Venue : Tot Hill Farm. Asheboro, NC.
Wedding planner/coordinator : Leigh Pearce
Bride’s dress (style & where purchased) : Arabelle at JCrew
Bride’s shoes : Miss Albright by Anthropologie
Brides hair & makeup artist : Carla White
Bridesmaids dresses : J.Crew
Florist : Burge Florist
Catering : Iron Hen Café
Lighting : K2 productions
Cakes and pies : Simply Scrumptious Bake Shop
Favors : Succulents Galore on Etsy
Invitations : Minted.com
Programs : The Polka Dotted Bee on Etsy
Ceremony signs CraftMartTexas on Etsy

Tracey put so much thought into every detail of the wedding. . .

The incredible Iron Hen Cafe is always delicious. They never disappoint!

And the tables were full of mismatched china, baby succulents, and hand-stamped custom napkins. . .

I am IN LOVE with Tracey’s ring. Aren’t you?

I love these moments. . . Stephen couldn’t stop playing with his ring and everyone wanted to see Tracey’s new addition :)

Yes, these tasted as good as they look. At least, I know one of them did :)

The first dance was so cute. . . Tracey and Stephen were all smiles!

I love this sweet photo of Tracey wiping her tears during her mom’s speech. . .

A sweet moment between Tracey and her brother. . .

This grand exit was so fun! All the guests had cap guns and confetti poppers to shoot!

Of course, the gun play lasted long beyond the grand exit . . .

Stephen and Tracey, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your day! I hope you’re easily settling back into life on the West Coast after your honeymoon :)

Coming up soon, Baby Amelia’s session, Tonya + Jon’s wedding in Flander’s Art Gallery, Shona’s fun headshots, and (after this weekend) Rachel + Kit’s wedding in Asheville, NC!

Tracey and Stephen both grew up in Randolph county and trekked back from Santa Monica, California to have this destination wedding at Tot Hill Farm in Asheboro. David, from A Sweet Carolina Wedding, second-shot this wedding with me. The whole day was so calm and relaxed. . . it hardly felt like we were working! Stay tuned tomorrow for the reception, some amazing table details and a cake buffet to die for!

The details . . .

Venue : Tot Hill Farm. Asheboro, NC.
Wedding planner/coordinator : Leigh Pearce
Bride’s dress (style & where purchased) : Arabelle at JCrew
Bride’s shoes : Miss Albright by Anthropologie
Brides hair & makeup artist : Carla White
Bridesmaids dresses : J.Crew
Florist : Burge Florist
Catering : Iron Hen Café
Lighting : K2 productions
Cakes and pies : Simply Scrumptious Bake Shop
Favors : Succulents Galore on Etsy
Invitations : Minted.com
Programs : The Polka Dotted Bee on Etsy
Ceremony signs CraftMartTexas on Etsy

I love this photo from David of the dress . . .

The girls got ready at the house on Tot Hill Farm, there were so many cute places to photograph Tracey’s accessories!

Tracey has a wonderful laugh. . .

We found the guys relaxing near the golf course. . .

Looking good, Stephen!                  (photo by David)

Tracey and Stephen chose to do a first look before the ceremony so we had more time to do portraits. . .

Stephen’s dad stopped by to grab a photo for himself. . . so sweet!

(David’s photo on the left, mine on the right)

I love the pop of that flower on Tracey’s dress. . .

These rocks on the golf course made a perfect setting for a romantic portrait of these two!

This duet played perfectly bluegrass music during the ceremony.

Tracey and her brother were all smiles walking down the aisle. It was such a sweet moment!

I LOVE these few minutes right after the ceremony. Hugs and kisses and high-fives all around!

Natty Greene’s is a true Southern beer, brewed right here in North Carolina!

We took a few more minutes for portraits on the way to join the cocktail hour. Tot Hill is full of little buildings and barns!

Make sure to check back tomorrow for details from the reception, and some really emotional moments during the speeches!

The details :

Venue : Proximity Hotel. Greensboro, NC
Bride’s dress : San Patrick Capricha , Anjolique Bridal in Huntersville NC
Bride’s shoes : Badgley Mischka
Brides hair & makeup artist : Jade Aveda Lifestyle Salon
Bridesmaids dresses : David’s Bridal
Officiant : Virginia Wood
Florist : Brenda McLamb at Proximity
Catering : Print Works Bistro
DJ : Charles Tenor
Cake : Maxie B’s

Ana’s bouquet was perfect with just a hint of purple!

Even with two kids in Ana’s “getting ready” room, it was still so relaxed and quiet!

I do love a one shoulder dress. . .

Isn’t she beautiful?

I’m so glad we had a few minutes with Ana alone!

She picked a great pair of shoes. . .

Once Ana was back safely in her room, we waited in the lobby for Dennis. .  .

He has a great laugh!

A few finishing touches, and we were ready for some portraits!

One of the ringbearers got a little stage fright when he got to the aisle . . .

I love this wide shot that Jonathan took of the ceremony.

Dennis told me they had been waiting for this day for a long time, so everyone was a little emotional during the ceremony.

Right after the ceremony, we took Ana + Dennis for some portraits alone. . .

I love this one. . .

I’m glad Ana brought a couple of props to use during the portrait session. . . so cute!

Cuties :)

Maxie B’s made some beautiful (and tasty!) cupcakes for the reception. I love the detail on the round cake!

Both the father-daughter and mother-son dances were precious and so fun!

After dinner the real fun began. . . I love Dennis’ face in this photo!

And this DJ was amazing! He had a great feel for the crowd and kept everyone dancing all night long!

Dennis and Ana, thank you for allowing Jonathan and I to be a part of your wedding day! We wish you the best as you begin your new life as a married couple!!

Patrick and Taylor mentioned a few locations that really meant a lot to them so we spent the afternoon driving to a few different spots and listening to stories about how they met, and hearing about wedding plans! We started at this lumberyard in Randleman. It had such amazing backdrops!

Seriously… this wall of fans is so amazing!

I love this classic smiley portrait of these two . . .

Cute cute cute!

I love this vine wall. Taylor loved hugging Patrick ;)

We kind of wanted to hang out at this river all day… it was so nice outside!

We were able to get in Taylor + Patrick’s school, where they first met. I love these few shots in the cafeteria. . .

Patrick’s mom just recently sold his childhood home. We stopped by to take a couple of photos in the backyard. I love that he carved their names into this branch. . .

Patrick was totally workin’ this hat!!

I think every girl loves a piggy back ride. . .

Taylor + Patrick, we love you guys so much! So excited about all the date nights and marriage conversations to come :)

We shot their engagement session in the Tobacco District in Durham, where they got engaged just a couple of months ago. It was perfect. Perfect location, perfect weather, perfect adorable couple! Can’t wait for their wedding in July :)

These two met in school at UNC Chapel Hill and have been together ever since. . .

We made sure to stop in front of Bay 7, where the actual proposal happened. Zach arranged to have a candlelit dinner prepared and popped the question in February!

Love this one . . .

We found the cutest wall to shoot in front of. . . “Home of the 15 cent lunch”! Can you imagine?

I love Lauren’s laugh/smile.

Zach showed us some cool skills. I love Lauren’s laugh after he landed.

I told Zach and Lauren to go stand back in the trees. . . but Zach was a little too tall.

I’m a little jealous of Lauren + Zach’s coordinating style. The only time Jonathan + I coordinate is when we both accidentally wear black v-neck t-shirts at the same time. Ha!

This wall is fantastic. . .

I think Lauren got quite a catch, don’t you? ;)

These are two of my faves from this session.

I love Lauren’s classic solitaire engagement ring. Can’t wait to see these two exchange wedding bands in a few months!

Back up a little bit. . . Sometime in September 2010 I started applying to be part of Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, a non-profit organization that helps families deal with infant loss through portraiture. The organization is made up of a network of volunteer photographers all around the country that respond to calls from families and hospitals dealing with the loss of an infant before/during birth and show up to do some of the only portraits these families will have with their little one. I had been thinking about joining for months but just hadn’t worked up the courage. I have a very tender heart. I didn’t think that I could deal with grieving families and tears and sadness. But as I read more about the NILMDTS mission : “To introduce remembrance photography to parents suffering the loss of a baby with the free gift of professional portraiture. We believe these images serve as an important step in the family’s healing process by honoring their child’s legacy” and read stories from their photographers, I knew I should join.

I finally sent in my application and was accepted as a volunteer photographer. Honestly, I didn’t give it much thought after I was accepted until I received the phone call on October 31st. A local hospital – about an hour from my house – had a family in need of a NILMDTS photographer and couldn’t find anyone else willing to come out at such short notice. Jonathan and I were headed to a friend’s house so we quickly turned around, got my camera, printed directions to the hospital, and I left for Chapel Hill. I cried all the way to the hospital. Fast forward a little bit and I was in Kasey + Adam’s delivery room. There were parents and siblings and nurses and everyone seemed so happy to see me… We went through the process of photographing baby Annabelle with her family and I couldn’t help but notice how peaceful the room was. Adam and Kasey were so kind and sweet. Sad that their baby girl had passed, but happy that they got to hold her, and kiss her, and spend time with her. It was honestly one of the most beautiful and touching things I’ve ever witnessed.

A few weeks later, after I had sent the images and slideshow, I received the sweetest “thank you” note from Kasey and Adam. In fact, I still have it pinned on my board in my office. . .

“Alexa, I honestly can’t express to you how grateful I am for what you have done for my family. We have looked at the pictures and watched the slideshow over and over again, and cried and cried. It’s the kind of crying we need, though. We were so blessed to get to work with you – you were so kind to my family, especially Annabelle, and you captured the most beautiful memories. You have given us something that comes as close as possible to actually being there with Annabelle. . . From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

It is this family, and this thank you note, that has kept me volunteering for NILMDTS for the past year and a half. I’ve served over eleven families so far and not all of them have been so kind. Some sessions have been way harder. And I know every family deals with grief differently but Kasey and Adam and Annabelle gave me the encouragement to keep providing this gift to other families.

Kasey shared with me this past fall that they were expecting another baby girl in February and hoped I could do some family portraits once she arrived. Enter baby Adeline. She’s a lucky, lucky girl to be part of this amazing family!

We started the morning with some portraits of Adeline on her changing table. Turns out, it’s one of her favorite places! Isn’t she beautiful?

I love this photo on the left, where Adeline is looking at her daddy.

This one kills me. She’s so stinkin’ adorable!!

She was mesmerized by the camera. . . Lucky me! I love her beautiful blue eyes :)

We called this a “sandwich kiss” in my family. . .

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You can see where Adeline gets her good looks… And I like how she’s waving at the camera in the second picture!

We tried to get Adeline to smile the whole time and she just wouldn’t do it! I didn’t even know I caught this little half-smile until I looked at the images on my computer.

She wasn’t too happy about this hat at first. . .

. . . but then she was too tired to protest for long.

Kasey is such a gorgeous mama!

Another half-smile for daddy. . . Kasey said it’s almost a running joke now that Adeline only smiles at her dad! Hopefully that’ll change soon ;)

This teddy bear is in the photos we took of Annabelle at the hospital. I love that Adeline will grow up knowing about her big sister and how important they both are to this entire family!

Adam and Kasey – I’m so thankful that I got to take part in your family’s story again. You are both amazing parents and a blessing to be around!

These two are always making each other laugh. . .

Isn’t this gorgeous? I think Jon did a pretty good job ;)

The weather here in NC has been incredible lately! Beautiful sunshine and warm temps are bringing out gorgeous greenery and flowers everywhere. I love it!

Jon and Tonya are getting married at Flanders Art Gallery in Raleigh next month. We had fun trying some less traditional engagement photos. . .

An outfit change and a quick drive to downtown Raleigh to finish out the session. . . Don’t you love Tonya’s smile?

We stopped by Morning Times Coffee, where Tonya and Jon had their first date.

I think they’re in love, don’t you? ;)

Jon was cracking us up during the session. Every time we stopped to take a photo, he would strike a pose!

We finished the session back at Morning Times. This is the table that Tonya and Jon sat at during their first date. The guy in the window reflection was kind enough to let us borrow it for a couple minutes :)

Tonya + Jon, I cannot wait for your wedding! You guys were such a blast to photograph and I am so excited to see you exchange vows in just a few short weeks :)

We started the session behind the Raleigh Convention Center. I love this tree installation on the side of the building!

These beautiful pink trees were in a group off the side of the road. I’m so glad we stopped there for a few minutes! These blossoms aren’t around for long!

They are seriously stylish. And tough. Rachel walked quite a few blocks in those heels!

See? Aren’t they fun?

I love the buildings and backdrops in downtown Raleigh. This blue/green was the perfect color to make Rachel’s black dress pop!

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I feel like this could be a scene from a movie. So romantic. . .

As we walked to this staircase to shoot we were stopped by an older lady who gave us a few minutes of random trivia! It was so hilarious and left us very confused, but laughing. You never know what will happen while walking the streets of downtown!

I love Kit’s socks and Rachel’s spicy heels together.

Do you like my cameo appearance in the mirror? As we walked into this alley, Rachel recognized it as a place that she and Kit had stopped before! She remembers taking a self-portrait together in the security mirror. I love that we were able to stop there again at this new point in their relationship!

I just realized I never once had to tell Kit and Rachel to do a “real smile” or a “real kiss”. They’re so natural together.

We did just a little more shooting after an outfit change.

I think Rachel is just so beautiful. . .

Definitely my favorite image from the session, and maybe my favorite ever. Being unaware of the camera is a good thing :)

This is the part where Kit accidentally made a heart with his hands over Rachel’s ring. And then he was embarrassed at the cheesiness of it when I pointed it out. We definitely had a good laugh for a few minutes.

I love how unique Rachel’s ring is. . .

I love the color palette of this photo. . . is that nerdy, or what?

At the end of the session, I stood far back and let Kit whisper something to Rachel. . .

. . . he made her cry. And I think he was kind of proud of it! I don’t know what was said but I know that it must’ve been sweet. I cannot wait to see these two again in May. I know that the wedding will be beautiful, and meaningful, and fun! Plus, I get to work with one of my favorite families again :) Rachel is the last of the Roberts clan that I get to photograph!

I could tell immediately what a special relationship Jackie and Daniel have. They’re so comfortable around each other and Jackie is always making Daniel laugh. . .

I love the photo on the left. That parking lot turned out to be pretty cute!

Jackie has such a beautiful smile . . .

I love this green wall that we found. . .

This photo seems so relaxed and sweet. . .

We finished up the session with some funny t-shirts that Jackie had painted at Busch Gardens. They were cracking me up and catching stares from people driving by. . .

Can’t wait for your bridal session later this year, Jackie!

Isn’t he just adorable? He’s got perfect little lips. . .

Even the tiniest hats look big on him. . .

I love that he’s flashing the peace sign in this photo. . . It makes me laugh :)

He was so sleepy but kept opening his eyes to see what we were doing. . .

Sleepy guy!

We finished the session with a smile from Levi. I know that Dee and Jon can’t wait to have him home!