Christie and Alex's Wedding at Twickenham House and Hall

“I’m not good at making specific plans. Just meet me under the sky somewhere and be alive with me”

— Victoria Erickson

I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who’s loves snow as much as Christie and Alex. We went back and forth on engagement dates waiting for the PERFECT snow day, and all the effort paid off! Banner Elk was finally forecasted to receive several inches and we started planning. What started as fun snow ball fights and hikes around the The Banner Elk Mill Pond, ended in a romantic sunset on top of Beech Mountain. It set the perfect tone for their wedding day to come!

Fast forward to the big day. They reallllly wanted snow on their wedding day as well, so they chose December in the mountains. Twickenham House and Hall provided the most beautiful backdrop and while it didn’t snow the day of, it did one step better and snowed a couple days prior, ensuring the roads were accessible by the wedding day AND they still had snow on the ground for photos! Wins all around!

And those wins could not have arrived at a better time. The High Country endured the trauma of Hurricane Helene just a few weeks prior to the wedding washing out the road to their venue as well as countless others nearby. With many discussions about changing locations, we kept our fingers crossed and the road workers pulled through just in time! It was a grand celebration indeed!

Christie chose to have a first look with her father (complete with custom gift to her pops) as well as her excited bridesmaids. We had to take a couple quick warm ups inside the house in between of course ;)

Then Alex and Christie shared their first look together on the front lawn where we still had some snow followed by their sweet private vows and a sip of a special bottle of bourbon they had been saving for this day.

While the scenery was breathtaking, the temperature and winds were a little harsh the morning of the wedding so they made a quick switch from a cliffside ceremony to a backyard ceremony which was absolutely lovely. We took the happy couple up to the cliffs afterward for a few portraits and the rest of the evening was spent laughing, crying and dancing the night away. Wouldn’t change one thing, we had an absolute, blast you guys! Thank you for trusting us with your big day!

The Instagram Handles for the Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: @cynthiajviola with assistance from @jlrobertsphotography

Venue: @twickenhamhouse

Planning: @heatherlyeventdesign and @kelseystricklandevents

HMU: @justwingitartistry

DJ: @ultimatesounddjco

Catering: @morchellaprovisions 

Cake: @sassy_cat_bakery

Transportation: @wilcoxtravel

Brianna and Niko's Wedding at the Pinery in Colorado Springs

I met these two babes at Lauren and Brady’s wedding last year. Brianna was one of Lauren’s bridesmaids and we became fast friends. When it came time to plan for their big day in Colorado, she asked if I’d be willing to travel…

Well, rather than giving her a 300 page book on why traveling is my favorite, I simply said, of course, and well now I get to tell you about how AMAZING Colorado weddings are!

If you know me at all, you know I’m not a big fan of cold weather. I know, I know, I grew up in the mountains and should therefore love it, but well, I don’t, so there. HOWEVER, I love these two and I would go ANYWHERE for them! Colorado in February sounded a little scary, but we just planned for me to be there 2 days before the wedding just in case any in-climate weather messed with the flights, and then hoped for the best that I’d get there right on time and be able to capture a few quick couple photos at Pikes Peak as well as their rehearsal dinner if not.

The weather was kind and not only did Brianna get the fresh snow she’d hoped for, it was beautiful and sunny the whole weekend. After treating the wedding party to a Cog Train tour of Pikes Peak the celebrations began!

Brianna is so close to her family, she chose to do special moments with her mother, father and brothers and they were all so happy to share those moments with her. Of course the best moment was her first look with Niko. He couldn’t stop telling her how beautiful she looked and she kept saying everything felt calm now. All the stress that had built up over the weekend dissolved when she saw her groom and the rest of the day was pure joy.

Thank you guys for including me in your special day!

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola

Venue, Catering, Florist, DJ and Coordination: The Pinery

The Dress: The Bridal Suite

The Suit: Mens Warehouse

Hair and Make Up: Jessica with Le Coquelicot

Barber: Lincoln St. Barber

Officiant: Kris Bowen

Video: Veiled Rose Films

Rehearsal: Bourbon Brother’s

Lauren and Justin's Wedding at Historic Mordecai Chapel

I met Lauren a decade ago when I first lived in Raleigh through one of my favorite couples, Brook and Chuck! When she organized an epic dance flash mob for their wedding I knew she was my kind of girl. She is a bright shining star and it was so fun to see her and Justin celebrate their day together. They were both so relaxed as they they made the preparations and full of laughter as they teased each other and flirted through their first look.

His brother Chris officiated their short ceremony at the Mordecai Chapel and they were on their way to celebrate with their friends and family at Caffe Luna Downtown.

In between the ceremony and dinner we drove to the top of a parking deck to capture the last of the sunset and a few new Mr. and Mrs. portraits. Raleigh is just so beautiful from this height and did not disappoint. We even waited for traffic to be just right in front of the restaurant so we could capture a slow shutter shot of the traffic moving behind them. I love it when my couples are willing to do whatever it takes to get the shot. Thank you guys for including me in your big day!! I wouldn’t have missed it for anything!