Sposa Bella Photography

We've Moved!

2011-06-16T14:46:00.003-04:00

Hello loyal blog followers! We now have a new blog at the link below, please visit us there.

http://sposabellaphotography.com/journal/

Thanks,
Craig & Lindsey

Free Business of Photography workshop

2011-02-01T20:26:00.000-05:00

We have been so blessed throughout our photography career and one of our favorite things to do is to give back to the photography community and our fellow photographers. That's what our upcoming workshop is all about. We have teamed up with Olivia Griffin Photography and are presenting a totally FREE workshop to area photographers. This one is for newbies and veterans alike and will cover everything about the business of photography. We all know that we've got to make great images and be sure that our clients are happy, but what else goes into having a successful photography business? Join us and find out! The workshop will be held at The Lazy Goat in downtown Greenville on Friday February 25th from 10-4 PM. Get in touch as soon as you can to reserve your seats cause we're actually already 75% full to date. For a little more info, visit http://www.sposabellaphotography.com/2-25-11.pdf or contact us with any questions. Looking forward to a wonderful day of sharing!

Wedding photography workshop

2010-09-27T22:12:00.001-04:00

We're honored to have been asked to take part in an upcoming workshop for photographers. The workshop is being held in order to raise money for a fellow photographer's young nephew who has been battling cancer. We volunteer each year with Camp Courage, a camp for children with cancer, so this is a cause that's near and dear to our heart. For any of you who are interested in attending, you can see more information at www.sposabellaphotography.com/11-14-10.pdf. Please note that they are offering a special rate for anyone who registers prior to Oct. 1 and seats are limited, so please sign up early! Please help spread the word for this great workshop and wonderful cause.

Camp Courage - Greenville, SC

2010-08-04T09:19:00.000-04:00

One of the best feelings in life is to help another person. So often we get caught up in our daily lives and forget to take time out just to help others. Not wanting anything in return, just doing something to be nice. Funny thing is, you ALWAYS get more in return than you ever give out. That happened to us just recently... we volunteer every year at Camp Courage, a camp for children with cancer and blood disorders. It's such a special time that we get to spend with these kids and we always feel so blessed to have the opportunity. I wanted to share a note we got in the mail last week from Jamie Gibson, the camp director and an absolutely wonderful person:

Dear Craig and Lindsey,

I always know how much the children and teens enjoy the special activities at camp, when
they ask me if they are returning or get excited when they hear that someone is coming back
to be with them. This is exactly the reaction I got this year when the campers found out
you were returning.

They truly love being able to fell like a model for the time you are with them, and really
do ham it up when they are getting their pictures made. I know that you have to talk them
into things at times, but they really are longing to have you take their picture, they just
don't want to admit it.

Families treasure your pictures of their children and teens more than you will ever know.
I only wish you could hear and see how much each picture is appreciated by the parents and
family members. I can only tell you that for the families that have lost their child,
these pictures are simply priceless.

We can't express enough how much we sincerely appreciate all that you do for the campers,
and the time you take out of your schedule to be at Camp Courage. It means a lot to the
campers as well as the staff that you continue to support our patients and their families
with all you do for them at camp.

We hope that coming out to camp means as much to you as having you come out does to us.
Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do for us and for the children and
families here at the center.

We appreciate your time, compassion, and love.

Sincerely,
Jamie

No, Jamie... thank you for allowing us to come out and for making such an impact on our lives. We are blessed.

Lindsey

Lake Keowee Wedding | Erica and Chris

2010-07-26T11:01:00.000-04:00

We once had a fellow photographer friend who follows us on twitter, email us and say that all we do is "eat out and go to weddings!"... funny part is that it tends to be so true! Since we are constantly on the go with shoots and client meetings, it is very rare that we do get to eat at home and as a result, we've become quite the expert on local restaurants. One of our favorites in the world and especially our favorite that's near our home, is Paesanos. We tend to have dinner there about once a week and it is always a delight. Craig seems to always order the Tortellini Black and Blue... it's cheese tortellini hand tossed in a blue cheese alfredo sauce (plan to gain like 5 pounds every time you eat it!) and I typically go with whatever special our favorite waiter, Billy, recommends.
When the owner of the restaurant, Frank, came out to share the news of his daughter's upcoming wedding, we were so excited for him. We were even more excited when we got the phone call from the family asking us to share in their day and be Erica's photographer. The day turned out absolutely perfect for their lakeside wedding and reception. Here's a few of our favorites from the day...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Right before Frank walked Erica down the aisle... Such a sweet glance toward his beautiful daughter!

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Left Lindsey's view / Right Craig's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Left Craig's view / Right Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

These are perhaps my three favorite images from the day. Left and Right - Craig's view / Middle - Lindsey's view...

Moments that make weddings so special!

Left Lindsey's view / Right Craig's view...

Photo Booth Shenanigans

2010-05-12T18:09:00.006-04:00

Ok, so Craig and I had some requests from brides asking if we could set up a photo booth and we decided to give it a shot! Three weddings later, we've found that our clients and guests are having a blast with it. See for yourself...

** Please pause the blog music on the right sidebar prior to playing this video

Leave us a comment and let us know what you think!

Wyche Pavilion | Claire and Steve

2010-05-04T10:16:00.000-04:00

Wow, what a weekend... 3 weddings in 3 days and each of them turned out beautiful! You know you've shot a great wedding while you're going through prepping the images and they bring you to tears. That's exactly what happened to us all week long as we went though the thousands of images we shot over the course of the weekend. The moments, the laughter, the tears... all came rushing back to us and that's truly what we try and capture. So that when our clients look back at their wedding images 20 years from now, they'll be brought back to those feelings. We are so blessed to do what we do!!
Claire and Steve chose to come to Greenville all the way from Indiana and I think it was a great decision. Their family and friends loved downtown Greenville and all it has to offer. What a great city for a wedding! And to show off the downtown area, they had their reception at the beautiful Wyche Pavilion - which I'm kinda partial to since that's where Craig and I were married 4 short years ago! Here's a few of our favorites from the day...

I am a sucker for bird cage veils!!! They make such amazing shots!

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Gorgeous details!!!

Claire's dad had the whole place in tears, including us (yes, I know... what's new about that!!), as he talked about how special Claire is.

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Left Craig's view / Right Lindsey's view...

Greenville Wedding Photographer | Justin & Gina

2010-04-27T11:01:00.001-04:00

We photographed Justin and Gina's engagement session in downtown Greenville a few weeks ago. I really sympathized with Justin, a photographer and videographer, who hated being in front of the camera! Something about stepping onto the other side of the lens makes me incredibly nervous. Back in college, before I really got into photography as a career, I didn't mind being in front of the camera, and I was happy with most of the photos of myself. Then, after studying posing and what makes a person look best on camera, I now over think everything when I have to be in a photo. I end up looking stiff and unnatural with a fake smile...with the mantra "think thin" going over and over in my head!

I could tell Justin was nervous at first, but then he really began to loosen up and interact well with Gina, who was a natural--love her smiles! Aren't they just adorable together...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Greenville SC Wedding - the first call you make...

2010-04-26T09:20:00.001-04:00

I get all warm and giddy when newly engaged brides call. It makes me get excited for them and re-confirms why we do what we do. We document the forming of a family with images that (hopefully) create tears of joy and goosebumps of amazement. I love when we are the first phone call, before a planner is hired, before a date is set, before a location is chosen, we get a call from a bride who says, "I'm not sure of anything else, but I know I have to have you guys there." We get emails the day after a proposal of girls so giddy it takes me back to the early stages of mine and Craig's relationship and all those months of planning for a day that I could not wait to get here but that I never wanted to end. A day that I wish I could relieve over and over---and can through my wedding images! It is these thoughts that re-energize me for the hours of editing in front of a computer or long late hours at a reception. To be a part of such a special day, to be so close to the most intimate moments two people can experience, the creation of a new family. It is in these moments we realize we are privileged to do what we do.

Greenville Wedding Photographer | Jennifer and Ben

2010-04-20T09:35:00.006-04:00

Craig and I had the privilege of being a part of Jennifer and Ben's wedding day a couple of weeks ago. This was an extremely sweet and thoughtful wedding, with loads of personal touches. To begin with, Jennifer's family has been attending Hampton Park Baptist church since she was born, and she attended and graduated from Hampton Park Christian School. Then, after graduating from college, she returned to teach at her alma mater. So being that her entire life she has been involved with the church and school, it was only fitting to be married there. One of my favorite moments of the day was when her first grade class was escorted into the front pews of the church, each caring a flower! They were so excited to be a part of their teachers special day!

Lindsey's view..

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Greenville Wedding Photographer | Amy and Daniel

2010-04-14T12:09:00.005-04:00

Hi, Ashley here...

I'm so excited, this is my first official Sposa Bella blog post! I'm happy to introduce to you Amy and Daniel Baker. They were married March 20 at Occasions at Wedgefield and had a beautiful ceremony and great party afterwards. They started their day by taking a little time to see each other before their wedding to take a little of the nervous edge off. The excitement and butterflies Amy had as Daniel was coming up behind her were contagious; I was just as excited to see him approach as she was waiting for him. The looks on their faces and the laughter and hugs were incredibly special. I had to do my best not to cry while I was taking their picture; it was such a special moment to witness. After that, they were ready for the fun to begin! These guys were so great and so much fun and I couldn't have asked for a cooler wedding party. It was a blast to see the groom and his childhood buddies doing a dance they came up with in high-school, and to watch the older couples show them what kissing should be like after a few years of marriage. As Amy and Daniel left, I had to ask where does a couple who live in Hawaii go for a honeymoon? The answer: Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Introducing....

2010-04-06T15:55:00.004-04:00

Well, this introduction comes only about 5 years late! Ashley has been working behind the scenes at Sposa Bella Photography full time for the past five years, and there is no way we could have accomplished all we have without her. Her job titles include photographer, studio manager, photo editor, album designer, marketing director, and comic relief. Last fall we moved studios and began to hold regular office hours. So if you've called or come by you may have already met Ashley, but if not here she is...

Greenville Wedding Photographer | SCAWP Awards

2010-03-29T12:33:00.004-04:00

Hello All!

I am so excited to share with you all that Craig and I recently received several awards from the South Carolina Association of Wedding Photographers and we are so excited that we wanted to share them and thank all of our amazing couples who made this happen!

The below image received the top honor of Best in Show 2009!!!

We also received the following category awards!

First Place - Bridal Portrait
Third Place - Bridal Portrait
First Place - Couples Portrait
Third Place - Couples Portrait
Third Place - Reception

About us...

2010-03-25T10:18:00.003-04:00

We wanted to share a video that our good friend Jeff Bradt of Jeff Bradt Videography did for us. We're planning to use it as part of our new website. Please give us some feedback in the comments below and let us know your thoughts. Thanks!

** Pause the music that's currently playing (in the lower right sidebar) so that it doesn't interfere with the video.

Sposabella Photography from Jeff Bradt Video LLC on Vimeo.

Wofford Engagement Session | Beth and Richard

2010-03-22T12:30:00.006-04:00

It was a beautiful fall day with an even more beautiful couple. We met Beth and Richard at his parent's house to start the shoot off at the lake in their neighborhood. Then we headed off to Wofford where Richard went to school. On the way there, we of course had to stop and get a few shots at the old Krispy Kreme... a Spartanburg icon! Such a sweet couple and we can't wait to see them again at their wedding!

Left - Craig's view / Right - Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Left - Lindsey's view / Right - Craig's view...

My best friend...

2010-03-18T17:13:00.003-04:00

It was on this day 4 years ago that I married my very best friend and in front of our closest friends and family we committed ourselves to each other forever. We are more in love today than yesterday and that love will be even stronger tomorrow. The reason being is our unconditional support and acceptance of each other. She is the first beautiful thing I see each morning and at the end of the day, I always feel better when I am coming home to her. Each day as we do our job, we celebrate each of our couples who are in love... but the reason we can truly understand that and celebrate it is because we FIRST are in love ourselves... unconditionally and forever. So today, I celebrate the absolute most beautiful bride in my eyes... my own. I love you, Lindsey.
-Craig

Clemson University Engagement | Joey and Erin

2010-03-10T10:06:00.000-05:00

So, this one is a bit behind...if you are a follower of our blog, you may remember already having seen Joey and Erin's wedding last month. But we just had lunch with the newlywed's to talk about their album design and hear all the details from their two week honeymoon in Hawaii, and I was reminded of how cute they were on their engagement last fall and thought we'd share!

-Enjoy

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view. Love Erin's laugh...

Love this one...shot courtesy of Lindsey, falling leaves courtesy of Craig shaking the tree!

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Light is everything in photography. The above three images and the image below are great examples of that. They were all taken in the exact same spot. The only difference is where we positioned ourselves to get the shot. #1 rule of photography is the find the best light and use it!

Westin Poinsett Wedding | Tinsley and Michael

2010-03-05T10:50:00.000-05:00

Tinsley and Michael were married in a gorgeous evening wedding last Saturday. The day was filled with emotional and touching moments between the beautiful couple and their close-knit families. The reception was held in the ballroom at the Westin Poinsett with the most amazing floral décor from Karen at The House Plant. Tinsley and Michael, I hope you are having an amazing time in Antigua, congratulations and we wish you all the happiness in the world!

One of my favorite series of images from the day...Tinsley's Dad seeing her for the first time! Left - Lindsey's view / Right - Craig's view...

Left and Right - Craig's view / Middle - Lindsey's view...

Tinsley…equally as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside!

The moment right before the church doors swing open and Dad has to give his daughter away…

Left - Craig's view / Right - Lindsey's view...

My fav of the day…credit goes to Craig!

Left – Craig’s view / Right – Lindsey’s view

Lindsey’s view…

Craig’s view…

Spartanburg SC | Engagement Session

2010-02-26T14:08:00.002-05:00

We met up with Elizabeth and Mike for their engagement session at the farm of a family friend, just down the road from Mike's parents home. Mike grew up working around the property, and suggested it for the session. We are always excited to shoot in new locations, and the pastures, forest, and pond made for some amazing shots! Had a great time Elizabeth and Mike, and can't wait for the wedding!

Enjoy!

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Left Lindsey's view / Right Craig's view

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Left Lindsey's view / Right Craig's view

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Greenville SC | Engagement Session

2010-02-22T13:31:00.003-05:00

Had so much fun at Kristy and Brandon's engagement session! They are hilarious and so great together on camera, I can't wait for their wedding later this summer!

Enjoy!

Lindsey's View...

Craig's view...

Old Sheldon Church Wedding | Beaufort SC

2010-02-10T08:24:00.000-05:00

Alicia and Seth were married last fall in one of the most stunning locations on the coast of South Carolina, Old Sheldon Church Ruins. Following the gorgeous ceremony, the low country themed reception was held at the marsh front Pinckney Retreat, a 1736 plantation home. Their guests danced the night away under the live oaks with music from the wonderful blue grass band Common Grounds. Ashley Rhodes, from Ashley Rhodes Events, coordinated the event and the creative floral design was a creation of Emily Wilds from Emily Wynn Wilds Floral Design. Thanks to all who helped to make this most special day a night Alicia and Seth will always remember! We are so happy for the two of you and can't wait to see you again!

-Lindsey

Furman Wedding - Joseph & Erin Sneak Peek

2010-02-07T00:44:00.000-05:00

*** Have had some issues with the video in this post not working, so we've moved it back up top to allow everyone to be able to see it.

Here's a sneak peek of Joseph and Erin's wedding from last weekend. It rained the whole day, but it didn't put a damper on how beautiful of a day it was. Everything turned out perfect and the moment they saw each other for the first time was one of the most emotional we've experienced. They we're crying... we were crying... moments like that are why we love what we do! Enjoy...

** Please pause the blog music on the right sidebar prior to playing this video

Leave us a comment and let us know what you think!

First dances...

2010-01-26T10:02:00.002-05:00

Lately, more and more of our clients have been doing a more choreographed first dance and as a result, we thought we'd share a great local resource. Over Christmas, we were invited to Asheville for a party with a bunch of photographers. While we were there, we met Kathleen Hahn, the owner of I Do Dances. She was a lot of fun and offered a bit of a different take on traditional dance lessons. Instead of you having to drag your hubby-to-be to a weekly dance class (like any of you really have extra time for a dance class when you're planning your wedding), Kathleen meets with you to get to know you. Then she choreographs your first dance to match you personalities...fun and flirty, or dramatic and passionate. Then she meets with you to teach you the dance she created especially for you. After that, she sends you home with a DVD of the steps and you get to practice and learn in the privacy of your home. We thought is was a great idea for those of you that can't take the time for weekly dance lessons or you can't quite convince that man of yours to go to a dancing class. Definitely check her out and make your first dance one to remember!

Pretty Place Wedding | Lazy Goat Reception

2010-01-19T13:23:00.003-05:00

We'll I'm sure that the color of the leaves in this post will give away how far behind I am at posting weddings! Last October Brian and Cheryl were married at Pretty Place with a reception at the Lazy Goat. They timed the changing of the leaves just right, and were blessed with the most perfect weather!

Left - Lindsey's view / Right - Craig's view

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Lindsey's view...

Next two Craig's view...

Left - Lindsey's view / Right - Craig's view...

Left - Lindsey's view / Right - Craig's view...

Left - Lindsey's view / Right - Craig's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Clemson University | Engagement Session

2010-01-04T16:53:00.009-05:00

Kimberly and Grayson decided to have their engagement session on Clemson University's beautiful campus, which is fitting since Grayson is a Clemson graduate. But Kimberly, a graduate of USC had to be convinced (although I guess this goes to show how much she loves Grayson)! She was a good sport about it, and we decided to start at the football stadium. Since Craig is Clemson's photographer, he can get us access to areas that are typically unavailable to most. Enjoy!

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Love that they wanted to include their dogs in some of the photos!...

Left - Craig's view / Right - Lindsey's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Left - Lindsey's view / Right - Craig's view...

Left - Craig's view / Right - Lindsey's view...

Washington Park Wedding | Charleston, SC

2009-12-23T12:21:00.009-05:00

Although Dayna and Nick live in Atlanta, they decided on a destination wedding in Charleston, SC. And if you know anything about Craig and I, you know that we LOVE Charleston. I graduated from the College of Charleston, and we have many friends in the area, so we absolutely love getting the opportunity to shoot there.
There is just something special about destination weddings...the intimate feel, the stunning location, guests on a mini vacation, truly relaxing and enjoying the celebration. And Charleston, being the number two destination wedding city in the US (second only to Vegas), is a great choice.
Dayna and Nick decided to see each other before the ceremony to have photos of just the two of them, with no pressure or stress, and to be able to walk with their guests from the ceremony to the reception. It was an absolutely perfect day beginning with the ceremony at Washington Park (Charleston's oldest park) and dinner reception at Magnolias Restaurant.

the first look...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Left - Lindsey's view / Right - Craig's view

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Love Dayna's expression!

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Left - Lindsey's view / Right - Craig's view...

the private dinning room at Magnolia's...

Occasions at Wedgefield | Part 2

2009-12-12T15:27:00.003-05:00

Molly and Ross were married in a gorgeous ceremony in the Caldwell Pavillion at Occasions at Wedgefield. Although the forecast called for rain (and at times it looked as if the sky would open up at any minute), the weather held off for all the festivities! Now, as you can see, Molly makes our job easy--she is amazingly beautiful, inside and out.

Molly and Ross, we were blessed to be a part of your day. Congratulations, we know you will have a wonderful life together!

Craig's View...

Lindsey's View...

Craig's View...

Lindsey's View...

Left - Lindsey's view / Right - Craig's view

Love the moment right after a ceremony when a bride and groom have a chance to be alone!

Craig's View...

Lindsey's View...

Left - Lindsey's view / Right - Craig's view

Occasions at Wedgefield | Clemson, SC

2009-12-06T20:49:00.004-05:00

I'll blog more from Ross and Molly's wedding soon, but I wanted to share a few images that I thought deserved special attention. Molly and her father have a special relationship, they are very close (which I think is obvious from the images of the toast and father/daughter dance below). I was so moved by their displays of emotion, that I wanted to share these images. I truly believe that the most important decision a couple can make in planning their wedding is the selection of a photographer--one who's photographic style and personality is the perfect match to theirs. When the wedding day is over, all that is left is your memories. A photograph freezes a moment in time, a moment that is gone in the blink of an eye. Looking at your wedding images will transport you back to your wedding and flood your heart with the emotions you felt on one of the most important days of your life. Wedding photographs preserve your family history and are passed down for generations and generations. I can only image what these images mean to Molly and her family, but I hope they bring joy to their hearts and preserve the memories of this day forever! This is why we love what we do!

-Enjoy!

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view..

Lindsey's view...

Love these next two!

Left - Lindsey's View / Right - Craig's view...

Mountain Bridal Session | Alicia

2009-12-04T12:21:00.003-05:00

I've been dying to blog this one...we photographed Alicia's bridal session several months ago, but wanted to wait until her wedding to post the images. This is our new favorite place to shoot (only about 15 minutes from our home in Walhalla)--you can see why below! The light was so perfect and the background was just amazing. I just love natural light images so much more than ones with flash (no flash will ever produce more beautiful light than the natural rays of the sun!)

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Table Rock Park Wedding | Kayla and Mike

2009-11-27T17:44:00.004-05:00

Kayla and Mike have that fairy tale story....grew up together in the same small southern town, began dating as teenagers, and have been inseperable ever since. They tied the knot surrounded by friends and family at The Lodge at Table Rock State Park. And although it rained all day, they didn't let that dampen their spirits! We just loved the interaction between Kayla, Mike, and their families...wedding day's are like none-other!

Congratulations Kayla and Mike, we wish you all the happiness in the world!

Kayla was positioned on the porch, waiting to see Mike for the first time, when her Dad walked in. I was so happy to be able to capture this touching moment!

I just love it when brides and grooms see each other for the first time before the ceremony, it is by far the most emotional moment on a wedding day. When they can embrace and share their feelings and excitement, without 200+ prying eyes...my favorite images of our brides and grooms are taken during these times.

Left - Lindsey's view / Right - Craig's view...

Left - Lindsey's view / Right - Craig's view...

Left - Lindsey's view / Right - Craig's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

The Lodge at Table Rock State Park has the most amazing views of the mountain above and lake below...and the mist and clouds from the storm make it look like a scene from a movie!

Atlanta Wedding Photography | Neal and Sam

2009-11-18T14:25:00.005-05:00

Hello loyal blog followers! Well, we are back from our vacation...and now trying to figure out a way we can work permanently from a tropical location! We've been super busy with weddings, engagements, bridals, album designs, and family sessions...but are finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. So, be sure to check back regularly in the coming weeks for a marathon of posts.

Well, what can I say about Neal and Sam that you can't tell from these images of them seeing each other for the first time! Craig and I (being the incredibly sappy people that we are) just loved these two! We began the day a bit intimidated...Neal is a wedding photographer in Atlanta, and there were two wedding photographers in the wedding party! But, it didn't take long before we felt at ease among their their friends and family, who were such a great bunch to work with.

-Enjoy!

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Left Craig's view / Right Lindsey's view...

It rained all day, but Neal and Sam really wanted to get some outdoor shots around downtown Marietta. So after their reception we got soaked running around the square...I think it was worth it!

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Loved these!!! We were shooting around the square when we heard the train whistle, so we took off running to catch it!

Greenville SC Wedding - Liz & Marty

2009-10-09T13:05:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago we were honored to capture the destination wedding of Liz and Marty. Liz and Marty are from Ireland, and choose to travel across the pond to get married at Liz's father's estate in Greenville. It was a beautiful, flawless event thanks to the coordination, flowers, and decor from Kim of All in the Details. We had a wonderful time with their gracious friends and family...and for sure will take them up on their offer to come and visit Ireland!

Liz's Dad gave her a a beautiful diamond necklace and earrings...how sweet!

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view....

Lindsey's view...

Next two Craig's view....

love her excitement!

Lindsey's view....

Craig's view....

Liz was so anxious and nervous all day...all that went away when she was in Marty's arms!

The moment right after a wedding ceremony...always so sweet!
Lindsey's view...

Craig's view....

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view....

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view....

love their expressions!

Craig's view....

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view....

Lindsey's view...

Furman Wedding Details - Joy and Fadi

2009-09-25T18:12:00.003-04:00

Here are just a few of the amazing details from Joy and Fadi's wedding...special thanks to Curly Willow Designs for making it happen!

The Daniel Chapel...stunning as always!

Gotta love Curly Willow...looks like something out of a dream!

Furman University Wedding - Joy and Fadi

2009-09-21T08:36:00.007-04:00

Joy and Fadi were married two weeks ago at the Daniel Chapel at Furman University, with reception at the Younts Conference Center. They had the most amazing flowers and lighting decor provided by Curly Willow Designs. We had such a wonderful day with Joy, Fadi, their families, and their very entertaining wedding party! Joy and Fadi are so great together...and I loved Joy's emotion throughout the wedding day! Craig and I are emotional people...and we just love the interaction of couples and families on a wedding day...you can capture such wonderful moments!

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

I love the way both Joy and Fadi look at their parents as they walk down the isle!

One of my favorite moments on a wedding day is the 5 or so seconds after the ceremony that the bride and groom have to themselves...love Joy's emotion!!!

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Next two Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Father/Daughter dance....so touching!

Love the lighting package!

Camp Courage - Greenville Hospital System

2009-09-15T11:38:00.013-04:00

A couple of weeks ago Craig and I volunteered for Camp Courage, a camp for children and young adults with cancer being treated by the Greenville Hospital System. This has been a recurring event for us, we do a photo session with each of the 60-70 kids and teens and return prints and a copyright free CD to the families. It has been such an incredibly rewarding experience, and with the holiday's approaching I want to encourage all of you (fellow photogs too!) to find a cause that you are passionate about and donate your time. Although I can't share any images from our sessions because of privacy issues, I would like to share one image from the day. The entire camp (nurses, doctors, hospital staff, and kids) had a moment of silence for those who are no longer with us and released balloons in their memory. Such a touching moment....

Olivia Griffin Maternity Session

2009-09-11T13:51:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago our good friend and a fellow photographer, Olivia Griffin asked us to do a maternity session with her and her husband Matt. We are slowly easing into doing more family sessions, and it's always fun to be able to do things like this for our friends! I get so excited for the two of them when I look at these images...can't wait to meet little Amelia Ruth! To see a few of Olivia's favorites from the session, visit her blog...

Olivia Griffin - My Belly Shots

Cateechee Wedding

2009-09-10T09:40:00.001-04:00

Below are just some of the beautiful details from MeriBeth and Jess's wedding day!

-Enjoy

Guests gifts were burlap packets of roasted peanuts from Jess's family's farm!

Cateechee did an amazing job with the food! I just love beautiful buffet spreads...

Cateechee Golf Club Wedding

2009-09-08T09:55:00.005-04:00

We had such a good time with MeriBeth and Jess last weekend. First off, they have the most beautiful southern drawls, I felt like we stepped into the movie Steel Magnolias. And all the southern touches MeriBeth and her mother added to the wedding were fantastic...I'll post their wedding details shortly! MeriBeth and Jess were married at the First Baptist Church in Lavonia, GA and reception at Cateechee Golf Club. MeriBeth's father is the local football coach, so as you can imagine, the wedding was attended by most of the residents of the small town...the church was standing room only and two tents were added on the golf course outside the reception ballroom to accommodate all the guests!

These next one's were taken at the exact same time...Left Lindsey's View / Right Craig's View...

Lindsey's View

Next two Craig's view

Lindsey's view

Craig's view

Love parent's expressions during the ceremony!

Lindsey's view

Craig's view

Lindsey's view

Craig's view

Lindsey's view

Craig's view

Lindsey's view

Craig's view

Next two Lindsey's view

And my absolute favorite from the day...Craig's view

Love these three from the mother/son dance...don't they look like they are having so much fun!

Quick note..

2009-09-02T11:08:00.005-04:00

I just wanted to post a quick note. I am sitting in the office going through MeriBeth and Jess's wedding images from this past weekend, and came across a series of three images that Craig shot. I stopped working and literally started tearing up right at my desk. I wanted to share these images, as I know the emotions from this day are all fresh in the minds of Jess, MeriBeth, and their families. Jess and MeriBeth, I wish you both all the best and hope that you always remember how you felt at this moment. I know you are having a great time in St. Lucia, enjoy every moment! More images from their wedding to come later...

-Lindsey

notice the little tear beside MeriBeth's eye...

High Hampton Inn - Cashiers NC

2009-08-31T14:19:00.003-04:00

Below are the details from Andrew and Amy's wedding. They had a beautiful ceremony and reception at High Hampton. With family and friends all across the country (Andrew and Amy live in Manhattan, Andrew's family is from Connecticut, and Amy's family is from Miami), Amy decided to have a destination wedding in Cashier's NC where her parents have a summer home. High Hampton, with it's cozy inn and collection of wooden cabins dotted along the most picturesque lake and mountain, was the perfect location to set her country themed wedding. I heard her guests on their cell phones trying to describe the place to their friends back home saying, "it's like we're in the movie Dirty Dancing."

The first two images are from the rehearsal dinner at Cornucopia...

The following images are from the wedding day!

Engagement Photography Session

2009-08-31T10:10:00.006-04:00

This shoot was a fun one for us! Jama is from Boone, and Randy is from Asheville, so they asked for suggestions on where to go for their engagement session. We have been eyeing this old abandoned mill for some time now, and suggested that they come to us. I just love their interaction (Jama said she is not into PDA...but I don't think they had any trouble!).

-Lindsey

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Left Craig's view / Right Lindsey's view...

Doesn't Jama have the most beautiful porcelain skin!!

Left Craig's view / Right Lindsey's view...fabulous shoes!!!

Lindsey's view...

Next two Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view (with the assistance of Craig...I'm sitting on his shoulders to get the angle)

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Left Lindsey's view / Right Craig's view...

Ok, so Jama and Randy met and started dating in college, but after graduating they moved to different towns several hours away from each other. Randy decided that if he couldn't be around Jama on a daily basis, then he wanted to be reminded of her and the commitment they are making to each other. So he got an engagement ring too!! Is that not the sweetest thing you've ever heard!

Greenville Engagement Photography Session

2009-08-31T08:56:00.007-04:00

It's been a while since we've had a shoot in downtown Greenville. We used to shoot there practically every weekend, but lately we've been traveling elsewhere for shoots, so it was a nice change of pace to be back. Claire and Steve are from Indiana, so they (like everyone who visits) love the downtown area. They decided to bring along their dog, which I just love! Claire and Steve, I hope you had a productive trip getting lots of wedding plans done, and had a safe drive back to Indiana!

-Lindsey

Left Lindsey's view / Right Craig's view

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

High Hampton Inn Wedding - Cashiers NC

2009-08-28T16:05:00.006-04:00

What can I say about this one. I LOOOOOOVE Amy and Andrew, and that is no exaggeration! First off, I've never seen anyone so photogenic and fabulous in front of the camera at all times...we didn't take a bad image of them all night! We spent all day Friday and all day Saturday at High Hampton Inn with their friends and family (all from out of town - Miami and NYC, most never having been to this part of the country). Amy, Andrew, and their families made us feel so welcome, just like one of the guests. We had a fabulous time...Amy's friends were wonderful and Andrews friends were hilarious, I didn't want the weekend to end. It was picture perfect and we were so lucky to be a part of it! I couldn't narrow down the images enough for a blog post, and the resort asked if we would provide them with a wedding album from the day, so below are just a few pages of the album we designed!

Amy and Andrew, happy one week anniversary! I know you are having the most amazing time on the African safari, enjoy week two...we are sooooo jealous!

P.S. Amy is an event planner in NYC, so you can bet the details were perfect...I'll do another post shortly with those!

Craig and I split up for the getting ready (which we do frequently)...I went with Amy and her bridesmaids to her mom's vacation home, and Craig went to High Hampton.

They first saw each other that day at an overlook in the neighborhood that Amy's mom has her vacation home in. It is always such a special moment when a couple chooses to see each other before the wedding. It gives them time to really enjoy each other, allows us time for amazing photos and makes the whole day go so much smoother.

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view

Left two Lindsey's view / Right Craig's view

Left two Craig's view / Right two Lindsey's view

Left three Lindsey's view / Right one Craig's view

Left - Lindsey's View / Right - Craig's View

Left two Lindsey's view / Right Craig's view...

Left Lindsey's view / Right Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Left two Lindsey's view / Right Craig's view...

Each end Craig's view / middle image Lindsey's view...

I love the way Andrew pulled his arm back and mouthed "YESSSSS" while walking down the isle....too funny.

Far left and Far Right Craig's View / Middle images Lindsey's view

Ok, so these are perhaps my favorite images from the day. Amy spun into Andrew's arms, nearly missing his face with her elbow...you can see Andrew pull away slightly, the reaction on his face, and then Amy dying of laughter! Too cute!

The toasts get me everytime! Left are Craig's view of Amy's Step-father toasting her mother (with tears in his eyes...and mine!), and I love the look on Amy's mother's face...complete joy! Right Lindsey's view...

Love this one of Craig's...

And the now famous Proud Mary (see video in previous post)...

Maternity Photography Session

2009-08-27T09:31:00.003-04:00

Since I've left my job at Clemson, we've actually had a bit of free time and have started branching out into other types of photography. We did a maternity session (actually we've done 3...more posts to follow shortly) in the studio with our assistant and full time employee Ashley. She wanted to do a session that made her feel beautiful, and could document this amazing time in her and Mike's (her husband) life. I know these images might not be for everyone, but I hope you can appreciate the beauty and the amazing changes and blessings to come for this new family!

-Lindsey

This is one of my two favorites!

Love these series of images....

This is my other favorite from the session!

Cashiers NC Wedding...

2009-08-24T15:04:00.016-04:00

This past weekend, we had an absolutely amazing time at Amy and Andrew's wedding. They travelled in from New York City to get married at the High Hampton Inn and they had us with them all day Friday and Saturday. It was truly one of the best weekends we've had. Amy is an event planner, so it goes without saying that the whole weekend turned out beautiful! We will post some of the fabulous photos soon, but we wanted to go ahead and give you a sneak peek of some video that the great Jeff Bradt shot during a surprise part of the reception. Enjoy!

P.S. Sorry for the bad audio in the beginning... the band messed up a bit. Watch the lead singers face... Too funny!

This video was produced by Greenville wedding videographer, Jeff Bradt Video.

Greenville Engagement Session

2009-08-24T11:46:00.005-04:00

I love being able to get out of the city of Greenville for photo shoots in different areas. And the mountains are a special place for Brian and Cheryl. They had their first date in Brevard, spend their free time hiking, and are getting married at Pretty Place. Although this shoot was done at some of the same locations as Joy and Fadi (previous post), I think you can really see a difference in the styles of the two couples...we always strive to capture who the couple is, rather than do the same thing for everyone.

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Next two Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Left - Lindsey / Right - Craig

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Left - Lindsey / Right - Craig

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Guess who's view?!?!

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

We ended the shoot with dinner at Hobnob, the same restaurant where Brian and Cheryl had their first date!

Engagement Photography Session

2009-08-21T09:31:00.007-04:00

Now that I am caught up blogging weddings (until our wedding tomorrow, of course!), I am going to get caught up posting all of the other shoots we've been doing over the last few weeks. First off, let me say how beautiful Joy is, and she has the most incredible hair...like out of a Pantene commercial! We really enjoyed this shoot because we always love shooting in new locations and since Joy and Fadi are from Atlanta, we got to make some suggestions. We started off in downtown Greenville--always a great place to find unique backdrops! Then after walking and shooting around downtown for a while, we stopped for brunch at High Cotton--our favorite Sunday brunch spot, if you haven't been, you need to go and have a peach bellini for me! Then we headed to the mountains and Pretty Place for a change of scenery. Joy had wanted to be married at Pretty Place, however with over 400 weddings guests, that just wasn't possible. But we were happy to get some shots at a place special to them. Joy and Fadi, we had a great time with you both and can't wait to see you for your wedding in 2 weeks!!!

-Lindsey

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Left - Lindsey's view / Right - Craig's view

Not everyone can pull off the serious look (like me, I just look mad!), but Joy and Fadi look amazing!

Although Joy and Fadi said they like photos of themselves not smiling...I think these natural moments are my fav!

We were driving down the road and pulled over quickly when I saw this spot...thanks Joy and Fadi for being such great sports...I think it turned out well!

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

I think these next two are my fav's from the day...Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Greenville Country Club Wedding

2009-08-20T10:55:00.007-04:00

I have known John for years...we are from the same tiny, sleepy town of Walhalla, and graduated high school together. So when Emily contacted us to shoot their wedding, we were super excited. It was an absolutely stunning wedding, and fabulously fun reception. Emily and John were married at the 4th Presbyterian Church in downtown Greenville, with a reception at the Greenville Country Club. I have to say, I just love big wedding parties...it can be challenging to shoot, but when they are this good looking it makes our job easy! I can't say enough about how happy John and Emily are together. You can see in the images below the way they look at each other...it makes me so happy for the both of them! John and Emily, we wish you the best!

-Lindsey

P.S. I have finally caught up on posting weddings!!! But stay tuned...I'm working on posts for 2 engagements, 3 bridals and 4 other family shoots!

Left - Craig's View / Right - Lindsey's View

Lindsey's View...

Craig's View...

Love the way they look at each other!!!

Lindsey's View...

Craig's View...

I think these two are my fav from the day!

The band Rubberband, was probably the best party band I have ever seen...everyone danced all night!

Greenville Hilton Wedding

2009-08-18T10:14:00.005-04:00

Emily and Josh were married two weeks ago at the beautiful Trinity Lutheran Church in downtown Greenville, with the reception at the Hilton. Emily and Josh are the cutest couple! The are so perfect for each other in every way. They are both very laid back...I don't think I've ever seen a bride as calm and having so much fun on her wedding day as Emily did. Congrats to you guys...I hope the honeymoon was great!

-Lindsey

I just loved how this little girl leaned out of the pew to watch Emily walk down the isle!

Left - Lindsey's View / Right - Craig's View

Lindsey's View...

Craig's View...

Left - Lindsey's View / Right - Craig's View

The guests has so much fun...I had to include a few of my favs!

Greenville Wedding Decor

2009-08-18T09:59:00.005-04:00

We're always getting questions about wedding decor and details from our clients, so this is just a quick post to highlight the beautiful creativity and hard work of Kim from All in the Details and Kathy from Kathy & Company.

-Lindsey

Acanthus Wedding in Greenville

2009-08-17T15:29:00.010-04:00

Lynsay and Shane were married a few weeks ago at the amazing wedding venue, The Acanthus. As you will see in the images below, not only are Lynsay and Shane amazingly beautiful, but the ceremony and reception were stunning! The care and effort that were put into the details was evident. The flowers, decor, and coordination were made possible by Kim from All In the Details and a fabulous spread of food was prepared by Kathy & Company. In fact, I was so impressed by the details (and I know how brides planning their wedding love to look at them) that I am following this post with another of their wedding to highlight them!

Craig and I had a wonderful time with Lynsay, Shane, and their families. I loved how close the families were (I almost teared up many times that day--which is a surprise to no one!). I am partial to outdoor weddings...and who would disagree looking at the images below of the amazing backdrop of Lake Lyman (the lake that Lynsay's Mom spent her summers at when she was growing up!) with the gorgeous yellow sunlight that showered the ceremony!

Left - Craig's View / Right - Lindsey's View

Love family shots that show the love of a family!

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Lynsay's Grandfather got really emotional during the ceremony...such a touching moment!

Outdoor ceremonies...gorgeous!!!

Love this image of her Lynsay's eyes...trying not to cry during the father/daughter dance...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view..

Lindsey's View...

Athens GA Wedding at Classic Center

2009-08-14T13:55:00.007-04:00

We had the honor of capturing Stephanie and Scott's wedding about 3 weeks ago in Athens, GA. They were married at their church, which had formerly been a playhouse...which made for really cool images! It was such a touching ceremony, they each wrote their own vows and there wasn't a dry eye in the house...even the preacher got a little broken up. I just love touching ceremonies like that! The reception was held in a ballroom at the beautiful Classic Center, and it could not have been a more perfect day.

-Lindsey

What a fun group of guys!

Scott reading over his vows a final time just before the ceremony...

Scott was soooo happy (and perhaps a bit nervous) backstage...he was just staring out onto the stage...love this shot!

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Left Lindsey's view / Right Craig's view

Left Lindsey's view / Right Craig's view

Left Lindsey's view / Right Craig's view

Left Craig's view / Right Lindsey's view

Stephanie's Dad really got choked up during the Father-Daughter dance at the end of the night. Stephanie is moving to Canada to live with Scott after the wedding...I know the distance will be hard on their family, but I just loved this moment!

Greer Wedding Photography Post

2009-08-14T12:00:00.004-04:00

Alright...two down, three more weddings to go!

Laura and Steven hold a special place in our hearts...we shot Laura's sister Ester's wedding two years ago, and to this day the photos of Ester and Adriel's wedding are some of our favorites. Laura's parents and family are so amazingly loving and compassionate to each other and everyone around them, and I do believe they have the cutest grandfather ever! We're sad that they don't have anymore daughters to be married, although I'm sure they are happy to be done with weddings. Also, Laura sent us the kindest note after they returned from their honeymoon...this is why we love what we do!

"Dear Craig and Lindsey! We are back from our honeymoon and I have just
been thinking about how very much I enjoyed having you all as our
photographers for our wedding. Steven and I have said over and over how
thankful we are that you could capture our day. We would not have settled
for anyone else! I don't know if I ever told you, we chose a friday night
wedding because you guys weren't free on saturday! We have re-lived the
moment of seeing you all running down main street to catch us on our
carriage ride, over and over. You don't know how special that was! You
made us feel so comfortable, and you took all the stress out of the day.
Thank you so much for working with us. We count you as good friends and
we are so glad to have been able to include you in our day. I think that
these words can't express all that I feel, I just wanted you to know how
very much I enjoyed working with you. You guys are the best!
Laura and Steven"

Love it when couple's see each other before...makes things go so smoothly and gives us time to get amazing images!

Sometimes the wind just works in your favor...love this one!

The first few minutes after the wedding ceremony are some of the best images from the day...in this one father and sons comparing the new ring...

Ok, so we got some amazing images of Laura and Steven and the wedding party before the ceremony, and then it rained buckets...really more like a monsoon (not joking)! Then right after the ceremony the most beautiful rainbow...like it was there just for Laura and Steven.

Rock Hill Wedding

2009-08-14T10:28:00.007-04:00

Alright, for those of you who think we have fallen off the face of the earth, I apologize. We have been crazy busy!!! We started off the new year and the first half of wedding season staying true to our new years resolution to blog regularly. But weddings every weekend, sometimes two in a weekend, have taken it's toll on us. Although, I was able to keep this resolution going much longer than my one to exercise and eat healthy, which was shot by mid-January! So, needless to say I have set aside the next week to do nothing but blog...so stay tuned, as I'm hoping to have several posts a day to show you all what we've been up to!

My first post in this series of many to come is Susan and Jacob's wedding...they had a wonderful ceremony and reception in Rock Hill, SC. It was an absolutely perfect evening and we so enjoyed spending the day with them and their families!

-Lindsey

Jacob's gift to Susan was a Burberry handbag that she had been wanting for years!!! And I love the look on the face of Susan's flower girl!

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

They did the most amazing first dance...they must have taken lessons for months!

I love his eyes peeking over her spinning dress...

Craig's View...

Lindsey's View...

What inspiration...

2009-07-15T14:43:00.003-04:00

Last night we got the chance to go to Asheville and hang our with a bunch of great photographers at Regina Holder's studio for the Asheville Pictage User Group meeting. When we first got the call and were asked to speak to the group, we were totally honored and humbled. I mean these are our peers, whom we respect so much, and they wanted to hear about our approach to wedding photography! What a compliment that was! Well, as usual we probably talked way too much, but hopefully we were able to to provide some type of insight and/or inspiration to these amazing photographers.
It made me stop today and take a look at all of the different photographers websites from our area. I don't do this often because I really try to find my inspiration elsewhere and don't want to get influenced too much by what other people in our area are doing. I have to tell you that as I looked through so many different websites today, I feel for each of you brides! There are some great photographers in this area! I am honored to be associated with so many of them. It inspires me to reach even deeper and work even harder. I can't wait for our next shoot! So excited to keep growing each and every day!

-Craig

Field and Mountains Engagement Session

2009-07-07T13:28:00.004-04:00

Last week we shot the engagement session of Kayla and Mike. They both are from Walhalla (where Craig and I live), so we were super excited when they requested to do the shoot locally. Although we live in Walhalla, we rarely get the chance to shoot here because most of our clients are in the Greenville area and beyond. We started off the shoot at a new outdoor wedding reception venue that is being built (I hope to post more info about the facility when it is ready). It had the most amazing 180 degree views of the mountains...it was stunning! Then we finished up in the field in front of our house (nice thing about living on a farm)...which I just loved!

Kayla and Mike will be married in just a couple of months...and you could tell how excited they are. Both had the biggest grins and could not stop staring at each other...they were soo cute!

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

My fav of the day!

Love these too!

The one's from our front yard...or should I say, jungle?!?

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Left - Lindsey's view / Right - Craig's view

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Table Rock Wedding

2009-07-02T18:57:00.002-04:00

Ok, let me start off with apologizing for the delay in this post. One of my very dearest friends on earth was married June 21, and we had the honor of documenting their extraordinary day. I'm about a week behind in my blogging because this wedding has taken me forever to get through. I found myself pausing to stare at Rachel's amazing expressions, and at times having to stop to wipe tears from my eyes. So bear with me...this may be a long one!! Rachel and I met in newspaper class when I was a freshman, and she a junior in high school, and we have been the best of friends ever since. She is amazingly creative and unbelievably funny, and without a doubt the most genuine and compassionate person I have ever met. I feel honored to be friends with a person like Rachel, and I don't think that my words can ever express how much I think of her (pausing again to wipe tears from my eyes). Rachel is the oldest of five children and is the first to be married, so as you would expect this was a very emotional day. And Tim is such a wonderful man, with an incredibly warm and welcoming family...it was our pleasure to be there for them. I am so happy that Rachel has found the love of her life, no one deserves it more!

As Rachel gets the first glimpse of herself in the mirror, Hannah (Rachel's sister and maid of honor), who was helping Rachel get dressed began to cry. At that moment, she leaned over and hugged their mother! This was one of those priceless moments I was so glad I was there to document!

The face of a father as he gives his daughter away gets me everytime!

I just love Rachel's expressions!

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

After they left their reception, we were able to steal Rachel and Tim away for a few minutes to do a quick shoot before the sun went down...I love these ones!

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Athens GA Engagement Photography Session

2009-06-25T17:05:00.007-04:00

Last weekend we went to Athens, GA for an engagement shoot with MeriBeth and Jess. First off, let me say they are both amazing in front of the camera...a photographer's dream. And we loved their interactions, they were so gentle and loving with each other in front of the camera--we had such a great time with them! And with them both being recent grads of UGA, this engagement session would not be complete without a stop by Sanford Stadium.
-Lindsey

On the front porch of MeriBeth's sorority house...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Have I mentioned how much a I love fields!?!?

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's fav of the day...

Lindsey's fav from the day...

And we finished up the shoot along the river on this gigantic rock where they began dating and Jess proposed...

Clemson After Wedding Photography Session

2009-06-19T14:38:00.001-04:00

Ok, so if I had to narrow down to just one, I think my favorite place to shoot would be a field. There is just something about rolling hills with tall grass waving in the wind. So when Jess and Greaton asked to do an after wedding session in a field, I was sooooo excited. We started at the Clemson campus, then went to a beautiful field, and finished up in downtown Greenville. Here are a few of our favs'...
-Lindsey

Lindsey's view...

Next two Craig's view...

Love these two from Craig! How beautiful is Jess!

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

My fav's in the field!!

Love these next two from Craig...Jess has the greatest expression!

And Lindsey's view of Greaton...

This was a special location for them...Greaton proposed on the bridge!!!

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Gassaway Mansion Wedding

2009-06-18T16:06:00.004-04:00

Last Saturday we had the pleasure of spending the day with Jess and Greaton. They are two of the kindest, sincere, loving people we have had the joy of working with. In the way they speak to each other, touch each other, and look at each other you can see how deeply in love they are. They had an absolutely perfect wedding at the Gassaway Mansion...how could they not at this amazing location!

Congratulations Jess and Greaton! Hope you are having a blast in Mexico...can't wait to see you guys when you get back!

-Lindsey

Left - Lindsey's view / Right - Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

I loved these kids...they were having so much fun!

Cliffs of Glassy Wedding

2009-06-13T10:47:00.001-04:00

That's about all the French I can recall from my 2 years in high school....well, that and to ask if I can go to the restroom. For those of you wondering where I am going with this...Wari is from France, one of my favorite international destinations (I could live off bread, wine, and cheese!). The reason I point out Wari is from France, is to tell you my favorite story of the two of them. When they first started dating, Wari was a very affectionate person and Jackie was very anti-public displays of affection. Wari would lean in and plant a big one on Jackie, and she would politely remind him, "I really don't like PDA." He would reply "ok," and and then lean in for another kiss! He, being from France, did not know what PDA meant. But I really think Jackie and Wari are truly meant for each other. You can see a transformation in Jackie, that she no longer minds the PDA (too much) and when they are together, she just glows! Below are some of our favorites from the day, enjoy!

-Lindsey

Love this one...hugging Mom with Dad in the background!

Love this one...

This is my favorite of Jackie from the day!

Greenville Engagement Session

2009-06-12T10:06:00.001-04:00

We shot Jackie and Wari's wedding this past Saturday, but before we post those images, I wanted to share their engagement session from about a month ago. This was a really fun session for us. It was Wari's idea to have a picnic in the park and have Craig and I just sneak up on them (I know, how romantic...Jackie is a lucky lady!). So we shot around Falls Park for a bit, and then headed to the rock quarry garden at Clevland Park...which is always a great place to shoot! Below are some of our favorites from their engagement session, and I'll be posting a few from their wedding shortly!

-Lindsey

He played his mandolin and sang to her...how romantic!!

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Upcountry History Museum Bridal Photography Session

2009-06-10T12:17:00.001-04:00

We shot Sarah's bridal several months ago, and I've been dying to show the images we got from her session. Now that she and Jeremy are happily married I can finally show these great images. First off, Sarah is naturally great in front of the camera...as you can see. And she wanted something different (which always gets us excited and our creative juices flowing), so we suggested the Upcountry History Museum. The relatively new museum is now also a popular event facility. We've shot a couple wedding receptions here and just loved the unique backdrop. Enjoy!

Furman University Wedding

2009-06-04T15:51:00.006-04:00

Last week we were at Daniel Chapel at Furman University for Suzy and Greg's wedding. We had a great time with them and their families...they were all so nice! Their reception was at the Hilton. The Life of the Party DJ made it fun for everyone and Suzy went all out for the reception decorations...with the assistance of the creative geniuses from Curly Willow Designs! Ladies, if you are looking for something unique and amazing for your reception decor...these are the people to call!!!

Suzy and Greg decided to see each other before the ceremony, which makes the entire day go so smoothly and gives us ample time to get in some great shots. They wanted that moment when they first saw each other to be special, so they decided to meet in the rose garden, in the exact spot that Suzy's parents were married 33 years ago. Greg and Suzy it was a pleasure to be able to capture your day. You two are so great together...we wish you the best!

I just love the moment when a bride and groom see each other for the first time...

Lindsey's view

Craig's view

Craig's view

Lindsey's view

Lindsey's view

Craig's view

for those of you that have not been...the rose garden is stunning!

love the moment between father and daughter right before they walk down the isle...

how happy does Greg look!

Lindsey's view

Craig's view

love this one!

the crew at Curly Willow Designs transformed the ballroom...they surrounded the dance floor with lounge areas...and transformed the chandeliers into huge floor length candleabras...amazing!

Atlanta GA Wedding

2009-06-01T10:48:00.002-04:00

Last weekend, before we left on our trip, we shot the wedding of Jen and Lee in Atlanta. They were married at the Catholic Shrine of Immaculate Conception in downtown Atlanta. It was a gorgeous church, and a very special ceremony. I loved the little touches Jen and Lee added to make the ceremony special to them. They presented their mothers with roses, Jen's grandfather sang a song and played the guitar, and they had the audience stand up and hold hands across the aisles to pray together. Those sincere touches made the service special and unique.

After the ceremony, they headed to 103 West in Buckhead for the reception. It was a fantastic space, and the service and food were amazing....I would highly recommend! Jen's mother, an interior designer, designed and decorated the reception space, and it was beautiful. The day was perfect, and Jen and Lee are so cute together!

Jen and Lee, we hope you had a great time in Jamaica and are getting settled in New Orleans. Congratulations, we wish you the best!

So proud of my little brother!

2009-05-29T10:29:00.000-04:00

We'll this was a very bitter sweet day for my family. On May 22nd, my brother, Taylor, graduated from the Naval Academy. It was a beautiful sunny day in Annapolis, and the energy in the small town was palpable. The senior class of midshipmen (for those of you who don't know, midshipmen is what they call Naval Academy students) could not have been more excited to be completing their program and entering into their new found freedom (as free as you can be in the military...at least they don't have 6:30am formations!).

That is the happy exciting part...but the part that made it a little difficult for my family was that we had a member missing, our dad. My dad was career Navy, retired Command Master Chief of Barber's Point, Pearl Harbor. He passed away during my brother's first year at the academy. It was almost embarrassing how proud he was of Taylor. In the first 5 minutes of any conversation with my father, he would find a way to work in..."and by the way my son is at the Naval Academy." We were all thinking of him and wishing he could be there, but despite that, we had a great time with all of our extended family and friends. Below are some photos we took from his graduation...enjoy (and yes, that is President Obama shaking all of the midshipmen's hands!!!)

the Blue Angels...so amazing!

My brother shaking the President's hand!

the view from the jumbotron...

My mom and uncle pinning his officer boards...

Craig and I with Taylor...

Manhattan Engagement Photography Session

2009-05-27T09:33:00.009-04:00

There is nothing better than getting home and crawling into your own bed after a long trip. We've been on the road for so long that our cat and dog really missed us! But we're back into the swing of things and I have several posts about the trip coming up...so stay tuned!

The first leg of our journey took us to Atlanta, for Jen and Lee's wedding. It was a gorgeous event...I'll blog about that with photos later in the week. Then it was off the New York City for Andrew and Amy's engagement session. And finally to Annapolis, Maryland for my little brother's graduation from the Naval Academy...also a blog post and photos to follow!

Below are just a few of the images we got of Andrew and Amy on their engagement session. They live in Manhattan, but are getting married in Cashiers, NC where Amy's family has a vacation home. We are always excited to shoot in a new location, so we met them at their apartment at 8:30 and didn't finish shooting until 3! We started in Central Park (Andrew and Amy are lucky enough to have an apartment in the Upper West Side directly across from Central Park), then to Grand Central Station, across the Brooklyn Bridge, ate lunch at the famous Grimaldi's Pizzeria (Andrew's favorite pizza in NY and we also highly recommend!), and then back to the East Village for some shots from Amy's old building's roof top terrace. It was a fun/exhausting day, but we are super excited about the images we got...see below!

Aren't they a gorgeous couple...

These are two of my favorite from Craig....

I love the moment right before a kiss...

left is Lindsey's view...right is Craig's view...

Furman University Wedding

2009-05-11T14:11:00.007-04:00

Last week we had the privilege of shooting Sarah and Jeremy's wedding at Furman University. They are two of the kindest people I have ever met and you can see by the way they look at each other, how much in love they are! They were married at the Daniel Chapel followed by a reception at the Younts Conference Center. The beautiful flowers were provided by Memories by McMillan and the reception entertainment was provided by Life of the Party. Some of you may recognize Sarah...she previously worked for Southern Bride. And as you would imagine, her dress and veil were stunning!
Sarah and Jeremy, your day was perfect and we were honored to have shared it with you. Hope you had an amazing time in Thailand! Congratulations and lots of love,
Lindsey

Lindsey's view...

I love they way she looks at him here! Craig's view...

Love this one!

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Greenville Poinsett Club Wedding

2009-05-07T10:28:00.006-04:00

Hi everyone. I wanted to say thank you for the out pouring of kind words and support you have given us during this tough time. Craig and I are getting settled back into the swing of things, and although we miss his mom terribly, we are trying to stay positive and celebrate her life...we know that is what she would have wanted.

As expected, we are a bit behind with blogging but we wanted to share with you the wedding of Brende and Mike we shot two weeks ago. Brende and Mike were married at the Greek Orthodox Church in Greenville on April 25th. The ceremony was beautiful, as always the Greek Orthodox Church is an amazing backdrop for a ceremony with beautiful flowers provided by Greg Foster. The reception was held at the Poinsett Club, and as you would imagine with a Greek wedding, they danced the night away! Two bands provided the entertainment, Tony Williams & the Blues Express as well as Nick Demos & The Greek Islanders for the traditional Greek music.

Congratulations Brende and Mike, we are so happy for you both!
-Lindsey

The veil is always my favorite detail!

Love the Greek tradition of hugging the parents! Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Cake provided by Patty Cakes...

love the Greek dances!!!

Thornblade Country Club Wedding

2009-04-20T11:17:00.009-04:00

Well, I'm actually a little sad that this day finally came and went. We first met Allison and Chris when they chose us to be their photographers a year and a half ago. After meeting with them, shooting their engagement session over two separate days, Allison's bridal session, and many consultations, we really got to know them and felt like they would be our clients forever! When I walked into Allison's getting ready room she looked at me and said, "I can't believe this day is finally here", I knew exactly what she meant.

Allison and Chris were married on April 18th at the Covenant United Methodist Church in Greer, SC. It was a wonderful ceremony...the pastor was especially funny as you can see below from the laugh on Chris's face! And the reception was held at the Thornblade Country Club. There aren't many more picturesque locations in Greenville for receptions...I love the shots we got of them down at the pond.

Well guys, we can't wait to see you when you are back from your honeymoon in Costa Rica. We will have to get together at least a few more times to work on your album design, so you won't be rid of us that quickly;) And Allison, if it is anything like helping you choose your bridal, you may actually be clients for life!! Just kidding...we really loved every minute of it. It was our pleasure to be a part of your momentous day, we wish you and your wonderful families all the best.

makeup was done by Patsy Glunt...

Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

I love this one of Craig's!!!

Lindsey view...

Craig's view...

I love how happy Allison looks!

Our Vacation...

2009-04-17T09:52:00.006-04:00

Just before wedding season kicks off, Craig and I like to try and get away from it all and re-group. We spent last week traveling around New England visiting friends and family along the way. Our trip started in Washington, DC for the cherry blossom festival, up to Boston and Rockport, MA for some historical site seeing and wonderful seafood eating (I could live off seafood...Craig on the other hand is not so enthusiastic), up the New Hampshire sea coast and over to Conway, NH to see the amazing Mt. Washington. It was a great world wind tour, and I was glad to finally be able to sleep a night in my own bed after 10 days on the road. The cold, rainy, and gray New England weather really made me appreciate returning to warm and green South Carolina! Below a few photos from our trip.

Our Duck Tour in Boston...I highly recommend!!

the teapot...

we were just walking down the street and saw this little guy...

love the birch trees...

Mt. Washington...

the Mt. Washington Hotel...

Model Photography Greenville SC

2009-04-14T09:12:00.006-04:00

Well, we're back from our vacation and had a great time! I'm planning on posting a few photos from it later in the week, so stay tuned. We've shot so many amazing bridal portraits lately of the most beautiful brides at the coolest locations. I'm dying to post them, but that will have to wait until after their weddings! So, instead I wanted to share with you a few images from a shoot we did before we left. Adelle is a hair stylist at Identity on McDaniel specializing in extentions. She requested a photo shoot of herself for her website (which you can see by going to http://www.hairbyadelle.com/). Adelle does my hair and I love what she does and would recommend her to anyone. But if she ever decides to change professions she would be great at modeling...she makes our job easy as you can see below...
Lindsey

this one is my fav!

I love the look she is shooting at Travis (her husband) here...

Charleston SC Engagement Photography Session

2009-03-18T13:18:00.009-04:00

Last weekend Craig and I went to Charleston--possibly my favorite city in the world--for a couple of shoots. Our first shoot was for one of my best friends in the entire world, Rachel and her fiancé Tim! Rachel and I have been best friends since I was in 9th grade when she transferred to my high school. She is the most hilarious, crazy fun, kindest person I know. I love spending time with her, and just wish she lived a bit closer.

We got to spend Saturday getting to know her fiancé Tim and his wonderful daughter Wilson. I definitely approve and I am so happy for the both of them!!! We started off the shoot at Mempkin Abbey, a breathtaking monastery in Monks Corner, SC. Then we finished up at the Folley Beach pier . Below are a few of our favorites from the session.

Wilson was very confident in front of the camera...and for good reason!

Same moment...two viewpoints...
Lindsey's view...

Craig's view...

Same moment...two viewpoints...
Craig's view...

Lindsey's view...

Special thanks to Wilson for taking this one!

and the result of climbing on Craig's shoulders...

love this one!

and this one too!

Trip to Charleston...part two

2009-03-18T10:36:00.004-04:00

Our second shoot in Charleston was for Catherine, a soon to be bride, and her bridesmaids on their bachelor party weekend. Catherine's sister April and her bridesmaids suprised her with the photo session...what a thoughtful gift! They were such a fun group of girls and it was great getting to meet them.

Catherine...the beautiful bride

Family Photography Sessions...

2009-03-11T12:55:00.009-04:00

Hello everyone!!! Sorry it's been so long since we last wrote, we've been dying to catch everyone up to what we've been doing, so here goes...

We've been super busy with bridals, engagements, designing albums and everything wedding related since we got back from our trip to Las Vegas. Craig and I have chosen to specialize in wedding photography because of how much we love working with our couples and how much fun we have on a wedding day, but we frequently get calls for family photo sessions that we turn down because of our hectic schedule. But now that I am able to devote more time to Sposa Bella, we are hoping to expand our repertoire to family sessions as well.

A few weeks ago we photographed Craig's cousin Derrill and his family in Cleveland Park and wanted to share a few of the photos. Katie and Derrill have such beautiful kids, it made our job easy! By the way, if any of you are in need of some fabulous maternity clothes, Katie owns Pickles and Ice Cream on Augusta Rd. Please stop by and tell her we sent you!

Zion National Park

2009-02-16T13:23:00.007-05:00

Just a quick blog for today because we’re super busy with classes and a trade show here in Vegas. We are having such a great time and getting a lot of great ideas for this years wedding season. We are so excited to get back and get started! Last week we had a great couple of days shooting with Cliff Mautner and then on Saturday, we drove to Zion National Park and spent the day shooting with friends. Here are some of our shots from Zion. We’ll share more about the conference later in the week.

Us with Katie and Bryan of Bella Luce Photography from South Dakota, Ashley Jones of RT Photo and Olivia Griffin of Olivia Griffin Photography, both from SC.

Vegas bound...

2009-02-10T14:53:00.003-05:00

Hello to all of our beautiful blog followers! We are busy trying to finish up a few last minute things and then we're headed home to pack for sunny Las Vegas. We fly out tomorrow morning and will be gone till the end of next week. No worries though... thanks to our trusty iPhone, we are only a phone call or email away. Feel free to get in touch with us at anytime over the next week and a half if you need something. Do keep in mind the time difference though... we probably won't answer if you call before 9 AM Eastern Standard time!

We are totally excited about this trip. On Thursday and Friday, we're studying with Cliff Mautner, one of the world's best wedding photographers and a total master of light. Then Saturday, we're off to Zion National Park in Utah to do some fun shooting. We'll return back to Vegas for all of next week to attend WPPI and network with some of the greatest photographers on the planet. What a totally refreshing and inspiring trip this will be! Stay tuned to the blog as we'll do our best to put up a few posts between now and when we return, so you can keep up with what we're doing.

Take Care!

Special thoughts...

2009-01-28T12:27:00.009-05:00

This morning I came into the office not feeling too well. I've had a pinched nerve in my neck, undoubtedly from putting to much stuff in my camera bag because that's the shoulder I carry it on. Not only that, but it's also just a rainy, blah day outside.

After not being here too long, an email popped into my inbox and I got that excited feeling I always get when we hear from new brides. This email was a little different than the norm, though. Typically the standard question is are you available for my date and what's your price. Don't get me wrong, both of those are very important questions and they were both in this email. The thing that made this one different from many others is the way they captured and stated the way I feel most every day. This wonderful bride started out the email by saying, "I love your work"... that is always nice to hear and we always appreciate the compliments. In fact, we really want you to fall in love with our work before you look at our pricing. That's honestly why we don't put it on our website. We know that if price is out there, that's usually the first tab people click. Even though a budget is important to stick to, choosing your photographer shouldn't be all about price. I'll blog more about my thoughts on that at a later time, though.

The email continued on by describing some details of her day and as stated before, inquiring about price and then she wrote the sentence that really hit home with me. She said, "Keep up the beautiful work, you are making so many people happy, and that must feel great!" WOW... she nailed it on the head!! I can't say enough about how amazing it is to be blessed to do what I do. We get to take part in one of the most emotional, joyous, and special times in a persons life. Not only do we get to be a part of it, we get to document it so that it will always be remembered. The moments that we capture will be looked at years from now by our couple's great great grandchildren and it will be those images that allow those children to get to know their great great grandparents. That is why when we shoot a wedding, we focus on the moments, the people, the laughter, and the tears. Those are the moments that define you.

This really hit home for me about 6 months after my own wedding. Lindsey and I shoot weddings practically every weekend and we always knew how special that day would be for us. And it was... she looked radiant the first time I saw her that day. It brings tears to my eyes thinking about saying my vows to her and announcing our love to our closest friends and family. That day, there was celebrating and laughter and I will forever cherish those moments thanks to our wedding photos. Then, 6 months after our wedding, those photos became even more precious. Lindsey's Dad, a man who I loved like my own father, suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. This was a very tough time for Lindsey (the ultimate daddy's little girl!), her mom, brother, and all of the family and friends. Lindsey's dad was an absolutely amazing man. I honestly can't even find the words that he deserves when I try to describe him. I guess the best way that I can say it is by saying the same thing I told Lindsey's mom and dad on the day I asked their permission to marry their daughter. I said, that everything I love about Lindsey is because of them. Since the passing of her Dad, it's been tough at times to look back at photos of him. But make no mistake... I am SO thankful for having those photos. Dee Combs, I miss you daily, I love you more than I ever even got the chance to tell you, and I thank God for allowing me to be part of your family and to always have your beautiful and amazing daughter by my side.
-Craig

Lindsey and her Dad right before she got ready to walk down the aisle...

The tears were definitely flowing by this point. Me included!!

The father-daughter dance. To this day, I think of Dee at this point of every wedding we shoot and Lindsey always cries (One day she's going to short circuit our cameras!)

The toast. He compared life to being on a train and went on to say that this day was like stopping at Grand Central Station.

Later in the night. I love how happy Lindsey looks.

New logo take 2...

2009-01-21T16:11:00.005-05:00

If you've been following our blog, you saw a couple of weeks ago that we introduced a new logo. After looking at it for 2 weeks, Lindsey and I both agreed that we hated it! So here is the introduction of logo #2 (see our blog banner at the top)!!! We actually like this design so much better and think this is the one we're going to stick with. We're not gonna rush out to the printer for new business cards just yet, but we think this is the one. Stay tuned because we may change our mind again. Also, if you want to offer any advice or opinions, we're always open to them!

I've been meaning to blog all week and I just haven't found the time. I've been busy working on album designs for several of our couples and that is taking up all of my time. I am really excited about albums right now, though. I've been researching different binding methods and I am very close to convincing Lindsey that we need to make our own. I know, you 're thinking "make your own albums.. come on!!" But really, I think I can do it. The albums that we currently offer our clients are handmade, so why should it not be my hands doing the making. If I can perfect the binding technique (there are so many different ways to do it), then that will open up so many more options for our couples. I mean, we could use the material from your wedding dress as the cover for your album1 It's crazy to think about all of the different possibilities of things we could come up with. Trust me when I say that I will perfect it before we offer it to any of our clients, though. Your album is your first family heirloom and it needs to last a lifetime and beyond. That's why we are very picky about the albums we currently offer and if we build our own, I would expect them to be better than anything we can buy or I wouldn't offer it to our clients. I'll keep you posted on how my progress is coming and I'll definitely post some photos after I build my first one. For all I know, that post may be a warning to never try and build your own album!!

Julie and Stephen

2009-01-19T17:43:00.005-05:00

This weekend we went to Hartwell, Georgia for Julie and Steven's wedding. It turned out to be a perfect day... cold, but perfect. We actually even saw a little bit of snow on our drive home!

Stephen and Julie met in College where Stephen was friends with Julie's roommate. They had been dating for about 4 years when Stephen popped the big question on Christmas Eve of 2007. Julie wondered why Stephen was so anxious to leave her family's celebration, but it soon became apparent once they arrived back home and she saw roses and a ring and turned around and saw Stephen on his knee! And now, a little over a year later they are finally husband and wife.

So, after freezing to death on a cold Fall morning shooting their engagement and on a cold winter afternoon for their wedding, they are now off to spend some hot nights in Antigua! Have fun you guys and we'll see you when you get back!

Brrrr... it's COLD!!

2009-01-16T14:46:00.009-05:00

Some days, you just don't want to get out of bed and today was definitely one of them. Surprising for a Friday, I know! It's just too cold to function today. This is why we don't live any further north than we do. Give me 85 degrees and an ocean breeze any day!

We left our cat, Sullivan curled up on our bed this morning... I bet he hasn't moved an inch. That's the life, I tell ya... sleep, eat, sleep some more, get rubbed, sleep, chase my tail, eat, sleep and then start all over again. I could probably be pretty good at each of those things.

So today, I came in with the sole intent of creating a new slideshow intro to our site. I had high hopes, as I usually do, and figured I'd have it up and going before lunch. Here it is almost 3 PM and no slideshow yet. I swear, I have no rhythm and trying to time each slide to the beat of the song is driving me nuts. It's like when you're trying to record a new outgoing message for your voicemail... you get almost to the end and then BAM you stutter through a word and sound like an idiot. Am I the only one who does this?? That's what it's been like all day. I get almost to the end of the slideshow and then I get off beat and end up having to start all over. American Idol here I DON'T come. I could actually probably get on one of their outtake tryout shows. I'm that good.. or bad, however you want to look at it.

I decided to give the slideshow a break and blog for a few minutes and then maybe I'll go back to work on it or actually, I'll probably leave and take Lindsey out for a date night.

I wanted to share a few photos from an engagement we shot a few months ago. We were so far behind at the time, we never got a chance to blog and post them. Their wedding is this weekend, so I thought today would be a good day to post a few of our favorites. Julie and Stephen are having an evening ceremony in Georgia, so we'll be on the road headed there tomorrow. Be sure to check back early next week for some of our favorites from their wedding. It'll be our first wedding of 2009 and we are totally stoked about starting the year off with some great shots. Have a great weekend everybody!

What a fun weekend...

2009-01-12T13:08:00.009-05:00

Our trip to Asheville this weekend was great. We drove in on Friday to go to the civic center and set-up our booth. It's actually a pretty simple set-up, but it does take a little time. We ended up spending about two hours getting everything ready, but I'd guess that a third of that time was actually spent visiting with other vendors who were there setting up also.

After we finished our set-up, we decided to stay downtown and have dinner. We had made plans to meet with a bride later that evening, so we looked for a restaurant that seemed like it would be a nice place to meet in as well. We happened upon this great restaurant call Steak & Wine. We think it's named Steak & Wine because it's in the S & W building so we assume they wanted to use something with those initials. The S & W building is a very cool building probably circa 1930. Our favorite part was their staircase... it was marble and the edges of the steps are worn and rounded from years of traffic. We can only imagine the events that have happened in that building over the years. We love buildings like that! By the way, for any of you Asheville brides, the S & W building is available for receptions. It would make for great photos!

On Saturday, we had a great show. And now we're looking forward to to our last wedding festival of the year on the 31st of this month at the Carolina First Center. That one is typically the biggest of the year. If you haven't been to a show yet, be sure to not miss this one!!

Here's a shot of our booth from Asheville....

Wedding Festival Excitement

2009-01-09T14:27:00.004-05:00

January is always a fun month for us. First, it's always a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the previous wedding season. Typically by January, we are finally caught up with everything from the previous year. Secondly, it's wedding festival time. Wedding festivals are our main form of advertisement. Other than them, we rely on you guys to spread the word about us and that's basically it. Wedding Festivals tend to be a bit hectic trying to get ready for (we never can fully agree on what we want to hand out, placement of albums, etc.), but once they are here, they are definitely fun. We love meeting all the newly engaged couples and talking about their upcoming wedding. It's also great to get the chance to catch up with other photographer friends and see how they're doing. We look at other photographers as colleagues who inspire us and help us be better. There is always so much to learn and so many cool new styles. That's the great thing about photography... each of us could look at the exact same situation and shoot it completely differently.

Anyways, enough of my ramblings! I tend to do that. I start out with the plan to talk about a specific topic but once I get started, I head off in some completely different direction. Sorry for those of you out there who like some sort of structure!!

This afternoon, we're headed off to Asheville, NC for the wedding festival that's there tomorrow. If you're in the Asheville area, please plan to stop by and say hi. We'll update you next week on how it goes.

Hope each of you have a wonderful weekend.

-Craig

Stephanie and Scott

2009-01-07T14:37:00.005-05:00

Yesterday afternoon we drove to Athens, GA to shoot Steph and Scott's engagement. We were worried that the weather wasn't going to cooperate with us, but it actually turned out perfect! Even though it rained all day at our house, it was sunny and beautiful in Athens. Originally, we had planned to do this shoot a couple of weeks ago, but we got rained out. This was going to be our last shot because Scott is heading back home to Canada so we wanted to make sure we got it done. Canada is quite a distance to travel just for an engagement session!!
Anyways, to tell you a bit about the beautiful couple... Steph and Scott met through Steph's sister, Megan. Megan and Scott were actually in school together in Australia. One day, Megan was on the phone with her big sister and just passed the phone off to Scott and said he had to talk to her. After a couple of other conversations they became friends on MySpace and shortly thereafter also became friends on Facebook. That was the point that Scott said it must have been serious!! :) Eventually they planned a trip to meet in Florida at Disney World and have been together ever since. Man, how dating has changed since I used to do it!! Computers have truly changed the world!
So, they've planned a wedding for this summer in Athens and then Steph will be moving to Canada to be with her hubby! Can you say brrrr, it's cold!?! They are absolutely perfect together, so I'm sure they'll keep each other warm on those cold Canadian nights!
Here's a few of our favorite shots...

Great wedding dress shop...

2009-01-05T11:57:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to pass along some information for anyone that didn't make it to last weekends Wedding Festival. The booth next to us was The Dress Bridal Consignment Boutique. What a fabulous idea they are! It's an upscale consignment dress boutique that offers you the chance to get some amazing deals on some awesome dresses. Some were worn before, but many are just floor samples so they are brand new. I sure wish this boutique was around when I was dress shopping. What a great thing. Definitely check them out!
-Lindsey

New year, new dreams, new hopes...

2009-01-04T17:19:00.002-05:00

Happy New year everyone!! So, we have gotten an ear full from several of you about how slack we have been in updating and posting to our blog. This will all change starting NOW! :-) Seriously, we have set New Year goals (not resolutions because none of us really ever keep those anyways... Do we??) and at the top of that list is to keep our blog up to date. We were so blessed this past year with so many wonderful couples choosing us to be a part of their lives. We loved every minute of it, but it did mean that we had very little time to blog or do anything else for that matter!! We have actually caught up with basically everything (other than finishing up a few albums) and we are now ready to roll out what's new for 2009. We are updating our website, incorporating some new shooting styles, and revamping our customer service plan. We're starting today with a new logo (check out the top of the blog and our homepage for different versions of it). Please let us know what you think about it. Lindsey and I rarely agree on favorite photos, logos, wine, etc., but this was our best compromise!
Another thing that we're excited about for 2009 is that Lindsey put in her notice at Clemson. She will officially be full time with Sposa Bella beginning March 6th. This has been in the works for a while and we are both excited about what she has planned once she can devote all of her energy to Sposa Bella. We have so many new ideas and we'll finally get to implement them all!!
Also, we've spent today editing some of our favorite photos from 2008. Be sure to check out our galleries for those. They'll all be uploaded by tomorrow evening.
Last thing and then we're off to dinner with some friends. I want to say thanks to each of you out there... our past clients, fellow photographers, family, and friends. It is each of you who help shape us, inspire us, and always remind us of what's important in life. Take time today to tell those closest to you that you love them. We look forward to growing and experiencing with each of you in '09. The New Year is always so exciting!! All our best!
Craig

Westin Poinsett Wedding

2008-10-26T18:36:00.015-04:00

Matt and Jessica were married yesterday at St. Mary Magdalene with their reception at the Westin Poinsett. We were worried about the weather yesterday morning...but the clouds and rain cleared and it became a beautiful afternoon! Jessica and Matt made time in the busy wedding day schedule to have Main Street Trolley drop them and their wedding party off at Falls Park for a few photos between the ceremony and reception while their guests enjoyed a cocktail hour. Everything went perfectly...and we are so happy for them both!! Matt and Jessica, have a great time on your honeymoon in Hawaii.
-Craig and Lindsey

Devereaux Wedding Greenville SC

2008-10-05T14:55:00.009-04:00

Like last weekend, we again spent this weekend on the road. On Friday, we shot the wedding of Kim and Stephen at The Garden Retreat, just outside of Erwin, Tennessee. We are so excited about the images we got...and we'll post their photos shortly. Then on Saturday we had the pleasure of photographing Andrea and Matt's wedding in Greenville. They definitely had the quintessential Greenville wedding, and it was very obvious all the thought that was put into the details (not surprising when you consider that the bride's sister, also the matron of honor, is a wedding planner in Boston).
Andrea and Matt's ceremony was on the rock patio of the Lazy Goat (Mine and Craig's favorite restaurant in Greenville-if you have not been, it is a must!) and then all of the guests walked to Devereaux's for the reception. Later that night, everyone was invited back to their house for an informal BBQ.
Andrea and Matt were completely focused on leaving the smallest environmental footprint possible from their wedding. To do this they used local vendors (ceremony music provided by the very talented Tim White and B & R Events coordinated the reception), recycled stationary, organic ingredients & food, and the flowers for the bouquets and decoration were purchased that morning from the farmer's market!
We so admire the way that they were conscious about their environmental impact. We always strive to be the same and we now have found the world's first "green" wedding album. This album line features 100% post-consumer recycled paper, environmentally sensitive cover materials like hemp, recycled kraft paper, and lotka paper, the entire process is powered by green E-Certified windpower, and 5% of the proceeds go to reforesting and to purchase carbon credits. We are soooooo excited about these books!

wow, wow, WOW....

2008-09-30T14:12:00.008-04:00

With a name like Adelle Valentine (now Graham), how could you expect anything less than a hot fiery redhead!!! That's exactly what we got when we met up with Adelle and her husband Travis at Lake Greenwood yesterday. We first met them at a wedding we shot this past July and they told us how when they got married two years ago, their photographer didn't get any good photos of just the two of them. We hear this so often and that's why it's always one of our priorities to get great shots of each of our couples. Anyways, they asked if we'd be willing to do a photo shoot of the two of them and we said definitely. I mean take one look at them and you know the camera is going to love them!!! So this past weekend, we made a whirlwind tour of the state. We started in Columbia on Saturday for Tracy and Ty's wedding (see their slide show below) and then headed to Charleston for a great shoot with Susan and Jacob on Sunday (we'll put up some of their shots shortly). On our way back from Charleston yesterday, we met up with Adelle and Travis for an awesome shoot! They wanted something "edgy" and I think we got it!
Also, to put in a plug for them, Adelle is a great hairstylist at Identity (Lindsey has started going to her and loves her!)... you can visit her website at www.hairbyadelle.com. They also own Suburban Blood Trail which is a great haunted trail that benefits a great cause. So if you want some great fun this Halloween, be sure to go!!!

Millstone at Adams Pond Wedding Columbia SC

2008-09-28T19:12:00.005-04:00

We had a great time at Tracy and Ty's wedding yesterday in Columbia. Check out their slideshow below. We'll post a few of their photos soon.

Charlotte NC Engagement Photography Session

2008-09-26T12:01:00.012-04:00

We went to Charlotte to shoot Stacey and David's engagement session about a month ago. We had a great time with them...I just love it when a couple is lovey and not afraid to show it in front of the camera.
-Lindsey

The Hurst Tower was special to Stacey and David, it is where they first met...

We had been shooting around outside for a bit when it began to rain. So we ducked inside a hotel, which made for some great shots too!

David, the sweet talker that he is, even convinced the front desk to give him a key to the penthouse!

Fundraiser for Camp Courage kids...

2008-09-23T14:35:00.003-04:00

As most of you know, Lindsey and I volunteer for Camp Courage, the non-profit program of The Greenville Hospital System for children and teens with cancer and blood disorders. This is probably one of the most rewarding things that we get to do. These kids are absolutely amazing, fun, and truly inspirational. We travel to their camp and have a fun photo shoot session with each of them. We then give them all of the photos to share with their families. We also make ourselves available at no charge to each of the families for a portrait session. Life is so precious and we really want to capture this family bond forever.
In addition to these photos at camp, we are also participating in a fundraiser scheduled for November 22-23. When a child is diagnosed with cancer, a huge financial strain is added to the family. So, the money raised from this fundraiser will help to fund a vacation to Disney World for the kids. We will set up a studio at the hospital and take family portraits for anyone who's interested. Packages range in price from $18 - $35 and there is no sitting fee. All of the proceeds will be donated to Camp Courage. This will be a great time to get a family photo for Christmas and your donation will go to a wonderful cause. If you can't make it out during those days, but would still like to donate, that'd be great too!
To give a donation or to schedule a time slot for your family portrait, please contact Jamie Gibson of Camp Courage at jgibson@ghs.org
Thanks to each of you for your support!

Julie and Nick's wedding slideshow

2008-09-22T09:26:00.007-04:00

We are playing around with and starting to add short video snippets to our slideshows. This was our first try at it, but it's our plan to start doing this for all of our couples. This is our wedding from this past Saturday. We will post their photos soon. Let us know what you guys think of the video!

P.S. We are NOT videographers and have no intention of becoming one. This added feature is not meant to discourage you from hiring a videographer. This is only meant to enhance your photographs.

Outer Banks Wedding Photography

2008-09-21T16:40:00.005-04:00

Craig and I LOVE to travel. It is probably our favorite thing to do...besides drinking wine and eating cheese! So we were super excited when Brooke and Adam asked us to photograph their destination wedding in Surf City, NC. The beach in the small island town of Surf City is a very special place to Adam and his family. In fact, Adam took his first steps on that very beach. We shot Adam's sister's wedding two years ago, and it was great to see their family again. Congratulations Adam and Brooke...hope Costa Rica was great!

Very good advice...

These are some of my favorite father/daughter dance photos of all time...it makes me tear up just looking at them!

Pretty Place Wedding Photography

2008-09-19T11:55:00.020-04:00

What can I say about Mary Ellyn and JP...I really enjoyed this wedding. They reminded me a lot of Craig and I. I am very much like JP... almost always happy, never worried about anything, not concerned with the details, just assuming that everything will work itself out. Mary Ellyn, on the other hand, is very organized and on top of things, like Craig. I think the photo below of their wedding cake topper explains it very well...

And their ceremony was just amazing. Mary Ellyn and JP were married at Pretty Place, which is a beautiful location to be married. But what I loved the most about their ceremony was the way it was tailored to be all about them. You could have never spoken to either of them before, but after sitting through the ceremony you would have felt like you had known them for years. The entire ceremony was sincere, funny, and touching (yes, I cried...a lot). I'll try to get more information about their minister to pass along for anyone who is looking...

Not only did they choose a beautiful ceremony site, but the reception at Key Falls Inn overlooking a pond and mountains was stunning!!!...

Here come the photos...

2008-09-19T11:55:00.011-04:00

I'm sorry we have kept you all waiting so long. But I am excited to finally be caught up with our work and to begin blogging again. This shoot actually took place several months ago, but we have been holding off posting Lindsey's bridal until after her wedding (which was on August 2nd). Now, as all of you can see... Lindsey is gorgeous, but she doesn't enjoy being in front of the camera. She is like so many of our clients and that is why we always try to put everyone at ease. Craig and I can sympathize, we don't particularly love being on the other side of the camera either! All of our clients are nervous the first time, but within just a few short minutes, they are always having fun and it makes for beautiful photos! With all that said... Lindsey, I hope the session wasn't too painful ;). Craig and I thought the photos turned out great!
-Lindsey

PS. For those of you who are interested...you can sign up to receive notifications when we make a new post (see the bottom of the page).

New intro to our website!

2008-09-19T08:48:00.003-04:00

All of you probably experienced our new slideshow intro when you entered our site. It is still a total work in progress, but we wanted to go ahead and put it up. Please let us know what you think... love it? hate it?.... either way, we'd love your feedback. We will be adding a skip button soon so that those of you who visit our site often won't have to sit through it every time. I'll be tweaking it all day today, so if our site is unavailable at anytime... just blame me! Hopefully I won't crash it though ;-)! We're off to shoot an engagement in downtown tonight and then our first Fall wedding is tomorrow. We are so excited, it's at Cleveland Park in Spartanburg, which is always a beautiful location! We hope to spend Sunday posting photos to our blog (including ones from this weekend) so be sure to check back! Hope you all have a great one!