Tammy & Cecil--Sneak Peek!

A-maz-ing. Tammy and Cecil's small morning wedding was held in a tiny little church in Highlands, NC, up a winding, woodsy path; theirs will be the last wedding the "Church in the Wildwood" ever hosts. They are unbelievably in love, and their ceremony was so spontaneous and emotional and real. Their singer had an angelic voice, and during her second song the bridesmaids were crying, Cecil's mom was crying, Tammy was crying, and the almost-newlyweds were basically slow-dancing during the song. It was beautiful, and I couldn't help but cry with them!

Fortunately, I can sniffle and shoot at the same time. I promised Cecil a sneak peek before I get the "real" blog post up; what you're about to see is just the tip of the iceburg in terms of smoking-hotness! Tammy and Cecil are SO not scared to do whatever I ask, including lay in a bee-filled patch of wildflowers and pull off the side of the road on a whim, not to mention the massive quantities of chemistry these two have!



During the ceremony...so sweet...no wonder we all teared up, right?




I'm at a loss for words, I just love this shot!



Smo-kin'...



Their after-work reception was back in Greenville at The Lazy Goat--super cool lounge-y feel with awesome views of the Reedy River...



How's that for a preview, folks? :-)

Rockin Slideshow

I went to a photography workshop on Friday with Sposa Bella Photography, and they told us about these edgy slideshows from Animoto. I wanted to play around with their free 30-second short, so I created a video from our Pearl Jam pictures. I know you've already seen them, but hey, they were edited. :-) What do you think about the slideshow?

Grandmother and Grandaddy--Celebrations

On my mom's side, our immediate family is very small...she's an only child and so am I; that means I'm the only grandchild too (yay, me!). Except when extended family is involved, our get-togethers are always a "party of 5." Since we're such a small, close bunch, it's always important to celebrate special occasions.

Sunday, was my grandmother's birthday--I don't dare reveal how many!!--and today is my grandparents' 64th wedding anniversary. YES--64 years! Grandmother is the original cougar--she's 7 years older than him. :-) My grandparents grew up in a small mill village, just about 8 or 9 miles from where they live now; my grandaddy sang in a traveling quartet, and grandmother was their pianist. They devoted their entire lives to serving God by singing and playing music together, with him directing numerous church choirs and her playing the organ until they retired just about 4 years ago. Even now, though, Grandaddy will still play his accordian at their little church every couple of months.

Here are a few pictures from today's birthday celebration....

Grandmother let out a big whistle when mom reminded her how old she turned today!

The lighting on this one is all kooky because my mom took a flash picture at the exact instant I shot this, but I love the expressiveness anyway...

Every year, Grandaddy makes the New Year's Resolution to "stop being so silly." As with most resolutions, that one doesn't seem to last very long. :-)

Whenever we go out to eat, they always share a plate, Well, Friday night, I went to dinner with them, and Grandaddy was joking with the server that they didn't need an extra plate because he wasn't going to share. Grandmother chuckled and said "He knows better than that!" The waitress heard her say it, and she totally cracked up, saying "I like the way she thinks!!"

Happy Birthday, Grandmother! And Happy 64th Anniversary to you both! I love you and I'm glad we belong to each other!

Borrowing from my Ohana friends' post for their grandparents, If you'd like to leave a birthday or anniversary greeting, please click the "Show me some love" link, type your message, and click the "Name/URL" button. Don't forget to leave your name! Thanks!

Wedding Proofs Online!

Ashley and Garron, friends and family--
Thanks SO MUCH for your patience as you've waited to see Ashley and Garron's wedding proofs! I'm trying out a new online ordering system, and I had a few technical difficulties along the way. :-) But finally, your wait is over...

To see the proofs, click here. The password is the couple's new last name....if you need to know it, please email me. You can enter your email address if you'd like to save your shopping cart and come back to it later. Once you sign in, there is a drop-down box on the left side of the screen, and you can select which gallery you'd like to view: Ashley's bridal portraits, Ashley & Garron's wedding, or all the photos together. All the pricing and ordering info is on the proof site, but feel free to contact me with any questions.

I hope you enjoy the photos!!

Ashley & Garron's Wedding

Ashley and Garron had a gorgeous wedding in May at Rock Barn Golf and Spa in Conover, NC. I LOVE outdoor weddings, and this one was perfect--tons of bright flowers, a warm sunny day, lots of friends and family, many personal touches, and a super-fun reception. Ashley's Maid of Honor was my close friend Marilynn, and I've enjoyed becoming friends with Ashley over the months as she's planned for the wedding, we shot her portraits, went out on the town for her bachelorette party, and finally celebrated her marriage to Garron. As with Ashley's bridal portraits, I have waaaaay too many favorites to choose from, so I'm just going to let the photos speak for themselves!

Gorgeous details and the "Rock Barn" initials...

Ashley's colors were shades of yellow and navy...

When I went to take photos of Garron and the guys, I found them practicing their putting. Hey, how long does it take to put on a suit, anyway? Pleeeeenty of time to improve their game before the ceremony! :-)

Getting some last minute touch-ups...

...and checking out the crowd to see who's arriving!

This was such a sweet moment as the minister prayed God's blessing over the rings and the union they symbolize.

And nothing but joy as those rings go on!

On to the reception...

And finally...the happy couple!

Congratulations Ashley and Garron! You guys have the most wonderful family and friends, and I am so glad you chose me to be a part of your wedding. Can't wait to come to the beach and see y'all again soon!

Family and Friends: Be on the lookout in the next week or two for the online posting info for all the proofs!!

Pearl Jam--definitely still "Alive"

When "Ten" became popular my Junior year of high school, everyone had the tape (yes, the tape) in their car. My friend Kevin, however, never took his copy out of his tape player for the next two years! Pearl Jam has been a constant in his life, and I can't tell you the countless hours I've spent over the years hanging out with him, listening to their latest bootleg over a bottle of wine. (Of course I'm listening to them right now as I type...) When PJ announced a small US tour--that included their first South Carolina stop in 10 years--there was no question that we would go. It would be our 3rd PJ show together, my 5th total. We headed down to Columbia this past Monday 6.16 with his cousin Colton (a carbon-copy of Kevin in high school!) and my photographer friend Amy.

Long story short, sometimes things just fall together in all the right ways. While tailgating in the parking lot, our high school friend Seth, who now lives in Nashville, came running over. Kevin hadn't seen him in months, I hadn't seen him in years. He was there with the opening band, Kings of Leon, and said he would try to get us backstage after the show. Through various friends and contacts in the music industry, I've hung out after lots of shows, but backstage at Pearl Jam? No freakin' way.

Of course Eddie and the boys showed up with an amazing set list and we rocked out for the next two hours. My phone rang during the 2nd encore, and Seth said two words: "It's happening." (OK, my long story isn't getting as short as promised!) We all traipsed down to the dressing rooms, where the rest of us waited as Kevin got to meet Eddie. Eddie-Freakin-Vedder, our generation's equivalent of Jim Morrison or Jimi Hendrix. Back out in the hall, we talked to Mike McCready, complete bad-ass on guitar, and got a guitar pick from him, and we saw Jeff Ament, equally bad-ass bass player.

I rarely post personal stuff on the blog, but seriously. We were backstage at Pearl Jam. The End.

Ciera & Richard's Wedding

High school sweethearts. Hot pink bridesmaids dresses. Sparkly silver shoes. Adorable flower girl and ring bearer. Fun-loving family and friends. A love blessed by God. Ciera and Richard...







Sweet sisters!



The ring bearer and flower girl literally had to be pushed down the aisle, and they both kept checking over their shoulders during the whole walk. The flower girl threw her petals on the way back up the aisle after the ceremony--too cute! Once the ring bearer got settled in, though, he was pretty interested in the wedding...



Ciera and Richard have moved from being prom dates not too many years ago to finally becoming husband and wife. I love the look on his face here; even though you can't see her expression, you just know she is beaming up at him!



Love it, love it!



This was a very family-oriented wedding, and there were lots of cutie-pie babies there. I'm crazy about this happy little face at the reception!



The Flower Girl is also a Daddy's Girl!



Like any good Southern wedding, the groomsmen decorated Ciera and Richard's get-away car. Now I can't show you what was written on the windshield (the blog is family-friendly, thankyouverymuch), but these two ladies sure got a kick out of it!



One of my absolute favorites from the whole day. He was in no mood for group photos earlier, but by the end of the afternoon, the ring bearer had gotten over his camera-shyness. (I think the fact that he got to throw birdseed and blow bubbles had something to do with it.) :-)



Ciera and Richard--I had a wonderful afternoon with you and your families, and I'm so glad you found me through Myra and Ciera's aunt! See you guys soon!
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Ashley--a very "Good Friday"

Ashley and Garron were married Saturday in a beautiful outdoor ceremony at Rock Barn Golf and Spa in Conover, NC. Those pictures are coming! Until they are ready, though, I wanted to post Ashley's gorgeous bridal portraits.

Back in March, on Good Friday, I photographed Ashley at her great-grandparents' homeplace. It was a windy spring day, and the old farm--now updated and where several family members still live--was the perfect backdrop for her portraits. Ashley was stunning and up for anything I suggested, although back in March she kept saying she "felt like a martian" in her wedding get-up. She was happy to report Saturday that she finally felt completely comfortable in her beautiful dress and veil!

Enjoy the preview--there are lots of pictures, and it was hard to narrow it down even this much! A special note to Ashley and Garron's family and friends: please continue checking back over the next week or two for ordering information for the wedding photos! Thanks!

Did I mention it was windy?!? We about lost the veil!








Oooh, I love these!!




Ashley--it has been so great becoming friends over the past several months! Your portraits are some of my all-time favorites, and that was such a great day with you, your mom, and Marilynn at a place so special to your family. Hope you and Garron are enjoying the honeymoon, and I can't wait for you to see the wedding pictures!

Tammy & Cecil--Lovin' Downtown

OH. MY. GOSH. Romantic...passionate...fun...energetic....seriously smokin' hot....just a few words to describe Tammy and Cecil and their pre-wedding portrait session. Tammy and Cecil will be married 08-08-08 in a little country church in the mountains of Highlands, NC, with an after-work reception back at The Lazy Goat in Greenville, but they wanted to go ahead and have some time just for the two of them to really capture their love with photographs. We spent almost 3 hours shooting all over downtown, and I am just giddy when I look at the results! Holy smokes, they were rock stars, and I'm gonna have to post a "part two"!

As a wedding photographer, I meet lots of couples in love, but not all of them share the same level of connection that this couple does. As Tammy and Cecil told me their love story over dinner and champagne on their awesome downtown balcony, I couldn't stop grinning because they are so sweet and their story is so perfect. They are truly meant for each other; if you don't believe me, check out these portraits...



These sweet gestures were 100% spontaneous--they just dote on each other all the time...








They bought Tammy's ultra-sexy shoes in Vegas...


Tammy & Cecil, I had an awesome time working with you guys and I can't wait for the wedding! Thanks so much for dinner--it was wonderful and I really enjoyed getting to know both of you better. I hope you are as excited about your photos as I am!!

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Carter & Elizabeth

I've been friends with Carter and Elizabeth's parents for years, since they first began dating. This portrait session in April was the 4th time I've photographed their family, and Elizabeth had just turned 1! We headed out to a family member's beautiful farmhouse near Gaffney for some fabulous outdoor shots.

Here's Miss Elizabeth...I think she looks like a little garden fairy!

Look at those bright eyes!

Little girls' clothes are just too cute. :-)


I really love this casual family portrait in front of the barn.


Carter is all about tractors! He knows all the name brands and types of tractors and machinery. His Pop bought him this tractor, and he was right at home riding it in the yard! He said that he needed to go buy some parts for it. :-)





Another casual but "real" portrait...


A different take on the traditional "family portrait." I love how this image symbolizes that each family member plays a role in guiding Elizabeth as she grows.

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Erin & Paul--When you know, you know!

They always say that when you meet "the one," you just know. Well, after Erin and Paul first met in spring of 2007, it was only a matter of weeks before she had moved to Georgia and they were engaged! I was really excited about their wedding because of their fairy tale story and also because Erin is part of a group of friends whose weddings I've been honored to photograph.



Erin and Paul were married at the same small church in Spartanburg where her parents and several other family members also were married.



The stained glass windows were amazing--very thick glass with the most vibrant colors you've ever seen! The sun just streamed in all throughout the ceremony.



The basement had really funky murals that the youth group must have painted. Perfect backdrop for some dramatic portraits...



Erin's three nephews were all involved in the wedding, and they were so excited to be a part of the day. The little ring bearer was SO excited that Aunt Erin said he could keep the ring pillow! He was the first person to congratulate them after the ceremony. :-)



I love this one! How amazing is the light from those windows??



Some happy "alone time" before moving on the reception. I'm going to have to do a separate post for the reception--just too many to choose from!

Would it be an Amy Clifton wedding without a shoe-shot? Of course not!

Congratulations Erin and Paul!

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Myra & Mark

Since I just started my blog a few months ago, I wanted to showcase some weddings even though they are from last year. Myra and Mark were married during an outdoor ceremony at Creekside Plantation last October and had the perfect fall-themed wedding. I love fall, and their decorations were all about bright oranges and deep reds, pumpkins, sunflowers, and fall leaves. Two of Myra's nieces were the flower girls, and instead of throwing flower petals, they lined the aisle with fall leaves. This photo of the girls is one of my all-time favorites that I've ever taken!

Mark proposed to Myra with a Taco Bell sauce pack that said "Will you marry me?" He gets the award for most creative proposal ever!


They have such a sweet love between them!


Here are a couple of the less traditional portraits we took during Myra's bridal portrait session. I love being able to get creative during bridal portraits!






M & M--It was such an honor to be a part of your wedding day and to share that with your family!