Promo // Gilded Bridal.

I am so, so, so thrilled to have done our third promo shoot for the fabulous Gilded Bridal! For those who missed parts one and two, Gilded Bridal is a boutique bridal shop in downtown Raleigh run by our very own former engagement and wedding client Susan Langford! She offers dresses from independent designers, and they’re badass. And I’m not just saying that because I love her. If her shop was around when I was married, my dress would’ve been a whole different ballgame.

Susan cares deeply about her brides and also her awesome staff, so for Gilded’s Staff Appreciation Day, I came in to take headshots of the gorgeous Gilded girls as well as brides going through the process of picking out a gown and accessories. Then they all went to get manicures. It was a good day.

So if you’re in the market for a wedding gown in the Triangle area, check out Gilded Bridal in downtown Raleigh because Susan is awesome and I am so proud of the incredible business owner she’s become! And now we have a ton of women e-mailing us to tell us that they bought their dress from Gilded and it’s our current wedding clients buying wedding things from our former wedding clients and that makes us smile a lot because our clients are THE BEST! And it’s neat to see them come together.

Thanks to the amazing crew who helped us pull together this day! Hair/Makeup by Samantha Ray of Lula Hair + Makeup and Joanne Maye. And thank you to our amazing models and staff: Leah, Amy, Susan, Natalee, Lauren, and Heather! You put the sparkle in Gilded Bridal. :)

Alex+David // Blowing Rock, NC Wedding Photographer

When you get a wedding inquiry from a badass lady who likes you and color and Seinfeld and Boone and is also a member of a Durham band called GOWN that’s described as “an all wommmmin punk hardcare metallic band made up of blood sucking druids” you take it immediately. Then you find out that their venue is a summer camp in Blowing Rock and your head kinda explodessss at the adorable lake and cabins and little tiny open air chapel and you are SO EXCITED! And then you find out that both her and her fiance are long hair heroes… true champions of Pantene Pro-V wonderfulness who you’re excited to photograph because they look really awesome and also like they’re in a couple great metal bands which, oh wait, they both actually are ::insert shredding solo here::.

And then you show up in Blowing Rock and meet your long haired heroes in REAL LIFE and they are SO NICE and just adopted a super cute BLACK CAT and Alex has a beautiful bouquet made of DRIED FLOWERS(!!!) and all of their glassware and plates are MISMATCHED and COLORFUL and David’s hair is FLOWING and SOFT and their wedding colors are EVERYTHING FALL and you sigh because these… these are your people. And you take their photos on a pretty lake surrounded by a fire pit and animal cracker appetizers and a toddler in a Cannibal Corpse onesie. And you take their photos while they dance inside the old summer camp dining hall to David Bowie deep cuts. And later they see their preview pictures and pronounce that they’re “so Twin Peaksesque,” which may be the highest praise our work has yet received. So gaze upon them, my friends. Alex and David are like the universe heard whisperings of the perfect clients for us and formed them out of star stuff a la a Carl Sagan documentary and put them in Blowing Rock for us to photograph. Thanks, Carl.


– Date: September 9, 2017
– Ceremony + Reception Venue: Camp Sky Ranch // Blowing Rock, NC
– First Dance Song: “As the World Falls Down” and “Be My Wife” by David Bowie
– How You Met: Outside the music building at UNC Chapel Hill.
– Interesting Fact: We’re both classical musicians (cello and guitar) but also are both currently drummers in bands! (David taught Alex how to play)
– Honeymoon: Seattle, WA
– Vendor Credits: Officiant – Ken Craig (father of the bride). DJ – Our iPod. Florist – The bride’s mom. Bouquet+Boutonniere – Westerwisp. Pies – The Gamekeeper. Caterer – The Gamekeeper. Hair/Makeup – Haircut 101 with Jezabel Lebatard. Coordinator – Meris Gantt of The Whole Shebang. Dress – Cathy Telle. Glassware – Miss Match Rentals.