Crystal and Christian Married at Castle McCulloch – Greensboro Wedding Photographer


One word: Lightsabers. Nothing I write will do it justice, so I’ll let the couple tell you the rest in this Q+A. Congrats Crystal and Christian – great to work with you, and catch up with friends I had no idea we had in common. You can order prints from this wedding at the link at the bottom of the post.

 

1. What was most important to you in planning your wedding?

Finding the right venue.  Since we had family coming from several different states, we wanted a central location, but also a place that spoke to us and who we are as a couple.  We settled on Castle McCulloch because it was so naturally beautiful and was rich in history.  It also turned out to be the perfect central location for our families, as well as nearby many friends who were attending.

2. What did you learn about yourself and your relationship in the process of planning the wedding?

We learned that planning a wedding is like a second job!  Things you would never imagine pop up and need to be budgeted for.  I (Crystal) learned that Christian has an amazing level of patience and I appreciate him more than ever for the endless support he gave me when I thought I was going to pull my hair out.  We really learned to trust each others opinions and were happy to find out that we both agreed what really matters at the end of the day is that we’re married. Everything else is just icing on the cake.

3. What was the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge was the wedding budget.  We created one at the beginning of planning everything, before we ever signed a contract.  Finding the right vendors that were within our budget could be challenging, at times. Thankfully, we found a good compromise on everything we wanted, had fantastic vendors, and in the end, stayed within our budget goals.

4. What advice do you have for other brides out there?

Remember that the focus of the day is you and your partner getting married.  Don’t get caught up in silly details that no one is going to remember afterwards anyway.  Stressing to make things perfect is a waste, because no wedding day has everything go to plan.  Do what you can to prepare, of course. But when the big day arrives, just relax and enjoy it!

5. What was your favorite moment from the day?

That’s really hard to choose, there were so many moments that were really special.  Our “best man” Lisa’s reading at the ceremony, the speeches everyone gave at the reception, the first dance, and then dancing the night away were all highlights.  But I think the one that tops it all is when we first saw each other as Crystal came down the aisle.

6. What factors other than photos went into your decision on a wedding photographer? Why did you decide to pick me?

Photos are what is really going to last after the wedding. Memories fade and the cake gets all eaten, but it’s the pictures that you’ll have with you for life.  We wanted someone we could trust with such an important keepsake. Luckily, our friends Laura and Dave had gotten married a couple years prior, and had this wonderful photographer to recommend (which was Justin).  We really loved the photos he had taken of their wedding, and after a phone call, we knew he was our guy.  He really shared the vision for getting what we wanted, not just what everyone else traditionally does. We really appreciated that he took the time to go over the venue beforehand, and discussed what would be more important to us, since there’s always a limited amount of time for the group photos after the wedding and before the reception.

7. From booking to delivery of images and seeing the results, what in your mind made it the right choice for us to collaborate? Did anything surprise you?

The moment that really solidified Justin as the right choice was when we first met at the venue.  There’s something about getting to meet someone in person.  Up until that point, everything had been great, but going over the venue with him and getting to know him as a person really sealed the deal.   When we told him we wanted light sabers in our wedding party photos, instead of giving us odd looks or telling us that wasn’t really traditional, his supportive attitude felt like he was a kindred spirit.  I especially loved the pictures he took on the bridge with everyone all nerding out.  The big surprise was how the picture with just the two of us kissing on the bridge turned out.  The lighting was perfect and it looked straight out of a fairytale.

8. What’s next for you as a couple?

Enjoying married life! Pausing to take a huge breather after the whirlwind of the wedding.  We had a lovely honeymoon in Seattle, which was an amazing way to start relaxing and enjoying each others company.

 

PRINTS FROM THIS WEDDING ARE AVAILABLE HERE.