Joyner Park Family Portraits | The Peabody's

“There is no way to happiness - happiness is the way.”

— Thich Nhat Hanh

It's so fun having the opportunity to watch families grow, and cheer each other on. I had the opportunity to photograph these cuties a couple years ago and Abbey's senior portraits earlier this year. They are so supportive of each others dreams and goals. They're about to send Abbey off to college and little Hadley is preparing to perform on Who's got Talent with her impressive gymnastic and contortionist skills. They all just love each other so much, it made me so happy to capture them together. 

We could not get over how gorgeous it was this afternoon at Joyner Park, the October air was cool and crisp yet the sun provided that incredible glow through the changing trees. I hope you enjoy a few of these images from our session! 

Wake Forest High School Senior | Lindsay

“Let us not pray to be sheltered from dangers but to be fearless when facing them”

— Rabindranath Tagore

Wow, it blew my mind this morning when I realized how long I have been photographing the Rifenburg family! What began as a wedding for Lindsay's aunt Colleen, turned into family portraits, then senior portraits for all three girls now, and even the totally epic holiday parties for her parents' company. These guys seriously know how to have fun and it is most evident, I think, in Lindsay's passion for race car driving. Seriously a girl after my own heart. 

Not only is she a skilled driver, she's incredibly intelligent. She'll be graduating from Wake Forest High an entire year early so she can knock out her Bachelor's and move on to her Master's Degree quickly. 

This October weather was perfect as we explored Downtown Wake Forest, her friend Rachel joined us to make the session more fun and of course we had to snag a few of the two of them together. Congratulations Lindsay, this year is going to be amazing!

Joyner Park Extended Family Photo Session

“Being a family means you are a part of something very wonderful. It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life”

— Lisa Weedn

I've known this sweet family for years now. From various church encounters and youth group gatherings to the dance floor at several weddings to partnering with them to make BREW Coffee Bar happen in it's initial stages and now we're planning Jessica and Jeff's 2018 wedding! It's been such a fun few years!

Dan is hysterical. Whether he's offering to pay for the wedding in gold doubloons, trying to order pizza delivered to Raleigh from Viola's Restaurant in Florida, or discussing Disney Princess outfits that would be best to wear for the photoshoot, he always keeps me on my toes! 

I've I've combined Senior Sessions with Family Sessions before, but never an Engagement Session. It was so fun to see the family pick on Jessica and Jeff from behind me while I got a few romantic portraits and then again when Dan and Kathy had a turn! These guys know how to have fun, and they topped off the session with Dan's 1971 Ford LTD. So fun!

Haylee and Austin - The Mill Room Wedding, Wake Forest, NC

“Let me share this whole new world with you.”

— Aladdin

Haylee and Austin might be the youngest couple whose wedding I've had the honor of capturing, but that makes them no less in love. (In fact, A.J. and I were actually a little younger). When you know you've found the one, you just know.

Watching two high school sweethearts like Austin and Haylee commit to loving each other for the rest of their lives is such a beautiful thing. The way he made her laugh during their perfect first look at Joyner Park, the way she made him light up on the Mill Room dance floor even though he doesn't typically enjoy dancing, and the way both their families came together to celebrate their love and their story was wonderful.

Something fun about their big day was the subtle hints of Disney everywhere. Haylee is a huge fan of all things Disney so they both wore yellow shoes to match Mickey and Minnie's, they used red and yellow flowers, danced to Disney music, had a Disney cake and even a tiny Minnie Mouse. 

Congratulations you two! I hope you enjoy this week, these images, and this whole new season of life!  

Vendors:

Photography: Cynthia Viola

Venue: The Millroom, Wake Forest

Stylist: Stephanie Woodworth from Studio B 

Florist: Brandi's Botanicals, Youngsville

Wedding Coordinator: Shannon Gamble

DJ: DJ Mass Appeal 

Cake: Kristina at Love Cake 

Catering: Papa Jack's Catering 

Favors: Kristi's Tasty Treats