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!

Trash the Dress Shoot at Brown Mountain Beach Resort

“The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for a newer and richer experience”

— Eleanor Roosevelt

If you have followed me for any amount of time, you know trash the dress photography is my all time favorite type of shoot. The wild abandon of breaking the “rules.” The sheer joy that comes with splashing water on your love when you’re “not supposed to.” The simple fact that you get authentic memories of a moment that wasn’t buried in tradition and expectation, but wild and free, just like your new love.

Katie and Dan wanted those moments too and with as much fun as we had on their adventurous engagement session at Otter Falls, we knew we made a great team.

Of course Brown Mountain Beach was the perfect venue for capturing everything they were looking for. They wanted to include their best girl Kimura, ride off on their motorcycle, hop in the canoe, and of course, jump in the icy mountain water! I couldn’t have dreamed up a more perfect shoot if I wanted to!

While perfect photos in a proper, clean dress and suit certainly hold value and help you remember your wedding day, you cannot deny that you could ever forget holding onto your train so it didn’t get caught in the engine as you road away on a motorcycle, or dying laughing as your splashed your love and danced in an icy mountain river barefooted as the sun set in the background.

There are days that need to be remembered, and then there are memorable days. And I submit that the spontaneous moments that catch us by surprise in between the planned ones, are the ones that will never leave us.

I’m ready for your next adventure whenever you are.

Anne and Rachel's Elopement in Asheville

It’s hard to explain how you can have such a connection with a couple through text messaging, and I wouldn’t normally choose it or recommend it, but dang, if I didn’t know these two were perfect for me within our first couple messages back and forth.

I chatted with Rachel for several weeks via text making sure we were on the same page with all their elopement plans and then both she and Anne as their engagement session approached. There was zero anxiety as I pulled up to the lake, I knew we were already besties. Of course the shoot went amazing…

And I could not wait for their big day. They spent the weekend at Rachel’s family’s farm, and it suited them perfectly. Complete with super friendly animals of all shapes and sizes and of course their closest friends and family, the whole day was filled with happy tears as they shared their vows and created new memories.

I was overcome with emotion myself as they shared their vows to never give up on each other and to be the best versions of themselves for each other. Their love is deep and to see them celebrated wholeheartedly by their loved ones as we all joined in the happy tears was incredibly moving.

Ladies, thank you so much for inviting me to celebrate with you on this happy day! Love you both!

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola

Venue: Out in Jupiter Farm

Hair: Donovan at Atlas Beauty

Anne’s Ring: Jared

Rachel’s Ring: Modern Wedding Ring

Officiant: Luanne Carmichael

Cake: Nothing Bundt Cakes

Gabby and Brett's Wedding at Hidden River Events

Oh how I love these babes! You’ve pretty much never met a more genuine couple than Brett and Gabby. The way they compliment each others’ strengths and weaknesses, you’d think they were one person. All weekend everyone kept talking about how well she cared for him and how well he looked after her, like a protector. One of my favorite moments with them was when they were models for one of my styled shoots, almost 2 years ago. During the shoot, I literally watched before my eyes as it went from fun shoot, to the moment Brett realized he was ready to propose, and sure enough, that’s exactly what he did! The way they look at each other in the little moments throughout everyday tells you every thing you need to know about their relationship.

They met each other at Crossfit, and that’s where I met them, and they were, of course, already great friends of Anthony’s so we hit it off right away. When I found out Gabby loves to dance just as much as I do, we immediately proceeded to attend all the house parties together and have become great friends, I felt like family the whole weekend. She couldn’t wait to tell me to put down the camera at the reception so I could join them in the shenanigans…which of course I did, then continued with the wedding party afterwards. We stayed up until 3am just chatting about all the things. I’m pretty sure every single person in the wedding party at some point during the day told me one thing or another about how wonderful they are both as individuals and together. We are all so excited to see where they will go in life. (And also to share many more dance parties!) Love you guys!

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola

Venue, Florist, Coordinator and DJ: Hidden River Events

Her Dress: Wedding Inspirations Bridal Boutique

His Attire: Best Bride Prom & Tux

The Rings: Village Jewelers, Ltd

Hair Stylist and Make Up Artist: Della Terra Beauty

Officiant: Irma Strikesky

Catering and Cake Baker: Anne's Custom Catering

Marcus and Inita's Wedding at Amity Creek Farms

These high school sweethearts pulled out all the stops this weekend! I have never met another couple more excited about surprises than I am! Inita and Marcus both pulled me aside during our initial meeting to tell me about their fun plans for the wedding weekend. Then both their moms did the same, then they both added another through email later!! I *may have been the most excited person the whole day because I actually knew about every single surprise in advance (in order to capture it of course). I was bouncing around waiting for the next thing to happen, I had to send them one timeline that everyone could see, and then keep a separate actual timeline to include each element.

There were of course special gifts: a set of pearls during the first look, a set of cufflinks and a necklace honoring his late grandmother, tons of items for the wedding party, a bracelet from his mom to her - welcoming her as a daughter. There was a hysterical fake first look with his twin brother complete with dress and blonde wig, then the same brother whipped out a cartwheel down the aisle as he suddenly shifted from best man to flower boy. The day was filled with happy tears and riotous laughter as they celebrated fully with their loved ones. Everyone had the very best time.

The full moon surprised us all when it made a strong appearance over the hills. We had to step out of the reception for a few to capture it! We had the best time! Congratulations to you both! Looking forward to many more surprises in the future!

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola with John Bahamon

Venue: Amity Creek Farms

Wedding Coordinator: Ashley Causby-Hicks

All Wedding Attire: Bridal Traditions Wedding Attire

Cake Baker: Nutmeg Bakery

Linen/Chair/Tent Services:

Get Away Car: Volkswagen EOS

Favors: Soap bars from Soapy Chicks

McKenzie and Ian's Wedding at The Meadows

Oh my goodness, where to begin?!? I feel like I’ve known these babes for years now! From the first time we met in the fall of 2019 I knew right away they were perfect for each other. These two simply know how to give each other a knowing look that will either make them laugh or calm them down. Even at the rehearsal this weekend, when stresses were running high, the moment they actually took a moment to look each other in the eyes and remember why they were there, instant relief.

McKenzie has a wonderfully bubbly personality that made everyone smile all weekend, she knew just what to say or do to make us laugh. Then Ian is so down to earth and easy to be around, all of their friends talked about how they were each others’ perfect balance.

When Covid wrecked everyone’s plans last year, they decided to go ahead with a small elopement with their family and push the bigger celebration to this year. Everyone was so grateful for the joy they brought during that challenging year, and so happy to celebrate them in full this weekend.

If that day wasn’t already perfect, this weekend made everything complete. With all of their loved ones in attendance, they were celebrated fully and everyone danced the night away.

Thank you so much for inviting us to celebrate with you guys!!

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola with Melissa Toma

Venue: The Meadows at Firefly Farm Preserve

Wedding Coordinator: Lauren with Carolina Bells

Hair Stylist and Make Up Artist: WINK Hair and Makeup

Florist: Sweet Love Blossoms

DJ: The Deluxe Event Group

Live Music: NC Violinist and Prince Yabani Music

Videographer: Thomas Blake Films

Photobooth: Spark Photo Booths

Catering: Fords Fluent N Food

Cake Baker: Cinda’s Creative Cakes

Alcohol: Brewmasters

Linen/Chair/Tent Services: CE Rentals

Speciality Rentals: Greenhouse Picker Sisters

Invitations: Minted

Calligraphy: Meriweather Designs

Taylor and Sam's Wedding at Chetola Resort

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore”

— Andre Gide

These two babes somehow found each other living on two different continents, a half a world away from each other, but the moment they met, they knew it was meant to be. Taylor and Sam are perfect for each other in every way and it was so fun to watch them celebrate with each other. The wedding itself was a little bittersweet as his half of the family in New Zealand were unable to travel due to Covid, so they joined via zoom, but her half of the family doubled down on making them feel loved. The weather even cheered them on with the most vibrant fall colors and blue sky.

Even though I hadn’t met them in person before this weekend, I knew from our conversations they would be really fun! Then the moment we started a few portraits at the rehearsal they turned into giggly sweethearts who were so adorable and easy to shoot I just knew the wedding was going to be a blast.

If you don’t know their proposal story already, you should read that first, it’s so cute. Taylor describes it like this:

“I love our proposal story. It was Christmas morning 2020. We woke up early to a white Christmas in Blowing Rock at my parents house. We haven't had a White Christmas in YEARS. Sam literally never gets to see snow since it didn't snow where he grew up in New Zealand so I thought he was all excited to get up and go in the snow so early in the morning at like 7:30am. We had our Christmas jammies on (a cute tradition in his family), got our jackets and gloves on, and went outside in the front. I was playing around and sliding on the road out front and kinda hanging on to his jacket, having no idea what was in the pocket. He kinda quickly asked if we could go take pictures outside on the back deck instead with our amazing view of the mountains in the back and I of course said yes. My mom was up and he asked if she could take some pics of us. So we go on the back deck taking pictures and all of the sudden he asks my mom to take a video, he turns and looks at me and starts saying the sweetest things about us and the love he had for me and all of the sudden he gets on one knee and opens a box! I was totallllly shocked and surprised and just couldn't believe it was happening. I had these big gloves on so he just had to hold the ring while I cried and hugged him and of course said yes! It was one of the best moments (if not the very best moment) in my life. The rest of the day was literally perfect, filled with celebration, so much love with family and friends, and so much more. It was the best Christmas ever!

They are just the sweetest together! And right after their first look with each other, Taylor decided last minute to do one with her brother as well, neither of them expected tears, but were both just so happy to be celebrating something so wonderful.

What I didn’t realize before the wedding was that I actually when to high school with both the bride and practically the entire wedding party. We had so much fun catching up, I even joined them at the after party! They were an amazing crew!

Taylor and Sam thank you so much for including me on this special day! I am so grateful for you both and excited to hear about your New Zealand celebration!

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola

Venue and Catering: Chetola Resort

Wedding Coordinator: Megan Drake with The Elegant Event

Her Dress: Maggi Bridal, Raleigh, NC

Bridesmaids Attire: Bella Bridesmaids Charlotte, NC

Men’s Attire: The Tuxedo Shoppe

Rings: Ballantyne Jewelers

Hair Stylist: Susan Geer-Fickling and Chetola Spa

Make Up Artist: Layne Barter

Florist: Bouquet Florist Boone, NC

Officiant: Jon Murto

DJ: Split Second Sound

Videographer: Elliot Wilks

Cake Baker: Hallmark Cakes

Favors: Welcome bags for the guests with party supplies

Kristen and Kate's Wedding at The Oaks at Salem

“After all this time,
Always.”

— Harry Potter

I met Kristen and Kate two years ago when we were planning their Engagement Session and knew right away we would be great friends. Kristen had already proposed to Kate down in St. Augustine and we were making plans for their photoshoot. But Kate wanted to add a twist and propose back to Kristen during the shoot. So after lots of tears of all of us and much celebration our friendship grew and we had so much fun planning for the big day. (Of course covid pushed it back a year like so many others, but it was no less joyful)

Kate wore her great grandmother's pearl bracelet and Kristen wore a Wooden Watch from Ox and Birch that Kate had given her as a gift, their favorite quote inscribed on the back of course, “After all this time, Always.”

The best part of the whole day was simply the incredible relationships both ladies had with their dads. From the first looks and preparations, being walked down the aisles and first dances, the four of them were so tight and supportive of each other, they were full of big belly laughs and a *maybe* few tears. When both dads decided to swap daughters half way through the first dances, the whole room flooded with happy tears and everyone cheered.

Doughnuts, rainbow shoes, smore’s, rainbow masks, sparklers and allllll the dancing made for a wonderfully celebratory night and everyone had so much fun. So grateful for these friends and all the love they bring to the world.

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola

Venue: The Oaks at Salem

Wedding Coordinator: Laura with The Oaks

Make Up Artist: Menagerie

The Dress: Lillian West from Maggi Bridal

The Suit: Michael Kors from NY Bride and Groom

Florist: Southern Blooms Co. Wood Flower Bouquets

Officiant: Kevin Holland

DJ: Damien Maass

Videographer: Steve Creel Video

Photobooth: Cynthia Viola Photography

Catering: Cannon

Desserts: Utica Bakery + Duck Donuts

Linen/Chair/Tent Services: CE Rentals

Favors: Kubenik Honey (Kristen's grandparent's bee and honey farm in upstate NY)

Anne Marie and Justin's Wedding at the Museum of Life and Science

“Butterflies are nature’s angels.
They remind us what a gift it is to be alive.”

— Robyn Nola

I’ve seen a lot of fun ceremonies and moments at weddings, but watching a butterfly release has got to be in the top 5. Anne Marie and Justin both have a very strong appreciation for nature and animals, when they chose the Museum of Life and Science as their wedding venue it was a perfect fit. The cocktail hour was set within the insect exhibit so guests were able to walk around and learn while they mingled, and of course the shining moment involved the butterfly release with the bride and groom. As the butterflies had just come out of their cocoons, their wings were still developing so they were so happy to just hang out in their hands for a while, it was quite magical.

Their family and friends were able to experience the butterflies throughout the night as well and everyone had so much fun with them. The atmosphere all evening was full of celebration. Anne Marie and Justin went ahead and eloped on Halloween last year when covid pushed back their celebration so the only thing on the agenda this weekend was butterflies and dancing, and everyone had a blast!

Thank you so much for inviting me to be a part of your big day you guys! Everything was perfect :)

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola

Venue: The Museum of Life and Science, Durham NC

Wedding Coordinator: Olivia, the Maid of Honor

Her Attire: ASOS Design

His Attire: AWearNess by Kenneth Cole

The Rings: JRingStudio on Etsy

Hair Stylist and Make Up Artist: Shaina at Little Shop of Hairdos

Florist: Tre Bella

DJ: Vox DJ Co

Catering: Neomonde

Cake Baker: Blue Moon Bakery

Favors: Handmade Soaps made by the Bride at Cantrip Fantasy Crafts

Bar Services: POUR

Abbey and Mayukh's Wedding at The Oaks at Salem

“Dance is the hidden language of the soul”

— Martha Graham

Well…I thought I had seen alllll the dancing at weddings. But no. With three days of Henna tattoos, bridal showers, family talents shows at a Sangeet ceremony and then, of course, the wedding and reception…. now, I feel like I’ve seen all the dancing. I had SO MUCH fun this weekend. Abbey and Mayukh were gracious enough to invite me to all the festivities that their Indian/American wedding included and I was not disappointed. So much color, good food and alll the dancing.

Abbey and Mayukh like to say they met the third time they were supposed to. After being in the same place at the same time twice and missing each other, they finally had their first conversation at a friend’s birthday party and the rest is history.

Their wedding, like so many others this year was rescheduled due to covid, and still could not include at least 100 guests who would have otherwise been here if not for travel restrictions, but it didn’t damper the fun. Both families were so happy to meet each other and celebrate with the happy couple.

The Mehndi party kicked of the weekend as all the ladies were decorated with henna.

After the wedding rehearsal and rehearsal brunch on Saturday they had the Haldi Ceremony where turmeric was placed on their head and hands by 5 married women on each side of their family. This is considered a symbol of blessing for the couple and a healthy marital life. According to Indian customs, all the married ladies of the house apply haldi to the bride and the groom in order to bless them with a long and strong relationship.

Then the dancing began. The Sangeet. Everything you’ve ever imagined about Bali dancing…. this was it. It was absolutely mesmerizing and beautiful. It truly set the tone of celebration for the rest of the weekend.

Sunday morning for the joint wedding ceremony was perfectly beautiful and every tradition for both sides was welcomed and celebrated.

I had soooo much fun celebrating with these two and hope to witness many more Indian weddings soon!

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographers: Cynthia Viola with Guillermo Delgado

Venue: The Oaks at Salem

Wedding Coordinator: Aubi and Laura from The Oaks

Henna: Henna by Neena Jain

Her Dress: Pronovias from Tre Bella in Durham, NC

Wedding Party Attire: David's Bridal and Menswarehouse

The Rings: Diamond's Direct

Hair Stylist and Make up Artist: Ashley Watts

Florist: Cary Florist

Officiant: Jason Lynch

DJ: Frankie at CWDJ Entertainment

Catering: Under the Oak Restaurant and Catering

Cake Baker: I Do Cakes

Bartending: BrewMasters

Linen/Chair/Tent Services: CE Rentals

Invitations: Papel Custom Design

Favors: Wine bottle stoppers featuring a prominent compass rose on top of the stopper

Bryan and Justin's Wedding at Rickhouse Durham

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage”

— Lao Tzu

You guys, I cannot even begin to describe how much I adore these two. From the very beginning I feel like we have been besties and I’m not sure there is anyone more supportive of my work. Every single time I post I’m going to be in there area they tell all their friends and it just means the world to me.

Last year they trusted me with an extra extra special engagement shoot at Linville Falls Winery which you should totally read about here first if you like. And they have been so very fun to work with on all things planning.

For their preparation time on the morning of the wedding, they decided they wanted to just be chill and get ready together along side all their mutual friends and not make a big fuss about waiting until the ceremony to see each other. I must say this made the day so enjoyable for everyone with tons of laughter, cheers and stories.

An equal star of the day was most certainly their best boy Ketsu who did everything exactly as they asked, and even waited until the perfect moment to bring the rings down the aisle. As the anticipation for the ceremony built I hid them in the back room with just Ketsu so they could have a moment, and I swear, as soon as he saw them he jumped for joy and pulled out all the excited wiggles, instantly bringing down any bits of stress that had built up. He really is the very best good boy. :)

The ceremony itself was one of those where we basically had to mop the floor after due to allllll the tears the entire room collectively shed, myself included. For two beautiful humans who felt the need to keep their relationship a secret up until their actual engagement out of uncertainty for how everyone would respond, the outpouring of love and support was overwhelming. Both that first day and this day were a huge testament to how far we have come as a society, and more importantly, how many truly genuine friends they have who adore them for exactly who they are.

May there be no doubt ever again. Justin and Bryan, you are loved, supported, celebrated. Thank you for trusting your community, for being vulnerable and allowing us to come along side you. We are all cheering you and Ketsu on, now and forever.

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola with Guillermo Delgado

Venue: The Rickhouse, Durham, NC

Wedding Coordinator: Rose at Bright Rose Events

Wedding Attire: Bernard's Formalware and David’s Bridal

The Rings: Lashbrook

Barber: Mike Chops RDU

Florist: Ninth Street Flowers

Officiant: El Fisseha

DJ: DJ Scotty B

Event Lighting: Get Lit

Photobooth: Cynthia Viola Photography

Catering: Donovan's Dish

Cake Baker: Fat Rabbit

Accommodations: Unscripted Durham

Linen/Chair/Tent Services: American Party Rentals

Invitations: Christina Berkowitz

Favors: Cookies by Debbie (Justin's mom); Recipe card and Workout card by Justin & Bryan

Three Micro Weddings in one Weekend

“Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.”

— Mae West

Well this weekend was quite the blur! Friday morning started with Amy and Jeff’s Micro Wedding at McGill Rose Garden in Charlotte. They were one of my Covid Wedding Reschedules and decided last minute (literally one month ago) to go ahead with a small elopement. Lucky for them and me, I already had a small backyard Micro Wedding scheduled in Charlotte that afternoon with Audrey and Anderson! We were able to work out the timing and capture both!

Fast forward to the next day, Tara and Erika had their Raleigh Wedding planned at the Tucker House! I had so much fun doing all three of these back to back and thought it would be awesome to combine them into one blog post.

Amy and Jeff were finally able to tie the knot at The McGill Rose Garden in Charlotte. Rain threatened all week, but pulled it together at the last minute and gave us a perfect afternoon. Their sweet family helped them pull everything together at the last minute to make sure everything came out perfect and they were so happy to see everything work out for the best.

Audrey and Anderson chose her parent’s backyard for their elopement. And in just the sweetest southern form ever, they were married by her grandfather who also officiated her parents wedding, which was held in his backyard. These two were high school sweet hearts and they said about a year into dating they became pregnant and honestly didn’t think they would make it through being young parents but they did and they couldn’t be happier! The entire family rallied around them and offered full support this weekend.

Tara and Erika chose the Tucker House in downtown Raleigh for their intimate ceremony. We had so much fun getting to know each other as we pulled together all the final details. We hadn’t had a chance to meet before the wedding because they live in North Dakota but we had the best time. They love to travel around Europe and want to live there permanently. After the wedding they plan to expand their family of three and work towards moving to France in the near future. They incorporated that with the most adorable map set up so their guests could pin where they wanted them to go. It came complete with luggage tags and airplane mini bottles as favors!

Coordinator: Marina with The Royal Ribbon

Make Up: Bria

Florist: Teacup Floral

Officiant: Kayelily Middleton

Cake: Love Cake

Each of you, thank you so much for including me in your special weekend! I wish you all the very best now and in all the years yet to come.

Tara and Mischon's Wedding at The Collector's Room

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses”

— UNKNOWN

Tara and Mischon had a unique covid-wedding story where they chose to go ahead and have a small ceremony at his parent’s home with their immediate family in 2020, and then their full ceremony and reception this year with the whole crew.

Fortunately, I and Vintage Soul Floral Design were both able to participate in both events and were able to help them seam both days into one cohesive story. Even more fortunate, mother nature decided to bless both days with beautiful weather, making the story all the more wonderful.

With the way these two approach life though, I think it could have poured rain both days or been completely canceled and they would have rolled right on, knowing they had each other and their family to make it all worth while. They are truly a one of a kind couple and I adore them.

I absolutely love that they were able to have a dress rehearsal, because it allowed Tara to realize she wanted to wear her hair down, without a veil, Mischon changed up his suit and Tara also wanted to make the bouquet absolutely EPICLY huge! It must have weighed 20 pounds but it was soooo worth it!

There were two very sweet differences between their two ceremonies. In the first, the sweet pups were able to participate and insisted on laying on the train the entire day. The second, already married, they walked each other down the aisle. I absolutely loved both scenarios. Also in both, Dean’s Duet’s performed, and Vintage Soul Floral stole the show in absolute glorious design.

You guys! I cannot thank you enough for including me in BOTH your beautiful days. I cannot wait to see what comes next for you. Always cheering you on from behind the lens!

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographers: Cynthia Viola with Kalypso Burley

Venue: The Collector’s Room

Wedding Coordinator: Carla with Precious Times Events

Her Dress: Pronovias from Anjolique Bridal & Formal

His Attire and Groomsmen: Generation Tux

Bridesmaids: Azazie

The Rings: Diamonds Direct - Blue Nile - Collectors

Perfume: Yves Saint Laurent

Cologne: Mon Paris

Hair Stylist: The Makeup Addict

Make Up Artist: Glam by Tara (the lovely bride herself)

Florist: Vintage Soul Floral Design

DJ: Split Second Sound

Videographer: K2 Productions

Photobooth: ShutterBooth

Music: Dean’s Duets

Catering: Roots Catering

Cake Baker: Cake Expressions By Lisa

Linen/Chair/Tent Services: CE Rentals

Invitations: Lucrecia Caporale

Chris and Kat's Wedding at the Oaks at Salem

“Love her but leave her wild.”

— Atticus

1394.

These cuties joked all weekend that they have all be waiting 1394 days to celebrate and everyone needed to “party accordingly.” Which everyone was more than happy to oblige. Everywhere they went their hype team (wedding party) would start a chant, “Murphy….Murphy….Murphy.” They would start quietly then get loud and jump around and throw their hands up in the air, it was SO much fun to be a part of! I think after all was said and done, if Kat and Chris could have chosen to have their “normal” wedding last year verses their covid reschedule now, they would have still chosen this. The anticipation was well worth the wait.

You can’t have a covid reschedule without the quintessential drink of choice, Corona. We were joking that they nearly went out of business when the virus first hit, now it’s the favorite drink at every rescheduled event. The weather even gave them a nod of approval as it was the most gorgeous sunny day, complete with a slight drop in temp to welcome fall.

Chris and Kat wrote letters to each other and read them during their first look. I think this might be my new favorite way to greet each other. So heartfelt, and allowed them to say everything they wanted to say to each other in the moment and also started the portraits off on a genuinely love-filled note.

This day was 100% worth the wait and I am so grateful these guys stuck it out and grew stronger together as they rescheduled all their plans. Thank you so much for including me you guys! So happy you are officially #finallythemurphys :)

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographers: Cynthia Viola with Guillermo Delgado

Venue and Coordinator: Aubriana with The Oaks at Salem

Her Dress: Stella York from Michele-A Bridal Boutique

His Attire: Kenneth Cole Reaction from Men's Warehouse

Bridesmaids: Kennedy Blue

Groomsmen: Egara from Men's Warehouse

Her Ring: Belloring Etsy Shop

His Ring: Gentlemen's Junction Etsy Shop

Her Perfume: Coco Chanel (Chris chose this for her just before the wedding) :)

His Cologne: Dior Sauvage

Hair Stylist: Taylor Burgos (Chris's sister)

Make Up Artist: Julie Robbins

Florist: MEWS Floral Design

Officiant: Lynne Weeks

DJ: All Events DJs

Catering: Funky Fresh

Linen/Chair/Tent Services: CE Rentals

Sarah and Rich's Wedding at Providence Country Club

The fourth times a charm! Sarah and Rich had to reschedule their wedding four times due to covid but that seemed to only make the day that much sweeter. Highly anticipated by all their friends and honestly less stressful. The went ahead and eloped last year so all the pressures that can build not seeing each other and making last minute decisions just weren’t there. They were so happy to just be celebrating with their friends and being able to move on past all the planning. It was a perfect day.

They met on the Bumble dating app a couple years ago and Rich proposed in Cancun on their 2 year dating anniversary (May 8th). As it turned out, all of their common interests revolve around sports! So of course they had to give a nod to both their alma maters for the weddings. North Carolina State Red and Penn State Blue.

While the sun could have made the day miserable with over 90 degree temps, the clouds rolled in just enough to keep everyone shaded the entire day was was quite literally a silver lining to it all. It was a great day indeed.

You guys thank you for inviting us to be a part of your day!

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographers: Cynthia Viola with Kalypso Burley

Venue and Catering: Providence Country Club

Wedding Coordinator: Sarah Duckworth

Her Dress: Essence of Australia from Dar-Lynn's Bridal & Formal Wear

His Attire: Men's Warehouse

Bridesmaids: Azazie

Groomsmen: Men's Warehouse

The Rings: Helzberg Diamonds

Hair Stylist: Jessica with Giglio Hair Designs

Make Up Artist: Carly Sabato

Florist: Party Blooms

Officiant: Benjamin Mazur (Bride's brother)

Band: Marcus Harmon (Personal Friend)

Cake Baker: Renaissance Patisserie

Invitations: Paper Source

Favors: Koozies from Totally Promotional

Halee and Noah's Wedding at Trump National Golf Club

I knew I loved Halee and Noah the moment I met them. Both are so very laid back and easy to be around. They were not interested in too many bells or whistles, they didn’t even want to do the wedding party shenanigans, just say “I do” and throw a party! Covid of course helped them with this as they had to go ahead and elope last year and have that big party this year, but it was only that much more exciting for having to wait!

They met at the Tropicana Bar in Cornelius not too very long ago just a few miles away from Trump Golf Charlotte where they held the wedding, and then he proposed in the Maldives! They love their local area and also love to travel, with big plans ahead.

Halee’s grandmother gifted her with the bible she had carried down the aisle herself. Their marriage stood the test of time and this was her way of wishing many years of happiness to them.

For favors, they used Pittsburgh Cookies baked with love from the family, everyone made their own bag of treats to take home, it was a huge hit!

Thank you so much for including me you guys!

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola

Venue and Catering: Trump National Golf Club Charlotte

Wedding Coordinator: Sarah Frischkorn with Trump Golf

Hair Stylist: Courtney Kay

Make Up: Julie Metzger at Craft Beauty

Dress: Martina Liana from Paige and Elliott suit Michael Kors from The Backroom

Rings: Both Verragio from Diamonds Direct

Florist: Flower by Barbara

Officiant: Jan Davis, aunt of the groom

DJ: Dj Bob

Jodi and Matt's Wedding at Twickenham House

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

— Victoria Erickson

Despite the torrential downpour we received right as the reception began, Matt and Jodi’s wedding was one for the books! I have been dying to shoot at Twickenham House in Jefferson, NC and it did not disappoint! The views are unbelievable and of course the coordinator, Leigh, was so super helpful the entire weekend. They have tons of rooms for your guests to stay in if you want to make a weekend out of it and beautiful hiking spots all around. We were able to hike right up to the edge of the mountain at their Cliffside Ceremony location and the backdrop was incredible for photos.

While they are from Wisconsin, and currently living in Florida, the mountains have always held a special place for them, so they had all their family meet in the middle in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Matt proposed on a 4th of July trip to the Great Smoky Mountains back in 2015. They had been exploring all day and ended up hiking to Cataract Falls where he got down on one knee to propose. They were the only ones at the bottom of the waterfall until suddenly there was a large family watching them to celebrate the proposal! The mountains seemed like the perfect way to capture that important piece of their story.

They, of course had to include their fur baby Slinky in the big day. She was very excited and showered them in kisses all day while also being the perfect companion to the sweet flower girls.

It was thundering and lightening as we were finishing up all the photos and we knew we didn’t have much time but they were willing to risk it for the photos. Shortly after we reached the reception hall a huge thunder clap was heard all around and the lights went out! Luckily Twickenham has excellent generators so we barely skipped a beat before the bottom dropped out and all the rain that had so graciously held off all afternoon came all at once!

You guys I cannot thank you enough for including me in your big day! I had so much fun exploring the cliffs with you!

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographers: Cynthia Viola with Martha Shannon

Venue: Twickenham House

Dress: Alfred Angelo Bridal

Tux: Ike Behar from The Tux Lady in Jefferson

Her Ring: Jareds Galleria of Jewelry

His Ring- Custom from Celestial Rex

Hair and Make Up: Mark of Eden Salon, Tera Shaw

Florist: Log House Florist

Officiant: Gerard A. Murphy with High Country Ministers

DJ: Dan Etzler, On Target DJ

Videographer: HoneyDew Films

Catering: Frugal Gourmet Catering

Invitations: Minted.com, Artist - Grace Kreinbrink

Favors: Koozies

Lauren and Brady's Wedding at White Oaks Barn

“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor”

— Charles Dickens

Brady and Lauren met 4 years ago at Taco Mac where they were both working. Lauren was a bartender and Brady was sent to the Cumberland location to work in the kitchen and train to become a manager. After a couple weeks of working together they started hanging out with friends together and eventually went out on an official date. They told me all this when we met for pizza to discuss the wedding and just by the way they told the story, I knew they were perfect, he makes her laugh so much.

For example, during the proposal, everything went wrong but she loved it that way. He couldn’t start the fire because the wood was wet, the hike ended up being the wrong hike and he couldn’t get down on a knee because the dog was jumping around too much. Every restaurant in town was booked and in the one they finally chose, the food was wrong three times! He finally proposed at the house and she didn’t even believe him at first but then she did and three minutes later started planning the wedding! These two are both so endearing, he’s witty and loves to joke around and nothing makes her smile more than a good joke well timed. (Like the fact that she had the best man show up for the first look before she did) ;)

While most of the surprises of the day were filled with humor, some were also quite meaningful. Right before the ceremony, Lauren’s grandmother gave her an opal ring to borrow from her great-grandmother. It complemented the charm her mother gave her the night before to tie to her bouquet including a piece of her own wedding dress, a heart locket given to her as a teen (with the key given to Brady) and a blue stone of course. Old, new borrowed and blue.

Of course to start the reception they had an epic dance intro from the entire wedding party and their quiet Father-Daughter dance turned into a break dancing battle as the entire room rose to their feet and cheered! You would expect nothing less from these two.

For the record, I never post this many reception photos, but so many fun elements happened, I simply have to. These jokesters know how to party. From fun groomsmen socks with their dogs’ faces on them to shotgunning alllll the beer to cigar portraits and cake smashes. From epic garter catch battles to Madi hiding under Lauren’s dress when Brady went for the garter - the party never stopped and neither did the laughter. It was such a joy to capture.

You guys I cannot thank you enough for not only including me in the wedding, but inviting me to all the family shenanigans all weekend long, I had an absolute blast and cannot wait to join you for the next one! Ahem, Josh. ;)

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola

Videographer: Hayle with Crash Media Productions

Venue and Catering: White Oaks Barn

Coordinator: Mary Lynn with Arrowed Beginnings

The Dress: Justin Alexander from Aisle and Veil

The Tux: Generation Tux

Bridesmaids: Birdy Grey

Groomsmen: Generation Tux

The Rings: Shane Co

Bride’s Hair: Julie Sloan

Bridesmaids’ Hair and Make Up: Alyssa with Make Me Up

Florist: Something Borrowed Blooms

Officiant: Bradys Grandfather - Harry "Paka" Christian

DJ: Tommy from Pirone Entertainment

Photo Selfie Station: Cynthia Viola

Cake Baker: Diane with Acunas Custom Cakes

Meghan and Andrew's Elopement on the Blue Ridge Parkway

“Go as far as you can see. When you get there you’ll be able to see farther”

— J.P. Morgan

When a couple is willing to get up at 4am to climb a mountain with you in the DARK just to catch the sunrise you know you’ve found the right couple. Meghan and Andrew wanted a simple ceremony at Beacon Heights with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background so we made it happen!

She literally had to put on her dress and adjust her make up in the dark while we waited for the sun to make an appearance, but it was totally work the effort.

With a few 20s crooners playing in the background, they shared their first dance and spent some time taking in the moment.

It was truly the perfect ceremony and I am so honored you chose me to be a part of it you guys!