Posts Tagged: Pixels On Paper Photography
Wedding redux #3 ~ straight up advice!
Sherae Jones married David Johnson under a glassed-in rooftop in Charlotte in 2014. It was glorious. We got to know this couple when we photographed their engagement session and that’s when we discovered how cool and real they are. So, when we asked Sherae to look back to provide some perspective – this is what she told us …. no holds barred!
Name some things you would do differently, if, by some strange wrinkle in the universe, you could do it all again (with the same person of course).
I would have had a few more important pictures taken and by important I mean family, and a couple more with us and our Officiant.
The arrangements for my hair. I trusted a friend to do my hair and she didn’t even do a trial for me. She also ended up bailing on me two days before. Luckily someone else stepped in, but it was something I should have hired a professional to do.
Name things you would NOT change.
My decorations… I had two pillars with flowers at the altar. I also had rose petals down the aisle. For the tables I had glass vases with floating candles and marbles. Given the venue, I didn’t need a whole lot. What I had was just enough. I probably would have had more artificial flowers. Looking back it wasn’t important to have real flowers.
The Cake & Candy Bar – for my cake I had two tiers and then a cupcake tower. I also had a few cake pops- which were a big hit! For favors, we did a candy bar. That was also a big hit and very popular for the adults. LOL!
Food– Instead of doing a buffet or traditional sit-down dinner, I did heavy hors d’oeuvres. That was something that the venue coordinator suggested. I got a lot of backlash about that from family, leading up to the wedding. However, on the actual day they loved it! It doesn’t seem like a lot, but having a good variety of food to choose from works and guests had the chance to get SECONDS!
What if anything do you regret?
I regret that Dave and I didn’t get around to each table to say thanks TOGETHER. I have gotten some negative feedback from guests about that. However, there was a lot going on, I was busy dancing, it rained and everything was moved inside.
I also regret that I cut the top tier of my cake. I had two tiers and a cupcake tower. Because I cut the very top tier and not the bottom, the venue assumed it was ok to cut all the cake. As a result, all of it was eaten and we do not have any for our first anniversary.
Positive and negative advice on any or all of the following:
Attire. Who cares what anyone thinks. It is YOUR day. A lot of people will give advice, but you do not have to take it. Wear whatever you and your spouse-to-be are comfortable with. I wore Chuck Taylor’s under my dress… probably one of my favorite parts. I also did not wear a veil and I was fine with that. Instead, a good friend of mine made a head piece for me that was truly one of a kind.
Food. Make sure it is good. Most people remember the food, the bride’s dress, and the music.
Gifts. Always appreciative of gifts. If you do a registry, pick things you want.
Location. If you are worried about the weather, pick a venue where you can have a backup space if weather gets bad. Also, another suggestion is to have everything in one place. So much easier for guests and vendors.
Decorations & decor. Budget for linens, as they tend to be a little expensive. Some chairs are beautiful, but are not comfortable. And decorations can be subtle; they don’t have to be extravagant. Small vases and floating candles are very affordable and the vases can be bought at the dollar store if you want to save money for other items on your list.
Number in the wedding party. I suggest no more than 5. Five is the perfect number to keep up with. If you have a bridal party that is larger than 5, not only is it more expensive for bridal party gifts and for those standing up for you, but also the procession of the bridal party takes some time and makes your ceremony longer.
Number of guests. Whatever you can afford. A good average number is about 150. Some will decline and you may get some no-shows on the actual day. I suggest keeping the number reasonable for your pockets because food is very expensive and so is alcohol if you plan to serve it.
Time of year. Time of day.
Everyone loves summer/early fall weddings, but those tend to be the most popular times to get married. Try a winter wedding. Those are just as beautiful and rain will not be an issue since everything is indoors. Spring weddings are not bad, but everyone knows it rains a lot and that could be an issue if your wedding is outdoors. I suggest early afternoon (2 p.m.) and evening weddings.
DJ vs. a band.
I like both. DJ’s are probably more pocket friendly, but bands bring a classier vibe to the whole shebang.
Wedding planner or friends and family approach.
I would say definitely go with a wedding planner. They are professional, organized and will help your day run smoothly. They can be expensive, but if you go with a venue where the fee is included, go for it. If your venue does not include the coordinating, and you have to hire outside, hire someone of quality. Someone who has great reviews. Remember you get what you pay for. I had 4 wedding planners working the day of my wedding, and I had no worries. They took care of everything! The family and friends approach is not bad, but you have to know who you are dealing with. I’ve personally been to weddings where there were family and friends in those roles or no coordinators at all. Honestly, those weddings were not organized at all.
Vows. Writing your own is obviously more special and intimate. However, there is nothing wrong with the traditional ones. I mean, after all, traditional vows sum up everything so perfectly.
Pixels will continue to share feedback from our brides and grooms in the hope that you’ll be able to balance both the stuff you dream about with the practicalities of planning and the day!
In case you missed them, click here to read Redux part 1 and Redux part 2.
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 babies and kids, 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.
woodland fairies portraits – expecting mom and young daughter
Come fairies, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind
and dance upon the mountains like a flame. – W. B. Yeats
This was a special session for us with expectant mom (and dancer) Rachel Minick and her daughter Amelia (learning to dance). And they do not have a dull life, by the way. What growing family is dull? But, we were going for the woodland fairy and bohemian vibe and we got it. Mother and daughter were so mellow and happy walking around and dancing barefooted together through streams, hills and spring grass. The whole session felt serene and incredibly cool.
We’ve been photographing little sprite Amelia since she was teeny and (we’ve said this before, but….) this family feels like family to US. We love them and love being a part of their journey. We started photographing them when Rachel and husband Ryan were engaged. Amelia is going to be an amazing big sister, but on this day in April, she was the only game in town. Just mama and daughter, senior and junior fairies. 
We shot this session with Rachel and Amelia in our favorite apple orchards and the wooded creek in mid-April and my favorite photos are the truly candid ones with them together. Amelia is just beginning the more girlie aspects of her childhood and in other portraits, it’s clear that Rachel is thinking about the next little creature to hit the earth and join their family.
The natural beauty of this day was such an important feature and honestly, most if not all of our sessions with this couple-now-family have taken place outside. It’s a fit. We look forward to seeing the next Minick.
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 babies and kids, 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.
merlefest 2016 – the big wrap up
Sythian, backlit
Merlefest 2016 had rain, sun, the pair of us wrapping ourselves in outerwear one minute, covering our equipment in plastic the next, changing into shorts and shedding same outerwear, then later putting sweatshirts back on, downloading photo files and racing to the next stage. WE LOVED IT. The pace was hectic and often we had to remind ourselves to eat and yet we still missed many meals. On almost every day, we would get out of the car, smooch and then not see each other again until it was time to leave that night. Occasionally we’d spot each other and wave when passing from one stage to another. (Fun tip: pack a spare pair of socks and keep ’em handy when attending this or any other multi-day fest).
Frontman for Steep Canyon Rangers – Woody Platt
Several bands we, and other photographers, were scheduled to shoot decided to block photographers from capturing any images right before going on stage. While we were disappointed, as were the crowds in the first few rows who were also banned, we did get to see new performers to Merlefest, some performers who’ve been tried and true regulars and some old timers.
Newbies included Lindsay Lou & the Flatbelly’s, from Michigan, who were lively and fun.
Of the regulars, the Steep Canyon Rangers did not disappoint. Out of Western NC – they drew an enormous crowd.
Ryan had the pleasure of covering the Chris Austin Songwriters Competition and photographing participants, including our pal Meris Gant. Austin was a beloved country music singer and songwriter who passed in 1991 and the competition raises scholarship money for Austin’s Memorial fund.
Merlefest will celebrate its 30th year in 2017 and we’re excited about what it will be like in 350 days. With all the new performers and regulars, it’s always nice to see someone who has been performing for 29 years and one of them is Peter Rowan. We’ll leave you with a couple pics of him.
We’re just now getting back to feeling semi-rested, and already looking forward to next year.
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 babies and kids, 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.
merlefest 2016
4 days, 18 bands, 13 stages, 74,500 roaming festival goers and 22 miles of steps for both of us. And all God’s children and Mastercard ad lovers said, “Priceless.”
We were asked to be official photographers again this year for Merlefest 2016 and were there from Wednesday to Sunday, so we’re splitting this blog into 2. We simply saw and photographed too much to try to load it into one. Like last year, it was amazing: the music, the lively vibe, the pace (read: non-stop) and we’d be lying if we didn’t say we were thrilled OUT OF OUR MINDS to have 3 of Misty’s shots picked up by major media outlets: Rolling Stone, Huffington Post and HCPress.
Ranking the bands would take WAAAY to much negotiation, so we’re just gonna show you shots of those we covered and let you investigate those you’ve never heard of and grin at those you know well.
Barefoot Movement – a bluegrass, folk trio out of Nashville.
Becky Buller – bluegrass fiddler, with a classical violin background and Old-Time/Country flair (Minnesota meets East Tennessee)
Becky Buller’s high-spirited accompaniment
Girls, girls and more girls! In order….
Emi Sunshine – a 12-year old dynamo/prodigy whose surname is spot on (from Tennessee)
Jennifer B & the Groove – Americana rock band out with a kick-butt front woman (Austin, Texas)
Sarah Potenza – Raw vocalist who leaves it all on the stage (Nashville, Tennessee)
And, finally April Verch, who Rolling Stone said best embodied the spirit of Doc Watson. She’s a CHARMER!
Jennifer B & the Groove…
Sarah Polenza…
April Verch…
Now for some boys, starting with We Banjo 3 – a brilliant mix of Irish and American strumming, fiddling and flash.
Below those guys are Old Crow Medicine Show out of Nashville. We may have lost count, but there were at least 2 banjos, an upright base, guitars and fiddles.
And finally, the Wood Brothers – an amazing trio out of Nashville.
Old Crow Medicine Show…
The Wood Brothers…
<Happy Sigh> enough for now.
Ok – two more: Sunday Morning Blues and South Carolina Broadcasters.
South Carolina Broadcasters…
More in our next blog about the new-comers, the regulars like Steep Canyon Rangers and the old-timers who’ve made Merlefest every year for 29 years.
We’ll leave you with another media love-up, this one from Huffington Post. We couldn’t be more honored or humbled!
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 babies and kids, 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.
fresh, delicious & Irish family photos ~ soaking up the outdoors and each other
Something very freeing has happened during this past month behind the camera. We’ve always been focused on capturing moments, of course, but for some reason and maybe it’s the winter break, it feels like this is a fresh start. The moments seem more real, vivid and convey such emotion. Is it just me? Anyone else out there feeling a rebirth this spring?
We have loved Meghan and Jeremy Arnold from “Go.” In fact, we’ve featured them on social media quite a bit and if things continue as they have been, you haven’t seen the last of this sweet, loving and exuberant family. It started with one of the best weddings – Charlotte, 2012 and then daughter Berklee came along. They’ve traveled from Virginia to have us shoot photos of them and we’re so flattered and grateful. We wrote in a blog about their growing family that we were in for whatever was next. From her newborn photos laying in tulle with her mom’s celtic wedding headpiece, to her bright-eyed “WHAT’S UP?!” expression at 6 months (seriously, you owe it to yourself to have a look at both sets) Berklee has been a delight to photograph. Her face is so expressive and she is so smiley and wide-eyed and appears so joyous. She’s hard not to grab and nibble on.
We sometimes ask parents of kids this young and this insanely adorable how they haven’t just eaten them and they all look at us with these helpless expressions, as if to say, “it’s touch and go” or “we’re doing ALL we can do.” Meghan and Jeremy are no different.
From the bagpipes that played at their wedding to the Catholic ceremony to the Celtic details and finally to the little ginger Berklee, the Arnolds are Irish all the way. It’s been wonderful seeing them grow and as we consider spring portraits and the weddings to come we hope that this feeling of rebirth continues not just for us but for all those we’re going to photograph. To everyone: Sláinte!
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 babies and kids, 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.