Posts in Category: Bridals

wedding gowns / bridal portraits

Every bride is beautiful on her wedding day. I honestly believe that. I also think beauty can be attributed to happiness. Happy people attract others to them and brides are like magnets. Not only is she “the one” to her husband, she’s the centerpiece of the day to everyone else. Wedding guests stand as she makes her way down the aisle and she spends months or more making sure that what she’s wearing will be gorgeous, help illustrate who she is and be memorable years later.

We love bridal portrait sessions, because they give our brides a chance to be on their own, pulled away from the day and the sentiment (and the crowd) and able to show off their dresses. Be it outside, in a private home or studio, these are some of our favorite bridal portraits. All of them appear timeless.

From a less romantic, more technical angle (pardon the pun), we try to capture brides showing off not only their personalities, but aspects of their gowns. Mermaid dresses, full ball gowns, laced or open backs, traditional necklines, trains, cathedral veils, cowboy boots, jeweled hair accessories – all of those specifically chosen elements should get their moment in the spotlight. We discuss all of this with our brides and do our best to feature them.

And then there’s the location. Some brides have their portraits taken in a studio setting where lighting can be controlled, but also as a throwback to the portraits of their grandmothers and great-grandmothers. I have to say, I find these to be so beautiful.

But we live in an area so replete with gorgeous views and venues, that often brides have their portraits taken at or near the spot where they will say “I Do.” So we work to incorporate not just the details of the gown into shots, but the setting as well. Outdoor bridal portraits give us opportunities to incorporate twilight, greenery, budding plants, ancient trees, waterfalls, private farms, mountain views and everything mother nature brings to the table.

Here comes the bride. And here comes bridal and wedding season. We CANNOT wait!


We love family portraits whether they are set in the studio, the great outdoors, a specific location like the mountains or high country, or on our property in our outdoor portrait garden. Pixels on Paper photographs,engagements and weddingsbrides, and special events and portraits  of all kinds in our Wilkesboro, NC studio. We would be honored to meet with you, learn about you and your family and be a part of taking special portraits that will become, we hope, family heirlooms.

88x31 lucy & glens valle crucis wedding photography | pixels on paper boone wedding photographers

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License All photos are ©2019 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.

Alfresco Bridal Portraits – Late Summer in NC

This girl was born to be photographed outside. We were there to capture what Courtney thought was to be a family photo session when Cody popped the question back in the Spring of this year. She shined in the orchard setting. Surrounded by blossoms and family, it was a gorgeous day for an engagement session. Her bridal session rivaled it though.

Tevepaugh / Parker Pixels On Paper Photography Bridal portrait photography photoTevepaugh / Parker Pixels On Paper Photography Bridal portrait photography photo

It was important for Courtney to include details and aspects of her family’s property and life in her portraits, so we began her session at her family’s cattle farm in Wilkesboro. She chose a beautiful location near the creek with small waterfalls where she and her siblings spent most summers swimming and playing. It was a perfect spot and a perfect day. Lots of dappled light, her reflection and the sound of the water falls……… if only we’d recorded it to add here. There was natural beauty in every direction.

Tevepaugh / Parker Pixels On Paper Photography Bridal portrait photography photo

With the help of her mom and sister she waded through the water and slipped into her wedding gown on a rock in the middle of the creek. YUP. Waded, donned her gown alfresco and looked amazing. It can be done, folks. In some of the photos, Courtney included a quilt hand-made by husband-to-be Cody’s grandmother.

Tevepaugh / Parker Pixels On Paper Photography Bridal portrait photography photo

As a nod to her father and his work on the family farm, she also posed next to a hay bale. She’s a vision of elegance in a bucolic setting and we loved the juxtaposition.
We then ventured to the Brushy Mountains and to Cody’s family’s orchard. It’s apple harvest time in the mountains and she wanted to include a piece of her groom’s family heritage in portraits as well. While Cody was not allowed to see his beautiful bride during portraits, his mom and dad were on hand to help find the most beautiful spots in the orchard among the ripening apples.

Tevepaugh / Parker Pixels On Paper Photography Bridal portrait photography photoTevepaugh / Parker Pixels On Paper Photography Bridal portrait photography photoTevepaugh / Parker Pixels On Paper Photography Bridal portrait photography photoTevepaugh / Parker Pixels On Paper Photography Bridal portrait photography photoOnce again, Courtney just appears to be a fairy in the most beautiful spots. An outdoor girl marries an outdoor boy. I love that for generations to come their family will look at these photos and know exactly where they took place and share in the memory of those places as well.


We love family portraits whether they are set in the studio, the great outdoors, a specific location like the mountains or high country, or on our property in our outdoor portrait garden. Pixels on Paper photographs, engagements and weddingsbrides, and special events and portraits  of all kinds in our Wilkesboro, NC studio. We would be honored to meet with you, learn about you and your family and be a part of taking special portraits that will become, we hope, family heirlooms.

88x31 lucy & glens valle crucis wedding photography | pixels on paper boone wedding photographers

All photos are ©2018 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.

themed weddings photographers? ABSOLUTELY.

We made our start photographing the traditional wedding. The gorgeous bride in a white gown, the handsome groom, the heart-felt vows and whether it was in a church or overlooking a mountain vista, the pictures really were worth a thousand words. What bigger day do you have than your wedding day? And capturing those memories is what we do.
But we have also had the pure, unadulterated joy of capturing weddings with a theme. Some are based on a throwback to another era. Some are based on the bride or groom’s family heritage with ancestral touches. We photographed the engagement, bridal and wedding portraits for a couple who LOVED Dr. Who. It was awesome. THEY were awesome. Others just want to give a nod to something they care about whether it’s a style or a place or a genre. Whatever your tastes, loves, origin story or favorite band, we will help capture it on film to share for lifetimes to come. Check out a few or our faves below! Above: A Pirate Wedding in the forest. What a fun group!
Below: A Rock-a-Billy Wedding done up right with every detail. 

Below: A Mexican Fiesta. …. Kidding. Scottish Highlands all the way. It was elegant and even the fog rolled in to go with bagpipes, kilts and heather.

The Scotch-Irish, and British Isles, often make an appearance. We are a country of immigrants afterall and seeing those traditions celebrated is transporting. It’s as if everyone at the wedding has gone back in time. The Fleur de Lis – so French, so New Orleans, so retro and cool. We LOVE those couples who just say, “This is WHO WE ARE. These are the things that we care about or that make us happy or brought us together and we want to celebrate and share it with everyone.” 

We love family portraits whether they are set in the studio, the great outdoors, a specific location like the mountains or high country, or on our property in our outdoor portrait garden. Pixels on Paper photographs, engagements and weddingsbrides, and special events and portraits  of all kinds in our Wilkesboro, NC studio. We would be honored to meet with you, learn about you and your family and be a part of taking special portraits that will become, we hope, family heirlooms.

88x31 lucy & glens valle crucis wedding photography | pixels on paper boone wedding photographers

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License

All photos are ©2018 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.

Brides, brides, brides …… photos of beauty

There’s a saying that all babies are beautiful. I agree. I also think the same is true – for the most part…….. I’ve seen some messes – but never through my lens. A bride is lovely because she is not only wearing the dress of her dreams and marrying the partner of her dreams (WE HOPE), but she’s often times fulfilling a childhood dream to be the center of attention, surrounded by family, friends and lots of love. Brides glow. They represent the future and traditions, new and old, and they always represent hope. I’ve never photographed a bride who wasn’t shining with an inner light – even when mixed with nerves.
Pixels on Paper Berard Wedding, Jessica Upchurch Bridal portrait photo

Cowboy boots, girlie girls, princesses, tomboys, women shielded by veils, mountains in the background, surrounded by lush botanical gardens, brides – sheathed in gowns – are absolutely gorgeous.

We love family portraits whether they are set in the studio, the great outdoors, a specific location like the mountains or high country, or on our property in our outdoor portrait garden. Pixels on Paper photographs, engagements and weddingsbrides, and special events and portraits  of all kinds in our Wilkesboro, NC studio. We would be honored to meet with you, learn about you and your family and be a part of taking special portraits that will become, we hope, family heirlooms.

88x31 lucy & glens valle crucis wedding photography | pixels on paper boone wedding photographers

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License

All photos are ©2017 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.

Spring Bridal Portraits will warm you UP

So much goes into choosing your wedding gown and once you have, once you’ve heard The Love Theme from Romeo & Juliet and said Yes to the Dress and gone through the process of making it yours, etc. it’s’ time to schedule your portraits. Granted, you’ll have fittings and want to try it on and twirl around and work out your hair and flowers, but once you feel like you know the path, we want to be there to capture photos that will become heirlooms. And isn’t thinking about this and planning for it more fun navigating the multiple layers of clothing we all find ourselves in this January?

Elisabeth Bolick studio formal bridal portrait photo

We live in a gorgeous part of the country and so many of our brides want their photos taken outside and it always makes sense. From the Biltmore House and areas around Asheville to Blowing Rock, Boone, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Moses Cone Manor, Charlotte, Charleston, personal homes and important locations that matter to you – there are many more options that the standard and staid portraits of old.

We’re already scheduling bridal portraits for the spring and summer, so contact us and let us help you scheme now so that you can have gorgeous heirloom portraits later. 

We love family portraits whether they are set in the studio, the great outdoors, a specific location like the mountains or high country, or on our property in our outdoor portrait garden. Pixels on Paper photographs, engagements and weddingsbrides, and special events and portraits  of all kinds in our Wilkesboro, NC studio. We would be honored to meet with you, learn about you and your family and be a part of taking special portraits that will become, we hope, family heirlooms.

88x31 lucy & glens valle crucis wedding photography | pixels on paper boone wedding photographers

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License

All photos are ©2017 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.