Toujours

I love a first look, they are great. But I think what I love more is when couples get ready with each other and here’s my reasoning.
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1. You get waaaaay more time with your partner on your big day
2. It makes for really sweet and tender moments that I get to capture
And 3. It puts most of you at ease on your wedding day because you don’t have to be away from your favorite person.
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Would you get ready with your partner?
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Photography:
Planning and Design: Indigo Creative
Florals: .bloom.co
Venue:
Paper Goods:
Bar: Watering Hole
Band:
Cake: and
Charcuterie:
Rentals: and //

I am obsessed with this shot that my amazing second photographer and bestie got of Kate on her wedding day. Like 😍😍😍 excuse me??? So beautiful.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Adding on a second photographer is always a great option to give you a different perspective on the day (aka be in the places I can’t be in all at once).

Want to learn more about my services? Send me a DM or use my inquiry form on my website //

I am obsessed with this shot that my amazing second photographer and bestie got of on her wedding day. Like 😍😍😍 excuse me??? So beautiful.​​​​​​​​
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Adding on a second photographer is always a great option to give you a different perspective on the day (aka be in the places I can’t be in all at once). ​​​​​​​​
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Want to learn more about my services? Send me a DM or use my inquiry form on my website //

I’m heading down to Charleston today for a styled shoot on a sailboat, and it made me reminisce about Alex & Zack wedding in Folly Beach last Spring. They’re so dreamy ✨​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Photography:
Planning and Design: Indigo Creative
Florals: .bloom.co
Venue:
Paper Goods:
Bar: Watering Hole
Band:
Cake: and
Charcuterie:
Rentals: and //

I rarely post the maternity and family work that I do. I should really post it more often. I still love this in studio maternity session I did in 2022 for my angels Madison & Aaron //

Happy Sunday, my darlings! I truly hope you all have a beautiful week ahead of you 💖
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Bride & Groom
Planning
Venue
Flowers
Music
Hair & Makeup
Catering + Bar
Rentals
Officiant
Dessert Bar
Photography by yours truly //

I am currently on my way to Florida for an engagement session. I’m so thrilled to be traveling again after what felt like the longest off/winter season.
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Traveling is one my favorite perks of my job. Getting to experience new places or visit places I already love is just the icing on top of the cake for me.
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Film scan from .spaulding & .spaulding’s wedding last May //

Documenting your love wherever your story unfolds. Destination weddings have a special magic. When you say your vows in a place steeped in history and rich culture, “always” takes on a new meaning. I believe that your wedding photography should transform your always love into images that leave you breathless //

I absolutely adore when people get a coffee table book to use as their guest book. It’s so perfect and you can get something that really speaks to both of you.
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Shot on portra 400 from & ’s wedding //

These two angels get married in less than two months??? Where has the time gone? .johnryan & We should get coffee soon 😍

Gosh, I’m getting so excited and ready for the start of my Spring Wedding Season, April will be here before I know it. All my couples this year are absolutely incredible and honestly, I’m going to be so sad when each wedding is over 🥲.

I truly cannot wait to celebrate you all this year //

There is something to be said about small town charm. I love finding beautiful pockets of light, cute buildings, and avoiding cars while we walk in the street (oops).
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To me, engagement sessions are a chance for us to really get to know each other before the wedding day. It allows us time to play around and see what you like and don’t like when it comes to posing/prompts. That way on the wedding day we all know exactly how each other works and makes for a really smooth day.
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Interested in learning more about my process and packages? Send me a DM or use the link in bio to inquire. I’d love to get you on my books 🫶🏻 //

Pour toujours et toujours. Forever and always. I love that Toujours means both of those things. It is such a poetic and dreamy thing, which is one of the main reasons I chose to use it as my business name.
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Being in a business all about love and being in love with someone so much so that you want to attach yourself forever and always, til death do us part. I couldn’t ask for anything better.
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Your love is what makes my job so incredibly worthwhile and fulfilling. Without you, without love, my world couldn’t go on turning and I am forever and always grateful for that. I do not take your love, your wedding, or your marriage lightly and hold you in the highest regard. I am so beyond honored that you are here. That you picked me to take care of your love and hold it sacred while memorializing it in photographs for you to cherish, always //

When it comes to detail photos on your wedding day, what do you find yourself gravitating more towards? Perfectly places flat lays for everything? Kinda messy and cool/non trad places? Or maybe a mix of both?

Let me know in the poll below!

Happy Sunday, my darlings!
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I hope your weekend has been relaxing and restful. I’ve been taking it easy and slow where I can. This time of year is my slow season, which is absolutely wonderful, but I do miss my couples 😂.
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Here’s a few black & white favorites from Emma Kate & Matt’s wedding
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VENDORS
Bride & Groom .burns24
Hair & Makeup
Dress
Rentals
Cake & Desserts
Florals
Venue
Invitations
Video
Coordination
Photography by yours truly //

Jillian & Zane 💖
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It was such a lovely and wholesome wedding day. I couldn’t not be more thankful for clients like Jillian. She and I got on so so well and it truly was the honor of my life to be part of hers and Zane’s wedding in September!
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Vendors
Couple &
Venue
DJ
Photography by yours truly //

Of course I take a week “off work” to work at my studio and now I’m back to work and I’m feeling poorly 🫠 clearly I worked too hard while I was off work. C’est la vie

I hope everyone else is a having a good start to your January //

Happy New Year 🎉 I have been working my little tootie off over the last week+ working on my photo studio .
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We change the decor seasonally, and right now it’s set for Valentine’s Day (if you wanna book bo***ir or any session there let me know) and it has been WORK!! We will be finished with our downtown location on Thursday and I tell you what, I am so excited to be done with that and can solely focus on editing my last two weddings that are due within a week of each other, naturally.
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I hope you’ve all had a lovely holiday season.
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Love my Brides Morgan & Wenjia 💖 //

A collection of some of my favorite film photos from the last 6 months.
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Enjoy 🥂 //

Well heck!I missed my own anniversary…
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December 21st, 2018 I left my toxic job and went full time with photography and I have never looked back. I usually try to celebrate that day, but after FIVE YEARS it slipped my mind? Whoops! I guess that’s what happens when you’re finally satisfied with your job and life, eh?
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I am constantly in awe that I get to have this job, this control, this freedom in my life. I have the best, THE BEST clients in the world that make this dream life a reality for me and I am forever and always thankful //

Y’all, vacation is great when you’re in it, but the coming home part is rough. Jesse and I had a fantastic time on our cruise, so much so that we put down a deposit for another one (date and where TBD), but lord have mercy at getting home today.
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I am so incredibly grateful that I get to do things like take my partner on a cruise for a week. I am consistently grateful for the flexibility of being my own boss and having the greatest clients ever.
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Bride & Groom
Venue
Photos by yours truly //

On Sunday afternoon we drove over to Reynolda house to take Luna to the tall grass in the front field. Luna is a bush dweller and LOVES to crawl around in the tall grass, chop it, and just lay down and sleep in it.
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We wanted to get some cute photos of each of us and our little family (minus Olive) before things get any worse for Madam Tuna.
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I am so grateful for these images we took of her so that we can remember the good times, and the little moments of her in a place she really loves //

Happy Gallery Delivery Day to Brianna & Austin!!
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Gosh, I love delivery day when the texts start rolling with heart eyes and so many exclamation marks 🙏🏻 makes this job 10x more rewarding.
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Ceremony: St. Marks Catholic Church Huntersville
Reception:
Photographer:
Videographer:
Planner & Florist:
Catering & Bar:
Band:
Photo Booth:
Beauty: .us
Rentals: &
Transportation: //

Last wedding of the year was an absolute smash ✨
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My job is so cool so many reasons, but the biggest one is watching my couples be so grossly in love with each other. I mean, it’s kinda sickening. Y’all should get a room 😜😘
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But seriously, Caitlin & Jake’s love for one another was so palpable. Them being soulmates is kind of an understatement. Every inch of them oozed love and joy and excitement. It made my job so easy and such a pleasure. I could not have asked for a better end to my 2023 wedding season!!
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Bride & Groom
Venue, Coordination, & Catering
Bride’s dress
Bride’s shoes
Hair & Makeup
Florals
Photo Booth
Videographer Austin Comer
DJ
Photography by yours truly //

Tomorrow is my last wedding of the season, which is always bittersweet. I still have a few sessions come up, but I will miss my wedding couples.
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However, having almost 3 months off to edit, implement changes, and REST sounds so, so good right now.
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I leave for my cruise on December 2nd and will be in vacaction mode until further notice //

One of the things I try hard not to do in my business is glamorizing ✨busyness✨
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I used to be in the mindset (because I was taught I should be this way) that if I didn’t respond immediately (within minutes) to an inquiry, they wouldn’t book. Or that if I didn’t post an “editing queue” story to show how many sessions or weddings I had done recently, people would think I was not working and that they shouldn’t work with me.
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I burned the f**k out trying to do this.
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One of the MAIN REASONS I became my own boss was to manage and make a schedule that worked FOR me, not against me.
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To me, there is a massive difference between working hard and hustling. I’m a hard worker and have worked hard to be where I am today. But hustling is a gimmick and a lie to keep you working so much you cannot rest and enjoy your success. Hard work and rest go hand in hand, and you deserve to rest.
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Don’t let the toxic positivity and hustle mindset drive you into the ground. Capitalism is not your friend. Take breaks. ENJOY YOUR LIFE, and the rest will start to follow //

A pinky swear, but make it ✨fashion✨

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Bride & Groom .spaulding .spaulding
Venue
Planning/Coordination
Florals
Catering –
DJ –
Cake –
Video -
Dress -
Makeup & Hair - .us
Photos by yours truly, moi //

May I introduce to you, the Burns.
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I’m so obsessed with these two and I’m so excited to be sharing some from Emma Kate & Matt’s wedding from October 8th. It was truly the most perfect day in every single way possible.
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VENDORS
Bride & Groom .burns24
Hair & Makeup
Dress
Rentals
Cake & Desserts
Florals
Venue
Invitations
Video
Coordination
Photography by yours truly //

I first met Hayleigh and Gregory at and ’s wedding in December of 2019. Ever since then she would respond to stories saying “when I get married, YOU are my photographer!”
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Well, that day is finally happening! In 12 days these two are getting married and I could not be more honored or excited to be part of this incredible day.
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Here are a few of my favorites from their engagement session last week. Thanks to Mr Carroll for letting us use this beautiful 1994 Ferrari Testarossa! //

Hi Hello!
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I’m Chelsea, owner & photographer here at Toujours. I realized I hadn’t shown my face in a bit, so here I am.
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I am currently in the process of opening an Etsy shop with editable designs for clients and non clients. My partner and I are starting with full invitation suites (invite, rsvp card, detail card, etc), plus menus and place cards. These will all be super easy to purchase, download, and add your own text to have printed.
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We are so excited to be adding this service to the Toujours brand with more things to come (photographers watch this space for more things coming your way) //