Lucy+Kevin // Wedding at the NCMA

Lucy and Kevin booked us without first meeting us as they are living in New York City and have very busy schedules, and we were down here with very busy schedules, and we kept trying to make meeting work but it just didn’t. Then we were up in Manhattan for an engagement session and so we met up with Lucy and Kevin over burgers at a super tasty place somewhere in the city where peanut butter milkshakes were had both by Lucy and myself and everything was great. They showed us pictures of their cat, as well as pictures of their cat sitter who is about to have a podcast about cats. We showed them pictures of our cats. We briefly discussed a preliminary timeline for their wedding and then went right back to talking about our cats. I started following Lucy on Twitter and Instagram, where now I can see regular updates on her cat.

When I got to Lucy’s parents’ house while Lucy was getting ready, I said, “How is your cat? How is the guy who is taking care of your cat?” and Lucy promptly pulled out her phone to show me a picture of her cat cuddled up with her beloved cat sitter. Then other bridesmaids starting showing me photos of their cats too. One showed us a picture of her dog but it was a really cute fluffy dog that had cat-like ears so it’s okay. So what you’re about to see below is less about Lucy and Kevin getting married so much as it is about their cat Masha gaining two official parents. We’ve reached out to Masha’s representatives and we’re awaiting a comment on how she feels, but our guess is pretty thrilled, but that she’d also like fed.

In a rare move where I’m about to say things that don’t involve this couple’s cat, I’d like to announce that Lucy and Kevin are a wonderful couple, talented musicians (Kevin plays trumpet and Lucy plays violin and we’re talking like official music school musicians of music musicology and all that music stuff), and we loved working with them both. Lucy is wonderful and Kevin is the Best Kevin and it was a joy photographing them looking really serious in front of a painting of a giant button.


– Date: November 4, 2017
– Ceremony + Reception Venue: NCMA (North Carolina Museum of Art) // Raleigh, NC
– First Dance Song: “Mango Tree” – Zac Brown Band
– Lucy’s Occupation: PhD student in Historical Musicology
– Kevin’s Occupation: Software Product Manager
– How You Met: At a party for admitted Vanderbilt students before the start of our freshman year of college back in 2008.
– Interesting Fact: We have a tabby cat named Masha and our most longstanding argument concerns yellow vs. dijon mustard (ed. note: obviously dijon is superior (nope))
– Honeymoon: Somewhere warm TBD!
– Vendor Credits: Officiant – Katherine Burson (Kevin’s aunt). DJ – Mitch Woodard of Joe Bunn DJ Company. Florist – The Watered Garden. Cake – Cinda’s Creative Cakes. Caterer – Iris Cafe. Hair – Katelyn McGinn. Makeup – The bride. Coordinator – Morgan Greer with the NCMA. Ceremony Music – Jonathan Kramer on cello (he played at Lucy’s parents’ wedding almost 30 years ago!)

Vivi // At Five Years

VIVI IS BACK! Long-term CSP readers/stalkers will recognize the vivacious Miss Vivi who is seriously near and dear to our hearts. We photographed her for her second, third, and fourth birthdays (click all of those links to see Vivi [and our editing] grow up before your eyes). Now she has just turned FIVE which somehow which makes me feel old. So what’s new? Here are some Vivi updates:

This was the first year she actively recognized us and gave us a hug and it made me melt. She blew kisses at several kids her age while casually walking past them, totally unprovoked. Vivi currently enjoys exploring trains, trying out every pogo-stick-sand-dinosaur they have at Pullen Park, and watching ducks. She very much loves carousels and bridges. New this year is her ability to find statues, hit them, and discover that “Wow, they are solid!” Her favorite thing about trains is the “wooo woooooooo” whistle that she enjoys emulating, but has mild concerns that the whistle might be too loud. She likes going down slides repeatedly but only if someone is at the bottom. Constantly making her mother nervous, she is inexplicably drawn to large, potentially unsafe surfaces and structures on which to climb. She likes to hold hands. She really likes talking, but is 100% positive 100% of the time. Examples below.

Vivi [before going on train ride]: This is going to be TERRIFIC!
Me [during train ride]: Is this terrific?
Vivi: It IS! It is TERRIFIC!

Vivi [walking over by the lake to look at some ducks]: Wow, look at the view!

And my favorite (perhaps channeling her inner Carolyn Scott). Vivi [while riding a carousel for the first time exclaims with a delightful surprise]: I’m not getting hurt right now!

I’m pretty sure I need a shirt that says, “I’m not getting hurt right now!” I would wear it to bed, maybe, which is one of the few times I’m not actively getting injured. Vivi is my spirit animal.