Whitney & TJ

This is going to be a marathon post, so sit back, grab a cocktail (or hot chocolate) and relax.  This was one of my favorite weddings of 2007 and I've got lots to share...

Whitney and TJ were married on December 22, 2007 at 111 Place  in Cary, NC.  I met Whitney and her mom Jan (my first VIP: Jan's the mayor of Morrisville) at the Bridal Show  back in August. Whitney is so adorable and has such a great personality, I knew I was going to just love working with her. Whitney was working on finishing her degree in Math at NC State and planning a wedding, all while being apart from TJ, who was stationed in the Air Force in California. He wasn't able to make it back to NC over Thanksgiving, which was when we hoped to do their engagement shoot, so I didn't get to meet him until the rehearsal dinner. I have a soft spot for servicemen and it ain't just the uniform...I think it's cause my nephew served in Iraq last year.  Here's TJ at the rehearsal.

On the morning of her wedding, I met Whitney, her sister and maid-of-honor Wynter and mom Jan at Salon Kroma  in Cary for her hair and make-up time.  It's so worthwhile to have a professional do your make-up for your wedding -- the pros know you need more make-up than you would usually wear to look great in photos and know how to apply it so you still look naturally beautiful.

After the salon and lunch, the ladies headed to 111 Place to get ready for the wedding. Whitney loves Chik-fil-A, so of course, there was a big ol' nugget tray in the room where she dressed. I should have gotten a shot of that, but I didn't, so Whitney's bridal shoes will have to do...one day I am going to do an album of just brides' shoes! Love the reflection of the shoes in the granite.

Even though it was late December and not much was in bloom, we were still able to get some beautiful images of Whitney in her dress out on the terrace of 111 Place. Give me some green trees in the background and I can make it work! Whitney's the third bride I've had in a row who chose red roses for her bouquet.  I never get tired of photographing roses. Whitney looked amazing!

Funny thing about the roses...Whitney and her mom ordered them from an on-line wholesaler. The week before the wedding, they still had not received confirmation of their order even after calling, emailing, faxing...you name it, anything to find out if the roses were actually being shipped in time.  Panicking a little, they began scouring the area with the help of her amazing wedding coordinator and aunt, Diane Cowan, for substitutes in case the others never materialized. The same day (Thursday before the wedding) they found a florist who could get the roses they needed for the wedding and reception decorating, guess what arrived...the roses from the Internet. So the whole place was just filled with red roses and absolutely gorgeous! Here's another shot of Whitney and her roses.

Whitney and TJ were great about giving me a list of specific photos they wanted. Here's one of their ceremony program.

I really love shooting in non-traditional venues. The freedom to move around and not be relegated to the back  is so gratifying. It also helps when the couple is so enthusiastic about their pictures that they say you can be "this close" (imagine Whitney miming holding a camera right beside her cheek). I try really hard not to be a distraction when I'm working. I find most guests are pretty familiar with the role of the photographer and quickly forget about me. I wish more churches realized that. Now I will get off my soapbox and continue on with the post. To illustrate, here's a shot of the kiss from the back of the venue:

and the same shot from the front. Which do you like better?

That's TJ's dad Steve beaming in the background. That's another cool thing about being up front: reaction shots of family and friends! Whitney told Wynter, Jan and Diane that she thought it would be so cool if the couple's first kiss could be under mistletoe, but couldn't figure out how to make it work. So, unbeknownst to the bride, the three put their heads together and came up with a plan to suspend a kissing ball of mistletoe on a rod and have Wynter bring it out at the last minute once the minister pronounced them husband and wife. How awesome is that?

The reception was held at 111 Place too, so we had a little more time to shoot couple photos since the bride and groom wouldn't have to travel to get to their party.  Here are two of my favorites.

One of my favorite area DJs, Ron K. Smith , did a great job with music for the reception. Here, Whitney and TJ kick off the festivities with their first dance.

The father/daughter dance was sweet and emotional. The day after Christmas, Whitney would be heading cross-country to make a home with TJ in California.  She's really close to her mom and sister, so needless to say, the tears were flowing. Although Jan does look a little happy...and she's looking at Wynter like, "You're next, kid and then I'm free -- free I tell you!" (Maybe that's just what I might be thinking after raising two daughters -- one might get the best of me yet.)

After a very spirited cake-cutting, the party really got started. And boy, what a party. When I got home that night, my cheeks hurt from smiling so much!

Whitney's dad did a great James "Kiss Myself - Huh!" Brown impression on the dance floor. Or maybe he just got caterer Greg Lewis's  bill! (It was worth it -- the food was fantastic.)

I love meeting the families of my clients. There were three sets of grandparents in attendance and all of them were so fun. Here's one grandmother, burning up the dance floor to "Come On (Ride the Train)!

TJ and friends in a less rowdy moment...

This post is getting really long, so I'll wrap it up with a few more shots. If you read this blog regularly, you know how I feel about the sparklers...oy vey, the sparklers! (I'll admit it is hard to beat them for drama.)

After the send-off, I followed the couple over to the The Umstead , this area's newest chi-chi hotel. I love this last shot made right before I called it a night...a very fun night!

Whitney and TJ, we enjoyed every minute of your wedding day. Thanks so much for letting us be a part of it!

View the slide show here.