Luster Studios » North Carolina Photographers Craig Carpenter

May I have your attention please? Introducing the dynamic duo of awesome chemistry that IS Stephanie and Mike! Mike is originally from Virginia Beach and went to Duke. He’s currently working on his medical degree in a pursuit of otolaryngology. That is “head and neck surgery” to us common folks. Stephanie is from Sarasota, FL and also attended Duke University for her degree in Psychology. They both met during their sophmore year (at a monster truck rally in the RBC center of all places) through a sorority school function.

Lately it seems that I have had this uncanny ability to suggest locations to photograph and somehow manage to choose a spot where my couple has been on a date. With Stephanie and Mike I though it would be fun to go to a place that had the closest thing to a beach that I could find. I suggested Lake Crabtree and I was totally surprised when they told me that their first official date was there to go sailing. Mike told me that he was pretty clumsy on the boat but Stephanie was able to see past that. :) They followed up with a series of smaller encounters which included Stephanie’s favorite restaurant “On The Border” and a timely placed Gerbera Daisy and a trip to the Southpoint movie theaters. Sometimes slow and steady is the way to go…

Mike proposed to Stephanie on Siesta Beach in Florida. They told me that it was kind of funny because they had both been ring shopping together, talked about their future, and Stephanie had started dropping hints but was totally surprised when Mike actually pulled everything together months before she expected it to actually take place. One day, after watching a beautiful Florida sunset, Mike got down on one knee and of course she said “Yes!” Her family was in on the whole thing and when they returned to their house (post-proposal) they all celebrated with champagne with their parents and siblings!

When I asked them what their favorite activity is they both agreed that it was lounging and cooking. They enjoy experimenting in the kitchen and trying new recipes, They told me they occasionally long for the days of their childhood where they grew up near the beach. They love the water… Some day they would love to settle down somewhere near a coast. It sounds to me like the perfect Corona commercial in the making!

They are one of the few couples that I’ve photographed that don’t have any pets. Although, they told me they are excited to get a dog soon after they’re married though! Funny thing is that when I showed up to the park for their engagement session I saw a turtle on the edge of the road. While I was waiting for them to arrive, we (the turtle and I) had ourselves a little photoshoot and I named him/her Mortimer. It sounded like a good name and I honestly don’t know how to tell the sex of a turtle. I couldn’t help but think that maybe Mortimer would make a good first pet. I’m sure a turtle is easier to take care of than a dog. They probably can’t catch a frisbee all that well though… :)