We had all sorts of good times in Charlotte! This is Sarah and Jimmy, the second Charlotte couple we had the fantastic good luck of booking this year. :) They too live in Charlotte but are getting married in Asheville, and I was too excited to meet them. Sarah and I had talked over the phone and got along great, but it’s always nice to put a face to a voice. And, of course, to meet Jimmy – her other half. These guys are two peas in an adorable outdoorsy pod! Jimmy is a rock climbing instructor (neat!) and Sarah teaches Algebra 2 (yay teachers!).

They both love spending time outdoors and are in a transient phase of life (both are from Georgia, living in Charlotte, and possibly moving on shortly to the northeast), so we wanted their pictures to focus on them, their love for each other, and their love for the outdoors. Sarah suggested Freedom Park which, although located nearly in uptown Charlotte, is an awesome outdoorsy oasis! We took the pictures pretty early when we’d still have great light and, despite Jimmy, Geoff, and I yawning a whole heck of a lot, we had a great time and the pictures came out fabulous! Having a couple as cute as them makes it easy, though. :)

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It doesn’t get much more outdoorsy than this! I read somewhere that Charlotte is the #1 worst city in the US for springtime allergies, and I believe it. :)

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These suspension bridges reminded me of Costa Rica… only not as fundamentally unstable.

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So I found this giant boulder thing in the middle of the park and wanted to use it because it had some funky light going on that I wanted to work with. It seemed like a really easy spot to sit on, but it turns out that it’s really smooth and Sarah just continually slipped off.

Sarah: I’m slipping off!

Carolyn: Jimmy, can you hold Sarah up? There… that doesn’t look too awkward. :P

Sometimes you just have to go with it. :) Sometimes it works! Sometimes it doesn’t. But I liked this lighting and color too much to give it up!

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My faaavorite of the day. :) You just can’t go wrong with a chain link fence and some awesome ivy and people as adorable as them!

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We hope you love these, Sarah+Jimmy! We are so looking forward to joining you in July in Asheville! And to everyone else – the next blog post will be their ADORABLE dog Clive… my third Charlotte subject. :)

Amy and Dan are a lovely couple who did not let a few tornadoes spoil their outdoor wedding. :) How great is that? Yes, Amy and Dan were to be married in an outdoor ceremony at the Arrowhead Inn in Durham, NC at high noon when the weather channel was predicting, I kid you not, a “100% chance of severe storms.” That’s not a very good percent. :D But we got there and took pictures of Amy getting ready and, miraculously, despite them repeatedly announcing tornado warnings on the radio, it was merely overcast and their wedding was held outside at high noon against all odds. :) We were even able to take family and friend photographs AND the newlywed pictures afterward! It didn’t rain until the reception luncheon (when the lights went out briefly), but that was really all that happened. They were so lucky!

Their venue and their vendors couldn’t have been more wonderful, and neither could Amy and Dan’s fantastic family and friends. Amy’s family traveled in from Japan and they were married by Dan’s brother, a high school principal. It was all very sweet and low-key, just like the beautiful couple themselves. :)

Date: April 16, 2011

Venue: The Arrowhead Inn, Durham NC

Flowers: Special Event Florals, Nancy Dawson

Guitarist: Randy Reed

Officiant: Walter Finnigan

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Amy is the definition of a blushing bride… not only because she is getting married, but because she is pregnant. :) Amy and Dan are expecting a baby girl in August!

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This family is a family of cameras. I think everyone there had a camera, large or small, video or still. Below and to the right is our handsome groom, taking photographs of his lovely soon-to-be wife getting her hair done. :) Amy is a high school music teacher trained in classical singing, but she is hoping to one day become a photographer as well! And we will most certainly welcome her into the ranks because she is a wonderful person. :)

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Amy looked gorgeous! Very beautiful, natural, and happy. :)

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Proof that, even as tornadoes ran rampant through parts of Raleigh, the sun did come out that day (during their first kiss!) for perhaps a few seconds:

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I can’t resist me a willow tree. ;)

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Amy and Dan held a beautiful indoor luncheon for their wedding reception inside the Arrowhead Inn (the innkeepers are lovely and make EXCELLENT food!).

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In conclusion, I had a wonderful day with you, Amy and Dan, and wish you the best of luck in your life and marriage! I do hope that I get to meet that baby girl soon and of course see you again. :) Thank you and congratulations! I’ll leave you all with these wise words of wisdom…

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