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best of 2016 wedding day photos
HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone! As we ease into 2017, we thought we’d share some of the best of our wedding images from 2016. Looking back at these, it really was a great year to get married and we loved being a part of these and many other important occasions in your lives. CHEERS to all and for those of you tying the knot in 2017, we cannot wait!
What’s a little rain and snow with the right lighting?
Gorgeous views and gorgeous couples.
A pirate-themed wedding for a couple who’ve been together long enough to really celebrate.
Autumn weddings outdoors!
A church wedding in Fort Mill SC and fabulous reception (above).
Bonnie & Amanda Walling
Our first but hopefully not last same-sex wedding. Truly beautiful. (above)
Outdoor wedding with a cigar bar at the reception (above).
Ashley & Oscar Orozco
Our last wedding of 2016 with this couple who met on a youth activity trip.
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 weddings, brides, 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.
Christmas at Home | An Evening with a Young Family
Describing a family and what family symmetry is, as it turns out, much harder than capturing photos of the chaos that is actually very beautiful, symmetrical if you will. Does that make sense? I showed up at the Minick’s house to photograph a Day in the Life session – a holiday at home session – with this family I’ve been photographing for many years and through many seasons of life. And it was all there … all of that insanely beautiful chaos that makes family life so glorious.
We started photographing the Minicks’ Christmases in 2012, when daughter Amelia was brand new. Now, there are 4 in this family, as little Matthew was added just 6 months ago. When we discussed a Christmas at home session, mom Rachel said they weren’t organized and hadn’t decorated and weren’t sure how they would pull it off. My answer: don’t worry. It’s your life and your holiday too. It’ll look however it looks – most likely, it’ll look like love. 
I think people believe that holiday photos, any photo sessions for that matter, have to be buttoned up and the house has to be spotless and everything is ironed and there’s no nonsense or pets racing around, or dust or ……reality. I promise that I couldn’t care less as a photographer documenting a day in your lives. When I arrived at their house, husband and father Ryan was just pulling into the drive with Amelia and they did what families do: they all greeted each after being separated all day and dumped bags and removed shoes and picked up where they left off: doing life together.
Amelia (4 years) loves to be in the kitchen cooking with her mom and wanted to do breakfast for dinner. Who doesn’t want breakfast for dinner???!!! But I digress. They prepped the table and food, cutting strawberries and Amelia made the perfect little sous chef, although she took the time to taunt little brother Matthew who was in charge of banging bowls and being cute. 
After dinner and chatter came pajamas and, on this day, tree decorating. Like MANY busy couples who work and have young kids, they don’t get the tree up the day after thanksgiving nor do they try to have IT all pulled together. After reading stories and pulling out ornaments, they decorated and all of the day — all of the chaos that wasn’t really chaos melted into beloved family time. At one point, Rachel turned to me and said, “this is what our ‘real life’ looks like!” To me, it was gorgeous. The dishes, the kitchen noise, the constant chatter and love, the diapers and pullups, tree stand and step stool, glitter and magic, just all of it. It was beautiful. 
I want people to see the beauty in the every day. We say this all the time and then we go running right passed the park, if you know what I mean. Amelia in her pjs putting the star on top and Matthew lying in the floor like, “what is this crazy ritual I just walked into?” So much love and perfect symmetry. 
I hope families who feel that every photo shoot has to be crisp and perfect and clutter-free will call us. I can assure you that those gorgeous and sacred family moments happen all the time and our job is to capture them for you. There is symmetry in the chaos of family. Our job as documentarians is to help point it out so that you can celebrate and remember it.
I want to thank the Minicks and other families who’ve said “come over. This is our home.” We get it and appreciate it and couldn’t love you more.
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 weddings, brides, 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.
NC Pastoral | A Wilkesboro Engagement
On November 12, 2017, we met them out at Randy’s family farm in North Wilkesboro and heard their story. Michelle had seen Randy over the years at various times while she and he would be outdoors and she wondered, from afar (are you with me?? it’s pretty epic) what he was like and if she’d ever meet him. She hoped they would be introduced someday, but it didn’t happen until a salon hairstylist they have in common decided to play matchmaker. Randy took it from there.
When he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Michelle, he did something outdoorsy and sweet for the proposal: he painted pumpkins with hearts on them, arranged them on hay bails, laid a quilt at a quiet spot near the barn and creek on his family’s farm and, after surprising her, asked her the marry him. For the engagement session we photographed them at the very site of his proposal and then wandered both his and Michelle’s family farms to capture other images that showcase them and their beloved land.
These 2 will be married in October of next year and we so look forward to seeing what details and parts of their personalities will be incorporated into the ceremony and reception.
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 weddings, brides, 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.
Christmas at Home with the Hollands
Bakers know that the right ingredients will deliver nothing short of heaven when combined according to directions, in the right proportion, using the right tools and cooking for the right amount of time at the right temp. Occasionally altitude is a problem with cakes, but that is not what this blog is about. This blog is about how Christmas – a sacred time for believers and a joyous time for everyone – can accommodate many combinations of elements and still manage to create heaven. 
Welcome to the timber-frame warmth of The Hollands. This family is new to us, but we are already so incredibly grateful for this burgeoning relationship and for the opportunity to get to know this wonderful family that really “gets it.” Both parents, Kevin and Tram are in the military and they moved to Wilkes from Fayetteville, NC with their blended family which includes 3 children still at home: Colton, Ava, & Sophia. When I visited them on December 4th to document their holiday at home, it was cold, dark and rainy. When the door opened, it was like getting a hug. There was so much light, heat and warmth. 
The family used to drive from their home to Ashe county to cut down their tree and this year, they all went together locally do the same. Next year, I hope to go with some of the client families to take photos of the journey, the tree choice, the car with it tied on top or tossed in the truck bed and the little faces looking out the window.
The ingredients that made this “day in the life” session so wonderful were varied and fun, specific and universal. I loved it! To wit: there was an impromptu paper airplane making and flying contest, stories around special decorations, origami ornaments from Tram’s aunt, beloved glass ornaments that were the girls favorites, running around in sock feet, games of checkers on the rug, decorating, coffee and hot chocolate preparations, stolen kisses between the parents. It was family. I was reminded of the other families I’ve done Christmas at Home portraits with and how normal becomes extraordinary when you pay attention. 
There were the posed photos that families want and I enjoy – when everyone is smiling and practicing good posture, but I have to say I love it when we pass that point of formality and people just act like I’m not even there. The Hollands are wonderful and Tram took the time to share that they had a photographer back in Fayetteville who’d been their photographer for years – someone who’d documented big and small occasions in their lives. She understood the importance of building a relationship, where trust and familiarity are combined over the years and that shared knowledge and care make for wonderful photos and memories. We look forward to many, many years of getting to know the Hollands, watching the kids grow and helping them celebrate all aspects of their lives.
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 weddings, brides, 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.
A Country Club Wedding with Smiles, Dancing & Cigars
We ask our brides and grooms about best and favorite moments, among other things, after their wedding day. Responses range from couple to couple, but with Christine Whitford & Adam Kessell, it was about firsts.
First look at each other during the ceremony.
First kiss after the I Dos.
First moments of greeting and chatting with their guests.
Christine and Adam were married on October 22nd at Firethorne Country Club in Marvin, NC and moment to moment they were present with their friends and family and enjoying each bit.
There were tearful moments for all the girls while they were getting ready. Both of Christine’s grandmothers gave her precious family heirlooms, one of which was a bracelet that her late grandfather had given her grandmother.
Christine’s dad cried when he first saw her before walking her down the aisle.
Christine was a very enthusiastic bride and lots of fun to work with. Because we photographed a previous wedding where she was a bridesmaid, and shot their unconventional but historically significant engagement photos, she already knew our style and how we work. We already had a great relationship with her and Adam, so we knew it was going to be a blast.
Christine’s cathedral length veil was epic. We did have a few “all hands on deck” moments when the wind picked up though.
Firethorne provided an absolutely gorgeous outdoor setting for the wedding. The weather was perfect, there were smiles all around and lots of tender moments, joy and laughter (Christine: “we like to think our friends and family are pretty funny!”).
The reception was a party, as it should be. The DJs from Split Second Sound delivered the goods and kept the dance floor hot and all of Christine and Adam’s friends showed off some serious dance moves. The dancing was Christine’s favorite part of the reception she told us and Adam’s was the cigar bar. Ryan enjoyed spending time photographing at the cigar bar as well. There was just FUN in every direction.
Christine: “When we talk about our wedding day, we talk about how great it was to see everyone and just dance and have a good time. It was so nice to see our families blend so well together. It made my heart smile.”
Christine and Adam not only had a beautiful ceremony and killer reception, they are class acts. In lieu of favors, the couple made a donation in everyone’s honor to the animal shelter where they had recently rescued their own pup. Congratulations, you two and nothing but love for you both on the journey ahead!
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 weddings, brides, 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.