Jody and Jimmy had the kind of wedding that I would have, if I had to do it over again. I mean, if I absolutely HAD to do it all over again, I’d pretty much have their wedding, only no white dress. And Ellie would be my maid of honor. And I’d totally wear white patent leather platform shoes. And somehow I think I’d need to do it in the wintertime so that I could wear black or dark purple. And I’d incorporate some of my Hawaiian heritage into the vows, and wear a maile lei and haku instead of carrying a bouquet. And it would be on Maui.

Yeah, my wedding would be *nothing* like this. But I still felt completely at home at theirs!

They were married at Jimmy’s brother’s home in Sunset Beach NC, and the reception was at the Isles Restaurant in Ocean Isle Beach. Before their wedding, I’d never been to the Isles. What a great restaurant! One of these days I’ll drive down and have dinner that I can sit down and eat with utensils, because it seemed to me that the food was really really yum.

Jody and Jimmy were so completely laid back about EVERYTHING. I know I say that a lot (most of my clients are pretty casual and easygoing), but seriously, they didn’t worry about a thing. Jody’s veil flies off and almost falls into the inlet? Cool! Toddlers are grabbing at her white gown with chocolate hands? They’re so CUTE! It was like that all day. If she wasn’t wearing a dress, you’d never know she was THE BRIDE. Ultracool.

And Jimmy. Jimmy’s an actor. Check out his IMDB page! He is about a million feet tall, has the biggest smile ever, and every man in his family looks just like him. If he wasn’t so tall and distinctive, you really could forget that he was THE GROOM because he was so unassuming. Oh, and also because he kept messing with the laptop and downloading new itunes to play at the reception. Where’s Jimmy? At the laptop.

The kids at this wedding really kind of stole the show. They were everywhere, which was awesome. They laughed and played, no one got into trouble, and the reception was completely kid-friendly. A couple of the kids ended up latching on to me for parts of the evening, which I liked a lot because it was like having Ellie with me, only these kids weren’t yelling “I’m not TALKING TO YOU ANYMORE MOMMY!” at me every four minutes. So it was like having my kid around, only somewhat sweeter.

Here are some more images from Jody and Jimmy’s wedding ….

This one is probably my favorite. This is right after the kids were told that the cake needed to be taken away to be cut.

You might remember these kids from their engagement session.

Claudia was so, so elegant on her wedding day. Her dress fit her perfectly, in every way. She kept her hair the way she usually wears it, she did her own makeup… she was natural, organic, and absolutely lovely. Lauras was the perfect match for his gorgeous bride – he looked absolutely charming, and as always was a complete pleasure to be around.

They were married at the Graystone Inn in downtown Wilmington. Their wedding was really intimate, with only their closest friends and family in attendance, and no preconceived notion about what would happen when, or about following any traditions… they did what made them happy, they enjoyed their night, and that was that! It was a lot of fun to shoot, and I can’t wait to get started on their album!

Here are a few more images from their wedding:

I was fortunate enough to be part of one of the most private, intimate, and natural wedding ceremonies I’ve ever witnessed. No, not “one of the most…” but THE most.

This marriage ceremony was performed at sunrise on Wrightsville Beach. During the service (which was witnessed by only myself, the officiate, and a single guest), the bride and groom were able to take moments to meditate and reflect upon this day, and their love for one another… punctuated by their handwritten vows to eachother… all in the quiet solitude of the early, early, early morning shore.

Now, those of you who know me at all are probably thinking “sunrise? CHARO??” Exactly. I haven’t seen the sunrise in *years* (except for the few times I’ve stayed up all night and accidentally looked out the window at dawn). But as soon as I met the bride, I knew that I needed to be a part of this celebration with them.

After the nuptials, the bride and groom changed into surfing attire, grabbed their boards, and paddled out. Of course it’s summer, and there are no waves here during the summer… but it still made for great pictures. Maybe this winter I’ll have a chance to shoot them surfing some actual waves!

Please enjoy some images from their wedding..

Amy and Mike were married at Kure Beach, and had their reception at the Federal Point Yacht Club. It sounds a little uppity, but it was one of the most laid back, fun-filled, dancingest, laughingest, and kid-friendly days ever. What made this day so great was that Amy and Mike hired the best combination of vendors you can get in Wilmington, NC (in my humble opinion, of course!) They had Mari Kittredge expertly video their day. They had Maura Kropke provide the beautiful ceremony music. And Party Gras Entertainment (Chris and Melodee) managed the reception music. We’d all worked with eachother before, and we work together SO well, that none of it felt like *work*. If I could choose a team of vendors to work with at every wedding, those three would be at the top of my list. Period.

So June 23rd was a huge success because all of the elements worked together perfectly. The weather was typical late June Wilmington (hot, but not oppressive); Amy and Mike went into it knowing that the most important parts were (a) getting married and (b) having a blast; the vendors worked together like a symphony; the reception food and music was perfect; the kids at the wedding provided entertainment, laughs, and lots of photo opportunities, and there was a smile on every face, all day long. I would say, without hesitation, that they had the wedding they wanted, and that among their friends and family it will be the new gold standard of weddings.

Do you remember Lisa and Ben from their engagement session? They’re the outrageously cute couple, with the dry sense of humor and the startling good looks. Yeah, them. They got married! They did it at Orton Plantation… and of course, just like every other time I’ve shot in Orton Plantation, it rained. It didn’t *monsoon* like it did in April of 2003 (I will never forget the monsoon wedding of 2003!), but it rained enough to be a tiny bummer. Naturally, Lisa took it in stride, and Ben was thrilled that he had finally made it to the day he’d marry Lisa, so I don’t think either one of them really noticed the rain.

So, aside from the rain and some guests’ fondness for asking me embarrassing anatomical questions, it was a fantastic day!! Ben is so in love with Lisa… it’s that kind of adoration that everygirl dreams she’ll eventually find, but only a few of you actually do. You know what I mean? And Lisa can’t seem to get enough of Ben’s corny jokes, his laughter, his hugs and squeezes. They work really well together, even though their jokes are usually on opposite sides of the spectrum, and Ben has a much more romantic view of the world than Lisa. It’s like they balance eachother out perfectly. It’s neat to watch, really.

Here are a few more highlights from their wedding day: