May 6, 2015

Durham, NC Wedding

We’ve been longstanding supporters of LGBT equality and marriage, and in our careers we’ve photographed engagement sessions and commitment ceremonies of couples who couldn’t legally get married in our state. A couple could have a commitment ceremony here, but they’d need to get legally hitched elsewhere and had to come back to live in a state that didn’t legally acknowledge their union. When we met Matt and Scott, we were all aware that it would be a commitment ceremony like the others we have done. And while we were thrilled to work with these two amazing guys, we were even more thrilled when same-sex marriage became legal in North Carolina in October, turning Matt and Scott’s previous commitment ceremony into a legal marriage recognized by the state, and the first one that we’ve photographed on our home turf. :)

Usually I don’t get very sappy on the blog as I prefer to remain somewhat aloof and sarcastic (sappy doesn’t really mix with the bats, does it). But! I’ll do it just this once since we really were happy to have this be our first legal same-sex wedding in NC. And we were even happier to see Matt and Scott surrounded by a huge group of very proud and loving family and friends. There were some tears and lots of hugs and a cake topper that looked like Matt and Scott with their two cats at the bottom. And who could ask for more than that? We’re so happy to show you these pictures, and we’re so happy for Matt and Scott. :)

Wedding ceremony at The Cotton Room Durham NC

Wedding reception setup at the Cotton Room

Couple reacting to speeches and toasts at wedding

Date: April 25, 2015
Ceremony and Reception Venue: The Cotton Room // Durham, NC
First Dance: “Here Comes the Sun” – Glee
Scott’s Occupation: Emergency room physician
Matt’s Occupation: Postdoctoral scholar in cognitive psychology/psycholinguistics
How You Met: Online (or as Scott says, he ordered Matt off the internet).
Interesting Fact: When we first met, Matt was obsessed with the Food Network but never cooked, whereas Scott was obsessed with cooking but never watched the Food Network. 7 years later, those roles have completely reversed.
Honeymoon: Hawaii
Vendor Credits: Officiant – Reverend Barbara Lodge | DJ – All Around Raleigh DJ | Florist – Amrose Flowers | Cake – Cinda’s Creative Cakes | Caterer – Triangle Catering | Hair – Blo | Videographer – Dean Garris of DEANO Pictures | Coordinator – Emily Nunn of Whiskey and White Events | Design Consultation – Melinda Knowles of Host Raleigh

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April 30, 2015

USB Review

We get a lot of people asking about our flash drives and we think they’re pretty snazzy ourselves so we’re gonna tell you about them. :) Business PSA!

Our USB drives are manufactured by USB Memory Direct. The style we use is WDR7 Custom USB Drive. They’re wooden! The caps are magnetic! They do color printing of our logo right on those puppies! And we like them a lot. We’ve been with USB Memory Direct since 2012 and have never had an issue or error in any of our drives. You can get them in a ton of sizes and styles, so if you’re thinking of switching over from DVDs or downloads to USBs for your photography clients, we recommend checking out USB Memory Direct’s website! Custom wooden USB drive (1) Custom wooden USB drive (2) Custom wooden USB drive (3) Custom wooden USB drive (4) Custom wooden USB drive (5)

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April 29, 2015

Caroline+Brian // Wedding in Wilmington, NC

We met Caroline and Brian when we photographed their engagement session in Raleigh last summer, and afterward they decided that we were pretty okay and asked us to come to Wilmington with them to photograph their wedding. We responded with, “Yes, please!” and our enthusiasm was met with, “Good, because there is a place down the street where you can go after the reception to get really good pulled pork nachos.” It’s like they know the real us.

But it turns out that they had really great pulled pork at their wedding, so afterward when we went to the bar they told us about, we had their pub fries instead of the nachos. And the pub fries were basically unbelievable (chili, cheese, scallions, ranch dressing) and I’ve been thinking about them ever since (here’s a shout out to the Front Street Brewery’s pub fries and a public vote of enthusiasm). So seeing their wedding pictures done and up on the blog fills me with warm and happy feelings both for Caroline and Brian, who are amazingly sweet, adorable, nice, fabulous people who made us feel incredibly welcome and at home, and also for the pub fries… which make me hungry. Wilmington, by the way, has a pretty fantastic downtown that we somehow never knew about. We were happy to explore the city and couldn’t have asked for a better couple to spend time with down there. :)

Groom's reaction to bride walking down aisle

Wedding photographs downtown Wilmington NC

Wedding couple portrait downtown Wilmington

The Balcony on Dock Street wedding reception Wilmington

Wedding reception venues in downtown Wilmington

Date: April 18, 2015
Ceremony Venue: Kenan Chapel at Landfall // Wilmington, NC
Reception Venue: The Balcony on Dock Street // Wilmington, NC
First Dance: “Your Smiling Face” – James Taylor
Caroline’s Occupation: – HR
Brian’s Occupation: Banking
Interesting Fact: We’re both pretty bummed our dog, Caddy, can’t be with us on our wedding day… but she makes a terribly behaved guest. We’ve watched every single episode of West Wing together.
Vendor Credits: Officiant – Rev. Jimmy Marsh and Rev. Bob Roach | DJ – Jason Tatum of Active DJ Entertainment | Cake – Whole Foods | Donuts – Krispy Kreme | Videographer – Divine Treasures Cinematography | Day Of Director – Edie Callahan

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