Kaitlin + Haruki | The Cliffs at Glassy Chapel and Biltmore Estate Asheville Wedding | North and South Carolina Destination Wedding Photographer

Last spring, Kaitlin and Haruki had an intimate wedding ceremony surrounded by a small group of their family members and friends. (You might remember Ruki’s incredible surprise proposal that took place at the Biltomore Estate!) Like many other couples, due to COVID-19, their bigger celebration had to be postponed to a later date. Well, that celebration is finally happening next week and I thought it would be the perfect time to share some of the highlights from their Day #1 as husband and wife.

Their wedding day was absolutely perfect. Their wedding party consisted of Haruki, Kaitlin, and Haruki’s two children. They are so lucky to have Kait as a bonus mom, and she is incredibly luck to call them hers. They were so overjoyed to officially become a family, as you will see from the selection of photos posted below.

Kait got ready at their home, while Ruki got ready at the Biltmore Forest Country Club. Right before the ceremony began at The Cliffs at Glassy Chapel, Ruki and his son had a first look with his daughter, and Kait shared a first look with her dad. The sun was shining brightly, and the tears were flowing! It really was a beautiful day all around - from the weather, to the emotions, to the absolutely stunning couple. Kait’s cathedral length veil (adorned with cherry blossoms to honor Ruki’s Japanese heritage) glistened beautifully against the bluebird skies and puffy clouds!

Haruki was speechless when his bride walked through the Glassy Chapel doors with her proud, adoring father. And Kait was equally elated to set her eyes upon her groom. Ruki’s mother read an incredibly touching poem from her late husband, and then Ruki and Kait exchanged vows and promises to each other and to their children. Their promises were sealed with a kiss - actually a few kisses!

Ruki, Kait, and I stopped at a few of their favorite spots at the Biltmore Estate for some couple’s portraits. Then, we headed to Posana in downtown Asheville for their reception. They reserved a private room at Posana, and it was decorated so beautifully. The hugs, laughs, and tears - lots of tears - continued at Posana. I’m sure their upcoming celebration at the Biltmore Forest Country Club will also be overflowing with love and fun, and I can’t wait! Congratulations again, Mr. and Mrs. Nakamura! See you soon!

Special thanks to this team for bringing Ruki and Kait’s vision to life:

Groom’s Getting Ready Location: Biltmore Forest Country Club

Bride’s Hair and Makeup Artist: Wink Salon

Bride’s Gown: BHLDN (Jenny by Jenny Yoo)

Bride’s Veil: Amsale

Bridesmaid’s Dress: David’s Bridal (Georgette Cascade)

Groomsman’s Tuxedo: Little Tuxedos

Harpist: Beste Toparlak

Officiant: Dr. Keith Black

Wedding Ceremony Venue: The Cliffs at Glassy Chapel

Portrait Location: The Biltmore Estate

Reception Location: Posana Restaurant

Videographer: Val Cinema

Kait + Ruki | Biltmore Estate Surprise Proposal | Asheville, North Carolina Wedding Photographer

Are you looking for a heartwarming story during this crazy time? If so, keep reading - you won’t be disappointed!

A few months ago, Kaitlin mentioned to Haruki (who happens to be my brother-in-law) that it would be great if I came down this summer to update their family portraits. (Ruki has two children from a previous marriage, and they adore Kait with all their hearts!) Ruki agreed, and the gears were instantly set into motion for the most amazing surprise proposal. Ruki figured that Kait would have no idea this was being planned, as she was the one who initiated it all. (And he wasn’t wrong!) Ruki reached out to me again once he asked Kait’s parents for their permission to propose to their daughter, and after he acquired the perfect ring to symbolize his love for Kait. This was all going to take place at their favorite spot in Asheville, the Biltmore Estate. We picked a date, and it was all set! Or so we thought…

Covid stuck around a bit longer than expected, public venues were closing, and travel was becoming more difficult. At the same time, my husband received notice that he was selected for jury duty during the same time as our planned visit. On top of that, hurricane season was upon us. We started to question if this might happen the way we had planned. As the date approached, the Biltmore Estate was allowing visitors again, and jury duty was postponed. And, it looked like the most recent hurricane was going to miss us. Throughout all of this, Ruki had arranged for Kait’s parents to visit at the same time, to surprise Kait and share this special day with them. They arrived the night before the photoshoot was planned, and were secretly staying in a neighbor’s guest house. Everything was officially set.

However, Mother Nature decided to throw one last curveball our way. We had originally planned for a sunset photoshoot, but the forecast showed thunderstorms all afternoon. So, the night before, we quickly rearranged things and aimed for a morning session instead. If the weather apps were correct, we had about a 2-hour window of no rain after the Biltmore opened for the day. We had to make it work one way or the other. There would be no rescheduling. Rain or shine, this was happening the next morning!

The day of the shoot had arrived. Kait’s parents got to Biltmore a few minutes before we did, and hid out of Kait’s view. We arrived shortly after and walked to Ruki and Kait’s favorite spot, which provides the most amazing view of the mansion. We got everyone into place, and our “family photoshoot” began. After I snapped a few portraits of the four of them, Ruki took the ring box out of his back pocket and dropped to one knee. Kait’s look of surprise as she started realizing what was happening was so amazing to witness. I am getting goosebumps again just thinking about it! Ruki asked her to marry him, and of course SHE SAID YES!!! The kids were excited as well! (They were actually in on the secret and didn’t spill the beans!) Her tears of joy, surprise, and LOVE were flowing!

As Kait started walking up the hill, she spotted her parents approaching from a distance. She recognized them immediately, and the tears arrived all over again. Kait and her parents hadn’t seen each other since November, and it meant so much to her to have them there. We had brought Ruki’s mom with us, so she was there as well. Their presence made this day even more perfect. (Great job, Ruki!)

After Kait’s mascara was fixed and everyone’s adrenaline settled a bit, we continued with our photoshoot. The rain arrived a little earlier than we had expected, but it didn’t even matter. We kept on photographing through it all. Nothing was going to ruin this perfect day - not even a torrential downpour. (We took a break during the heaviest rain and rewarded ourselves with some incredible Biltmore ice cream!)

I’m so happy for Kait and Ruki, and I’m honored that I was able to capture these moments for them. Most of all, I’m glad that they each found their perfect person. They deserve all the happiness in the world! This was the best surprise-proposal-in-the-middle-of-a-pandemic-and-hurricane ever! Congratulations again, Kait and Ruki. And welcome to the family (officially), Kait! Big thanks to my daughters and husband for their help throughout all of this. Fun fact: This proposal took place on Kait’s parents’ 47th wedding anniversary - and on their wedding day, it rained right after the ceremony and portraits took place, just like today!

Here are a few of my favorite photos from our time together. Grab some tissues!

The Jacoby Family | Outer Banks, NC Family Beach Session | Destination Portrait Photographer

Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting up with the Jacoby Family in North Carolina while we were all in the Outer Banks.  I was so glad that our visits overlapped, and that they asked me to photograph their family while I was there.  I have photographed Jeff, Jillian, Charlie, and Fritz a few times before, and I was excited for the opportunity to meet a few more members of their family!  They are such a fun family, and these kiddos always keep me laughing and on my toes chasing after them.  (You may remember Charlie and Fritz from my "holiday fail" photo that was shared by the Huffington Post a few years ago.  Without fail, it pops back up on the web every year at Christmas time!  We re-enacted the pose for a few laughs, and you'll see it in their sneak peeks below...) 

It had rained all week prior to our photoshoot, but the skies broke that morning and delivered sun, wind, heat, and humidity.  What a difference 24 hours made!  Normally, I can do without stereotypical summer weather, but I was just thankful for a day without rain.  I was long overdue for some fresh air and a workout, and this session was just what I needed!  Thanks for being such great sports in the wind and heat, Jacoby Family!  I love how the photos turned out, and I am always thankful for the time we spend together.

She Said Yes! | Outer Banks, NC Proposal | Destination Engagement and Wedding Photographer

I met Victoria and Dmitriy this past snowboard season at a race at Roundtop Mountain Resort, in Harrisburg, PA.  We hung out a few times throughout the season, and were fortunate enough to end the season together at USASA Nationals at Copper Mountain, in Colorado.

A few weeks ago, Victoria and Dmitriy reached out to me to set up a photoshoot while I was going to be spending some time in the Outer Banks.  Victoria was hoping for a couple's session, but Dmitriy had other plans.  He had been waiting for the perfect time to surprise Victoria with a proposal (and a stunning engagement ring)!  The ring was already purchased and was just waiting for the rest of the plans to fall into place.

When they arrived in North Carolina, we met up at my rental house in Waves.  While Victoria was distracted, Dmitriy passed off some champagne and glasses to my husband, so we could bring them to the photoshoot the next day without Victoria suspecting anything.

If you live anywhere along the east coast, you know how rainy it has been the last few weeks.  The day of their photoshoot was no exception.  The forecast looked promising all day - the rain was supposed to clear out around noon, and our evening photoshoot looked like it would go off without a hitch.  Well, as soon as we arrived at our intended location, Mother Nature decided to defy the weather forecasting technology, and the rain started falling.  We decided to wait it out, because the radar showed that the weather would clear up again in about 30 minutes.  30 minutes later, another rain cloud formed, and there were more following behind it.  So, we decided to get back on the road and drive south until we found a dry location.  I was looking forward to this photoshoot for weeks, and was determined to hold their session that night!

We eventually found a non-flooded place near Rodanthe to pull off the side of the road and park.  I ran up to the adjacent beach area and scouted the location, and it was incredible!  There was only one other couple in sight, and the skies and dunes were picture-perfect.

So, my husband grabbed the bag with the champagne and glasses, I grabbed my camera gear, and the rest is history.  You can see how the session unfolded for yourself right here...

(Big thanks to my husband for helping, and to my daughter and dog for helping distract Victoria while Dmitriy was getting ready to propose!)