Katherine and Kevin

I feel extremely blessed to have captured this beautiful backyard ceremony between my friend Katherine and her fiancé Kevin.  They have gone through all sorts of hurdles to get where they are now: happily married.  Kevin's parents Skyped in to watch the ceremony, which even included French music.  Everything was absolutely perfect, and the married couple is excited to plan a much bigger wedding for next summer.

Charlene and Leslie

Warning: This will be a long blog post. Why? Charlene and Leslie's wedding day was special to me for many different reasons, and it ended up being one of my favorite weddings I've photographed to date. These are just some of my favorites. To see more of Charlene and Leslie's wedding day, visit http://clairedianaphotography.pass.us/charlene_leslie.

From the first time I talked to Charlene on the phone, we hit it off. She had such a vision for her wedding photography, down to specific shots she admired, specific items at the venue that she liked, etc. And as she explained what she envisioned, I excitedly saw it coming to life in my head. I could tell we were on the same page, and I knew I could turn her vision into a reality. 

Charlene and Leslie chose Four Oaks Manor as their wedding venue. It was my first time photographing there, and I fell head over heels in love. It is a quaint, gorgeous venue with beautiful gardens and a rustic feel. And it had SO much for me to work with - large, beautiful mirrors where the ladies get ready, plenty of windows for natural light to get in, a gorgeous staircase for the bride to walk down, different paths in the garden to keep people separate before the ceremony, etc etc! Not to mention the staff was wonderful and helpful to work with. 

And my favorite part about the venue from a BRIDE's perspective: Four Oaks Manor goes out of their way to make sure that each bride gets a customized and personalized experience. They can provide as much or as little as needed, and they leave room for brides to add "do it yourself" touches to their special days. Charlene's craftiness blew me away! From the embroidered caps that the groomsmen wore to the peacock boutonnieres to the old family photos hung on clothesline, Charlene poured her hard work into every detail to make her day absolutely unique. And the fact that she loves details just shows how well she and I fit together. :)

Thank you to the wonderful staff at Four Oaks Manor who were incredibly helpful to work with. Thank you to Charlene and Leslie's big family and all of the adorable youngsters that were a part of the bridal party - everyone was too kind to me! And thank you to my amazing second photographer and friend, Kimberly Parks of KP Photography. I cannot WAIT for my next wedding at Four Oaks Manor this September!