Jonathan and Jamye

Sunday was such an incredible treat for me.

I had the pleasure of following around a beautiful bride for the better part of the day.

Jamye was such a sweet lady to be around. Her disposition was always filled with a beautiful smile and she has such a gentle, easy-going turn with everyone she comes in contact with. Must be why Jonathan surprised her with a little wedding gift early in the day.

Nicely done, Jonathan.

It is so refreshing to see a couple so undeniably taken with each other.

Who knew Cape Fear Botanical Gardens were even around, let alone so pristine and beautiful?

The infamous "dip kiss".....

I don't recall ever having the guys to pack such a photo session punch.

What a hoot to work with.

I mean, really..... who would think up a pyramid and have such fun posing?

And, what about a football team of groomsmen?

Jayme - a country gal at heart, looked at home on a Massey Ferguson parked right smack in front of a tobacco barn.

Thanks, Jayme and Jonathan.

You filled my day with many smiles and warm fuzzies.

May the rest of you days be filled with giving each other more of the same.

LITTLE MUMMY

Yep, this is what happens when you study Ancient Egypt with your children.....

and then go to Walmart at the end of summer when they are already getting Halloween costumes lined up in the lawn and garden center.

This little stinker got the biggest kick out of scaring the daylights out of his mother. Not only did he come into the schoolroom while I was vacuuming, but then commenced to chase me outside - all the while holding those little brown arms out towards me, never breaking the hint of a smile, and never taking his chinquipin eyes off of me.

Ah, but then he turned around, and after taking in a good view of his rear, I realized that I was dealing only with a "mummy-wanna-be", dressed in Scooby-Doo underwear.

Whew!! That was a relief.

Haley

Haley- a senior at Harrell's Christian Academy.

We met for the first time the day of her senior shoot.

Immediately I discovered that Haley is a very special lady with lots of talent,

especially in modeling.

I hardly had to do a thing except press the shutter.

She wants to be a lawyer, but I think she's model quality.

Pretty inside and pretty outside.

Great qualities for both a lawyer AND a model.

Congratulations, Haley.

May God bless you each step of the way.

Candace and Jared

There are some people who are a part of your life for a time, then seem to disappear for a while, but when you are reunited with those people it's just as if no time has ever lapsed.

That's how it is with the sweet family I got to celebrate with this past weekend.

The Stroupe/Edwards Family has long been some of my most favorite people in the whole world. And I got to hang out with them just about the whole weekend as their youngest daughter, Candace got married.

Not only did she and Jared invite me to capture their day, but they enjoyed their gorgeous mountain wedding day at one of my most all-time favorite places in the entire universe:

Mars Hill College!!!

Barry and I both attended Mars Hill, but that's not the kicker.

We got married and I promised that man of mine an awful lot of things (albeit almost 20 years ago) at Broyhill Chapel on the campus of MHC - the same exact place where Candace and Jared shared vows.
Isn't the chapel just gorgeous? ~sigh~ By the way, it's awfully hard to take pictures with tears streaming down your face. The camera slips, slides, gets all salty, and provides a large distraction between "clicks" and "sniffling".
And, of course, the family holds a special place in my heart because their passions so clearly mirror mine: adoption.
Yannick is brother to Sarah and Lucy, all from Liberia.
They, along with Jessica and Hannah, are all cousins of the bride.
Their mom and dad? Well, let's just say that Dan and Jackie are the type of friends that everyone should have.






Poor Bill, father of the bride, was if for quite a surprise when, as he gave his youngest daughter "away", the song, "I Loved Her First" began streaming through the chapel (courtesy of Dan and his unbelievable musical talent). See why my camera is still coated with salt???
And, of course, Katie was delighted to actually see someone with curly hair just like her own, be able to control it on their wedding day.
Honestly, how many brides to you know that can simply finger curl a couple of locks and be ready to walk down the aisle???

And, every bride should have a little energy boost of Red #40 jello before they say their vows. Nice idea, Debra.

And, of course, the wedding day wouldn't be right without a couple of smoochey photos, would it?

Congratulations, Candace and Jared.

I can't tell you what a joy and pleasure it was to share in your special day.

Win????? Pleeeeaaaaasssseeee??????

I love learning from other photographers. As a matter of fact, I could spend the better part of a day perusing tips, ideas, and just generally snooping on other photographers websites, blogs, and even old-fashioned books. I recently bought a book full of nothing but photographs of Latin America. Yes, I was somewhat disappointed to find only 2 pictures of Guatemala, but oh so thrilled to find hundreds of pics of a beautiful land that I love, blown to 11x14, all bound in a hard cover book, ready for me to ponder over and over and over. Anyway, that aside, I entered a little contest to win a book written solely for the purpose of sharing photographic techniques, tips, post-processing, etc.... I'm so excited!!! Take a peek here to see this dynamic little gem for yourself.....

http://www.mcpactions.com/blog/2010/08/19/contest-win-the-nitty-gritty-photography-e-book/

Aaron Ray and Michelle

A few weeks ago, I had a double-whammy treat:

A gorgeous wedding to shoot with the very folks who bought our house in the mountains AND a trip to the aforementioned mountains!!!!

Aaron Ray and Michelle are two of the most organized folks I have EVER met!!

Their wedding was perfectly thought out and incredibly clever in all aspects.

After a sweet sleepover night with all of her TEN (yes, you read that right!!) bridesmaids, Michelle had plenty of help getting ready to walk down the aisle....

She had plenty of help getting to and fro in a gorgeous, but very heavy, wedding dress.
And, can you say UNBELIEVABLE scenery????


Mother-Daughter moments on your wedding day are some you NEVER forget.

Nor do you forget those that have helped to make you who you are....

who have helped to make you the object of someone else's affections.

And when that someone plans a surprise with only you in mind, it's sure to knock your socks off.... Guess what? This is one of those surprises!!!!

SURPRISE, Michelle!!!!!

Your fella really pulled out the big guns to get these shots for you ~

enjoy.....

I had absolutely NO idea this place existed, even though it's less than 6 or 7 miles from the house we built. It's called the "natural dam", and I was in utter amazement when we pulled up to a clearing in the woods and my eyes beheld such beauty.

Aaron Ray had worked it out so that ALL the guys could meet at this really cool spot, shed their shoes, roll up their fancy britches, and get a little wet.

Just so ya know Aaron, she's gonna love that you went the extra mile for her.

Keep it up....

Yes, there are LOTS more photos.....

Yes, they are just as sweet and unforgettable as the few above....

but, No.... there are no more to view tonight.

You'll just have to come back to see me again to see some more!!!

Congratulations, Michelle and Aaron Ray.

Enjoy what God has given you -

it's apparent He had each of you in mind for the other when He started.