Raleigh Portrait Photographer: Kelsey+Adam Anniversary Session

Kelsey and Adam celebrate their one year anniversary on October 9th! We were so happy to see them again and work with them for a third time. They’re just as happy and in love as they were for their engagement and wedding portraits, and had a great first year together. They wanted pictures in downtown Raleigh for a change… as their other sessions were held out in Aberdeen and Southern Pines. We discovered a few new corners of the city… and a giant whale mural that I’d somehow not seen before… all while having a super good time and reuniting with the great Kelsey and Adam!

Here’s to a wonderful anniversary, Kelsey and Adam!

Raleigh Wedding Photographer in Stem, NC: Jenna+Josh

Jenna and Josh’s wedding was one of those super chill, relaxed, southern, backyard weddings that makes a northern girl like myself want to say “ya’ll.” There was BBQ, a little friendly dog, the cutest flower girl in the world, and homemade sweet tea that Jenna and Josh bottled themselves. They were married in front of huge North Carolina pines in Stem in the backyard of Josh’s parents’. Then they ate, danced, and played cornhole on the gorgeous property until the stars came out (and then they danced some more in the car port).

Jenna and Josh have been wonderful clients this whole year – having me do their engagement photos and pictures of the adorable Jack and Lola (their dogs) – and I was happy to see their wedding finally arrive. Josh works in the narcotics department for the police, and Jenna is a 911 operator. Together, they are a super sweet and nice couple with equally super sweet and nice family and friends. Enjoy their southern wedding!

Date: September 10th, 2011

Ceremony and Reception Venue: Private Residence

Officiant: Pastor Ronnie Bradford

Cake: Judy Kendrick

DJ: Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment

Florist: Lisa’s House of Flowers

Decor: Lorna+Fran Perry and Rhonda+Bobby Walters

They had a lovely little space between two trees where they attached a large rope and had pictures hung up with clotheslines across it. There is nothing better than seeing little kid pictures of people who you didn’t know when they were a little kid. :) These cracked me up! Little adorable Jenna and Josh grew into very beautiful Jenna and handsome Josh. :) Loving Little Jenna’s hair clip and Little Josh’s rad Ninja Turtle sweater!

Congratulations, Jenna+Josh! We hope you had a wonderful honeymoon and wish you nothing but the best with your new family (yourselves and the dogs… which, obviously, were already family… but, well, you know what we mean). ;)

Raleigh Portrait Photographer: Baby Elic

I don’t really do baby sessions. This is my third one. In fact, babies scare me. They make me really nervous. I’m always afraid to pose or move them for fear that they’ll break into a bajillion pieces… and I have no idea what to do when they cry. Baby photography should really be left up to the experts (newborn photography is really a work of art and the people who do it well are incredibly talented). However, Jen and Nick are our dear friends… and baby Elic is basically our adopted nephew whether his parents like it or not. I’ve told them from the beginning that I’ll be the cool aunt who lets Elic stay up way too late when he stays at our house, feeding him nothing but Skittles and letting him watch the Exorcist. I think Jen and Nick have more or less accepted that at this point.

That all being the case, I gave Jen and Nick a little newborn session for baby Elic shortly after he arrived into the world. He’s a total stud, as you’ll see, and rocks the corduroys as well as Eddie Vedder, despite Nick repeatedly telling me that Elic will never be permitted to play in a band (we’ll see what Uncle Geoff has to say about that). He also has the pensive, serious face of an early 90’s grunge artist… only surrounded by stuffed giraffes instead of Courtney Love. It’s probably for the best.