I traveled to The Cliffs at Glassy near Travelers Rest, S.C. on April 17, 2010 to photograph the wedding of Dr. David Kallman and Leanne Sagedy.   I wanted to share a few of my favorite images from their beautiful wedding day.  Enjoy!

A gift from the groom!

The groom

I have photographed quite a few weddings at this venue over the years and I think this was the clearest view I've ever seen from the chapel.

"Queen of the Cliffs"

It's pouring petals!

I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding of Rachel Mertz and Daniel King at the Biltmore Estate on June 20, 2009.  It has been previously featured on Style Me Pretty’s Little Black Book blog (http://www.stylemepretty.com/2009/09/22/north-carolina-wedding-at-the-biltmore/).   SMP did a great job of highlighting a lot of the details from their wedding.  But I’ve been meaning to revisit this wedding on my blog in an effort to emphasize the talented team of photographers (and friends)  I was able to bring together for Rachel and Dan’s wedding and to give credit to some of talented wedding vendors whose efforts may not have been recognized in SMP’s write-up.

I had an amazing crew for the eight hours or so that we shot the day of the wedding.   Kelly Cubbin was my associate shooter, and Jenny Trest and Daniel Taylor assisted us and shot a bit when time permitted.  Kelly got her start as wedding photographer in Chicago working with wedding photographer,  Emily Dewan.  When not behind the camera,  she also does marketing for my good friend Steven McBride and  owns Appalachian Craft Brewery with her husband Andy.  If you need beer for your wedding reception or rehearsal dinner she would be the perfect person to contact.   Daniel is a photographer, McBride’s  first assistant and “studio” manager,  and a Photoshop guru.  He has assisted me and a variety of other photographers over the years.  Jenny is a wonderful photographer specializing in pet photography (especially dogs) and also works as a freelance assistant and is now getting her nursing degree while still doing photography on the side!  Go Jenny!  Cory Barlow, my regular assistant, was out of town the weekend of the wedding, but upon his return was  invaluable in the post-production of the final images.  If you know of anyone in the need of assistance with digital workflow, digital retouching, photo assisting on assignments, someone to build you a computer from bare bones, or are in the market for some incredible fine-art photography feel free to contact him directly or visit his website.  You would be hard-pressed to find such great people to surround yourself with.  Just ask Rachel and Dan!

For the majority of the weddings I shoot I am the exclusive photographer and usually bring one assistant who helps me with lighting, dowloading and managing image files, and every once in awhile provides additional photography.   But there are times when my wedding clients want two photographers to capture their wedding day.  Usually this is requested because of the size and scope of the wedding or because of the logistics of where the bride and groom are getting ready or where they need to be at different times. This was the case with Rachel and Dan.  I was able to provide two photographers and two assistants.    I started photographing Rachel and her contingent at the Residences at Biltmore while Kelly met the guys at a different hotel, stopping in Biltmore Village at one of the fanciest McDonald’s you are likely to see (this McDonald’s has a grand piano and tapestries on the wall), before heading onto the Estate.  When I arrived at the hotel, Scott Thompson, make-up artist extraordinaire and all-around great guy (check out his new shop called MakeUp in the Grove Arcade and Sante, a  wine bar that he co-owns with some other great folks) was already busy at work!  His work speaks for itself.

Nicole Riley, wedding coordinator at Verge Events and Nicole Bloom, Senior Catering Sales Manager at the Biltmore Estate, did an amazing job bringing all the design elements together for both the ceremony and  the reception at Deerpark.  They were exceptionally organized and professional as their wedding coordinators.  I know that Rachel and Dan were so grateful that Nicole Riley encouraged them to get away during the cocktail hour to get shots in front of the Biltmore House.  As strange as it may sound, even though I was there snapping away with my camera, the mini-portrait session during the cocktail hour afforded them time to be with one another and catch a breather before rejoining the guests for the reception back at Deerpark.   I think their personalities and love for one another really shine in those photos!

Audrey Kirsch and her team from Blossoms at Biltmore Park created exquisite bouquets, flower arrangements, table arrangements, and other décor details.  Green Kangaroo provided the stationery that was used on all the tables (table cards, menu, invitations, etc.).  Again, you can see more samples of the flowers and stationery on the SMP Little Black Book blog that I provided a link to earlier.

If I’ve overlooked the efforts of other vendors please don’t hesitate to email me and I’ll give you a shout out!

Again, thanks to everyone!  If you are planning a large, complex wedding at the Biltmore Estate or anywhere else for that matter, be assured that I have the experience, the resources, and the “team” to get the best images possible at your wedding!

Carmen Schulte and Kyle Sheppard were married in September 2009 at Land’s Creek Log Cabins in Bryson City, NC.  Carmen’s mom, Phyllis, was invaluable in her efforts to organize such a beautiful destination wedding from her home outside St. Louis, Missouri.  She was both the wedding coordinator and florist.  Robin and Sue Fronrath, owner’s of Land’s Creek Log Cabins were also very helpful in helping Carmen and Kyle realize their vision for the perfect mountain wedding.

Robin and Sue rent out a variety of cabins creek-side and in the higher elevations with views of the Nantahala National Park and Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  They are located near tons of outdoor activities including rafting, tubing, hiking, fishing, and golf.  And if you are musician they also own and operate Land Creek Studios, a recording studio that you can rent on-site.  Talk about a great place for a couple to make beautiful music together, figuratively and literally!

Carmen wore a beautiful dress by Galina.  The officiant was Reverend David Russell.  He also performed music during the ceremony and reception with his band Bean Sidhe (pronounced bah-shee) Celtic Ensemble.   Food for the reception was catered by Pasqualino’s Italian Restaurant.  The cake was made by Samantha Parris.   Robin and Sue will be happy to provide referrals to local vendors in the Bryson City area.

Reverend David Russell officiated a beautiful ceremony

Carmen was gorgeous in her wedding dress by Galina.

Rev. Russell also provided music with his Celtic band, Bean Sidhe Celtic Ensemble.

I had a great time photographing this very beautiful and laid back wedding!  Thanks to everyone who contributed!

For my first blog post I wanted to feature a few of my favorite images from a wedding portrait session I did for Hailey Thomas and Daniel Vaught at Mountain Air Country Club in Burnsville, NC and the wedding that followed three weeks later at Ocean Isle Beach, NC on April 25, 2009.  Hailey, Dan, and their parents were great and I loved the fact that we did the portraits here in the mountains of western North Carolina just northeast of Asheville, NC and then 3 weeks later did a very fun, casually elegant wedding at a big beach house on a beautiful day in Ocean Isle Beach just south of Wilmington.

One of the many things I loved about photographing this wedding was the fact that this was the fourth wedding I’ve done for this extended family. Caroline Cort is Elaine’s cousin and I was the photographer for three of her daughters’ (Lisa, Heidi, and Gretchen) weddings. Two were in Burnsville, NC and the other was at the Graylyn Conference Center in Winston-Salem, NC. It is very satisfying when a rapport and a trust is established with a family and exciting to know that the images I make will be cherished by their families for years to come.

Also of note, Elaine ordered a gallery wrap of her favorite image of Hailey from the portrait session and displayed it at the wedding. Gallery wraps, which are images printed on canvas and wrapped around wooden strecther bars, give the photos a painterly feel and also add a three-dimensional quality that I really like.   I have used this technique for my Look Up Asheville book project photo exhibits and will be doing more of these in the future.  There are also a variety of other enlargement and framing options available.  Just contact me for ideas.

Anyway, these are just a few images Hailey and Dan’s portrait session and wedding.  I will be adding a more complete collection of their final wedding images soon.  In the meantime I hope you enjoy these teasers!

Portrait of Hailey and Daniel in early April 2009  at Mountain Air Country Club overlooking Burnsville, NC.  This shot was taken just to the left of MACC’s private runway and it was a few weeks before the flowers started blooming since the elevation is at 4900 feet.  In fact, Mountain Air Country Club has the highest elevation for any private runway East of the Mississippi River.  It’s a gorgeous place with spectacular views.

Hailey and Daniel with their new pocket beagle.  It slept in Daniel’s pocket for part of this portrait session.  Ridiculously cute!

Old Cabin at Mountain Air Country Club

Hailey and Dan at Ocean Isle Beach on their wedding day!

A groomsman overcome with emotion…and gracefulness!

I never get tired of the wedding day jump shot.  Check out this link to a masterful photographer, Philippe Halsman, who popularized the jump portrait in his book “Philippe Halsmans’s Jump Book“.  He coined the term “jumpology” and thought that individuals in the act of jumping revealed more of their true personality than in a static portrait.  At the very least it allows for expression, lightheartedness, and a bit of stress release which is crucial for any wedding day!

Hailey and Dan just married!

For the fashionistas out there, Hailey is wearing a dress by Maggie Soturo and Daniel is wearing a suit by Perry Ellis.

First dances at the beach house

Hailey dancing with her dad, Daniel dancing with his mom, and Elaine dancing with a guest. I love the emotion in this shot.

Let the party begin!