Babymoon in the English Countryside

Alex and I were very blessed to be able to travel to England a few weeks ago for a babymoon/3 year anniversary trip! We have friends that live outside of London and so we were able to stay with them and we get very cheap airline tickets (if you're looking to fly to Europe on the cheap, check out WOW Air...just be sure to pack light, that's how they get you!). We both absolutely LOVE England. I studied abroad in London my senior year at Clemson and enjoyed going back with Alex last year (see parts one, two, three, and four of that trip) and then again this year. Alex is currently working on a PhD in Historical Theology on Charles Spurgeon who was a famous English pastor in London in the 1800's and so he's gone to England one additional time without me to do a lot of research on Spurgeon. 

This time, our trip mainly consisted of driving around the English countryside and visiting small villages and eating lots of cream tea (cream tea consists of a scone, jam, clotted cream, and tea). We were able to spend a few days in the Cotswolds which was a dream come true for me because I have ALWAYS wanted to go there and it did not disappoint! We also got to see Dorset and the coast and the beautiful countryside in Somerset. One of our last days there, we went to the small town of Chawton and saw Jane Austen's house where she wrote all of her novels. I am a huge Jane Austen fan and a big fan of Victorian English literature in general, so that was very exciting (don't worry, Alex enjoyed it too)! We also went to the small village of LaCock which is where the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice was filmed, it was adorable. In addition to Austen's house, picture below you'll also find William Churchill's house, C.S. Lewis' house, and Headley Grange (where Zeppelin recorded Stairway to Heaven).

I'm excited to share that I will be opening a store soon with a few of my favorite prints from my two trips to England! I'll share more soon, but these prints will be high quality photographic art prints and I think they would make great gifts or would be wonderful framed in your home. I can't wait to share more details soon! 

For now, here's some of my favorite pictures from our trip:

Merritt's Pasture | Lisa & Joe's Engagement Pictures | A Chapel Hill, NC Wedding Photographer

Lisa and Joe were a joy to photograph! We had a great time hiking around Merritt's Pasture and we were able to catch an AMAZING sunset at the top of a hill in the pasture. Seriously, it was gorgeous! See a few of my favorite below:

The Cloth Mill at Eno River | Taylor & Josiah | A Hillsborough, NC Wedding Photographer

It was an honor to photograph Taylor & Josiah's wedding day on Saturday! Josiah grew up in the church Alex & I attended in Mebane and I have really enjoyed getting to know Taylor and Josiah over the past year throughout their engagement. Their wedding day was stunning, Christ-centered, and full of loving family and friends. You can also check out their engagement pictures here and Taylor's bridal portraits here.

The Vendors Who Made This Day Possible:
Venue: The Cloth Mill at Eno River
Photography: DiPrima Photography
Dress: Elegant Bridal
Design: Simply Lovely
Cake: Sweet Stuff by Meredith
Catering: Visions Catering
DJ & Photo Booth: DJ Paradime
Florist: Gallery Florist and Gifts, Inc.

Ayr Mount House | Taylor's Bridals | A Hillsborough, NC Wedding Photographer

I am so excited to share Taylor's bridals with you today. Taylor was absolutely stunning and I am obsessed with her dress! I also loved taking her pictures at the Ayr Mount house. You can check out Taylor & Josiah's engagement pictures here and I can't wait to share their wedding pictures soon!

Why Hire a Professional Hair + Makeup Team

Hair by WINK Hair + Makeup

I am very excited to feature a guest post by Kristi Martinson from WINK Hair + Makeup on my blog today! I have had the pleasure of working with Kristi and the WINK team many times and I HIGHLY recommend them! I think getting your hair and makeup professional done is a very important part of getting the best pictures possible and so I am excited to share some of Kristi's wisdom with you today:

Your wedding day is without a doubt one of the most memorable and special days of your life.  Chances are you have been dreaming about this day before you even met your hunky hubby-to-be.  On a day when all eyes will be on you, you want to look and feel your absolute most beautiful. If you are on the fence about hiring professional hair and makeup artists to glam you up, here are a few reasons that may help make your decision a little easier.

Top 5 reasons to hire a professional hair and makeup team for your wedding day.

1.)   Be stress-free on your wedding day.  This may be the most beneficial of all reasons to hire a professional for your wedding day. The last thing you want to worry about on your wedding day is if your winged liner is even or if your red lipstick is perfectly defined. Scheduling a trial before your wedding will give you peace of mind that your artist knows exactly how you like your hair and makeup and what to do to make you feel your most beautiful. It’s also a great time to make sure your personalities mesh well and that they will be a calming presence on your wedding day.

2.)   High-quality, professional grade product. There is definitely a difference between drug-store brand products and high-end products (and I don’t just mean the price tag). Don’t get me wrong, there are some drugstore products that can be perfectly fine for everyday, but they just aren’t the best quality when you want your makeup to last from 9a-midnight. A professional hairstylist knows which products layer best to create a style that will stay put and a makeup artist has a full kit of expensive and waterproof products that withstand humidity, heat, happy tears, and anything else that could possibly happen on your day.

3.)   Extensive training to help you flaunt your best bits. Education and experience are key. Professional artists have extensive training and years of experience in their chose field (hair or makeup). They keep up with current trends and techniques by going to multiple training courses throughout the year. This helps you because it means we are able to work with multiple hair types (long, short, thick, thin, textured, curly, fine…you name it!), face shapes, skin tones, and ages! We train to know which looks will enhance every person’s natural beauty as well as how to camouflage features you aren’t too keen on. No matter what, you are going to be a goddess, so just sit back, relax, and trust your beauty team to work their magic.

4.)   Photogenic. The average babe doesn’t know which products photograph the best or which ingredients to avoid in order to make sure your face doesn’t look 5 shades lighter than your body. Have you ever you’re your makeup and loved it so much, but then you see a picture of yourself and it looks nothing like it did in person? Everyday makeup is completely different than makeup for photography. Professional makeup artists study endlessly to find the perfect products that photograph beautifully. It takes an artful eye to see the beauty and potential of each face and where to place specific products to bring out those gorgeous features.

Kristi from WINK Hair + Makeup

5.)   Timing. We work with your wedding day planner/coordinator and your photographer to put together a hair and makeup timeline that ensures you and your bride tribe are picture perfect and ready on time.

I hope this has been helpful in making your decision on whether or not to take the plunge and hire a professional hair and makeup team or do it yourself. Either way, you will be a knock out. Happy wedding planning!