Category Archives: Real Weddings

Cardinal Club Weddings in Downtown Raleigh (Jackie + BJ)

Although I’ve photographed a few events at The Cardinal Club in downtown Raleigh, this was my first wedding reception. The club is located in the Wachovia building on Fayetteville Street and even though there are a lot of wedding venues in North Carolina, very few put your guests twenty-nine floors high above the city! Their wedding ceremony was held at St Francis of Assisi Church in Raleigh which I was just at a few weeks earlier! My favorite part about that church is the large amounts of natural light that pour through the skylights.

Before we get to the photos let’s learn a little bit about how Jackie and BJ arrived at their wedding day. It all began when they met at a party in Boone, NC back in 2007. BJ told me that their first date was at a football tailgate, but Jackie interjected that a tailgate “does not count as a date.” Sorry BJ but unless you were the only one’s there and shared a “Crock-Pot of chili made just for two” I have to tend to agree with Jackie. :)

At the time Jackie was in her first year of graduate school at Appalachian for Speech-Language Pathology and BJ was finishing up his last year of undergraduate. Shortly after they started officially dating, BJ moved to Memphis and worked on his cousin’s campaign. I have to applaud them for sustaining their long distance relationship for over half a year as it’s always a bit tough. It all worked out though and when the campaign was over and Jackie was finished with grad school, they both moved back to Raleigh to be together. They adopted a Husky rescue dog named Charlie whom they love dearly. BJ even joked a bit that he thinks that Jackie loves “the dog” a little more than him.

So what about the engagement? Well, in September last year they both took a trip to D.C. since they had been talking about for a while. They had hoped to to go before BJ started law school so they decided to take a train from Raleigh because it would be a new experience. They told me that they had it all happened on September 3rd right in front of the Jefferson Memorial. After an awesome dinner the first night they went for a walk around the national mall and made their way down to the water near the Memorial. It was on that spot that BJ got down on one knee and popped the question. Jackie said that she kept saying “Are you serious? Are you serious?” because she couldn’t believe it was happening! Ever since then, their life was been consumed with wedding planning and BJ’s first year of law school.

I can personally say that all of their hard work payed off though. The ceremony was wonderful and their party was rockin’! After I had posted some “teaser photos” on Facebook for the couple to enjoy on their honeymoon they commented on how beautiful (and hysterical) the variety of photos were. I love being surrounded by clients that treat their wedding like the best day of their lives! Congratulations to both of you and please know that your wedding holds a special place for me!

Reception: Cardinal Club – Shelly Rhem
DJ: Touch of Class DJs – Lenny Fritts
Cake: Sweet Memories Bakery – Donna Ford
Photobooth: Palmetto City Photobooth – Chris Gentry
Flowers: English Gardens
Event Stylist: Lisa Tatum

wedding bouquet peonies blue wedding shoes
bride getting ready wedding ceremony

A portrait of Jackie and her beautiful sisters…

wedding portrait poses sisters
grey wedding suit boutonniere
groom portrait wedding photos
flower girl white blue dress
wedding processional ideas how to
father bride walking aisle ceremony church

Jackie had only a few photo requests. She really wanted to see BJ’s reaction as she walked down the aisle. I positioned myself as best I could and really liked how this one came out.

weddings first look seeing eachother first time
light blue wedding dresses
charlotte wedding photos north carolina
peonies wedding bouquets

A funny moment as BJ realizes that he’s supposed to actually put the ring on Jackie’s finger as he recites the “With this ring…” portion of the officiant’s speech.

unique ring exchange wedding ceremony
first kiss wedding photos
catholic church weddings prayer
wedding recessional church ceremony

The bride and groom were surrounded by some truly close friends.

best friends hugging wedding

This is a great candid moment captured between the groom and best man

groom best man weddings

Wonderful wedding colors! The men’s suits were grey and the bridesmaids dresses were light blue (or maybe it’s considered teal?)

bridal party blue color scheme
teal light blue wedding colors
grey wedding suits groomsmen blue ties
grey wedding suits poses groom
wedding reception venues raleigh cardinal club

These photographs were taken in at the revolving door near the base of The Cardinal Club.

wedding portraits bride groom
weddings downtown raleigh cardinal club

I love when people make unique wedding entrances instead of just walking in looking like a deer in headlights. The photos turn out great!

funny wedding reception entrance

I think Jackie was pleasantly surprised when these wedding bubbles floated out during her first dance.

cardinal club wedding raleigh north carolina
first dance wedding song ideas

Once the flower girls saw the bubbles they ran across the dance floor to play…

wedding bubbles dancefloor

… and then one of the girls walks right into the main stream. I love her expression! This photo is also great because it has Jackie “showing off he ring” in the background on the right. One of my favs of the day!

wedding bubble reception dance floor
cardinal club capital city club weddings

The bride and her father exchange smiles as the dance together during the father daughter dance.

father daughter dance wedding songs

During the mother son dance BJ and his mom tore up the dance floor to James Taylor’s ” How Sweet It Is.”

mother son dance wedding songs
mother son dance weddings ideas
capital city club weddings
grooms mother grandmother

This wonderful wedding cake by Donna Ford at Sweet Memories Bakery perfectly matched the look and feel of the bride’s wedding gown.

sweet memories bakery donna ford

It was SO wonderful that someone couldn’t resist the urge to sample it early with their finger!

funny wedding cake blue ribbon

A HA! I found the guilty culprit… caught her “frosting handed!”

funny wedding photo girl stuck finger in cake

The father of the bride prepares for an amazing wedding toast filled with heartfelt moments and hilarious stories!

wedding toasts father of the bride ideas

On two separate occasions he actually called Jackie (the bride) by her sister’s (Carly) name… I love the following photos of Jackie’s reaction of disbelief and laughter!

father bride wedding toast
wedding speech ideas help
blue bridesmaid wedding dresses
crying at wedding photos

The best man gives his speech as he hold’s his daughter’s hand… very sweet…

wedding reception speech ideas
best man wedding toast

Jackie’s sisters gave a great toast/roast combo! It included several references to boy bands as well as Jackie’s secret wish to someday see what BJ looks like with a mullet.

wedding toast sister of bride funny
wedding sweetheart table decorations
cardinal club weddings receptions events

A macro photos of the engagement ring and wedding bands.

macro diamond 4 cs cut color clarity carat

The wedding photobooth was a hit with all of the guests!

wedding photo booth rentals
wedding photobooth ideas reception

We took a moment to take some wedding portraits on the stairs at The Cardinal Club. I added off camera lighting to this shot which complimented the light shining through the windows from downtown Raleigh.

cardinal club weddings reception raleigh
elegant bridal portrait cardinal club
cardinal club wedding reception venue
cardinal club wedding photos

BJ’s mom jumps in the photobooth too.

wedding photo booth pictures
wedding photobooth ideas

Even grandpa got in on the photobooth fun as everyone put fun props on him!

wedding photobooth diy fun

Lenny Fritts from A Touch of Class DJ’s was perfect! He’s such a friendly guy and had a genuine smile on his face the whole night. I love working with wedding vendors that truly care abut and enjoy what they do…

lenny fritts touch of class wedding djs

… yet besides I knew he was going to ROCK DA HOUSE when I saw this at his DJ station!

kitten mouse pad cats printed
cardinal club wedding reception raleigh

Do the worm!

dance the worm wedding reception
wedding photobooth rental raleigh north carolina

Yes… that’s the groom in the background watching his beautiful new bride getting grinded on by one of their best friends… :)

wedding reception venues north carolina

I think they used these guys to create the silhouette for the Karate Kid poster from the new movie.

karate kick wedding reception
dancing wedding reception creative photo
photobooth wedding ideas funny props
wedding photobooth print ideas

6 comments

Debonn - August 14, 2010 - 12:46 am

Awesome Pictures……fantastic Photo works…..Wish U all the best…
Regards
Debonn

Laci J.Banks - July 15, 2010 - 8:44 pm

Great job! Love the pictures.

Rodney Horne - July 7, 2010 - 9:59 pm

Love your work. That ring shot is great.

Jen - July 7, 2010 - 8:56 pm

What a fun and beautiful wedding! These pictures are gorgeous!

James Auerbach - July 6, 2010 - 9:25 am

Great great pictures! Looks like a really fun event!

Shelly Rhem - July 5, 2010 - 5:32 pm

Craig! These pictures are awesome! It was such a pleasure to work with you on this wedding, and I look forward to working with you more in the future. I would love to get some of the pics if possible – especially the ones of the club/staircase/cake/etc. Look forward to hearing from you soon!

Greensboro Weddings at Hodgin Valley Farm (Anna + Adam)

We’re heading back to Hodgin Valley Farm for a perfectly rustic wedding… so pull up a bail of hay and strap on some boots! Anna and Adam celebrated the day with ALL of their favorite things… farm animals, line dancing and the bridal party’s “gift of guns!” OH MY!

Although they both grew up very far apart, their interest in animals and common values would bring them together at the perfect time. Adam grew up in St. Mary’s, Kansas showing livestock in 4H, hunting, fishing and playing sports (baseball and football primarily). He attended Kansas State University and graduated with a bachelor’s in Animal Science with plans of attending vet school. Anna grew up in Apex, North Carolina trying to save any animal she could, riding horses, fishing and playing sports (softball and basketball). Sheattended North Carolina State University and graduated with degrees in Animal Science and Agricultural Education with plans of teaching animal science.

As undergraduates both Adam and Anna held leadership roles in the Block and Bridle organization at their respective Universities. As luck would have it Anna’s friend Lora decided to spend a semester at Kansas State University, and while she was there she became good friends with Adam. Finally in 2007 Lora introduced Adam to Anna at the National Block and Bridle convention in Kissimmee, FL. Susan. Adam’s Mom, likes to tell people that her son went all the way to Florida to meet a North Carolina girl. The rest is history.

They truly are a perfect match for each other not only because they share so many common interests, but because they’ve also found a deep connection through God and their families. Together they’ve made these their highest priorities. Later on Anna and her daughter Kaylee moved to Kansas that next summer so they could all be together. They spend their free time outdoors as much as possible: hunting, fishing, horseback riding and spending time with their dogs (Ty and Rein) and their horses (Mya and Ginny). They also spend a lot of time going to county fairs in Kansas where they watch the livestock shows. They are all very excited for Kaylee’s first year of 4H which will begin in September!

Cake: Delicious Cakes
Music/DJ: Joel Gillie Productions
Wedding Carriage: Gold Leaf Carriages
Shoes: Tony Lama Boots from RB Outpost in Manhattan, KS

flower girls with bride cute photo

Even little guys get to have their “getting ready” shots taken…

ring bearer tux weddings
father walking daughter wedding processional

The bride’s father lifts her veil before giving her away.

dad lifting wedding veil giving away daughter
immaculate heart of mary church greensboro

I photographed this through the front door and cropped it a bit to the shape of a cross.

church cross catholic wedding ceremony
white rose wedding ceremony
wedding ceremony rose tradition
wedding blessing church prayer

This was my favorite of a series of photos I took. Many of the kids were corralled into this room in the back during the ceremony. I think they wanted to get out after awhile…

cute kids in time out
first wedding kiss husband wife
blue bridesmaids dresses wildflower bouquets
elegant bridal portrait wildflower bouquet
romantic wedding black white photo

This was a fun moment when we were trying to gather everyone up for a formal photo.

fun wedding portrait kids

This is a little different than most of my “wedding bubble exit” photos but I really liked how it turned out.

wedding bubbles exit church
wedding exit bubbles favors

Everyone was all smiles! Even the horse!

funny horse photo laughing horse

Anna has known the owner/driver of Gold Leaf Carriages most of her life.

gold leaf carriage rental north carolina

It looks like this couple is sweet on each other too!

horses in love nuzzling each other

The bridal bouquet was made of wild flowers.

wild flower wedding bouquet sunflowers
funny wedding photos horse carriage

A fun photo of the bride and groom hijacking the carriage!

gold leaf carriages wedding rental

Each table had photocards printed with the names of the couples favorite animals.

rustic wedding design ideas

The childrens table at the wedding was awesome! What kid wouldn’t want activity mattes and Toy Story themed chairs?

kids table wedding ideas children
kids table wedding toys ideas
hodgin valley farm wedding venue
wedding reception entrance bridal party

Anna and Adam executed an well rehearsed line dance that wowed everyone in attendance…

line dancing wedding reception
blue bridesmaids dresses

… my favorite part of the dance!

first dance weddings rehearsal
father daughter dance weddings
mother son dance weddings

Luckily the rain stopped and the sun came out just for a half hour so that we could take some portraits on the beautiful Hodgin Valley Farm grounds.

hodgin valley farm weddings
amazing wedding photos portrait pose
greensboro wedding venues north carolina
greensboro wedding photography venues
hodgin valley farm wedding photos

I really like how these turned out. I was actually on the other side of the lake hundreds of feet away!

romantic black white photography married couple
greensboro wedding venues farm
bride wearing cowboy boots under dress

All of the farm animals wanted to have a nibble of Anna’s wildflower bridal bouquet. Anna was SO laid back and cool so it didn’t bother her.

goat eating wedding bouquet wildflowers
farm weddings north carolina greensboro

The groom’s best man acts as a chair for the bride while the groom goes in to remove the garter. That’s teamwork!

groom removing garter teeth funny
north carolina wedding photos greensboro
wedding bouquet toss throw

Grandma had a special request to play the chicken dance at the wedding. It had been a long time since I’ve heard it but it was perfect for just such an occasion!

chicken dance weddings grandma dancing
chicken dance wedding music
best man giving wedding toast

Anna’s sister gave a wonderful toast…

maid of honor sister wedding toast

The bridal party gave the couple some new guns as a wedding gift and they requested to take a few wedding portraits with them.

shotgun wedding bride groom guns portrait

I think this bridal portrait with the gun, garter and cowboy boots turned out quite nicely!

bridal portrait with gun boots
barn wedding portrait guns

The rain returned but we made the most of it

wedding photography greensboro north carolina
horseshoes welded into heart shape

Adam’s groomsmen helped him spell out KSU!

kansas state university spell out letters
greensboro wedding cakes blue white

There’s no need to dance when there’s cake to be eaten!

flowergirl eating cake cute wedding photo

The bride and her friends also choreographed a line dance…

wedding cowboy boots colors green blue red

All the girls rocked out their very own cowgirl boots!

weddings cowboy boots cowgirls wearing
barn weddings north carolina

I wanted to end on this photo… I love how it turned out.

wedding umbrella rain romantic black white

2 comments

Michelle Gunton Photography - August 27, 2010 - 12:43 pm

Its been awhile Craig, this looks like it was a fun wedding to photograph.

Cindy Wiest - August 12, 2010 - 9:40 am

Craig, The pictures are great..I can not wait to see all of them.

A TPC Wakefield Plantation Wedding (Lauren + Steven)

Earlier this month I accompanied Lauren and Steven to their wedding reception at TPC Wakefield Plantation and their Catholic ceremony at Sacred Heart Cathedral in downtown Raleigh. This wedding was the perfect story of high school sweethearts turned husband and wife. The love and energy felt between the two was truly palpable. According to their friends and family this shouldn’t be a surprise because they’ve been hooked on each other for almost ten years now!

They both grew up in Wake Forest, NC where they first met (and began dating) in high school. There first date was to go see Bowfinger because they LOVE comedy movies. They stayed together all the way through college and grad school before getting engaged. Steven is a business and technology applications analyst at NC State and Lauren is an elementary school librarian at St. David’s School in Raleigh. They have a dog named Zuzu named after the youngest daughter in It’s a Wonderful Life.

Last summer they went to Charleston with the intention of going to the city and then camping later in the trip. Lauren had a sneaking suspicion Steven was going to propose while they were in the city. They had a few romantic dinners and walks along the pier. But it didn’t happen and she told me she had given up hope because she knew he wouldn’t want to proposed to her at the campsite. On the way to the campgrounds Steven took a surprise detour to Middleton Inn. That night after dinner he proposed. The historic hall and gardens was the perfect location because they both love history and architecture.

After this amazing wedding they’re looking forward to going to Martha’s Vineyard and to Boston for their honeymoon! Congratulations to both of you and thank you for letting me be a part of your special day!

Cake: Cake Dreams by Sally
Bridesmaids Dresses: Bridal Boutique of Raleigh
Hair: Salon 21 – Manuel
Shoes: Stuart Weitzman
Music/DJ: Joe Bunn DJ Company – Ken Holmes
Wedding Gown: David’s Bridal – Oleg Cassini
Tuxes: Men’s Wearhouse

second empire weddings raleigh

These first few photos were taken in front of Second Empire Restaurant. I haven’t had a chance to photograph a wedding their yet but hope to soon! The architecture and ambiance is wonderful.

second empire wedding receptions
cathedral sacred heart church raleigh
wedding limo purple bridesmaid dresses
church stained glass windows

Beautiful details on the ceiling of the Sacred Heart Cathedral church.

church ceiling design architecture

Lauren’s father walks her down the aisle.

father walking bride down wedding aisle
catholic church weddings raleigh nc

I caught this moment of the couple smiling at each other. It’s sometimes tricky during a sermon but the officiant was really lighthearted and fun!

married catholic church raleigh nc
sacred heart cathedral catholic church raleigh

The couple exchanges their wedding rings.

wedding ring exchange church altar

One of the guests had brought an old 8mm video recorder.

old video camcorder 8mm wedding
first kiss bride groom wedding
wedding recessional music ideas

These are custom ribbons tied to dowel rods that they made themselves for the send off form the church.

wedding streamers ribbons sticks send off
wedding ribbons on stick send off ideas

A wedding exit with ribbons and streamers! So fun and colorful. Love it!

wedding send off ribbons streamers
grandmother wedding with bride

Here’s what the back of the brides dress looked like.

weding dress train back view
wedding church kiss how to
north carolina wedding venues
sacred heart cathedral weddings
groomsmen posing for portraits
purple bridesmaids dresses daisy bouquets

You could say that these shows were to “dye” for! The bridal party dyed their shoes purple but discovered that there were a few side effects! :)

dye bridal wedding shoes dyeable purple

<3 it!

creative wedding photography poses
purple wedding dress shoes

Lauren had some beautiful lace wedding shoes compliments of Stuart Weitzman.

lace wedding shoes white purple

I think this is a beautiful potrait of the couple. They look absolutely radiant!

young couple wedding portrait
north carolina wedding photography
cute wedding day photos
bridal portrait from waist up

I asked the bride to pull her veil over her face to create a soft and romantic portrait. Doesn’t she look stunning?

bridal veil ideas portrait

Ok… Steven you look handsome too!

groom wedding portrait waist up
grooms boutonniere white rose green purple
black white wedding photos church
couple just married leaving church

I think every guy does this immediately following his wedding. I still do it to this day in fact whenever I’m thinking of my wife.

groom touching ring after wedding

We arrive at the TPC Wakefield Plantation. It was the perfect wedding venue for such a gorgeous day!

wakefiled plantation wedding venue
tpc wakefield plantation golf course weddings

This is a custom sign purchased from Etsy.com.

custom rustic wedding sign names

Can you guess their wedding date?

weddings golf course country club
wedding decorations candles flowers

The shrimp and oyster bar with a custom ice sculpture looked so great that the DJ and I joked about each grabbing an end of it and just leaving with it at the end of the night!

shrimp oyster bar ice sculpture

The catering manager at Wakefield Plantation Jaclyn Parks rocks! She’s got an upbeat and friendly personality that made me feel appreciated as a guest and wedding vendor.

jaclyn parks wakefield plantation tpc

“THE ROBOT” as part of the wedding reception entrance dance.

wedding entrance dance ideas
charlotte north carolina weddings

Lauren’s father Tony gave a superb wedding speech!

father giving wedding toast

As part of his toast he shared a story about when he first took his daughter out fishing for the first time when she was ten. After catching his first fish Lauren turned to him and said “Daddy, throw him back in.” Then as he reached for another minnow to bait his hook she said “Daddy, throw the little ones back in too.” I though it was such a wonderful story that reflected her kind and generous personality perfectly.

wedding reception speech ideas
parents of the groom weddings

I get a little teary eyes looking at these next two photos. Their a few of my favorites of the day.

bride groom crying wedding reception
bride crying wedding toast
raleigh wedding photos luster studios

The bride showing off her ring…

bride showing off wedding rings
wedding guest reception
woman dancing wedding reception

I love the look on his face as he watches his wife boogieing on the dance floor!

man smiling wedding reception

The best man also made a great (and comical) toast to the couple.

best man wedding toast ideas
best man wedding toast
father bride dancing wedding reception
dancing wedding reception
father daughter dance wedding photos

The father of the bride dancing with his daughter.

bride father dancing wedding

The mother of the groom dancing with her son Steven.

mother son dance songs wedding

I can imagine that grandma is saying something like “Now Steven… You better treat this girl right!”

grandma groom wedding
grandmother hugging groom wedding

I borrowed the old video camcorder from earlier and did some fun setups of Steven videotaping Lauren.

raleigh wedding videos old camera
raleigh wedding videography film
bridal party purple wedding color scheme
purple hydrangeas bridal bouquet

I really like how this shot turned out! Perhaps it’s because it was nearly impossible to get the rings to stay on top of the slippery golf balls. If you don’t believe me try it sometime… Go ahead I dare ya. :)

wedding rings bands golf balls
couple married wedding trellis
charlotte wedding photography nc
wakefield plantation wake forest weddings

This custom paper wedding banner was also ordered from Etsy.com. I really love that site for all things custom ordered.

custom just married banner etsy

Cake Dreams by Sally provided this wonderful wedding cake.

wedding cake ideas
wedding cake cutting black white
fun wedding reception ideas

I’ve worked with Ken Holmes now many times! We always have SO much fun together at weddings. He’s an amazingly talented DJ and always knows just the perfect songs to get everyone moving!

ken holmes joe bunn djs

These miniature pies were real treats for the wedding guests!

wedding pies mini favors
fun wedding dance ideas
bridesmaids dancing wedding reception

The bride and groom ripped up the dance floor later on in the wedding.

bride groom dancing wedding

A wedding exit to sparklers…

wedding exit sparklers send off

and a send-off in a golf cart!

golf cart wedding send off exit

no comments