Project:Life Photography

ummm 👀 eight.

The sweetest Sammie-bride you’ve ever seen! This wedding was such a joy & an honor to photograph. Samantha was one of our first shooters we trained when we first started ! She went on to work for much cooler photographers than us after her summer with us & it meant SO MUCH that she asked us to do this! It was our last wedding that we’ll be taking for awhile while we’re in this crazy season if life with babies & a child who requires skilled nursing care when we’re both gone, & it just felt so full circle, the perfect way to end this last decade of consistently capturing weddings! Also we fell in love with Sean 🤣 How could we not?

It was such a joy to wrap up my 2021 photographing these 3 little rascals & their momma! It was so sweet to see how unique & special each of these boys’ relationship is with their mom, how deeply each of them adores her in their own way, & how magical Leslie was capable of making even the simplest of walks down a trail for her sons 💙💙💙 Leslie used to be Avonlea’s speech therapist many years ago, & to say she has a way with kids is an understatement. The way she’s raising these little men is beautiful & I can’t wait to “supercharge” our wag through another session with them 😉

I will never forget, at their wedding consultation, Reilly being certain he wasn’t going to love having is photos taken. I told him he would probably leave their engagement session saying “that was easier / more fun than I thought it would be.” Sure enough he left the session saying “Hey that was easy! That was actually fun,” and then he looked at me as I laughed and said “Dang it! I told myself NOT to say something like that!!!” 🤣

Engagements, bridals, wedding, newborn & several family sessions later, & we’ve all had so much fun every time! They’ve invited us into so many of their lives’ biggest moments & we’re so beyond honored.

Also Wyatt is my bud. I think he needs a puppy 🐶😏

Last month we got to photograph the wedding of our sweet Sam! Sam used to assist us at weddings during our first few years in the biz 😍 What a full-circle experience! Sam went on to work with much boujee-er photographers than us so it was an honor to be asked to capture her & Sean’s incredible day at in Asheville!
Love you, friend 😘 Endlessness happy for you!

It never gets old! Getting to hang out with clients during all of their happiest milestones in life is my favorite part of this job. We photographed Jon & Jenn’s wedding in 2013 & have since gotten to document their family several times as they’ve added new little members. Baby Reese was an Angel for her first family session 🥰

Trying to remember what it was like when it wasn’t one thousand degrees outside 😅 Gracie & Kenny’s October wedding was one BEAUTIFUL day!

We loved playing around with Helen & Garrett’s details first-thing when we arrived at their wedding on Saturday!

Now that she’s a married woman, I can share with the world just how perfect of a bride .nguyen is! There were TWO GOWNS, & each deserves its own post so keep an eye out for portraits of dress #2 another day 😉

Sweetest Helen, you are such a beauty. An absolute delight of a person! Watching Garrett tear up his way through the day yesterday let me know he’s well aware of what a treasure he has 😘 Thank you both for letting us be a part of such a gorgeous, special, & lonnng-awaited day in your lives!

Venue:

Some stunning details from a sophisticated, southern October ‘20 wedding!

Yes. Believe it or not, this is the best we could do DIY-ing a family photo. The more kids we have, the harder this gets 😂 Rosalie was trying to escape, Violet was trying to smile through her tears (we told her to take a break from blowing bubbles), and Avonlea was only smiling because we had rap music playing on Brian’s phone 😄 And actually, this is a combination of 2 different images! We didn’t walk away with one where everyone’s face was visible and/or NOT miserable.
All that to say, if you EVER dare to feel shame that you feel like your kids aren’t cooperating for family photos, and I manage to deliver like 75+ solid images, just know this: I wasn’t judging you, and actually, I’m probably jealous of you 😂 ‘Cuz we rarely end up with even 1!

Hi, this is me [melissa] vowing to TRY to be better about posting on this account 😬😅 One of my long-time clients asked me yesterday if I was still shooting 😂 Guess that means I need to be better about keeping the socials up to date, huh?
Anywayyyz... For now, here’s the most beautiful Gracie on her most beautiful day from this past fall! Excuse me while I go schedule posts for the next 2 weeks 😅

Just a little Avie Claire to warm up your evening! As W E I R D as 2020 was, this will be the first year ever (in 11 years of marriage) that we’ll be sending our holiday cards 🙈 . This is one of the photos of Av’s we put on the back... I think she just looks so happy here!

Just a little Avie Claire to warm up your evening! As W E I R D as 2020 was, this will be the first year ever (in 11 years of marriage) that we’ll be sending our holiday cards 🙈 . This is one of the photos of Av’s we put on the back... I think she just looks so happy here!

My 💙NEPHEW💙 graduated from the NICU yesterday, after having to break his Momma’s water at 35 weeks and needing a little help with his breathing and feeding for 16 days. Walker James is itty bitty and he’s not my biggest fan yet, but he’s growing every day and I have a feeling I will grow on him ☺️
🎉 Congrats to my brother & sister-in-law for making a cute baby and not going *completely* insane with closing on two houses and moving while their kid was in the NICU 🥴

Today was chilly and it made me realize that the weird Carolinian summer-autumn hybrid thing that happens throughout September and October is over. The changing of seasons is always bittersweet! I’m excited for the holidays, but I’m certainly missing the sweet warmth of the weddings I got to photograph this past summer & fall. Photo from & ’s wedding back in May 🥰

Kenny & Gracie got M A R R I E D on Halloween and it was an absolute dream. Their wedding was supposed to have taken place in March, and these two had to reschedule everything, pretty much the week of their big day, when COVID reared it’s head. But like said in her toast, all good things are worth the wait! And this day was more than good: it was great! Congrats to the new Mr. & Mrs. Berger: everything was indeed worth the wait!

Can you just feel the love? 🥰

Welp, THIS last week did not go as planned! We had some unexpected craziness pop up that delayed our normal post-wedding work-flow. But I’m using my downtime this weekend to catch up, and I’m absolutely loving some of these sneak peeks from James & Kaitlyn’s beautiful wedding last week. More to come 💚

Rosie Update: She’s still perfect 😍
7 months of lighting up our dark days, and reminding us what we’re good at (baby makin’)!

On May 30th, I got to capture two of the cutest human beings as they said “I do” in front of a few family members and a streaming iPad! COVID May have thrown a huge wrench in Taylor & Ashley’s final semester of college, graduation, the jobs and interviews they had lined up and their living arrangements, but they were NOT going to let it stop them from becoming husband and wife! Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Sheets 🥰 Of all the uncertainty in this world, I’m thankful your love is a sure-thing!

Project:Life Photography updated their business hours.

Missing my job today 😊️ COVID-19 did an excellent job of clearing our spring and our next “big” wedding wasn’t going to be in August. Thank goodness an elopement came our way for next weekend or I think we (or at least I) would have lost my mind!

Quarantine has me missing my job, my friends, traveling, and celebrations of love 😭 Reminiscing to when we got to capture ’s happily ever after reception on Amelia Island after years of working weddings together! 😘 So much about this day is making me stir crazy in this house!

Happy Birthday to this dreamy right here! I’m so thankful that, 11 years ago, you toned down your crazy juuuust long enough to convince me to marry you 😂 You love me so hard and invest so much energy into letting God mold you into who you need to be for me. You give me the prettiest babies, and you’re just handsome as hell. I can’t believe this is the ELEVENTH birthday of yours I get to spend with you! Cheers 🥂 my love, to another trip around the sun together.

PS: enjoy that mustache you’re nurturing for the rest of the day 🙄 When it’s not your birthday I’m gonna be lobbying for that to go.

Forever love this venue and these gorgeous walls 🥰⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

It’s been a sad week for a lot of my clients! One couple has been forced to postpone their big day while others who work in the medical field are having a rough time for different reasons. Sending some love to Helen as she takes care of her sweet pediatric patients 💕⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Why are my kids so cute?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Probably has something to do with my smoke-show of a husband 🙄🙈⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Ring pretty for brighten your COVID-19-Bummer of an evening!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

So excited for: 1) Some recent sunshine here in SC! 2) Getting to headback to this gorgeous area in a few weeks for another gorgeous wedding :D⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Sometimes the simplest moments are the sweetest!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Throwing it back to this darling couple and their perfect destination wedding in the Shenandoah Valley. Johnny and Lisa's big day was lovely in every way!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

🎼 Sweet Caroline 🎶 Still in love with this bridal session... and this sweet client as well!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Sometimes, less is more! A smaller, more intimate wedding means more room in the budget for things like real china dishes, and custom designed paper products like Dash & Meagan’s programs and napkins.

Meeting a person you helped create is one of the most profound experiences on earth! Watching men become fathers in that moment is another. You’re already an amazing dad ... Micah is one lucky little guy!

How is this one 4 years old, you guys?!?! And how is her baby sister looking more and more like this photo every day? 😭