I have 2 favorite locations at the Eno River in Durham, NC! One, features gorgeous trees, big rocks, and small hike down to the iconic swinging bridge. The other, the river and trees open up and it's the perfect area to splash around! I love taking engagement pictures at the Eno River with adventurous couples and exploring the forest! Chelsea and Ryan were so much fun and we talked about how they met in college, about how Ryan and I both played lacrosse in college, and their incredible Costa Rica wedding coming up! Hope you love these, especially the fun gif of Ryan's twirl ;) 

Cloverleaf Farm is one of the most beautiful wedding venues Drew and I have ever photographed. The gorgeous fields, farm house, barn, courtyards, trees, and details make Cloverleaf Farm so magical! But what truly makes a wedding is the couple. I first met Sarah + Patrick in Miami, Florida! Drew and I were living in Miami when they got in touch with me and we took their engagement photos at sunrise on the beach! Drew and I then moved back home to NC and we were over the moon when they asked if we could travel to their wedding. Drew has always wanted to visit Athens, GA! We loved town and visiting campus and of course the football stadium. But wedding day was just so special. Sarah + Patrick are so kind, thoughtful, easy going, caring, fun, and unconditionally loving. They've been together forever so it was a giant party of friends and family celebrating this radiant chapter in their love story. Everything was perfect on Cloverleaf Farm and Drew and I consider ourselves lucky to call them friends! 

Horseshoe Bend is the most incredible and perfect place for a wedding and to celebrate two incredible people. Horseshoe Bend gets its namesake from the iconic and now Instagram famous horseshoe-shaped incised meander of the Colorado River located near the town of Page, Arizona, United States. It is also referred to as the "east rim of the Grand Canyon or Glen Canyon.

I love that Marci + Dulce wanted to get married at this awe-inspiring location with their friends and family!

Dulce & Marci's met while working at a local college, and their first date was to a Marlin's Baseball game in Miami, Florida. They talked for hours from the drive down, at the game, and back home. Dulce had never been to a game before but she was excited to try something new, and that adventurous spirit is one of many reasons why M+D are perfect. They took several trips together while dating and their relationship only grew deeper as they hiked mountains, explored Horseshoe Bend, and created life long memories.

“I remember going on a trip to Tennessee just as friends and thinking to myself, ‘she is absolutely perfect, she is paradise and home all in one,’” recalls Marci. “I knew then I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.”

M+D spend their lives helping, loving, and serving others. Dulce is a nurse and Marci is a multi-tour veteran who now works in security with a side hustle in photography. 

I met Marci at a photography workshop and we clicked! We kept up with each other even from across the state (because that's the kind of caring and thoughtful person Marci is) and one day I got the call to help her plan her proposal.

We convinced Dulce to dress up and model for me because I needed Tiktok content, so I had my phone filming moments. The location was picked out, the spot was perfect, and I handed Marci the ring, and Dulce spun around with surprise and joy. You can read about it more on my blog HERE!

Their Horseshoe Bend elopement was postponed due to Covid, but the wait was worth it! Drew and I were over the moon to be asked to document their day. We felt like family! They had several family and friends there to celebrate with them and witness their emotional ceremony on the cliffs of the Colorado River. 

They got ready at the Hyatt Hotel and exchanged the most meaningful gifts. Then we had their first look on the banks of Lake Powell. Antelope Canyon is sadly closed due to the pandemic but we tried our best to get some cool slot canyon pictures! We then drove to the National Park where family and friends and amazing officiate awaited. 

The sun dipped behind the clouds, the wind died down, it was heavenly as they declared their forever love. They fit, they challenge each other, lift each other up, laugh, cry, dance, adventure together as they support each other as they make the world a better place

Thank you, thank you for letting us be a part of your perfect day at Horseshoe Bend! 

🏔 What is an adventure elopement?⠀⠀⠀⠀

An adventure elopement is a small wedding or intentional celebratory gathering usually somewhere you & your love are not based and want to travel to. If you have the travel bug and you want to include epic natural backdrops in your wedding, then an adventure elopement might be for you. An adventure elopement doesn't require 10 mile hiking! We can balance accessible with jaw dropping landscapes. Beach, mountains, woods, desert, boat, island, field, salt flats, national park. We have loved being elopement photographers in Moab, the Salt Flats, Utah, Arizona, Sedona, and all over the world. 

An adventure elopement is just that, an adventure! You can be adventurous in small way too! Like with your outfits, your flowers, your transportation. Your adventure elopement can be a day, 2 days, a weekend, or a week! We can go to several locations, we can hike, we can drive to epic views, we can travel abroad!

We can figure out a way to include your friends or family, plan on how to honor your heritage or religion, decorate to fit your personalities or let the stunning scenery do the talking. The possibilities are endless with an adventure elopement! 

Usually, this requires a little more planning from our end, which we love and we have a collection for! We are lifelong travelers, and having lived abroad and photographed dozens of couples abroad, we have the experience to take care of y'all!

We LOVE helping pick out locations, activities, sending you super cool airbnbs, suggesting vendors, and planning a timeline!

You know when you meet and you just click? Well that's what happened when I met up with S+J for their NC Museum Of Art engagement session! We talked the entire time and had such a wonderful afternoon running around the Raleigh fields! I love engagement sessions because you get to know each other more and our couple's get used to the flow so wedding day is super easy! S+J are so effortless and clearly made my job easy because they're oh so in love. I love photographing the NC Museum of Art at sunset  and am so grateful for this pre-wedding session! Thank you both for an amazing afternoon and we can't wait for your wedding, yay!

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Joyner Park is so beautiful! I loved being able to take engagement pictures at this gorgeous Wake Forest park with this beautiful family! These frontline workers are so deserving!! She's a nurse and he's a lineman. They both work crazy hours serving, healing, and giving back to the community, and I loved hearing more about their jobs. I am so grateful for their work and service. I am even more grateful that Drew and I get to be their wedding photographers!! We adventured into Wake Forest and explored Joyner Park which had perfect fields for the dogs to run around in! The sunset was gorgeous and the yellow flowers were a dream. We had so much fun talking about how they met, about their pups, and their upcoming wedding! We can't wait to celebrate with them next year! Check out the adorable dog accessories, bandanas, bow ties, and even a flower crown!

30 minutes outside Durham and less than an hour away from Raleigh is a cutest town! Graham, NC is right outside Burlington and hosts the cutest downtown! Right in the heart of the is the newest and coolest North Carolina wedding venue, The Graham Mill. Historic, modern, industrial, spacious, full of natural light, exposed brick, metal beams, and complete with an outdoor space! The Graham Mill is owned by Harmony Weddings & Events, a North Carolina based wedding planning company established in 2015 so you know the space is so well thought out and perfect in every big and small way! 

This modern cotton candy themed wedding was so much fun to photograph! I loved the fully pink clouds of baby's breath and cotton candy. The black was the perfect compliment to make it edgier and more modern. The gold in her hair and the gold decorations were the most beautiful accent! It was a dream to be apart of this fantastic team and document Imari and Demetrius at The Graham Mill!

Scroll down to see the cotton candy, the glitter, and love and read more about the town of Graham, our couple, and the team! 

When planning your Graham Mill Wedding you can stay in so many cute hotels and Airbnbs! You have options all over the Triangle! I picked a few cute places right in and around Graham! Check out this romantic Graham AirBnb right on a lake! 

​The Graham Mill is a photographers dream! This incredible North Carolina Wedding Venue is totally worth the short 30 minute drive for us Durham wedding photographers and the fast hour drive for Raleigh wedding photographers! The light from the massive windows and the glass garage door is so dreamy! I love the white sliding barn doors as the perfect ceremony backdrop with a touch of history and character. The Graham Mill is perfect for big weddings, micro weddings, elopements, or anything. It's a blank canvas and the most beautiful medium for our cotton candy dreams! 

I HAVE to brag on our couple Imari and Demetrius! They met at an engineering conference (the same one her parents met at!) and 5 years later he proposed at her favorite place, Disney World! This power couple is truly inspirational y'all. Imari has her own YouTube Channel that everyone needs to check out, like, and subscribe to her videos! Analytical Chemist. Environmental Engineer. Oceanographer. Badass. Visit her website and give her some love! 

​We had a really amazing crew come together to pull off this Cotton Candy Wedding Editorial! Everyone is so collaborative, creative, and committed to making it the best day ever for our couple! 

• Florals: @bea.morad
• Beauty & Planning: @weddedkiss.com
• Venue The Graham Mill: @TheGrahammillwww.thegrahammill.com/
• Cotton candy: @wonderpuff
• Cake: @sugareuphoriasugareuphoria.com/
• Models: Imari and Demetrius @calimari93 and her Youtube Channel 
• Tux Bernard’s tux: @bernardstux
• Gown Gilded Bridal: @gildedbridal 
• Rentals Greenhouse: @greenhousepickersisters
• Place cards CK creations: @ck.creations
• Sequin cake tablecloth: @ce_rental_raleigh

There are so many great hidden gems restaurants in Graham! Here are a few of the best restaurants in Graham! 

• Press Coffee & Crepes
• The Graham Soda Shop & Grill
• The Verdict On The Square 
• Reverence Farms Kitchen 
• Daily Donuts 
• 
  

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Miami Design District is a super cool neighborhood in Miami, Florida minutes from Wynwood, Downtown, and Miami Beach! Miami Design District is full of creativity, shopping, fashion, design, art, architecture, and restaurants. It was built in the early 2000s by developer Craig Robins, president and CEO of Dacra and is home to over 130 art galleries, showrooms, creative services, architecture firms, luxury fashion stores, antiques dealers, restaurants, and bars. Miami Design District is listed at the #12 thing to do in Miami on Trip Adviser. Here is a huge list and directory of Miami Design District stores to check out too!

Miami Design District is the perfect location for wedding, elopement, or engagement pictures because of all the incredibly unique back drops but also super close and amazing restaurants and hotels! This first picture, for instance, is a giant bubble surrounded by water that is actually the entrance to a parking garage! SO COOL! You can only find stuff like that in the Miami Design District! I loved how this elopement was a little more high fashion and editorial. So of course I thought of Miami's Design District as the perfect backdrop! 

I teamed up on this Miami Design District Elopement with the following awesome Miami wedding vendors:

• Couple: Cindy & Tim
• Dresses: Merlili Bridal & Boutique in Coral Gables 
• Florals: Posh Petals Miami 
• Assistant: Marla Manes Photography

There are SO many great Miami Design District Hotels! But I prefer AirBnbs! If you want something beyond Miami Design District hotels, check out this list of AirBnbs in and near Miami Design District and Wynwood!* I put this together picking the highest rated AirBnbs with either awesome views or something special to offer like a pool or mural! When looking for Miami Design District hotels or Airbnbs, consider the following:

1. Rating - If you plan far enough ahead, stay at only 4.5 stars and above!
2. Reviews - Does it have 5 stars but only 1 review? Is it loud? Host welcoming? Comfy bed? Coffee provided? Pets allowed?
3. Parking availability? - Miami is a big city and sometimes parking isn't aways easy to find!
4. Safety - Wynwood and Downtown Miami, like any big city, have parts that might not be the safeest, so be sure to look up crime maps!
5. Walkability - Can you walk out your door and go grab an amazing meal or do you have to Uber/Lyft?

Let's talk Miami Design District Restaurants! Miami Design District has awesome eateries, food halls, and bars! Drew and I LOVE taking our out of town guests here! Our top 3 favorite Miami Design District restaurants are:

1. Politan Row Miami Food Hall - This awesome Miami Design District Food Hall has SO many delicious choices! We brought my parents here because every food stall is changing and revoloving and everyone can find something. I am gluten free and vegetarian and my mom is gluten free and soy free, and my dad eats bland. So food halls are a great choice for group meals! 
2. Michael's Genuine Food & Drink - This Miami Design District restaurant is a CLASSIC. We always love going for happy hour! We love the oysters and cocktails! They have a great outdoor area which is perfect for Covid safety too! 
   
3. Mandolin Aegean Bistro - This Miami Design District restaurant is a little outside of the neighborhood but I promise it is worth it! This Mediterranean restaurants literally feels like you're stepping onto a Greek Island. So much out door seating, surrounded by the iconic blue and white stucco and tropical plants. I recommend the Halloumi and Turkish sampler! 
   

Living in Miami, weather is super unpredictable. It's a tropical climate so rainstorms can come out of no where. It can pour for 5 minutes then be sunny. So checking a weather radar is the most helpful. Miami's Design District is on the mainland and next to the city, so it's often prone to more rain than the beach because the heat gets trapped in the tall buildings and concrete. So I definitely recommend checking weather before visiting Miami's Design District and always bringing an umbrella. Here are the best times to visit Miami and Miami's Design District:

• Summer - It rarely gets above 90! If it does, it rains. Living in NC I think our NC summer months are hotter and more humid than Miami. Miami at least has a breeze. But be warned, it rains EVERYDAY in the summer. It might be for a few minutes. It might be on and off. Rarely, it's all day. 
• Sunrise - I recommend sunrise in the summer months for elopements for less chance of rain! 
• Winter - January through March is magical! You might catch some sub 80 days and those are magical! 
• Be aware of hurricane season! August, September, and October are all prone to hurricanes. If you book during this time check refund policies incase a storm does hit, grow, or turn! 

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Nancy and Jeff are sooooo much fun! Typing this I want to use all caps because their energy is so contagious! They are from New York and escaped the city to the sunshine and warmth of Miami! Miami is special for them because it's actually where one of their first dates happened and where they got engaged! I loved that they wanted something more non-traditional and just wanted to have fun! That's what engagement sessions are all about! Celebrating your authentic self! So naturally, we had to start off with the best Boba Tea around at Bubba Tea. Caffeined up, we hit the streets in search of fun murals around Wynwood! The Wynwood Walls are iconic and every changing so every session here in different! We ventured to Domino Park on the water and we wanted to keep having fun even with the sun set, so we went to the highest point in Miami, a parking deck in the Design District for sunset! 

Thank you both for an awesome afternoon together!! Sending so much love from our new home in Durham! 

This gorgeous Wilmington elopement was a dream! I drove into Wilmington's historic district and on the cobblestone road hides Wilmington wedding venue, The Atrium! I am so excited to move back to North Carolina! Raleigh/Durham is only 2 hours from Wilmington! I can't wait for Wilmington Weddings, Wilmington Elopements, and Wilmington Engagements! I SO loved photographing at The Atrium! Now that I know all the best shooting locations, I am so ready to photograph another wedding or elopement in the gorgeous hidden gardens!

The Atrium by Ligon Flynn is tucked among the buildings in the heart of historic downtown Wilmington. At one time the building housed livery stables for the downtown community, but by the 1970’s the structure had fallen into complete ruin. Architect Ligon Flynn purchased the building in the 1980’s and redesigned it into a contemporary urban garden and office space. Ligon Flynn centered his design on the intersection of people and nature, and the philosophy remains apparent in the Atrium today. The area is filled with natural elements, local foliage, climbing vines, brick masonry, and water combined with the clean lines of modern architecture. The space has a magical quality and has been called “an open-air cathedral,” a hidden treasure,” “Wilmington’s secret garden.” 

Maintaining Ligon’s philosophy that humans should be touched by breeze, light, air, and earth, it only seems appropriate that his space be used for one of the most significant moments in a lifetime. 

Thank you Adorn Collective for hosting this amazing day! 
Host: @adorncollectiveworkshops
Stylist: @lionhouse.weddings
Venue: @atriumwilmington
Floral + Floral Arch: @fiorefineflowers
Invitation: @prettywrittenthings
Lounge, Table + Chair rentals: @marthamydearrentals
Tabletop Rentals: @partysuppliersandrentals
Runner, Napkins + Ribbon: @mosshound_designs
Neon Sign: @customneon
Beauty: @makeupbymadieee
Gown: @beautifulbridesofwilmington
Jumpsuits: @asos
Cake: @swankysweetsbakeshop
Bridal Earrings: @_poppy_co_
Shoes: @badgleymischkabride
Model Agency: @lockemodels
Models: @alexandriashekian / @minyonezekiel