Lauren + Brandon | 5.22.2010

Lauren ... Brandon were married May 22nd. I was excited to shoot this wedding because Lauren was an extremely laid back bride who said her wedding was going to be just that as well. And the day didn't disappoint. From an outdoor wedding to a pig-pickin' reception the wedding was laid back but beautiful as ever!

This is one of the first text messages that Lauren got from her soon to be hubby that day!



Lauren's maid of honor helping her get all of the final touches together!



These two share so much already and will eventually share even more as they begin their journey together, but did you know they actually share the same birthday? Yep. Although they are a year apart, they're both December 20th babies. Guess they shouldn't have an issue with forgetting?!



During the seating of the Grandmothers/Grandparents, Lauren's cousin walked down the aisle as the song, Sissy's Song, by Alan Jackson played. He placed two special roses in memory of Lauren's grandmother and grandfather on the aisle where the other grandparents were seated.





The ceremony took place in Lauren's family pecan orchard. It was not only a beautiful place for a wedding but the weather cooperated all day! As they walked down the aisle as husband and wife guest threw yellow and purple flowers at them. (That's for all of you ECU fans out there!)



I love that the bridal party got to wear their blue jeans!



Love this next image...





The flowers for the wedding were done by Ivy Garden Florist in Plymouth, NC and the cupcake tree/cake was done by Cakes by Robin out of Wanchese, NC.



"If not for You" by Joey Martin was the first song Lauren and Brandon danced to after they were married. The guests were making comments about how Brandon better be careful not to step on Lauren's flip flop feet with those heavy duty boots on. So, Lauren took care of that problem real fast! Love it!





Congrats Lauren and Brandon. I was honored to be a part of your wedding day!

AJ | Raleigh Newborn Photography

Our friends were blessed with a beautiful 9 pound 1 ounce baby boy the Tuesday after Memorial Day. AJ, just 7 days old, cooperated so well during his session. His Mom was up for a lot of ideas and had lots of props on hand for us to use, so the session was very fun! Check out these cheeks...

8 days young

I traveled to Greensboro, NC to photograph this little cutie when he had only been in this world for 8 days! He lives in an old farm house and I could have photographed around there all day. It was such a cool place. Here's a few pictures of baby Holt..

Soles4Souls

I frequent a blog called iheartfaces.


This week they had a post about a Nashville-based charity, Soles4Souls.


Souls4Soles collects shoes from the warehouses of footwear companies and the closets of people like you. The charity distributes these shoes free of charge to people in need, regardless of race, religion, class, or any other criteria. Since 2005, Soles4Souls has given away over 7 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes (currently donating one pair every 9 seconds.) The shoes have been distributed to people in over 125 countries, including Kenya, Thailand, Nepal and the United States. Soles4Souls has been featured in Runner's World, Ladies’ Home Journal, National Geographic’s Green Guide, and The New York Times. It has appeared on CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, BBC, CNN and thousands of regional news outlets across North America. Soles4Souls is a 501(c)(3) recognized by the IRS and donating parties are eligible for tax advantages. Anyone can join their cause.

Soles4Souls facilitates the donations of shoes, which are used to aid the hurting worldwide. Shoe companies, retailers, and individuals can donate footwear (both new and used).
The idea behind gifts of shoes is nothing new to the Soles4Souls team, as they coordinated relief efforts for the Asian Tsunami and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, netting over 1 Million pairs donated for these disasters.

In addition to making my readers aware of this wonderful charity I thought I would post some of my favorite "feet" pictures that I've taken. Hope you enjoy all these little (and big) piggies!

2010 Ride to A Wish

The 2010 Ride to a Wish is a challenging 50/100 mile course, winding through scenic Tyrrell and Hyde Counties. Proceeds from the ride went go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Eastern North Carolina.

Riders registering as the sun was coming up...



Although the day started out with drizzling rain, it didn't stop the riders from getting out there and getting busy! The light drizzle lasted for about the first 25 miles, but then the day turned out to be beautiful!

















The ride was originally set up to grant the wish of a special little girl, Eleora, who dreams of swimming with the dolphins at Atlantis. Through the amazing generosity of others the ride was able to not only able to grant Eleora's wish but to grant second child's and raise half of the funds for a third child.



That's Eleora above with her sweet brother Cullen. Eleora was born on 8/27/2002 with multiple heart defects, the most concerning of which was a VSD (Ventricular Septal Defect). You can read more about Eleora here.



Riders making their way back in, crossing the finish line!



Don, Mr. Ride to a Wish himself, signaling the end of the ride.



The after party was wonderful. I had some of the best BBQ I'd ever had and there was a lot of talent to listen to including tunes from Blackwater...



and the Rhythm Pigs...



More photos from the day can be viewed here. And you can read more about the 2010 event here. They will be updating the site soon with more information as well as information about next years event!