smitten photography

THE NEW YEAR + THE NEWWWW BLOG!!!!

its here.

there is nothing more to say than thank you for reading this blog and i hope you enjoy the new one so much :) 

this blog will stay put as a link from the new blog since it has almost 2 years worth of memories on it!  but, spread the word, make note of the new address for your blog reader, hold on to your socks and click here to see the new & improved look of smitten photography!!!

http://www.smittenphotographyblog.com

:)

winter bride.

you'd never know by the looks of this amazingly-out-of-control bridal session that it was 39 degrees during our shoot!  i have dearly missed having beautiful smitten brides in front of my camera for the past couple months & catherine was so drop dead gorgeous and natural that it made for a fun return to wedding shooting!  also, in the last photo of this post you can see a hint of something fun that i'm working on with my favorite production company to add some flavor to my new blog!   its just a matter of days before the images you see from me are BIGGER and BETTER than ever :)

i'm off to shoot catherine and bill's engagement shoot right now since their january wedding is right around the corner - so enjoy lots of my favorites...

this was the third shot of the day - way to start of with a bang :)  i knew things were gonna be good, but i had no idea just how good they'd be...

i really have so many favorites that i cannot narrow down just one.  basically all of the photos you see below are off the charts of catherine and show not only her beauty, but her fun-loving spirit, as well.  i simply cannot wait to be part of her wedding in a month!!

and finally, look behind catherine's shoulder and see my friend kevin of techinc productions {whose wedding i'm shooting next year!} and drool a little about what he's in the process of creating for me :)

sarah + brandon wedding

my last wedding of 2008...

was one for the record books - after sleeping for 4 hours the night before, i got up, drove to tennessee, shot for 10 hours AND drove home the same night!   i always have an adrenaline rush after photographing weddings {  because i love what i do and have the best job in the world :) } and sarah & brandon's wedding sure did have me pumped up when i left!  in fact, the party went on for a while longer thanks to the coveralls & the fact that the maple grove inn was the sight of the ceremony/reception & lodging for the wedding party.  the day was overcast & we had sprinkles here and there but nothing that took away from sarah & brandon loving every second of the day they became husband and wife!

***CLICK HERE FOR THE SLIDESHOW***

the last hoorah...

a little yumminess from my last wedding of 2008!  more coming soon...

stacey + jeff wedding

stacey & jeff's wedding was definitely one of my favorites of 2008!  if i had to name it for a book title it would read:  down on the farm with jcrew - the tarheel weds a blue devil!!

every detail was amazing to coordinate with stacey's yellow theme...right down to the lemons on the tables at the reception.  their band, band of oz, was unbelievable & i have NEVER seen more people dancing from the start of the night until i left at 11 o'clock.    they had girls coming on stage, guys yelling for more music and the cd songs in between their sets were booed by all the guests!!  

the best part of the lovebirds story is that jeff & his groomsmen went to duke & stacey her bridesmaids went to carolina.   needless to say, there were some alma matter chants taking place that rivaled some basketball game action :)    

stacey & jeff i hope you have a wonderful year in africa together...i know you two are going to change lives with your love for others!  thanks for letting me be part of your happiest day!  

***CLICK HERE to enjoy their slideshow & since i know the pictures make you want one...the cocktail of the night was a peach daiquri :) ***

be teased.

so much to say about the UNBELIEVABLY AMAZING wedding that i shot on saturday - but i can't do it right now!  however, i wanted to leave you with three images that stood out to me after quickly scanning the photos...these will definitely leave you wanting more :)

{click photo to see it larger}

be teased.  be smitten.  full post & slideshow coming soon...

caroline + chris wedding

last weekend, lauren & i spent the day hanging out with caroline & chris in downtown charlotte for their wedding!  everyone got ready at the ultra-modern blake hotel & we had tons of fun taking pictures there for a few hours.  

the wedding was at the belk chapel, queens university, & the reception was at the palmer firemen's building.  since chris is a fireman in charlotte, we got to play with a fire truck & the couple rode around queens with the sirens and lights on after they got hitched!  it was a great day & you can click on the slideshow below these stills to see some of my favorite pictures!

we got some cool dress shots thanks to the decor at the blake...

happy wedding day gift...

a great shot lauren caught of the groomsmen chilling before the ceremony:

the fire truck made for some fun pics:

another great shot of lauren's - caroline outside the church about to walk down the aisle:

happy couple + golden glow = the ultimate wedding photo :)

never seen this - caroline & chris used their engagement photos that we took in uptown to create coasters for their guests to take home!

what better way could a fireman and his new bride make a grand exit to than sparklers!?

***CLICK HERE FOR THE SLIDESHOW***

nicole + david

i have been dying to blog some photos & a slideshow of the gorgeous wedding that i shot last saturday in tennessee!  nicole & david booked me 13 months ago & it feels like its taken so long for their wedding to get here!  but, i have to say...it was worth the wait :)

it really was one of those perfect days, where timing was dead on, everyone was relaxed & excited & the sunlight cooperated exactly as i hoped it would!  i especially loved some of the more photojournalistic pictures that i got from their wedding...one of the great benefits of having all day coverage.   there were two moments, in particular, that stood out the most & they are the first and second of the photos posted below.

CONGRATS to you nicole & david!  i hope st. thomas was amazing & that you enjoy your first week home as hubby & wife :)

enjoy some favorites & a slideshow below:

nicole, teary-eyed, writing a card to her groom & her parents:

this is one of my favorite candid shots ever...although it looks posed, it was a completely real moment.  this beautiful flower girl peeked her head around the door to see nicole & was wearing one of the bridesmaids shirts.  i was so happy to be in the right place & the right moment:

one of nicole's best friends wiping her tears after all the bridesmaids prayed for her:

love this intimate moment during the ceremony:

nicole was a very natural bride who required very little coaching :)

just married!  perfect sunlight after a 7 o'clock ceremony:

again, we caught this moment right as nicole & david arrived to their reception.  there was about 8 minutes of daylight left:

can you believe this??  these precious sisters passed out on this vintage couch around 10:30 pm at the reception.  ashley, one of nicole's bridesmaids & a fellow photographer, came and grabbed me to show me the cuteness:

***wanna see more???!  *CLICK HERE for a slideshow***

erin + rusty

congratulations to erin & rusty on their new marriage!  i photographed their wedding last weekend and boy was it HOT outside!  we found lots of shady spots & managed to get some really beautiful shots on one of the toastiest days of the year :)  erin's three sisters were her bridesmaids and they had so much fun together!  erin & rusty also decided to do a first look, which definitely helped the day to flow so effortlessly!  her expression was priceless when she saw her groom's face for the first time.  that moment is one of my favorites of the whole day...be it the end of the aisle, or the breezeway of the church.  

here are a few snapshots & then you can click below to enjoy their slideshow!

***CLICK HERE FOR THE SLIDESHOW!***

love that leaves you breathless...

on saturday, set high upon a mountain top, emily & billy shared their worship-centered love for each other at their marriage ceremony.  it is not a fairy tale kind of love.  it is a love grounded in faith, friendship & commitment, three traits that will carry them throughout their new life together.

the clouds were puffy & the sky was blue.  the grass was green beneath emily's feet as she walked down the aisle to meet her smiling groom.  cold mountain, the site of the ceremony & reception, is a property owned by emily's grandfather in waynesville, nc.  with every click of my shutter, i felt like i was ripping pages out of a magazine filled with photographs of a love that is meant to be.  

the details were simple & elegant.  the guests were thrilled to have traveled from near & far to celebrate until the bride & groom left for their honeymoon on peter island.  the night was filled with laughter, toasts, dancing & a fireworks display from high on the mountain where emily & billy were united in marriage.

here is one image that stood out to me from them all...emily & billy, the cross, the mountains & the sky. simply love.

click below the photo to see their amazing slideshow!

***CLICK HERE FOR THE SLIDESHOW***