A note to our faithful blog-followers: I have gone through these images about 5 times, trying to narrow down to an acceptable number to post, and this was as FEW as I could possibly include! Mary and David had one of the most beautiful, colorful, lively weddings I've ever been part of. Before this, I had never been to the Berry Hill Plantation in South Boston, VA. Courtney and I enjoyed a scenic drive that Saturday morning through little winding roads, with the only traffic delays involving horses crossing the highway. When we finally reached the plantation, we were totally awed by the beauty of the place. It was worth the drive! If any of you out there are still searching for a venue for your wedding, check it out. I would love the chance to go back!

A few details. Mary is a ridiculously dedicated (and talented!) runner. I even overheard a wedding guest mention something about training for the Olympics...? Don't know if that is true or not, but if she's not, she probably should be!

The anticipation!

The good-looking groom! I like this shot of David and his mom just before the start of the ceremony.

Flowergirls. Seriously adorable, seriously confused about their role...

Everyone was surprised at the last-minute addition to the bridal party.

Mary and David with their gaggle of gymnastics students

And a sweet one to end on.

Wow!! Thank you so much to all those who attended our Giving Party last night! At the end of the night, we counted up the donations, and we received $11,580 directly donated to our wonderful, worthy, beautiful, caring and not-for-profit-but-all-for-changing-the-world organizatons!!! Thank you, again, to Perri, Mary Beth and Neva, who really were the drive and energy and planning team behind this amazing event. And, on top of it all, the party was a heck of a lot of fun :) :) :) We're really looking forward to next year's....

Tomorrow evening I will be hosting a Giving Party at my house that was meticulously planned by Perri Kersch, Mary Beth Grealey and Neva Bartholomew. Planning has been underway for a while now for this fun endeavor. So, what is a Giving Party? Think Southern Living House Party meets Give Peace A Chance. Or something like that. I would've been a terrible pitch person for studio productions. Anyway, we will be showcasing some wonderful organizations, two local, one that is local & national and one that is international: Family Violence Prevention Center of Orange County Communities in Schools of Durham Donors Choose World Vision Representatives will be available from the organizations to discuss the amazing good they are doing, and donations and laptops will be available to give to these or other great organizations. It's seriously amazing how many people are out there making such a wonderful difference in the world. The major point of the gathering is that we are hoping to inspire people to gift gifts to others on behalf of others who could use a little help! Perri had the brainstorm while watching Oprah & Bill (Clinton) discuss the concept of Giving. She actually invited both of them to the party, but my understanding is that they will not, in fact, be attending. Weird. Mary Beth has created some beautiful pre-printed cards to make it easy for guests to give, and then share their gifts with loved ones. She also was in charge of the fun Giving Logo (below)! Neva has been in charge of lots of things but has really positioned herself as one who is bizarrely into the concept of providing punch in a proper punch bowl. She was even ruminating about the white gloves she should wear when serving this spectacular punch. But to an even greater end, she has managed to work out a great deal with Chapel Hill Wine Company, who is giving us some super yummy wine at cost because of the goal of this party - thanks, Chapel Hill Wine Company! Oh - and Whole Foods is donating goodies, as well - THANKS. Check out the Giving Blog , for more details. And while you're at it, take a browse through Perri's fun neat freak blog!

Lauren is the younger sister of Kellie, a bride I had the great pleasure of photographing two years ago. I was also lucky enough to photograph her cousin's wedding after Kellie's - and then Lauren got engaged!! I remembered Lauren as this sweet, beautiful woman who was really close with her sister. And when we met to discuss her wedding and portrait, she had some really fun ideas for the shoot, and she was even prettier and sweeter than I remembered :) We went to The Red Room, in Raleigh, and they were kind enough to let us turn their restaurant into our personal studio...

This was Lauren's choice for her bridal portrait - it had a great platinum feel when it was printed as a wall portrait...

Red & gold, yummmm......

Then we went outside for a little wind....

Did I mention the wind???

Love this one!

And one of my very favorite photographs from (big sister) Kellie's bridal portrait...

Hmmmm - does beauty run in this family or what??