Luster Studios » North Carolina Photographers Craig Carpenter

Monthly Archives: November 2008

North Carolina History Museum / Longview Center (Kristen + Jeremy)

11.26.08 posted in: Real Weddings

All week the weather forecast called for heavy showers, but we all kept our fingers crossed that the rain would hold off for Kristen and Jeremy’s Longview Center wedding. I was excited when I woke up to a beautiful sunny Saturday morning but as you’ll see below the rain decided to hold off only until the moment that Kristen’s bridesmaids got out of the car. Luckily THIS bride not only goes with the flow but was talented (and kind) enough to help the girls with their hair and makeup!

The North Carolina History Museum made for a beautiful backdrop for the reception. Since it is November they had christmas lights hung on the trees outside. I love using a wide aperture and capturing glowing orbs of light behind my subjects. Kristen and Jeremy were real troopers as they braved the chilly weather to pose for some outdoor photographs. I think they’ll be glad they did!

I was really impressed with this crop of vendors and everyone involved helped the ceremony and reception flow smoothly. The food was great and I really enjoyed chatting with Thomasina, Cheri, and Steve. I would recommend any of them for your next event.

VENDORS:
Wedding Planning: Bowties & Lace ( Thomasina )
Officiant: A Wedding Minister ( Reverend Kayelily Middleton )
Catering: Catering By Design ( Greg )
Music: Arioso Strings ( Mary Block )
DJ: Joe Bunn DJ Company ( Steve )

Target bags are the best in the business for protecting your hair from the elements…
wedding hair

Channeling inspiration from the famous scene in “Rocky.” Well… sort of
groom groomsmen portrait

Father and daughter share a moment before the ceremony…
wedding longview center

A wide shot from the balcony
unity candle wedding

Do I hear wedding bells? These are some of my fun favorites of the day.
bride groom portrait

They used a photograph I took from their engagement session in their wedding guestbook complete with a matted frame.
wedding favor popcorn

Mom crafted some homemade popcorn wedding favors. She shared a few of them with me at the end of the night. I must confess that I was pretty hungry and one of them didn’t make it home. It was TOO good to stop eating it!
mother of groom dancing

I’m not sure who was having more fun… Either it was these dancing mothers with some amazing moves or me while I grabbed these candid wedding photos!
wedding cake wedding bouquet

Leaving in true style with a sparkler send off!
married couple car

posted in: Real Weddings

4 comments

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Steve - December 10, 2008 - 9:54 am

Craig,

Fantastic photos of Kristen and Jeremy. Thank you so much for sharing. I will absolutely be recommending you in the future!

Steve
Joe Bunn DJ Company

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Tyson Swanger - December 2, 2008 - 11:41 pm

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Spain! May you live happy and healthy and may God Bless you both!

Mary Jo Spain - November 30, 2008 - 7:41 am

The pictures are fantastic! I think they are one of the best that I have seen. You got some great shots and loved the picture of my granddaughters Madison & MacKenzie. Would love to purchase a few if possible. There aren’t too many photographers that catch the moments with everyone having such a great time. Your Great! You were very friendly to everyone and seemed to really enjoy your job.

ronnie spain (mother of groom) - November 27, 2008 - 7:15 am

WE LOVED YOU!!! The photos were great, you were so sweet, and I would recommend you to anyone. Thanks for doing such a great job, in a professional manner, while being friendly to all our guests. My niece is espcially interested in seeing the shots of her shoes……
Happy Thanksgiving, can’t wait to see the rest of the pics.

Maggianos Little Italy Wedding / Saint Thomas More Catholic Church (Melissa + Derek)

11.09.08 posted in: Real Weddings

I’d been waiting most of October in anticipation for Melissa and Derek’s wedding. Their wedding ceremony took place at Saint Thomas More Catholic Church (I also photographed Jennifer and Larry’s wedding there) and their reception was at Maggiano’s Little Italy Durham at Southpoint.

I knew that any girl that had the guts to jump off of a train in high heels for some engagement pictures would be a blast to photograph on her wedding day. There is a little surprise teaser at the end of this post to show just how outgoing this couple is…

View Melissa and Derek’s Engagement Photos

cuff links
So how many hands does it take?
bridal veil
…usually 4 to 5…
bridal portrait church
bridal bouquet wedding flowers
father bride aisle
saint thomas more catholic church
groomsmen tuxedo wedding tux
wedding ceremony
first kiss lift veil
bride groom kiss ceremony
Now THAT is what I call a first kiss!
bride looking out window
Melissa’s mom approached me after I took a series of photographs of Melissa looking out the window for Derek. She told me that it transported her back to her wedding day when HER photographer took a similar photo. I told her how excited I was to see them side by side after we get these processed and printed.
children photography children photographer
I guess everyone was waiting for the show to start…
wedding ring first dance
mother son dance
This is one of my favorites of the day…

Maggiano’s has a great looking bar in their wedding reception room so I took a lot of fun group photographs of the wedding guests in front of it.
cake cutting cut the cake
This one makes me laugh because Derek’s making a hilarious face… as if Melissa was feeding him rotten eggs instead of wedding cake!
wedding children dancing
This is the popular new children’s game that’s sweeping the nation! It’s called “Hide and Go Dance”
wedding appetizer maggianos restaurant
This was one of my favorite appetizers. Maggiano’s food is amazing.
bride groom portrait
married couple
southpoint nc wedding north carolina
In an effort to get a natural laugh for one of my shots I said “Ok now are you guys ready to get some shots in the fountain?” Melissa decided to take me up on the idea until she realized how cold the water was!
wedding formal portrait

posted in: Real Weddings

2 comments

add a comment

Amod - June 6, 2009 - 5:57 am

Thanks for your good blog and beautiful images. i like your images dear please keep it up in future.

Brooks - November 11, 2008 - 8:38 am

Craig,

These look absolutely awesome… Great work good sir!

Family Photography Portraits / Pullen Park in Fall

11.04.08 posted in: Special Events

I received an email a few weeks ago from Layne requesting some unique outdoor photography for her family. She expressed that they weren’t looking for standard studio photography but rather a relaxed session where they could relax and be themselves.

She also referred me to her sister-in-law Angie who joined us for an extended session. I mentioned how beautiful Pullen Park (in Raleigh) was this time of year and they agreed it would be the perfect backdrop for some fun family portraits. As soon as I mentioned that there was also an authentic carousel there they got really excited

We added “grandma Susan” into the mix throughout the session and were also joined by Angie’s husband Zac and their children Russell and Katelyn. Their children were champs as they pushed through what was normally “naptime.” Layne’s husband Mike and their adorable daughter Raegan provided a lot of laughs and smiles.