with them to photograph this sweet and beautiful moment. They wanted color graffiti as their backdrop, so out we went to find the plethora of Asheville graffiti hot spots. So many to choose from, so many that were painted over, and an entire building with one we wanted wasn’t even there anymore; a testament to the ever changing landscape of our fair city. But we still got some great ones!

Candice and Charlie have a magical chemistry between them. It’s never hard to photograph them; just point in their general direction and shoot! Seriously! They just gravitate towards one another and look gorgeous in anything they do. And to top it all, they have a quirky and funny side as well. Case in point, the many antics that ensued while visiting our many locations. After being married almost 13 years myself, humor is a blessing in any relationship! A great spice to life. Thanks Candice and Charlie for letting me into so many wonderful and important moments in your life.

Can’t wait to meet the little one. I am going to get all my baby cuddle time in, so watch out guys. It’s on! Many happy wishes and loving prayers comin’ at ya for your journey ahead.

Hair and Make up - Whitley Hunter

Who says all maternity photos have to be sweet and romantic and serious. When you have a super fun couple, you capture the quirkiness and fun as well as the beautiful.

Country Chic Wedding in the Summer at Zimmerwald Estate Barn and Grainery

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This was truly a chic, country style wedding complete with barn, miniature donkeys, pies and of course sunshine! Loved this venue for its versatility. The largest barn I’ve ever seen, with lots of space for large tables and then an upstairs too! And the grounds were gorgeous. We shot at the second barn on the property and also in the field by the ceremony site. The all green and white bouquet was a elegant and beautiful touch to her ensemble. And this dress with pockets!…I can’t even. It made this gorgeous look for our bride a little more fun and playful. The whole bridal look is from Wedding Inspirations Bridal Boutique, including hair piece, necklace, bracelet, and wedding dress, of course. And I can’t thank Kathy enough for helping our groom pick out this tux! It was something I never would have thought for him but it was PERFECT! The venue was really the focal point here, so the flowers, and looks for the bride and groom were simple and lightly colored so it went together in a harmonious way.

Thank you to my amazing bride and groom and the vendors that made this day a huge success!

Vendors Extraordinarie

Photography- Studio Misha Photography

Venue- Zimmerwald Estate Barn and Grainery

Hair- Britton Asheville with Eclipse Salon

Beauty- Sydney Elizabeth Blair

Flowers- The Asheville Florist

Cake- Baked Pie Company

Bridal Fashion-  Wedding Inspirations Bridal Boutique

Groom’s Fashion- Mitchell’s Tuxedos

Pottery- Lori Theriault with Crazy Green Studios

These pies were the best pies I’ve EVER TASTED!

The crust was delicious and perfectly baked, and then the fillings were mouth wateringly perfect!

And I love how couples are not strictly adhering to cakes all the time.

They are choosing what they love and making it personal!

Want to see this published!

Check out North Carolina Bridal Magazine

Brianna + Zachary - Maternity Session in the Winter Garden

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Bri and Zach wanted something outside with a woodsy feeling, so we explored the Arboretum and some of their beautiful trails. A little sister is already waiting to greet her baby brother, and this little one has the coolest name! I won’t say until he’s born since they wanted to make sure it stayed a secret, but it’s totally awesome. Pretty sure it’s going to be the ONLY baby with this name I will ever photograph. Pretty cool. I will update the blog with his full name after he’s born for our newborn session. It’s almost time guys!! Your baby boy is coming so soon.

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Kendra + Tyler - Maternity Session In The Morning Light

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I drive by places all the time that spark my creativity, yet I rarely get to shoot in them. Well today I crossed one off the list! I got to work with Kendra and Tyler to capture a beautiful maternity session in the misty morning light in Arden, NC. There’s a beautiful field with wispy tall grass and in the distance you can see the mountains. Luckily they were adventurous enough to want to explore it with me!

The colors they chose, autumnal reds and creams and browns, looked gorgeous with the grass in the field. It was the weirdest weather!! The sun was sort of dancing through the clouds, coming in and out, the sky behind them was very stormy and dark at the start, with a little bit of misty rain falling. However, it’s my first photo shoot where there was a rainbow right in the frame of the photo I was already taking. Pretty cool! It was really faint but we got to enjoy it for about 10 minutes before it moved on. Can you spot it in the second photo down?

Wishing Kendra and Tyler all the very best for this special life moment to come. I’m so glad that we got to sneak in a maternity session before he comes. Especially since I think it’s so important to capture this beautiful memory. Can’t wait to meet him and do a newborn session with you all!