Nico, short for, the cutest heart-breaker ever, turned one-year old at the end of April! We did his cake-smash session the day after his birthday party with family and friends. You know you had a successful first birthday when you’re a rock star for your photo shoot and then pass right out for nap time right after smashing a cake! 🙂

The morning was a little rainy so we had to set up indoors but stepped outside for a couple shots. Even though this child is only one year old, I still can’t get over how handsome he is! Is that weird? I mean, his face, those eyes, his outfits… he is A.dorable! The best part is he totally knows it and loves to flirt. But who could say no to that face?! He will have so many girlfriends by the time he graduates kindergarten! Watch out Mary and Frank! Can I be first?? 🙂

This wedding was so fantastic! From the beginning I knew it wasn’t going to be your typical wedding. Jackee asked me to shoot her wedding because she wanted as many friends and family involved in her big day as possible. I had photographed her family before and we have been in touch ever since so this made sense for her! She told me that they are planning a Gatsby-themed wedding on the top floor ballroom at an old historic building in downtown Raleigh that the couple actually met at. That in itself is the cutest thing ever. How many people can get married at the same location where they met? She also told me that it will be a later wedding, therefore there will only be a desert bar, no sit-down meal. Oh, well, dessert will be just fine! Especially the smorgasborg that Rocky Top Catering provided!

This was also the very first wedding I have shot without a second shooter. I figured it would be fine since it was a smaller event and a smaller space but having wedding coordinator Nicole from Vision Events really made my work a lot easier. She and her assistant worked so well together and kept everything so smooth and even helped me out when I needed it!

So I drive up to Raleigh and check in to my hotel room that she had blocked off for me and I was handed the sweetest welcome bag ever! And I mean sweet! It had all sweet things that are southern or from North Carolina such as a bottle of Cheerwine (no it’s not wine, it’s like a cherry cola!), a can of local beer, Moonpies and Krispy Kreme donut holes!

Over to the venue I went and headed to the 11th floor where everyone was getting ready. The Capital Club building used to be a gentleman’s club way back in the day, I’m guessing the 1920s but is now a restaurant on the first floor (where Adam and Jackee met) offices in the middle floors and the 11th and 12th floors are for events. It didn’t take long for the girls to be ready, surprisingly. We took her “getting ready” pictures and since she had so much time left over, she just took her dress off again and waited in her robe until time got closer! How is that possible? I’m almost jealous over that! Adam, on the other hand was a little more rushed. He was in charge of blowing up ALL of the balloons that were needed for the night.

Once the ceremony was beginning, their three daughters rode the elevator from the 11th floor to the 12th floor each holding a bunch of balloons. They walked down the aisle, placed them at the altar then then took their place at the mics. Jackee’s daughter JoJo played the guitar and then her, Regan and Riley all sang an amazing acoustic version of “Swept Away” by The Avett Brothers while Jackee walked down the aisle. The ceremony was very sweet and intimate, the pictures afterwards were so much fun to do and the reception was a blast! I had to remind myself not to get carried away with dancing along while trying to take pictures!

Well, I think I’ve said enough. I’ll let these beautiful images speak for themselves!

Ending my 2014 Christmas season are three families near and dear to my heart! A close friend, a co-worker and my family!

Being a close friend of mine means that the Lake family has their pictures taken with me a lot more often than normal. (Maybe normal for other people but for me, it’s not enough!) Sometimes I just text Alexis and ask if I can come over for the afternoon and take pictures of little Katalina!

We met again at this special park of mine in Southport and even though it was a cloudy day the pictures still came out so beautiful! Then we ended the session back at their house in front of their Christmas tree for some “first Christmas”/ 6-month shots of Katalina! And I have to say, with each session both Jeremy and Sam are slowly getting more accustomed to smiling nicely for the camera! We’ll get there someday, Alexis! 🙂

I met the Sandoval family at Brunswick Town because Savanna was looking for a place with lots of mossy oak trees that this area is famous for and Brunswick Town has it! Not to mention, unless you go on a day they are holding an event, there’s practically no one around so it’s the perfect spot to take pictures with some really awesome backdrops. Both sets of grandparents were there also to give Raylan lots of hugs and kisses! We basically walked the entire loop of the historical site and ended just before dark, getting lots of family photos in between. Raylan was not feeling like being a model that I know he is so we did a lot of candids, squirrel and dolphin hunting and acorn throwing to get his attention. He is the coolest, sweetest boy ever but he’s got a serious face that’s great for Ralph Lauren catalogues!

My last Christmas card session of 2014 was the Pridgeon family. As always, one of my favorite families to photograph. It’s hard not to love every picture that’s taken of Nate because he is so stinking’ adorable! He was feeling a little under the weather and at that stage in life where he’d rather be exploring and doing other fun things than having his picture taken. Luckily, being my nephew, I knew exactly what would perk him up so I whipped out my phone and played some fun dance tunes to get him smiling and focused on staying in one spot! I also knew that cookies and milk at the end would be a hit with a cookie monster such as himself!

In the middle of Christmas card photo sessions I did family portraits for the Morris Family. Sheila emailed me and said her family had recently moved to the area and she saw my photos using my husband’s truck, ol’ Ralph, and really wanted to use that in their session amidst some old oak trees. Now, the Southport area has a ton of big, beautiful mossy oak trees BUT they are all surrounded by houses and other buildings. I took a few hours one day and drove around with Bear in search of a public area, not surrounded by buildings, where this sort of picture could take place. I almost gave up hope until I remembered seeing signs for a park down the road from my house. We went and I fell in love. Within the first minute I came across a wooded entry  to some kind of enchanted forest (for real, folks!) and there was a big, beautiful oak tree standing right at the entrance. PERFECT! We continued to explore and walked around the entire park and then I ran home to email Sheila to let her know I found the perfect spot!

We met a few days later on a beautiful afternoon and had our session with Ralph, under the big tree then changed scenery to the beach 5 minutes away. This beautiful family has some new beautiful pictures to hang on  the walls of their new home in Southport!