S. Carter Studios

If all your photographer friends were honest they would admit that there are certain couples they wait on the edge of their seats for in hope will call as soon as they are engaged. For me, River & Collin were definitely one of those couples. Not only are they RIDICULOUSLY good looking but they have genuine hearts filled with love for each other, for their families, compassion & devotion to the Lord. Add it all up and it’s a knock out combination! Josh & I hung out with them several times over their engagement and got to know them well. Their engagement session was one for our record books, I mean a couple who is up for field photos, water balloons and high class downtown pics all in the same few hours, truly awesome! I knew their wedding would be an incredible event and I was right. They flew me to Indiana and as soon as I got there I knew I was part of the family. For starters, one of the bridesmaids was waiting outside with my name scribbled on the back of a pack of eyeliner to indicate the Town and Country was here for me. We arrived just in time for the rehearsal where nervous giggles and many, “I can’t believe it’s finally here”‘ statements were heard. River herself picked me up the day of the wedding, nervous, excited and happy to take me to grab some McDonalds for breakfast. It was wonderful to watch her undergo the transformation from bride to be to BRIDE! She looked absolutely breathtaking, with a dress to die for & a smile to match.

They opted for a first look and it was wonderful to be there as she shared a journal with him that she’d been writing in during their year long engagement, I melted my heart a little when she shared that it was inspired by my gift to Josh on our wedding day.

I gave them some privacy and took a few detail shots.

A note: the rocks below were handed out to the guests as they entered the ceremony. The pastor led the group in a prayer and asked them to silently pray for the new Mr and Mrs. The rocks were collected at the end of the ceremony and are displayed in their home!

While we waited for the ceremony to start, the guys  were pacing back and forth in a room listening to the US men’s world cup game (which we sadly lost) praying for a history making victory!

Don’t they look great as newlyweds!

After a joyous exit, we traveled to a property about half a mile down the road and I hit the photography jackpot! A private residence that we had complete access to and around every corner it got better and better! I could have literally shot there for HOURS.

I was IN LOVE with her gown. Beautiful on, in motion, laying still & easy to “poof”, just ask her Maid of Honor.

One of my absolute favorite all time wedding photos EVER taken.

and after they tore me away from that gorgeous place we had a great reception. These glasses were the same used at Collin’s parent’s wedding!

Happy to end this post with this: gorgeous, suave, classy & not afraid to get a little messy! Thank you so much my friends, Josh and I wish you the very best and can’t wait to make more memories with you!

Well, it’s been OVER a months since I posted. I know, that’s quite unusual but the truth is,  the past 6 weeks have been too! Three dear friends decided to get married within the same five weeks! For Kristen’s wedding I was a second shooter and a number 2 in both Angi and Jenna’s weddings. I love them all dearly and, as those of you whose weddings I’ve had the pleasure of working know, I can’t do anything halfway. I also celebrated my 25th birthday, was asked to return to teach at Liberty & recaptured newlywed spirit with my wonderfully talented husband. I was able to keep our Fan Page updated regularly so some of this won’t be news to any of you who are already fans but we’ve got some AMAZING sessions coming up on this blog! Here are previews of the beauty to come!

Collin & River’s Indiana Wedding

Steve & Breanne’s lovely Lynchburg wedding & Trivium reception

John and Kristen’s Barren Ridge Vineyard wedding

Kent & Alisha’s Roanoke wedding & rooftop celebration

Solomon & Angi’s Avanel wedding

& their wedding photo booth

Emily’s bridal portraits

Daniel & Emily’s challenging & rewarding Phenix, VA wedding

and finally, the icing on the cake, all the way in Alaska!

Lane and Jenna’s engagement session

and Inn at Tern Lake wedding in the rain

Do you feel tired yet? haha. We so look forward to sharing about these events with you!

Yes, it’s time for another rendition of Brasil team love-a-thon! First it was: Kyle, Julie, Naomi, Collin, Travis & David: now part 2 of Julie and Stephen! I met Julie on that trip and loved seeing her smiling face, especially when she was talking about Stephen. Even then, I think we all assumed they would get married. And I was thrilled when she called to tell me she wanted me to be there to celebrate with her! They couldn’t have picked a more beautiful location than The Inn at Kelly’s Ford was breathtaking and though the rain ruined our fun a little it provided some gorgeous clouds and cooled things off! I think the (many) images speak for themselves so enjoy a little bit of the Cinderella-esque wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Boice!

Such bold and vibrant colors were a dream to shoot!

Classic Julie wasn’t so bad either, lol.

aaanddd…more detail lovin

Love the engagement photo guest book!

So, the truth is that we faced some very ugly flood-like rainstorms during this crazy day. Inbetween two big storms we had a ceremony, well part of one, but I’d have to say that it was totally worth it!

One of the best reactions I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of!

Totally worth it for THIS entrance!

inbetween these two pictures it rained, a lot, and so we moved things inside, and in the end they were just as married as they would have been if we’d stayed outside. Plus, look at those faces!

a brief carriage ride for the newlyweds

Loved those moody skies!

My absolute favorite from the whole day

A great meal was served, toasts, cake AND dancing! Lots of hilarious dancing.

See, they agreed that the dancing was hilarious.

I snuck them out for a few more pictures and then they had a beautiful escape and traveled the whole 50 yards to their honeymoon silo!

It was brilliant and beautiful. I’m so glad I could be there!

Where to begin with this couple. Our friendship began when we took their spring engagement photos in 2009.  We bonded over shared love for the movie Hocus Pocus. I saw them during the year at James and Johnna’s wedding where they tore it up in the Photo Booth. Always excited and bubbly, we all looked forward to their wedding. Now, if you travel often you can imagine that it’sn ot always very fun or exciting to be gone every weekend and sometimesy ou dread the trip even if it’s worth it. I was battling this feeling when I woke up for my freakishly early flight to Atlanta for their wedding but as soon as Candace and her wonderful mom picked me up from the airport those thoughts completely disolved. It’s very unusual for the bride to be one to pick me up so that was quite a treat. They treated me like family and that’s what I was for the rest of the weekend. Family just as much as any other guest who was there. I joined their family and friends as we celebrated at probably the most laid back, simlpe wedding celebration I’ve been to in years. Enjoy a whole slew of photos from their event including lots of happy details!

The courtyard of the church hosted the reception and it was just gorgeous!

Awesome bridal shoes. Candace LOVES shoes. Really, she does.

A little surprise for the groom.

If you know Mike and Candace well you probably already know that they love the Lord, each other and people in general very much. This was so clear at their rehearsal dinner when they went around to the over 40 people in attendance and personally introduced each person and shared what an impact that person had on their relationship and why they were glad they were there. Including me! It was such a beautiful thing to see and be a part of. They just don’t make them like that all the time. Way to go Lumpkins and Thurmans! Example 2: Moments before walking down the aisle, Candace is filling out Thank You cards.

Okay, getting to the really good stuff.

These guys were killing me. Such a great group and so happy to pose.

A sweet moment as mom was dropped off by her sons.

After all those months, all that planning, all the waiting, they became Mr. and Mrs. Everyone was thrilled!

It was like a midafternoon dream. Gorgeous light shining, beautiful couple. No RAIN! It doesn’t get much better than this!

One of my all time favorites.

Oh yeah, there was a reception too, lol.

Gotta be one of the very best cake smashings I’ve been a witness to. Including my own!

The best part not showing here is when Candace’s mom came to help her followed by her Grandma. Mike was arms open ready to accept her help and was brushed past with quite a look, left to his own devices for cleaning up. It was too funny.

VICTORY!! For the maid of honor of the year who flew in early that morning and left that evening!

Just as quick as it started it was all over and the newlyweds left in a flurry of bubbles and laughter. Each time I look through these pictures I relive the experience, I could do this wedding 3 times a weekend. It was such a pleasure to hang out with these awesome people!

What a day indeed. You may remember Emily’s bridal portraits and how we were battling rain, the same was true on her wedding day! Off and on we were showered putting her outdoor Winridge Manor wedding & reception in jeopardy. It worked out in the end and yes, we were all a little damp but I think everyone there would agree that it was worth it. I’ve never been to a wedding that was so obviously crafted by the bride and her family. Emily’s mother made the bridesmaid dresses, Emily handcrafted Michael’s tie. From peacock feathers to hydrangeas Emily’s stamp was all over her wedding. It was a delightful combination of sweet & sassy! I’ll let the photos speak for themselves!

My, oh, my, how I was LOVING this vehicle!

See the picture below: a groom tearing up as he waits for his bride. Well, it was beyond welling, for both of them! Full on tears from start to finish. Emily’s started before the wedding when she accepted a phone call from him and through a tear smile relayed to her bridesmaids, “He’s just so good to me.”

The mist turned into a drizzle but I really don’t think Emily or Michael had a clue. They were pretty wrapped up in each other. It was just lovely.

It was beautiful and brief and then just like that they were husband and wife!

There weren’t many tears after that, just big joyful smiles.

Props to my intern Julie who lined this shot up!

Just a few horses in a pasture with mist rising up off of it, no big deal!

Loved their moms who held hands several times and celebrated God’s goodness together.

a sparkling exit

in the classic car

so classy. Thanks for letting me be a part of your celebration Emily & Michael It was such a pleasure to be there!

It’s a little ironic that Emily, Sharon and I were dodging raindrops on the day that we took these bridal portraits and that there were plenty of rain drops to be found on her wedding day as well. She was such a lovely bride & I think it could be argued had one of the most beautiful and unique weddings between crazy flash flooding, steady drizzle and one of the most gorgeous sunsets Virginia has to offer. Well, enough about her wedding, here some of her lovely bridal portraits that we kept unwraps until now!

She looks just like a princess waiting for a prince…

just to tease you a little, here’s a preview from her wedding! Unless you’re a Facebook Fan, in which case you would have seen this photo before they’d even left for their honeymoon!

Oh how I love to look at our wedding photos, it was just perfect! One of the things that made it so perfect was being able to land beautiful, thrifty venues. That brings us to this week’s Take A Look, wihch I should add was suggested by my wonderful intern Jenny. This unique and vintage venue is perfect for the Central Virginia Bride on a budget. The Aviary is located at Miller Park in Lynchburg, VA, which is run by Lynchburg Parks and Recreation. Unfortnately they haven’t created a website, to my knowledge, that really showcases this incredible building so I’m glad to provide some info and pictures on here! One of the things that makes this the best value is that renting it (which when we rented in March of 09 was $400 total for 8:00 am to 10:00 pm) includes tables and chairs! It also has a full fridge, oven & storage as well as bathrooms. It can house up to 300 people. We paid to rent it the night before which allowed us to begin setting up and have our rehearsal dinner there.

I loved the many sided building in a beautiful sage green with almost bulgarian looking white details! The natural light is absolutely gorgeous pouring the the windows! We barely had to decorate the interior at all. I’ve done three other weddings at this location and it’s just as beautiful each time. The park around the Aviary is lush and a great place for photos of the bridal party or family!

I love these two photos which the very talented folks at Brooke CourtneyPhotography took at our mutal friend David’s wedding.I loved how David and Rachel really customized the space to showcase their personality in a way I hadn’t seen!

It looks like a building from a fairytale at night and I remember driving away from it so thankful to have found a great venue. I hope that some of you will be able to take advantage of this diamond in the rough!

In the spirit of our recent By Definition: Getaway post, I thought this week’s take a look should be about a company that helps provide very stylish and classy getaways for brides in the Central Virginia area! This week we’re happy to invite you take a look at Albermarle Vintage Limosine. Here is a little bit of lovin for you car aficionados. They offer: 1948, 1949 Fleetwood Cadillac, 1940 Packard, & a 1946 Mark IV. For those of us who don’t know what that means here are some images from their website for us to drool over!

According to their website the cars are available for  a Guided Tour of Local Vineyards, Weddings, Business Transportation, Corporate Events, Bed & Breakfast Transportation, Vacation Getaways, and Any other Special Occasions. Can you imagine rolling up to an evening in downtown Charlottesville in one of these bad boys? or a photo of you and your husband to be leaning against this grill in your  vintage engagement session?

I encourage you to become a fan of theirs on Facebook and check out some of their blog posts. I’d be more than happy to have one of these puppies at an S. Carter Studios wedding in the future!

The memory is fresh in my mind, my face exhausted from all the smiling, the soles of my feet black from dancing with my shoes off and my glittering left hand being held gently by my HUSBAND! I can vividly recall that my excitement as we drove away from our reception. It’s hard to put into words but I plan to try. It’s the excitement of endless possibilities, the fruition of months and months of planning, the joy of having so many dear friends and family members celebrating with us. It was the fancy dress I had tried on so many times finally getting to see the sunlight (and on our day, snow, sleet and rain). The vacation that lay ahead and the comfort that I belonged to Josh and he belonged to me, officially! There is absolutely nothing like being a brand newlywed! I love that moment at each wedding when the couple clasps hands and heads into their future leaving the wedding behind them and marching forward into life together as it appears in the day to day variety without beautiful cakes and photographers following them around. This is why I stay, to the very tiring end, because the getaway is the beginning of that transition! It’s worth it to me to capture the very last minutes of that day that will forever mark the beginning of their lives as a family. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing many getaways and am happy to share a few with you! Assuming most of you don’t attend as many weddings as I do, I’m happy to provide some getaway categories with you too. Enjoy!

There are the sweet, classic getaways…

Michael & Brittany

Gerald & Erin

Justin & MaryJo

Mark & Maria

Then there’s the brave getaway (could also be called the messy getaway)

Eric & Tracy

Ryan & Kristina

Probably the messiest of all…EVER…Nate & Bekah

There’s been one foiled getaway…. Dayton & Rebekah. Planned by Rebekah’s band of brothers and the best man, they captured Dayton and tossed him into the pond behind the reception.

and last but certainly not least the glamorous getaway!

Peter & Marianne

Wayne & Lacey

Matt & Jen

Jon & Lindsay

The biggest and baddest of all glamorous getaways has to go to Josh & Michelle who took off on a beautiful Harley Davidson brought in JUST for the occasion.

I love being married.  I was married in March 2009 and every time I wrote the month March in front of dates this month I still bubbled up with excitement. There was great planning and lots of money spent officially making me Mrs. Deal and I proudly wear the title! I’m all about Mr and Mrs salt and pepper shakers, monogrammed coffee mugs and custom framed art with our names in it. I’m sure you know that when you’re google searching things to buy for weddings there are millions of things to spend your money on. As I was prepainge for this post I was doing a little browsing and found something so original that I hadn’t seen it or anything like it before AND it made me smile! SO I thought in honor of really milking the newly wed feeling & celebrating someone with an original idea in the wedding world I’d ask you to Take A Look at CestSuperbe ’s etsy shop. She’s a designer out of the Netherlands who has created several wedding related luggage tags that are sweet and clever!

If you’re tired of buying toasters and gift cards for the brides to be in your life then I would suggest picking out one of these tags. I would be shocked if she received more than one!

I call dibs on this one for an upcoming engagement shoot!

This one is the one that reeled me in because I still get a little giddy as I introduce Josh as my husband or hear someone call me Mrs. Deal.

I can’t imagine a better gift for the couple who loves to travel or for the bride who is going to have four showers and get everything on her registry! I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s Take A Look!

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