Laura + David Married in Madison, NC and a Q+A with the couple! Greensboro Wedding Photographer

 

Laura and David are old friends of mine from high school in Greensboro and I had the privilege of documenting their wedding at BonaManzee, an intimate wedding venue near Madison, NC just north of Greensboro.

Whenever I begin discussions with inquiring brides I always like to make sure  we can connect and have creative chemistry. Truth be told, the one person a bride spends the most time with on her wedding day is the photographer, so it is important to establish rapport, trust and collaboration. It’s important that they understand my approach and are hiring me for my unique eye. Laura and David epitomized this kind of couple. A lot of that is attributed to our long friendship, but most of it is attributed to their attitudes. Laura is goofy and fun, and David laid back. Their circle of friends wanted to have fun, especially the wedding party (who really knew how to put the “party” in “wedding party”). Most of all, their love for each other is very real, and Laura’s emotions and tears during the ceremony were touching. I have never seen a bride cry so much during a ceremony and the fact that it was an old friend made it more touching. I enjoyed being able to move and shoot freely during the ceremony to capture that emotion, and I am happy to share the results here. I encourage all brides to book venues that allow photographers to do so. You will end up with better images.

The highlight of the night for me was when one of Laura’s friends performed fire poi  in the lawn behind BonaManzee. It was great to catch up with Laura and David since I haven’t seen them in a few years, and I wish them the best as they begin this new journey together.

From Laura and Dave:

What made you want to hire me? What set me apart from other photographers? Since I do know you as a friend, this one is particularly hard. As a good bride I went to a few websites, browsed a few portfolios and noticed that you were consistent. At every wedding there was something unique and all of the pictures were beautiful. You put care into every wedding that you shoot.

What did you enjoy most about your wedding day? Dave and I agree that the best part of our wedding was the ceremony and the exchange of vows. We hadn’t heard or rehearsed them before hand but saying them out loud to each other was about as good as life gets. It was nice to see the other pour their heart out. After 9 yrs together, obviously love doesn’t fade, its just not as outspoken.

Tell me about some of the unexpected moments during your wedding? Other than the awesomeness that is you walking through the door and seeing an old friend ;)?

– I didn’t expect to be as nervous before the wedding as I was. To the point of crying…TWICE!
– My graduate school adviser coming up to me in tears and saying, “This is the best wedding I’ve been to in 41 years… and that was my wedding”.
– The groomsmen stood at the altar after escorting the parents instead of coming back, so the Reverend and Dave walked in alone instead of with all of the groomsmen
– The wedding went by so fast. The reception was literally a blur.
– Dave would say he was aspirating cake after I shoved it up his nose.

What was your reaction to the preview photos? What did you like most about them? We LOVED the preview photos.The first thing that everyone said to me after the wedding was “WOW your photographers pictures are gorgeous.” I feel like everything was shot very elegantly. I was blown away at how beautiful they were. They really captured the moment and emotion of that particular point in time. I felt a special connection to the pictures. We didn’t need a video camera to capture a perfect day. Truly a story told through pictures.

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Here is the rundown on the look and logistics:

Dress: Songbird Consignment

Shoes: Rainbow sandals

Bridesmaid dresses: Davids Bridal

Groom’s clothing: Island Importer

Cake: Marjory Casseus

Catering: Basil and Co.

Band/DJ:  Ashley Houch

**For prints from this wedding, go here.**