Okay before I start this, it’s important to know that Leila’s name is pronounced “LIE-LA.” We literally started writing it that way in e-mails so I could remember, all caps included. I knew someone who had her named spelled Leila once, but pronounced it “Lee-la,” which is what I had been calling Leila in my head for months when I was corrected by Heather at Gilded Bridal, which is where Leila bought her stunner of a dress. Have you ever mispronounced someone’s name before? Something about the correction makes the mispronunciation even worse. It causes me to overthink it. Then “Lee-la” turned into “Lee… no, Lay-la… no no, Lee-la, yeah, Lee-la. NO. Lieeeeee…laa?” I couldn’t get it right. Until I remembered good old Lyla Garrity from Friday Night Lights. No, her name isn’t spelled Leila, but it’s pronounced “LIE-LA” and I freaking love Friday Night Lights so for some reason I was able to remember it this way because #texasforever and #cleareyesfullheartscantlose. I am 100% impressed that I didn’t call Colin “Rigs” once.

Now that we have that settled, Leila was our beloved former clients Carly+Jay’s maid of honor and we were so happy when she asked us to shoot her and Colin’s wedding in Asheville! It was actually in Swannanoa which is a pretty little small town just far enough outside of Asheville to be very woodsy, yet close enough where I could overdose on cinnamon buns at Posana for brunch. Ideal conditions. Hidden River Events is an incredible venue with a ton of wildflowers, horses, and dare I say the best lighting conditions on the planet (well, in the evening of October 14th anyway). It was beautiful. And Leila and Colin aren’t so bad themselves. Leila is of Palestinian descent and she and Colin met in Palestine doing all sorts of wonderful humanitarian goodness for people over there. They continue to do humanitarian goodness for all sorts of people from their homebase in Washington, DC with their dog Mr. B while watching Seinfeld at the same time. They were surrounded at their wedding by other Palestinians and also a lot of Irish. There were lots of good accents.

Leila and Colin were super fun to work with when we weren’t bringing up childhood traumas such as the death of Artax in the Neverending Story (don’t worry kids, I’ve since researched this heavily and the horse did not actually die, but was given to the actor who played Atreyu and died “much much later, living a good life doing horse stuff”). We are so, so happy to have been their wedding photographers and excited to see them and Mr. B again this spring for another portrait session where we don’t have to bring up the Neverending Story again (but we might because remember the rock guy?!). We love you guys! Thank you forever and ever neverending for having us. Isn’t this wedding purdy?

– Date: October 14, 2017
– Ceremony + Reception Venue: Hidden River Events // Swannanoa, NC
– Leila’s Occupation: Public Health
– Colin’s Occupation: PhD
– How You Met: Palestine
– Interesting Fact: I can do a lot of pushups.
– Honeymoon: Maybe Chile.
– Vendor Credits: Officiant – Jeanne Sommer. DJ+Florist+Coordinator – Hidden River Events. Food – Anne’s Custom Catering. Makeup – Jen O’Leary. Hair – Sarah Carpenter.

We met Emily and Taylor for the first time at Abby and Aaron’s wedding we photographed in 2013 in the Outer Banks. Taylor is Abby’s brother. Now we’re friends with Abby and Aaron due to our mutual love of Halloween and our love-bordering-on-obsession of their dog Casey (look at that face), so because we hang out, we’ve also had the opportunity to hang out with Emily and Taylor at Abby’s Halloween parties (when we can recognize them in their costumes, that is). We liked them because they also like Halloween, and because they also like Casey, and because Emily retouches photos for a living so we can complain about mutual editing things. Now we like them even more because they had moss and ferns at their wedding, and Muse as their first dance song, and because they too, like Abby and Aaron, had the amazing Uncle Bill (Abby and Taylor’s uncle who plays Rod Remington on “Glee”) sing at their wedding (he is truly amazingly talented and also hilarious and we might’ve taken a selfie with him). So. It’s settled then. We like them. We’re unsure how they feel about us (jury’s still out since they called our Interesting Fact question “terrible”). But either way they’ll be forced to see us at Abby’s parties and we’ll win them over eventually.

Bride putting on makeup Wedding dress and invitations Groomsman playing pool Groom getting ready Groom getting ready Groom and groomsman Bride getting dress off hanger Bride putting on dress Bride putting on shoes First look Wedding photographs at The Oaks Events Bride and groom at The Oaks Events Wedding venues in Charlotte NC Bride and groom in Charlotte NC The Oaks Events wedding Outdoor wedding venues in Charlotte NC Bride and groom walking Wedding portraits in Charlotte NC Bride and groom at lake Wedding at The Oaks Events Bride and groom in woods Bridal portrait Portrait of groom Bridal portrait Wedding bouquet Wedding ring and birdseed Candid guest shot Moss and succulent wedding decor Wedding guests Groom looking at bride walking down the aisle Bride and father walking down aisle Outdoor wedding venue in Charlotte Moss and fern wedding decor Wedding ceremony at The Oaks Events Exchanging vows Birdcage and moss wedding details Wedding ceremony at The Oaks Events Bride and groom exchanging rings Succulents in wedding decor Wedding ceremony First kiss Wedding recessional Bride and groom walking Bride dancing with father Groom dancing with mother First dance Speeches at wedding Green moss wedding cake Wedding guests Wedding singer Bill A Jones Wedding guest Farm wedding venue with tent Reception tent Wedding reception games Farm wedding near Charlotte Wedding guests on farm Bride and groom cutting the cake Jenga Fail Wedding guests Groom and dad laughing Wedding reception tent lights Wedding guests Wedding guests dancing Wedding guests dancing Wedding guests dancing Wedding guests dancing Wedding guests dancing Wedding guests dancing Wedding guests dancing Wedding guests dancing Wedding reception The Oaks Events Birdseed exit
  • Date: May 30, 2015
  • Ceremony + Reception Site: The Oaks Events // Midland, NC
  • First Dance Song: “Starlight” – Muse
  • Emily’s Occupation: Photo retoucher
  • Taylor’s Occupation: Mobile Paralegal
  • How You Met: Halloween Par-tay! Taylor was the only one at the party to get Emily’s costume (Mia from Pulp Fiction).
  • Interesting Fact: Sincerely spent 30 minutes trying to come up with ‘interesting’ facts about themselves. What a terrible question.
  • Honeymoon: Bali, Indonesia
  • Vendor Credits: Officiant –Uncle Ralph Jones | DJ – CrackerJack | Cake – Delores Holt | Caterer – Concord Union Bistro | Hair – Images Salon | Makeup – Letsgetvamp Makeup | Coordinator – Michelle from The Oaks Events | Wedding Singer – Bill A Jones

Laura+Josh // Married

We first met Laura and Josh online as we Skyped with them from their place in Brooklyn, NY. Later, as the wedding got closer, we met with them on their family’s property where the wedding ceremony would take place. They thought I’d be taller. I thought they’d be taller (even though they were still taller than I am). Geoff’s tallness seemed accurate to everyone. These guys are real and authentic. They knew what was going to be “them,” and what wasn’t. Nixing a first look that they thought would be too staged, they opted rather for just kind of running into each other in the hallway of the house. In lieu of a wedding party, they had a group of friends dubbed The Special Helpers from all parts and periods of their life, but with no assigned clothing choices for the wedding and with all sorts of different assigned tasks (that they preformed amazingly – especially the ones wielding fake swords to guard Laura and Josh after the ceremony). They wanted a wedding with their close-knit family and friends involved. Many people played a special part, and the wedding was all about family and community.

Josh’s dad is a Rabbi and, strangely enough, was Laura’s childhood Rabbi despite her not ever meeting Josh until much later, in New York, and online. It’s kind of amazing to see that whole storyline come full circle with Josh’s parents discussing what she was like when she was a little girl at the wedding reception of their son. There was a ton of joy, a lot of laughter, and even (my favorite) Locopops. :) We were so thankful to be able to a part of Laura+Josh’s wedding!

Date: August 17, 2014

Ceremony Venue: Private Residence // Chapel Hill, NC

Reception Venue: Judea Reform Congregation // Durham, NC

Laura’s Occupation:  Dancer, dance/yoga teacher for kids and adults, and a graduate student in Education.

Josh’s Occupation: PhD student in Anthropology and Jewish Studies at U Michigan

How You Met: OkCupid in Brooklyn…but it turned out that Josh’s dad was Laura’s childhood rabbi!

Vendor Credits: Officiant – Rabbi John Friedman | DJ – Harren Hunicutt | Florist – Heather Cook | Dessert – Locopops | Caterer – Boxcarr Farms (Austin and Dani) | Hair – Malinda Crump | Makeup – Nikki Johnson | Coordinator – Shind!gs (Heather Cook) | Photobooth – Celebration Photobooth (Paul Syros) | Sound for Ceremony – Brian Pate Entertainment | Dishware – China Dolls | Rentals – American Party Rentals