Alright, I admit it, I cry at weddings. What a cliche, right? But it's true. And typically the waterworks will start during the Father/Daughter dance. So in honor of Father's Day, I thought I'd pay tribute to all those dads out there who've given us beautiful brides to photograph over the years by highlighting some of my favorite shots from Father/Daughter dances. Here you go. Try not to tear up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(and I have to throw this one in as a counter-point to the sweet one above -- love the expression on Patricia's dad's face as he dances with her!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quite often, the song that's played most frequently during the Father/Daughter dance is Heartland's "I Loved Her First." I always, always get chills when I watch a father dance with his daughter while this song plays in the background. I thought I'd share the lyrics. You can also hear the song on Youtube here.

 

Look at the two of you dancing that way
Lost in the moment and each others face
So much in love your alone in this place
Like there's nobody else in the world
I was enough for her not long ago
I was her number one
She told me so
And she still means the world to me
Just so you know
So be careful when you hold my girl
Time changes everything
Life must go on
And I'm not gonna stand in your way

But I loved her first and I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she'd find you someday
But it still hard to give her away
I loved her first

How could that beautiful women with you
Be the same freckle face kid that I knew
The one that I read all those fairy tales to
And tucked into bed all those nights
And I knew the first time I saw you with her
It was only a matter of time

But I loved her first and I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she'd find you someday
But its still hard to give her away
I loved her first

From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
Someday you might know what I'm going through
When a miracle smiles up at you
I loved her first

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to Marla and Dan who were married at Duke Gardens this May. The sunshine-filled wedding day began with the bride and bridesmaids getting ready together in a suite at the Millennium Hotel in Durham. This is always a fun part of the day for me. I loved the detail on Marla's dress and thought the bridemaids' dresses were some of the prettiest I've seen recently. Those bows were adorable -- thank goodness Marla's mom was on hand to help tie them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the engagement session, I knew I was going to love photographing Marla in all her wedding finery. She was absolutely radiant.

 

 

 

 

 

One of the great things about having two photographers is that while I was at the hotel photographing Marla and her bridesmaids, Frank was at Dan's parents' home, photographing the groom with his family. Then he followed the groomsmen over to the gardens to get ready for the ceremony.

 

 

 

 

 

As soon as we got the word that the groom was on his way to the gardens, Marla and her bridesmaids went to Dan's parents' home too,

to honor a request by his mom for portraits on the stairs.

Beautiful surroundings, beautiful light and beautiful girls. Sometimes I wonder how we get so lucky!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wedding days always fly by so quickly. Before long, the ceremony was underway at the pergola in the terraced gardens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After photos at the gardens, we made our way back to the Millennium Hotel for the reception. While Frank was covering cocktail hour,

I was inside the ballroom, grabbing some detail shots, including floral designs by Floral Dimensions and yet another beautiful cake by the always-fabulous

Lorie at Simply Cakes. Have I said yet how much I love this color combination? If not, let me say it now: purple and blue is gorgeous!

 

 

 

 

 

Dan's parents are champion ballroom-dancers, so naturally, the First Dance was going to be special. Marla and Dan worked hard to master the intricate footwork.

If it's possible to rock a waltz, they absolutely did (or was it a tango?). I know Dan's mom and dad are so proud!

 

 

 

 

 

 L-O-V-E.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't think I ever really gave much thought to the importance of having a great DJ until I became a wedding photographer. Troy Coghill did a fantastic job keeping everyone dancing all evening.

We love it when people have a great time; it makes our jobs that much more fun.

 

 

 

 

 

Dan and Marla, thanks for allowing us to celebrate your wedding day with you, your family and friends. We wish you a lifetime of love and happiness!

 

 

 

 

P.S. I'm trying some new blog templates; let me know what you think!

Wedding photography has been my full-time job since 2006. Before I was a wedding photographer, I specialized in portraits of babies, children and families. When asked if I photographed weddings, my answer was always an emphatic "No!" Too much pressure, too much stress…too important. I didn't think I was up to the monumental task of capturing all the things that a wedding photographer is tasked with: details, action, reaction, emotion and iconic moments in the life of a family. It was challenging enough getting a two-year old to stay still long enough to get a great shot. I knew if I really messed it up, I could re-shoot. But weddings?? A one-shot deal? No way, no how.

But then, something happened. My grandmother decided to remarry. And she asked me to photograph her wedding. I was terrified. But how do you say "no" to your grandmother? I couldn't.

So I read everything I could about wedding photography. I talked to photographers I knew who shot weddings, taking notes furiously. In the weeks leading up to my grandmother's wedding, I tested and re-tested my equipment. I practiced stopping motion. I played "what if?" long into the night. "What if" my camera broke? (I'd use my back-up.) What if the light in the church was horrible and I couldn't use my flash? (I'd make my camera as sensitive to light as I could with a high ISO…and pray.) What if I missed the kiss? (I couldn't even think about it.) What if my grandmother hated the pictures? (Was I crazy? She was my grandmother. She was going to love anything I did).

I don't remember much about the actual wedding, but I'll never forget my grandmother's face when I gave her the proofs. She cried. I cried. She told me I'd made her look beautiful. I told her she was beautiful, no matter what I did. And just like that, I was in love…with wedding photography.

It took quite a while (three years, actually) before I could make the leap to photographing weddings full-time. For the first year, with Frank's help, I worked like a madwoman. We shot 30 weddings our first year in business at ridiculously low prices. If I'd known then what I know now about the amount of time, energy and  resources (of both the financial and emotional variety) it would take to shoot and fulfill those 30 weddings, I would have known to triple what I was asking for.  I made next to no money that first year. But those 30 weddings reinforced what I suspected was true after shooting my grandmother's wedding: this is a deeply fulfilling job.

And one that is often really, really hard work.

Anyone reading this who thinks it must be fun to be a wedding photographer  -- you're right. It is fun. It is also pressure-filled, emotional, stressful, often frustrating and at times, maddening. The actual "fun" part -- the act of photographing someone or something -- is only a small part of what I do each week. The rest is all business: marketing, accounting, record-keeping. Shipping. Answering emails. Over-seeing the production of albums and coffee-table books, prints and canvases. I do more "project management" now than when I was employed by an advertising agency as a Project Manager.

 

Wedding photography is also an expensive business. While the cost to hang out your shingle as a photographer is fairly low compared to, say, opening a restaurant, the costs to build and maintain a successful business are high. The hours are odd and long. Best time to photograph outdoors? Sunrise and sunset. And honestly, the next person who asks me if it's great to only have to work one day a week is going to get clocked. The cost of heirloom-quality products is high. I believe we've become a society that is satisfied with "good enough." We've become used to stuff wearing out, breaking down, going bad. When that happens, we throw it away and go get another one. I've chosen to be a part of an industry that places a high value on things that last. Things whose value increases with each passing year.  Ken Luallen, a photographer I greatly admire, says that what he does is more than taking pretty pictures of a couples' "Big Day." Instead, he creates a tangible reminder of the day two people promised, come hell or high water and damn the divorce rate, that they would stay true to each other. He's giving them something that they can hold in their hands, show their children and say, "See this? This is the day we became a family."

That's an idea that really resonates for me. But. I'd be lying if I wrote that the pressure doesn't weigh me down like an anchor some days. It's my clients who bring me back up. Every little note, every email, every Facebook wall post that tells me I've done a good job is so sweet.  Sweet as in precious. Highly desired, greatly appreciated.

Some weddings are easy. Some are not. Some weddings I have all the time I need to create the kind of photographs that have grace and beauty and will be valued, not just today or tomorrow, but in 50 years. Some days I barely have enough time to squeeze off a full-length portrait of the bride and groom before it's time to rush to the reception (guess which days are my favorites?). I feel such deep gratitude to and affection for the couples who grant us the privilege of documenting their weddings. With every anniversary, every new baby, I celebrate with you. It gives me such happiness to be able to look back at each wedding, remember and say, "See that? That's the day they became a family. And I got to photograph it." 

 

There's a corner of my heart set aside for couples who get married at the Carolina Inn because that's where Frank and I got married years and years ago. It's such a special place for us. Anytime we get to shoot there, it is always a pleasure. And when we have clients like Stephanie and Scott, we're just in seventh heaven. The inn was the busiest I've ever seen it -- two weddings, a prom and a good-size corporate party all going on more or less at once, but the staff was on top of everything, even when the threat of rain forced some last-minute reconfiguring of spaces. So while things were hopping downstairs, the atmosphere upstairs where Stephanie and her bridesmaids got dressed was much more relaxed.

 

 

 

 

In true Carolina Girl fashion, Stephanie choose the perfect shade of blue for her eight bridesmaids' dresses.

 

 

 

 

 

What would a wedding be without giggly flower girls...

 

 

 

 

...and a reluctant ring bearer?

 

 

 

 

Love these two shots of the couple with their grandmothers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quite the color-coordinated (and good-looking) wedding party, right?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rachel Hamm and her team at Bliss by Sam did a great job of coordinating the ceremony. Here's the wedding party lined up, ready to go.

I think we were all holding our breath, hoping that the rain that was threatening to pour would hold off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It did.  :)

 

 

 

 

Best. Recessional. Ever.  I couldn't pick a favorite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had just enough time for a few couple portraits and the wedding party shots before the rain poured down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A sampling of all the Carolina Blue and orange-accented details, featuring another edible work of art by the always-amazing Lorie at Simply Cakes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jason at Island Sound did a great job keeping everyone on their feet all night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephanie and Scott welcomed quite a few kids to the reception. I think they had as much fun as the adults did. Who doesn't love the Casper Slide (Part 2)?

 

 

 

 

 

Ah...so inspiring to see the older generation passing along dance tips to the whipper-snappers.

 

 

 

 

I think he's got it.

 

 

 

 

So does the flower girl...

 

 

 

 

 

until a nap calls.

 

 

 

 

 

Last dance.

 

 

 

 

 

Whether it's walking down an aisle or making their grand exit from the reception, Stephanie and Scott are one couple who really know how to make an exit!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephanie and Scott, thanks for letting us share your amazing wedding day!

For Becky and John's engagement session, we traveled to Wendell, the little town on the outskirts of the Triangle where Becky grew up. I love exploring and shooting in these small towns; you never know what you'll find! Becky and John were so fun and easy to photograph. Obviously, our cameras love them almost as much as they love each other. We're looking forward to Becky's bridal portrait session this week and the wedding in July. Here are just of few of the many images that made the "favorites" list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guess what day they're getting married?

 

 

 

 

Becky has the best smile. She just lights up when she's with John.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I loved the color of Becky's dress. When I saw this teal-ish door, I knew I had to have a shot of them in front of it, loose bricks and all.