A few nights ago I was on TikTok and came across a video from Jen Hamilton and Chris Olsen. If you missed it: they’d both been cheated on in eerily similar ways, so Chris jokingly proposed a “lavender marriage.” Jen said yes, and the internet decided it was the best fake engagement of the year. […]

By a destination wedding photographer who’s photographed weddings throughout Italy and beyond. Within days of Shay Sullivan and Casey Johnson’s Tuscany wedding, my social feeds were filled with screenshots, mood boards, and comments predicting that this would become one of the defining wedding aesthetics of the year. I don’t think they’re wrong. From the couture […]

If you photograph weddings long enough, you eventually realize you’re not just a photographer. You’re also a travel coordinator, logistics manager, client concierge, problem solver, accountant, and small business owner. Especially if you photograph destination weddings. Between flights, rental cars, hotels, airport delays, lounge layovers, baggage fees, and thousands of dollars in travel expenses floating […]

There’s a moment that happens during almost every engagement session. We walk to the first location, I lift my camera, and someone laughs nervously before saying, “We’re going to need a lot of direction.” Without fail, the other person quickly adds, “We’re really awkward in photos.” I’ve heard those exact words from doctors, teachers, engineers, […]

One of my favorite moments on a wedding day happens long before the ceremony. I’m photographing the final details while my videographer quietly records the sound of a dress zipper closing in the next room. Without saying anything, we naturally switch places. They know exactly when I need the bouquet. I know exactly when they’re […]

North Carolina Wedding Day Timelines One of the biggest surprises for couples during the planning process has nothing to do with flowers, seating charts, or choosing a first dance song. It’s the sun. Every year, I photograph weddings where someone says, “We want those dreamy sunset portraits,” only to discover they’ve planned a December ceremony […]

There’s a moment that happens during almost every engagement session. Usually about twenty minutes in, one of them laughs and says, “This is way easier than I thought it was going to be.” Sometimes it’s the bride. More often, it’s the groom who was convinced he hated having his picture taken. They’ve stopped thinking about […]

Planning a wedding in North Carolina is exciting. It’s also a little overwhelming. There are venues to tour, florists to meet, menus to taste, and enough Pinterest boards to make your head spin. Somewhere in the middle of it all, you’ll start looking for a wedding photographer. Before long, every website starts to sound the […]

One of my favorite parts of a consultation is when couples tell me what they’re looking for in their wedding photos. Almost every time, they’ll say something like, “We want candid photos, but we also love those really editorial portraits.” Then they’ll pause for a second and ask, “Can we have both?” The short answer […]

Lately, I’ve noticed more and more couples mentioning advice they got from ChatGPT during consultations. Sometimes it’s spot on. Other times, I can immediately tell the advice came from something that’s read millions of webpages, but has never actually experienced a wedding day. Using ChatGPT for wedding planning isn’t bad, but it’s important to know […]