First Wedding of 2008: Valerie and Lionel

Valerie and Lionel actually married some years ago in Las Vegas. Lucky for us, we got to be there when they renewed their vows. Couples like Valerie and Lionel, their friends and family (including their three handsome sons)  and celebrations like the one they threw in Durham on February 23rd are the reasons why I love my job! We had so much fun and there were lots of great moments to capture.

Valerie's wedding shoes were amazing! If you read this blog often, you know how I love to photograph wedding shoes. I know it's partly because I don't ever get to wear really awesome shoes anymore (there's no way I could work in heels). Yes, I'm living vicariously through my clients...sad but true! Talk about some fierce high heels...

Her dress was equally gorgeous. I loved all the embroidery and special details like the brooch at the waist.  When I photograph a dress, I like to try to make it look almost other-worldly...after all,  it's no ordinary dress. Hanging the dress in a window so that the light passes through it is one of my favorite ways to showcase it.

The amazing Theresa Edwards of A More Beautiful You (email: amorebeautifulu@yahoo.com) did Valerie's hair and make-up. (More on Theresa in a soon-to-follow post).  I'm a huge proponent of having your make-up done by a professional on your wedding day.  A good make-up artist knows how to highlight your features so that they really pop in photographs.  I thought Valerie was absolutely stunning.

Lionel is a dentist with a thriving practice in Durham.  A long-time resident, Lionel's a champion of the Bull City.  Lionel and his sons got dressed for the wedding at the Durham Marriott which is near a plaza featuring a huge bull sculpture, so Frank grabbed this shot of him before the limo arrived.

Before the ceremony, we all headed over to Duke Gardens for photographs. I love shooting at Duke Gardens and typically, anytime of the year you can find something blooming, but strict water restrictions because of the drought we're experiencing in North Carolina are really affecting the plant life. Luckily, the redbuds (at least, I think that's what they were) were blooming, so we were able to use those to add some color to the images. Before leaving the house, I'd asked Valerie if she thought Lionel was going to get her a new wedding ring. She responded, "You never know with Lionel -- he's always planning something!" Sure enough, he pulled me aside when she wasn't looking to show me a gorgeous new diamond. Here's a shot of her reaction when her husband got down on one knee to present it to her.

I was able to get a closer shot of all three rings at the church.

Valerie and Lionel have three sons who each played an important part in the ceremony. The youngest served as the ring bearer, while the middle son carried a special family bible. The oldest son had the privilege of escorting his mom.  I love this shot of Lionel as Valerie made her way down the aisle towards him...

...and the Nelson sons outside the church after the ceremony.

Back at the Durham Marriott, the guests were greeted by this cool ice sculpture featuring the iconic Love Story logo:

The first dance obviously involved some rehearsing and the couple pulled it off beautifully. Here's the bride, mid-twirl:

After dinner, many heart-felt toasts and the cutting of a delicious sweet-potato wedding cake, the party truly got underway. The reception is one of my favorite parts of the day to photograph.  DJ Jeff Simpson with Simpsound Productions did a great job as Master of Ceremonies and spin-master. Lionel picked out over 14 hours of music for the reception and it was all phenomenal. Frank loved it -- I caught him more than once out on the dance floor, camera in hand, dancing while shooting! You know you've got a good job when you can dance at work and no one says anything about it!

Another service Jeff provides is room lighting, which is such a nice touch. Since lavender was the color the couple chose for the wedding, he placed lavender up lights around the periphery of the room. I love how the light influenced the look and feel of the reception photos. Little touches like this can go a long way in making a wedding unique. I'm a big believer in the value of using a wedding planner as Valerie and Lionel did, choosing planner Tracy Adams of Adams and Events to take care of all the big items and small details that have to be crossed off the master list of wedding-related tasks. I wish more couples would budget for planners. I think there's a mistaken impression that planners are an extravagance or that only high-budget weddings need a planner. In fact, most planners have packages structured much like other wedding vendors so that you can tailor how much involvement they have in the planning of your wedding. Plus, they can be a great resource for money-saving ideas. Even just having someone around on the Day Of to make sure everything runs smoothly takes the weight off the bride and groom and any family members they may have "recruited" as the unofficial wedding planner. You and your family should be able to relax and enjoy every moment of the day. Hiring a wedding planner is such a smart use of a portion of your wedding-day budget and can be more affordable than you might think. (This ends the Wedding Planner endorsement portion of the blog post and Tracy, I expect my kick-back in the mail this week.)

OK, off my soap-box and back to Lionel and Valerie. Remember those fierce shoes with the killer stilettos earlier in the blog? Well, eventually, they had to go. Check out the comfy pair Valerie donned at the end of the night!

What a great way to begin a very busy wedding season. For more images, check out the slide show here. Valerie and Lionel, we wish you many, many more years of happiness!