Kristin and Ross Marry in The Mountains

A trip to the mountains in August is always a welcome relief in North Carolina.
Kristin and Ross would be married in Highlands, a town that holds a special place in the hearts of Ross' family.
After braving the incredibly curvy road that leads to the town, Betsy and I quickly realized the appeal of this charming town.
The wedding rehearsal took place at the private residence of a family friend Friday night. The beautiful setting was a photographer's dream and I was excited about the visual potential.
Well, much like many other areas in the state, the mountains have been experiencing a severe drought. Things were about to change Saturday.
The rain began to fall early Saturday and decided to stick around throughout the day. Ross, who was reminded numerous times that rain on your wedding day was good luck (including once by me), had to scramble to move the wedding ceremony to the Highlands Falls Country Club, the site of the reception.
Everyone took things in stride and they ended up with a touching, fun ceremony in the area that would later serve as the dance floor.
Kristin and Ross are both incredibly laid-back and that helped make the transition a breeze. They had many siblings and nieces and nephews who turned the ceremony into a wonderful family affair.
The old-school photo booth was a huge hit and Ross brought his pals from the band Hometown Sweethearts in from Wisconsin to rock the house. They had everyone dancing all night long.
General Manager Jason Macaulay and his staff at Highlands Falls Country Club did a fantastic job with all of the food and beverages. As an avid golfer, I was awed by the beauty of the golf course, which features a hole with a waterfall flowing behind the green.
It was a joy working with Kristin, Ross and their wonderful families.
Have a great time and eat lots of lobster in Bar Harbor!

Kristin and Ross

Cute nieces

Kristin and her mom at the rehearsal

Kristin and Ross enjoy the rehearsal

The Highlands Falls Country Club

Kristin gets ready

One of Ross' sisters

Ross' brother escorts their mother to the ceremony

Ross' nieces watch Kristin walk down the aisle

A lighthearted moment during the ceremony

The vows

Just married

There was some beautiful light as a light rain fell

The photo booth was great fun

They made a scrapbook with the photo booth pictures

Ross' cousins tell some tales

The couple enjoys the speeches

Toasting

Waylan Nate Palan, left, and Scott Beardsley of Hometown Sweethearts

Ross' brother rocks "Sweet Caroline"

A bubbly finish

Beautiful Bride

I was looking forward to this bridal portrait session and it proved to be all that I had expected.
Clary is striking - more than 6-feet tall and beautiful. Her mom Liz is a model and Clary is very comfortable in front of the camera.
We had a great location and Clary looked amazing in her Vera Wang Couture gown.
Thanks to Joe Strickland for assisting.
I know Clary's August wedding in Charlotte is going to be incredible.

A Dream Wedding

First dance for Stephanie and George

George had an idea.
He would dance with his beautiful new bride under a canopy of stars as all of their friends and family looked on.
Everything was set as he and Stephanie exchanged vows at All Saints Episcopal Church in Concord.
Friend and wedding planner Amy Johnson had things organized at the historic Beaver Dam in Davidson. The tents were arranged with the open-air dance floor in the center, and hanging glass globes with candles would add to the atmosphere.
Sounded like a great visual to me.
While at the church, I was taking pictures from the balcony and I kept hearing a strange sound as the ceremony progressed.
Then it hit me - it was rain, and lots of it.
Precipitation has been a rarity around these parts recently so I figured it would be short-lived. I kept thinking that as I made the trip from Concord to the reception site in Davidson.
But the rain kept coming. It wasn't torrential, but it was steady.
Well, George's dream was going to have to wait. But nobody seemed to worry about it too much and everything went off as planned.
Drinks, dinner and socializing continued and everyone was having a great time.
And then the rain stopped. The floor was mopped, and guests pitched in to dump water and light candles. The stage was set.
And George got his dance.
Although the clouds hid the stars, George and his beautiful new wife moved across the wet floor in front of all of their family and friends.
And they danced on into the night.

All Saints Episcopal Church

A little tie trouble

Stephanie gets help with her new earrings

Karen Wagoner touches up Stephanie's makeup

Stephanie looked radiant

Stephanie smiles at George as her dad walks her down the aisle

A big hug from mom after the ceremony

Entrance in the rain

Guests have some fun

The best man made up a song for his speech

Enjoying the first dance

George and his mom brought everyone to the dance floor as they danced to "Don't Stop Believin' "

Historic Beaver Dam in Davidson