Ashley and Cam's Wedding at The Little Chapel

May 22, 2024Wedding PhotographyCynthia Viola

Where do I even begin? I have been capturing Ashley’s family for at least 10 years. Senior portraits and headshots for all three sisters.,Christmas Parties and family events for her parents, her sister Jessica’s Wedding, her aunt Colleen’s wedding and now her big day. It’s hard not to feel like a part of the family when you’ve experienced so many special milestones together.

For their engagement session in February they chose to use the venue location. And while it was the middle of winter and the greenhouse was still under construction, the space did not disappoint. We exictedly talked about all big plans to come. Fast forward to this weekend…

Cameron and Ashley decided to share private vows before the ceremony so they met in the field in between the the two houses where they were each getting ready. The tension had been rising all morning, as it does at every wedding. But it was instantly released the moment they saw each other, share a hug and reminded each other why they were here.

With the recent passing of Ashley’s sweet father, there were many moments where mom stepped in. She walked her down the aisle and danced the first dance. Her sisters too were there to fill the void and we all felt his presence during speeches and cheers. We all knew he was so proud looking down from his front row seat all day.

Our happy couple now shares a wedding anniversary with her sweet grandparents and they honored them and all the married couples with a special dance during the reception.

Then things got a little rowdy. In the best way possible. Ashley’s brother-in-law Tyler and Cameron battled it out to give her a lap dance. Everyone passed around the bourbon direct from the bottle, cigars came out along with late night french fries and the evening was a complete success.

You guys! Thank you for welcoming me into your family so long ago! I look forward to all the future celebrations! Until next time!!

Instagram handles for all Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: @cynthiajviola

Venue/Officiant: @thelittlechapel

Planning/catering/bar/florist: @bluebirdevents_sc

HMUr: @Taylorpressleyartistry and @artistrybybriiii

Get away Car: @triadecoadventures

Rentals: @cookerentalsdenver

DJ: @martynightengale

Cake: Sweet Shoppe Bakery Inc

Allison and Karen's Wedding at Overlook Barn

May 31, 2022Wedding PhotographyCynthia Viola

Oh my goodness. I feel like I know these two almost as much as they know each other!

I met them when Allison wanted to propose to Karen at a Treehouse AirBnb in Asheville… I was only TOO excited to drive down there first to see the space and make sure everything was perfect before their arrival. Karen’s mom and best friend were there too, to set up all the fun extras.

When I realized there was no place for me to hide in the bushes, I called Allison, on the road with Karen, and pretended to be the AirBnB host and told her “I would be there to greet them and show them the house.” She rolled with it and when they arrived, of course Karen started asking me questions about when we built the space and I made up all kinds of nonsense. Until of course we reached the bridge, when Allison knew she’d pop the question and I snagged my camera out of the bushes! Never a dull moment in the surprise wedding proposal world!

Fast forward a few months and Karen contacted me to capture HER surprise proposal to Allison at the Linville Falls Winery Christmas Tree Farm! I was so happy there were actually trees to hide behind and could not wait to pop out and show Allison I was there to capture her moment too! Her mom had set up the cutest Christmas tree in the middle of the farm with ornaments and presents, hot chocolate, and of course the ring!

The build up for this weekend made everything flow seamlessly. It didn’t matter that it rained literally 100% of the day without so much as a 5 minute break for photos. They were surrounded by their loved ones and more importantly these two love each other more than I can possibly describe.

Inside or out, their heartfelt vows had everyone (including me!) in tears so no one even noticed the weather. They had every guest fill out well wishes and place a pebble in the bag while they etched their names in their own pebbles. All piled together, every stone brought them to where they are today on their journey and will help blaze the path ahead.

There was never a moment where it wasn’t raining as least a little, so we played with umbrellas for a bit and they just decided to let the rain fall for some as well. Never without a smile on their face, and always filled with love.

That said, we still decided to meet up again over the weekend when the weather broke so they could get the mountain backdrop they were hoping for from Overlook Barn. It was no less special a couple days later, and in fact, more so because there was no wedding day pressure or timeline, just love. While I will always be sure to capture your day no matter what happens with the weather, if you have the option to meet up again the next day with better weather… it never hurts ;)