Elizabeth+Rich // A Durham Food Tour Wedding

These guys are my favorite beard+pixie cut combo besides ourselves. They are us, but they’re way smarter and can lift heavier things. They also have a dog and live in South Carolina. Everything else is exactly the same. I’d adopt them if I could, or be adopted by them, or at the very least sew ourselves into one giant footie pajama and walk around together all the time. They are Elizabeth+Rich, and there they are on their engagement session when we first met them. Now they are back and getting married. And, of course, they had the absolutely brilliant idea of turning it into a food tour wedding. They really like food and food tours and so why not have 30ish of their closest peeps and family get together in Durham for a food tour wedding? THERE IS NOT REASON NOT TO DO THIS.

They were married at The Boiler Room in the American Tobacco Campus among a lot of industrial pipes. Then we went outside and Elizabeth educated us about how the land is moving so that’s why the tiny door at the ATC campus fake lunch counter is so tiny. There was a complicated, sciencey name for this that I’v since forgotten, but it was neat. Then we went to Bull City Burger and I ate a pimento cheese burger and fries while almost crying with appreciation (everyone loves pimento cheese). We all moved on to Alley 26 where there were cocktails and cheer and a fancy salad. Next stop was The Durham where they rented the rooftop and had a bunch of apps including the dozen or so deviled eggs that I ate entirely by myself. We all admired the view of a chilly downtown Durham from the roof, all decked out for the holidays. Then we all walked to the infamous bull (since you have to show people from out of town, it is practically a requirement), and onto Criterion from there where there was cake and coffee and sparklers. It was one of the most darling and endearing weddings we’ve ever had the pleasure to shoot. Chill, calm, friendly, and fun. A most miraculous way to end the year. Congratulations, Elizabeth and Rich, and onward to 2019!


Date: December 16, 2018
Ceremony Venue: The Boiler Room // Durham, NC
Food Tour Stops: Bull City Burger and Brewery, Alley 26, The Durham, and Criterion
First Dance Song: “You for Me” – Blossom Dearie
Rich’s Occupation: Mechanical Engineer, Professor of Physics at Coastal Carolina University
Elizabeth’s Occupation: Professor of Art History at Coastal Carolina University
How You Met: The old-fashioned way: through mutual friends (Ted & Jillian, our witnesses!) at a dinner party in Manhattan (in 2011!)
Interesting Fact: We can’t think of anything, so here is some random trivia: We have an almost 16-year-old mutt named Riesling who is probably curled up on the sofa under a blanket right now. E’s brother and sister-in-law are flying in from Bosnia for the wedding. They win. R used to drive big-rig trucks while he was in college. E was a cheerleader in high school and was voted “most spirited” in her senior class (she still gets 5/5 every semester from her students in the category “enthusiasm for the subject matter”). E spills things (a lot)… there’s a really funny story about our second date. Oh, and neither of us were sure that our first date was actually a date when we planned it. But it was. After it was over, E was so smitten she walked 10 blocks in the wrong direction before she noticed she was going the wrong way.
Honeymoon: Since adventure travel is the norm for us, we thought we’d do something out of the ordinary. We are spending a week at a destination spa in Santa Fe, NM, for all the yoga, cooking classes, and massages we can stand!
Officiant: John Baltes (E’s brother)
Ceremony Music: Tim Fischer (friend)
Florist: Mahtab Pedrami (friend)
Cake: Mad Hatter’s
Caterer: Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tours
Hair/Makeup: Rock, Paper, Scissors

Amina+Jeremy // A Durham Maternity Session

Guyyyyysss if you aren’t familiar with the fabulous Amina Ford of Amina Ford Photography then get ready because not only is she an incredible photographer but she’s also the most sparkly pregnant woman you’ve ever seen in your life! Andddd she’s great. Also, so is Jeremy. He’s not wearing sparkles and he’s a radiologist instead of a photographer but he makes incredible dad jokes (well prepared for when she gives birth) and they’re an incredible couple. They live in New York City with their two dogs whom Amina will readily tell you about, and Jeremy will come back and tell you that he’s essentially just a means to an end so Amina can have dogs (we secretly think Amina likes him in addition to the dogs, but we can’t be certain since Amina really freaking love dogs so no promises).

It’s not a super well-kept secret in the community that I’m not a big fan of networking, and I dislike getting coffee with people I don’t know, and I’m not particularly good at being friends with other wedding vendors. I promise I’m not a grinch in real life, I just don’t like to talk about work, nor do I want to talk about other people in the business, and would rather just avoid everyone but my clients. But I do have a handful of vendor friends who have somehow sneakily snuck their way into my cold, unloving heart, and Amina happens to be one of them. We’ve been internet friends for some time, and she’s always supportive and loving and I love her back. We were honored to do these maternity photos for her and her husband Jeremy on their trip into Durham to visit with her family. Best of luck with the pregnancy and delivery, and I hope you’re back someday to visit wearing an equally sparkly dress.

Angel // A Senior Cat Session

I am so very lucky to have had the opportunity to photograph sweet Angel on December 2nd for some dear friends of ours. Angel belonged to our friend Annie’s grandmother (who you’ll see pictured in a old photograph here with Angel), and when she passed away, Angel went to live with Lois (Anne’s mom) and was frequently visited and cared for by Annie, her husband Michael, and their whole family. Angel was very much adored and lived a wonderful life. She was recently diagnosed with cancer in her jaw, and her family and veterinarian team took the best possible care of her. We thought she might have months, but it turned out to be just a few short weeks, and Angel unfortunately passed away shortly after we took these pictures. We’re so glad we got to photograph her for this family, who’s very close to our hearts, and so glad we got to pet and love on the amazing Angel. She was beautiful and spicy and enjoyed knocking things off bathroom sinks, playing with string, her New York Mets snowman, sitting in boxes and laundry baskets, watching birds, and picking on her dog brother Petey. She will be remembered fondly and dearly missed.