Rachel+Matt (and Jade and Mernerner)

This is the first engagement shoot that I’ve done where a ceramic alligator has been present, and I must say it was very fulfilling to have him there.

Rachel is perhaps the most giggly girl I’ve met. Always happy, always excited. Matt is Rachel’s cool calm, but is also always happy, always excited, just very cool and calm and collected about it. Jade is their super cute puppy who is not cool or calm or collected, but is VERY EXCITED. Mernerner is their ceramic alligator that Matt painted for Rachel while they were dating (he is a piggy bank alligator) who is the most cool, calm, and collected of the bunch (because he is ceramic).

Together we romped around the park and took engagement pictures. Rachel taught me that packing clothes for the holiday trip to your parents is best done in Tupperware (Rachel – I did this when I went home for Thanksgiving, and I could fit 50% more in there than I could in my giant suitcase and it was awesome). Matt taught me about kayaking (they met while Matt was teaching a class). Jade taught me that TREATS ARE AWESOME. And Mernerner taught me to save for retirement. It was awesome and Geoff and I can’t wait for their wedding next September!

Brooke+Red Have a Prehistoric Wedding in Raleigh

At Kathy and Andrew’s wedding two weekends go, I asked Andrew for his wedding ring to photograph and he asked, “Do we have to supply our own plastic dinosaurs?” Coincidentally, I had a plastic dinosaur in my camera bag from Brooke and Red’s Jurassic engagement session earlier this year that I never took out (because hey, you never know when you might need a plastic dinosaur). So I used the plastic dinosaur again for Kathy and Andrew’s ring shots, incorporating Brooke and Red’s love for dinosaurs into other clients’ weddings because they would want it that way… spreading the dinosaur joy around the city of Raleigh.

And there was no dinosaur joy greater than Brooke and Red’s wedding. Brooke, who found us before she was actually engaged and then worked around our availability because she is AWESOME, said at least twice that I heard, “We are having the best wedding ever!” This was said in a very surprised yet extremely contented way as she was so happy and beautiful and the weather was gorgeous and cool but not cold. Red was also very happy himself, but in all of the times I have ever interacted with Red, he is nothing but 100% smiles 100% of the time. Always. So he looked as happy as he normally does, which is really, really happy… presumably because Brooke is with him being adorable and lovely.

There were plastic dinosaurs on some cakes and a guest book that was a dinosaur book and dinosaur beer cozies. The cake cutting was watched over by a giant dinosaur looming over the crowd with a (fake) gross leg wound. It was awesome.

Date: November 17, 2012

First Song: “It Had To Be You” – Frank Sinatra

Brooke’s Occupation: Attorney

Red’s Occupation: Owner of 1-800-Water Damage of Raleigh

How You Met: Match.com!

Interesting Bride Fact: Brooke speaks Japanese.

Interesting Groom Fact: Red has webbed toes.

Honeymoon Location: Charleston, SC right after the wedding and then Italy in Spring 2013

Ceremony Location: Fairmont United Methodist Church // Raleigh, NC

Reception Location: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences // Raleigh, NC

Officiant: Rev. Dr. James F. Bernhardt

DJ: GO DJ Entertainment // Stephen Holt

Florist: Harris Teeter // Beth Bailey

Cake: Whole Foods

Caterer: Rocky Top Hospitality

Hair/Makeup: Hair Color Xperts

Coordinator: Lewanna Stout

 

Danielle+Emry // Engaged in Raleigh

Danielle and Emry are getting married at Disney World right before Christmas, so it was only fitting that they run around their engagement session with mouse ears, right? Right. I was there to help document the running around and to try and keep up with their sci-fi conversations regarding movies, books, and genetic modifications (where’s Geoff when I need him). They’re also big fans of cheese to which I can totally relate, and to which it was also very appropriate to bring along the mouse ears (they didn’t bring anything with them but the ears, so in an effort to not loose them, I wore double mouse ears around the park. At one point I asked them, “Where are the mouse ears?” to which they replied, “They are on your head.”).

I had an awesome time wearing dueling mouse ears and climbing on things and taking pictures while some dude drinking something out of a paper bag followed us around for a while to see what we were doing (it’s not an engagement session without this guy at every. location. ever.). I wish we could be at Disney World with them in December but a clash of schedules is keeping us away, so I’ll wish Danielle and Emry the best wedding ever and to totally ride the Tower of Terror for me because I hear that is awesome.