S. Carter Studios

I’d been looking forward to their wedding since Kimberly and I first began discussing it in the Fall of 2008! We took their engagement photos over Valentine’s Weekend in 2009 and they were wed in mid January 2010! Their wedding was a true joy to be involved with. It reminded me of mine in many ways which made it that much more fun! And the weather, who could ask for 50 degree weather on January 15th with the bluest skies you’ve ever seen and just snuggled between two of the worst snow storms to ever hit the East Coast! God has been watching out for them over their long engagement and had this day planned especially for them. Enjoy a few of their photos!

PS. Our workflow is different now and there are some who caught a glimpse of these photos RIGHT after the wedding (within three days actually, lol) those lucky people are the Facebook fans of S. Carter Studios. If you’d like to be alerted to the newest content then join up!

I won’t lie, I have a little bit of lash envy!

They opted for a first look after having seen the great photos from Gavin & Kelsey’s and I’m so glad they did!

It gave us lots of time for photos of just the two of them and their really fun bridal party!

I wasn’t kidding about the day!

They were married at a lovely church just a block away from my house!

and after all that waiting, they became husband and wife.

We headed over to the lovely West Manor to celebrate! There were loads of great details, food and dancing.

Kimberly and I joked that she was my first Friday bride, my first red cake and several other firsts. Not too shabby to plan a wedding with such impact!

These were absolutely delicious as were the toppings located just to the left! Gotta love a make your own mashed potatoes bar.

We’ll finish this post with the best garter retrieval of 2010.

Well, go ahead and lean back, because this post is going to be a long one. You’ve seen Gavin & Kelsey before, the infamous paint couple! We took their engagement photos on a warm, beautiful summer day and they were married on 12-12-09 a very VERY cold winter day. They didn’t let the chilly weather keep them from having a perfect celebration! There was joy and excitement and awesome facial expressions from Kelsey without pause from the first few minutes I was with them until they left for their honeymoon. I’ll interject a few happy thoughts throughout the post but for the most part I think they speak for themselves!

Kelsey was the only bride I was able to give her ornament to in person. She had such a fun reaction!

She was an absolutely stunning bride!

Gavin and Kelsey chose to do a first look. This gave us lots of time to take photos of them and their wedding party. This was Gavin’s face as he saw his bride for the first time.

and Kelsey’s as she walked toward her groom. PS. First glimpse as those perfect little blue shoes!

You may remember, it was really, really cold this day in Lynchburg so we let Kelsey defrost a little and took pictures of the guys first. They were great!

West Manor was a great location for the photos and their reception!These ladies were amazing, not complaining one bit and looking good while sticking it out!

I could have taken pictures of  just these two all day long. Really.

My very favorite from the whole day!

Kelsey, wow, just WOW.

BLING, bling.

I may, have had a crush on her shoes, maybe.

Oh, yeah, there was a ceremony too!

I just can’t get enough of brides on the arms of their fathers! So much significance in this one little moment.

Two noteworthy things about this image: these candles are the same ones that Gavin used the night he proposed to Kelsey, there were over a hundred of them that night! The second is explained by the photo below it.

This is how I know i have the best brides. Kelsey was so chill about this! Oops, oh well.

A brief pause to share some of their great details!

It never gets old

seeing my work at receptions!

Alex, Angi and I with the bride, me reaching toward Solomon who had rapid fired a few shots by this point. Thought it would be a funny addition to the post

This mother son dance had the whole room misty-eyed. Gavin and his mother took turns letting tears slip between laughs and hugs. It was absolutely precious.

Love this photo of Gavin’s mom showing Kelsey’s dad the little birthday cake they gave her after the first dance. So sweet of her to share her birthday with the newlyweds.

there was dancing, lots of really, fun, dancing.

The newlyweds left in a flash of sparklers to their honeymoon in the mountains of TN.

It’s been so hard to hold onto photos until after Christmas! I took these photos of Cole and Lydia, both of whom I had the pleasure of seeing shortly after their debut into the world. Yes, they’re the Parks kids, the most photographed family in my life. But hey, I’m okay with that. If you knew them, you’d understand! Enjoy these photos of their super crazy session.

Cole was about 2 months old when we took these photos. I’ve got to tell you, he’s quite a charmer. I was greatly distracted by his smiles and big blue eyes today in church!

Lydia is a force to be reckoned with! During the shoot she tried to climb the retaining wall and made a cozy seat in someone’s water run off.

The goal was to get some of the two of them together and I’d say we more or less accomplished that!

There may have been some bribing with marshmallows and chocolate chips.

This is one of my favorites.

I love this look on his face as Lydia leans forward to touch him. The hesitant and slightly scared face of a younger brother. Classic.

We’ll polish off this post with a look at the smile Cole flashes his mom. I am pretty sure I’d be toast if I had him hanging around all the time. I’d be content just to sit and stare.

The more I learned about Brian and Libby, the more excited I became. She grew up in Thailand and they were incorporating that into the wedding and reception. Yes, my friends we’re talking about parasols and authentic Thai food and even a Thai dancer! They couldn’t have picked a more perfect day and I was so glad to get to spend it with them. They surrounded themselves with great family and friends who braved the cold weather to do whatever was asked of them. She was simply beautiful and the vows they’d written to each other were so sweet. Enjoy a few of the moments from their wedding day!

I couldn’t get enough of these super cute kiddos.

We headed up to the monogram and had some stunning light to work with.

They had their reception at the same place Josh and I did and it was the first time I’d been there since. I just think there is something a little magical about this building. I’m probably biased.

A super cute and original cake topper.

Despite feeling under the weather, she sang a song to him that she’d been singing to the Lord for years about finding her love.

What a beautiful, wonderful night. Thank you for letting me share it with you!

Their wedding makes the top 5 all time S. Carter Studios favorites. We had a good time at their engagement session but their wedding day topped it! The  day was an absolute celebration of the work God has been doing in their lives in and through each other and of the joy to come in their future! I’m really not sure you could ask for a better day for a wedding in November either. We took all their photos outside with minimal shivering! Josh shot with me and did a fantastic job as usual and I was so glad we got to be there to celebrate with them. Their wedding party was filled with an S. Carter Studios all star cast! Jay, Leslie’s brother, did a very moving job with the ceremony. On the bride’s side we had Jackie Parks, Christina Allen and Lynne Lamonte and on the groom’s side we had James Humphrey, and Danny Lamonte. It was awesome to be reunited with so many clients in just the bridal party, not to mention the family and friends who came to celebrate with them! It was quite a celebration as you’ll see below!

Total, they exchanged two gifts a piece as the minutes flew by before their wedding. Josh captured Stephen writing the note that accompanied a Bible for Leslie with her new name on it. The best part, she had bought a Myers Family Bible that he opened only a few minutes later.

Reason # 54690 that I love my husband? Photos like the two below!

The ladies were stunning!

One of my very favorite unity candle shots.

The flower girl couldn’t wait to see Leslie.

neither could Stephen. Later, I asked him what he was thinking as she walked down the aisle. His response, “Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry.”

I’m glad someone was filming because I’m not sure they heard most of what Jay said. The majority of their time up front was spent just like this.

Just like that, they were married!

And then there was dancing!

Grandma started dancing here and was one of the last ones off the dance floor at the reception!

When we got to the reception site, we were told that we’d be welcome to take a ride on the golf carts to get some shots around the course. HECK YES we did.

Eventually (begrudgingly, lol) we joined back up with the wedding party to take a few more before enjoying a great meal at the Boonsboro Country Club.

One of my all time favorite wedding party photos!

After the formal dances, dinner was served and then the dancing ensued. The shot below is of Leslie’s parents dancing to the song they had their first dance to!

The fan began and didn’t quit!

The guys got really excited and lifted Stephen into the air!

The girls responded by lifting Leslie and then the guys, not to be outdone, picked up and tossed her a few times too. This photo is priceless!

The maid of honor, Holly, snatched the bouquet like a pro! Look at that height!

Even more dancing as the girls responded to the guys dance-off-challenge. I’ll let you decide for yourselves but I’m pretty sure the guys dominated.

and sometime several hours later, they said their goodbyes and went off to the Dominican Republic! You can imagine that we were exhausted and elated at the end of it all but most of all, so very thankful to have been a part of their wedding.

Happy Tuesday everyone! I want to introduce you to a series of blog posts I’ll be doing about what I feel defines S. Carter Studios perspective and style. There are so many wonderful talented photographers out there and many on the horizon. I hope that through these posts you’ll get to know more about S. Carter Studios and what we strive for as you consider letting us be a part of your family for a session, for a wedding or for a life time. I’m calling these posts By Definition. The topics covered will hopefully help you to understand how we define ourselves and why there are some things that we consider standard at S. Carter Studios. We strive for quality with our clients and have a purpose for how we do things because time is too valuable to waste during shoots. I hope you enjoy the series and that it helps you to understand this wonderful gift God has given us!

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By Definition: Kissy Pictures

Who would have thought kissing would ever go out of style? Strangely, it’s true. If you follow blogs of photographers across the industry and all over the country you’ll see what I see and that’s a mysterious lack of kissing pictures. Don’t get me wrong, their blogs are great and the photos are beautiful but overall photographers seem to be nixing the kiss. I once had a person say to me, “Your couples all seem to kiss a lot!” This caused me to smile and reflect… I guess my blog is stacked with photo upon photo of the kiss in its various forms: on the cheek, on the forehead, on the nose, on the hand, right smack dab on the mouth. I began to wonder, hmm, what is it that I seem to love so much about the kiss? Then I realized IT.

Kissing is like sharing a secret. When I committed to marry Josh I agreed to only share my kisses with him. I knew from that moment forward, God willing, that he would be the only man that I would share moments like that with. He and I have a secret that no one else can come close to understanding and that’s the chemistry between us! I love kissy pictures because when a man and woman commit to each other, in that long term rocking chair and gray hair kind of way, they save part of themselves for just one other person. So, why would I only have them stand next to each other, near each other, or across from each other, which they can do with almost any person in the world when I can ask them to joyfully do something they have agreed is just between the two of them? Kissing is romantic and it’s fun and I love it. So, that’s why kissing pictures are part of the S. Carter Studios standard. Here are a few of my favorites from over the years.

Plus, I don’t discriminate, I love engaged kisses

Melanie & Tim

Maria & Mark

Emily & Zach

Gavin & Kelsey

Bryant & Amanda

Jake and Patsy

… and married kisses…

Eric & Traci [we share the same anniversary date of March 13th!]

Mark and Maria

Laura and Ryan

Nate and Bekah

Adriel and Amy (and Papa Joe)

Chase and Kalina

… and family kisses!

The Parks

The Allens

The Mengs

The Oberneders

The Lamontes

Thank you for taking the time to read this post, I hope it helps you understand more about us! Sabrena, and the S. Carter Studios Team

Being around Sam is like being around family. She has this great way of making everyone around her feel comfortable. I think she gets it from her family who treated me the same as I met many of them who I’d heard about so many years before. God brought her a match who cares about family just as much as she does. Jonathan adores her and everyone knows it. Their wedding was a simple affair to celebrate their commitment and their friends and family. They pulled it off perfectly!

I love her expression in this picture. He was so nervous and she was cool as a cucumber…until he started to cry and then it was over for her too.

I have to stop for a minute and brag on my husband Josh for taking the next four pictures. He’s really talented, don’t you think?

He does such a great job with the guys!

Now, about this reception. It took place on a river bank in the backyard of a little log cabin looking structure. It was a beautiful venue and allowed for great photos!

Hellllloo contrast! My pose with Josh’s shot Winning combination!

I love this photo below which made the one after possible. A quick flick

to the dress and then the spinning could commence.

At their engagement session, Sam described the reception to me as a family reunion style get together. They really nailed it! Nobody was in a rush to leave this reception! There was something for everyone including trips out on the river in canoes the bride and groom provided!

The bridesmaids and other guests changed into custom t-shirts printed for the event!

Nope, your eyes do not deceive you. That’s the bride teaching people how to pick crabs, while in her wedding dress!

This is a series of photos taken as the DJ shared their love story with the guests. They filled out questionnaires before the event and he wove them together. It was great to hear about their engagement which included a scavenger hunt around the city they met in.

Almost nothing sweeter than a dad singing to his daughter during their dance.

Several games of spades broke out with the decks of cards Jonathan and Sam had made as favors for their guests.

Just a few awesome detail shots on the way out!

You pulled it off guys! What a fantastic, relaxing wedding to be a part of! Thank you!

Amy and Adriel aren’t from South Carolina but Amy’s family has been going to Myrtle Beach every summer for as long as most of them can remember. She’s the youngest of four with three older brothers and wanted a wedding that was uniquely hers. As her nieces told me, “This is a very Aunt Amy wedding.” And boy does she have a few nieces, God has blessed their family with 6 wonderful little girls and one little boy! The wedding was a family affair and it was a great adventure to be a part of.

Amy and Adriel had a rich history of friendship, having known each other since they were in high school youth group and all parents and friends involved were glad when they began “dating” and got engaged just a few months later. I loved the trip to Myrtle Beach and many thanks to Amy who took such great care of me, even providing me with an escort for the weekend! I know you’re probably thinking, South Carolina in August? We prayed for a breeze the night after we sweated through the rehearsal and God responded with a gusty breeze courtesy of Hurricane Bill which amazingly didn’t result in rain. Don’t get me wrong, it was HOT but the outside ceremony went off without a hitch at the beautiful Cooper House. Enjoy some photos from their wedding!

I love this picture of Amy, especially since she was so nervous before seeing her groom. As soon as she saw him, the anxiety began to melt away. His hugs and kisses were enough to calm her nerves and the rest of the day went by with an easy, happy smile on her face.

Just had to sneak in this picture of Adriel’s mom pinning his boutonniere. She has a smile that lights up the room!

I was thrilled when Amy and Adriel opted for a First Look. It allowed for such a great vantage point at the top of the steps.

I think this could be my favorite shot from the day. It’s just so South Carolina.

Amy made sure to let me know that there would be children involved in the bridal party and I couldn’t have been happier with how wonderful they were! They didn’t know me but did a fantastic job of listening and staying still, looking at the camera. I would happily photograph them any day!

So many cute kids it was hard to resist!

I like the fuziness of this shot for some reason. It just makes the tree seem old and wise as it looks down on the ceremony. Or maybe, I’m just feeling a little “artsy.”

A few detail shots before we wrap things up!

Their reception was at the same location in an old building that used to be a general store. Very unique and it matched the wedding perfectly!

I was referred to Amy by Jen of Matt and Jen and can’t wait to travel to Connecticut with Josh for their wedding in less than 50 days! The newlyweds passed on the garter and bouquet to them instead of a traditional toss.

They signed the marriage certificates and were off to St. Lucia! Hope you have a great time. See you in October!

In preparing for this post, I went back through my old journal and began to count the weddings that I’ve been a part of. Before each wedding I spend a time of prayer asking God to please go before me, as he always does, and use me to photograph and serve the bride and groom, their family and friends. The names floated past me on the pages, Aaron & Brittany all the way through Marianne & Peter. How did I get there? How had I been trusted with the memories of 37 different couples? I still can’t believe it!

What I know is that it’s been a long journey and I’ve learned many lessons along way the way. I’m so excited to be able to share them with other people! I know that I’m working my dream job and it started with a borrowed Fuji Fine Pix camera and has grown to include three Canon DSLRs and a small, happy army of lenses. I’ve gone from being too nervous to take money to working only one part time job to supplement my business. I can’t wait to discuss the process of getting incorporated, getting inspired and getting referrals. I hope that just a few of you will come to hang out so I’m just talking to my husband who is tired of hearing me talk passionately about these things.

The plan: Meet in Lynchburg (physical destination unknown until a headcount can be established) on Saturday September 19th from 2 pm to 6 pm.

The agenda: Each person who signs up for the forum will be given the opportunity to express which areas they would like to learn about most. Essentially, you can shape the discussion based on your interests!

Some suggestions from interested parties have included how to set pricing, how to encourage better relationships with clients, what kind of equipment I have and where I’ve purchased it from. I can’t wait to see what others are interested to hear about.

The payoff: Each attendee will walk away with a folder full of resources including lists of blogs, information on free methods of advertising, information on industry services and more. The environment will be built around the desire for encouragement and networking.  Networking can even continue after the session as those who are interested will be grabbing dinner together!

The cost: To help cover the cost of materials and the tasty goodies we hope to provide, there will be a charge of $25.00 per person or $40.00 for two friends who decide to come together.

The deadline: Participants’ registration forms must be received by September 7th, 2009.

Where to go from here?

1. Contact me at sabrena@scarterstudios.com to request the registration form.

2. Fill out the form and mail it in with a check for the cost.

3. Show up excited and ready to have great discussion!

What I’m hoping to accomplish with this forum is to help share how my business has grown in the hopes that this will encourage others to take the next steps in growing theirs! Please let me know if you have any questions!

PS. thanks to Liz who is helping spread the word! Please feel free to repost and share about this as well!

PPS. Here are a few more of my wedding photos by Kristen Dillow because I still haven’t made a decent post about being the bride on the other side of the lens!