Starry Eyed Studios » Hot topics and hot shots

Dorri & Tim’s wedding day was on a drizzly Friday at then end of July.  But the clouds nor the drizzle could bring down anyone’s spirits.  The two had looked forward to this day for a long time, so nothing was going to get in their way.  Dorri & Tim have been together since high school and their love is still fresh and new.  Roger, Amanda, and myself had a wonderful time shooting Tim & Dorri’s wedding day.  Their families, friends, guests, and the couple know how to make people feel right at home and part of the group!  Enjoy this special day!
Seriously Dorri – you are stunning.  Your eyes are AMAZING!And Tim – even though you hated your jacket and were mad at your shoes – you look like a rock star!  See Roger, I am funny.Amanda is the child whisperer.  I do everything I know to get kids to work with me for photos to no avail.  Give Amanda 30 seconds and some window light and she has kids eating out of the palm of her hand.  

You’ll remember from Dorri & Tim’s engagement session… they know how to hang tough.  Fierce.

Dorri – Amanda took this beautiful shot of you.  You probably should include her on your Christmas card list and refer to her as your BFF because seriously – she captured your inner model.  You both are astonishing.
We were rushing like crazy to beat the rain, but the rain beat us.  So we made the best of what Mother Nature gave us (Dear Mother Nature – what is your deal this year?  Little crabby don’t you think?) and rocked it in front of this lime green building.  Holla!

We arrived to the reception and it took us about 5 minutes to just look around at everything.  It was sort of like being on the Brett Michaels Rock of Love Bus, but wedding style and more intense.  It was definitely the most hot pink and black and zebra print that I have ever seen and the lighting and details were OFF THE HOOK.  I know we all were in awe.

The Jorrells rocked the house!  If you’ve never seen them in action, you are missing out!!

Tim & Dorri – your wedding day was gorgeous, and fun, and filled with love.  The happiness you were surrounded with that day can never be taken away.  When you remember your wedding day, think about the love of your families that surrounded you, the bond with your wedding party that stood by you to support you, the joy of your guests who celebrated you, and the unity that was created that day between the two of you that will remain throughout your lives.  You both are adored by so many people which indicates what great people you are.  Best wishes for a lifetime of joy!

If you’d like a little more Dorri & Tim, be sure to watch their slideshow!!

Wilmington North Carolina is where the river meets the ocean with quaint boardwalks, bicycles made for 2, beach cottages, sailboats and ships, and historical walks along the river.  And just incase you want even more trivia info – it is where Dawson’s Creek was filmed as well as One Tree Hill.  But on a balmy (and by balmy I mean hot) Wednesday afternoon – it’s also where Megan & James got married.  When Megan called me during the winter and asked if Roger and I would accompany their friends and family to North Carolina to shoot their wedding I sank in my seat.  Our July was already full and I was disappointed we’d miss out on such an amazing opportunity.  And when she told me the wedding was on a Wednesday and she’d fly us out early Monday and have us back on Thursday so we could be ready for our Friday wedding that week – I said “Count us in” and nearly peed my pants.  (I can feel Roger questioning wether or not the blog is the appropriate outlet for the term “peed my pants”, but I’m trying to convey my excitement in a honest to goodness, bona fide way.  And frankly – peeing ones pants is dead on.)

Megan is my cousin, and even though Kansas City – where she and James call home – isn’t THAT far, I rarely see her.  Like I still think I’m going to see a 3 foot tall girl with blonde curls jumping around and I have to do a double take every time I see her.  (And she probably still envisions a 4 foot tall girl with big glasses and incredibly awkward sense of style… but I hope not.)

Megan turned into this amazing young lady who is smart, beautiful, funny, and as well put together as they come.  And James – who we were meeting for the first time, was warm and handsome and genuine and had a way of putting Megan at ease simply by being near her.  Apparently the two have been friends for a very long time, and that friendship turned slowly into love.  One day, James took Megan to North Carolina for a vacation and while walking along the Riverwalk got down on one knee and asked her to be his wife.  In their eyes there was no other place they wanted to be married, so they invited their family and friends to join them at their special place… where the river meets the ocean and where they would vow to be one another’s forever.

Enjoy Megan & James’s Wrightsville Beach Wedding.Megan – you are beautiful in a ponytail and a T-shirt, but on your wedding day… you were breathtaking.And James…ain’t nobody mad at you for being so dang handsome.  Something Megan & James incorporated into their wedding was having their mothers talk about their growing up years.  I’m a firm believer that if you really want to find out about someone – ask their mother.  Listening to them so eloquently tell Megan & James’s individual histories was so touching and personal.  It was by far my favorite moment I’ve ever seen from a wedding.  And yes, I cried.Seriously – aren’t they great looking?
Awww snap.  This is both Roger and my favorite.  Usually we differ on which photo is our most favorite, and even though it was tough we both agreed this one was the hotness.

I really must mention that Megan and James’s special request was to shy away from “romantic” type photos i.e. kissing and overall making love to the camera.  And while I wanted to abide by their requests… there is NO WAY this girl is not telling someone to kiss on the beach for some sexy photos.  How many opportunities does a person get to make out in front of total strangers with expensive cameras?  Not nearly enough I say, so pop on your Chapstick and get ready for your close up because if I am near you on your wedding day… your making out.  Period.

That’s another one of my cousins – the sweaty guy with no shoes on breaking it down like it’s no one’s business.  Apparently my passion for dancing (and the occasional cocktail) runs in the family.  Who knew?

I can’t quite put into words how blessed we are to have the job we do.  How priveledged we are to have couples bring us with them to other parts of the country to be a part of their amazing days, how fortunate we are to capture the joy of family members, friends, and a young couple embarking on a new life together, and how blissful we are to capture images of a day that will one day be shown to children and grandchildren who will marvel at how beautiful their grandparents were and what love looked like in years past.  But finally – how delighted we are to capture a family that just happens to be our own and giving them the gift of seeing their wedding day through someone else’s eyes.

Megan and James – we are thankful to call you family, and even more thankful to call you friends.  Cheers!

To see more of Megan and James’s amazing wedding day enjoy their slideshow!!

Angela is hands down the biggest Cardinal fan I know.  So much so that she incorporated the Cards into their wedding day.  When she talked about the details and as I heard the excitement in her voice – I knew the day was going to be fantastic.  The definition of a fan is fan:noun  a person who has a strong interest in or admiration for a particular sport, art form, or famous person. While neither Angela and Matt are famous they both are enthusiastic about the other and devoted, carry a love for the other and strong admiration, a supporter and champion of the other… no doubt about it Angela & Matt are Cardinal fans – but even more so, fans of each other.  There is a delight in the air about them and a lighthearted love.  On this wonderful July day, Angela and Matt promised to love one another for life – and to be one another’s biggest fan.  Enjoy their wedding day!

So yeah, we were prepared for heat.  The entire summer has been dreadfully hot.  However – I personally wasn’t prepared for THIS heat.  Roger looked over at me at one point and said with a very concerned look “Um.  Are you O.K.?”  My face was buried in the car vent so I didn’t hear him.  He took a photo of the thermometer in our car.  Our car that was parked in the shade.  I wouldn’t be telling the story of the day accurately without proof so here is the hottest photo of the day…

Thank goodness Angela hired Holly who owns Pro Colour Cosmetics to do her makeup.  If you are going to sweat more than you have your entire life on your wedding day – you’re going to need to makeup that can outlast the heat.  And someone who knows what they are doing to put it all on.  Holly is no joke and amazing, so I knew that everyone else could be a hot mess by the time reception rolled around (myself included), but in Holly’s hands the bride would still look amazing.Being the Cardinal fans that they are, photographs at Busch Stadium were a must.I think they were cheering for me – I can’t be sure.
The reception was Cardinal mayhem.  Tickets for place cards, Jerseys for table numbers, hats, balls… you name it – they had it.  Down to the cake topped that looked just like them!


As a surprise to Angela, Matt called up a special friend and asked him to come to the reception…

and I think Angela was excited to see Fredbird as she was to see Matt at their first glance.  (Sorry Matt – Fred was way out of line kissing your bride like that!  He was all over everyone that night!)

Angela & Matt – Thank you for letting us celebrate your day with you.  It’s so nice to see a couple who supports one another the way you two do.  Sometimes in marriage it’s not about gazing in one another’s eyes, or endless romance, but more of cheering your partner on, supporting them through the good times and bad, being a team together, and knowing that you’ll win some and lose some – but together you will be victorious in life.  Thanks for reminding us what a true fan is and how we can all be one to each other.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

We started off the hot July Saturday of Michelle & Eric’s wedding at Michelle’s parents house.  There was a buzz in the room where all the bridesmaids laughed and got ready for the big day.  Michelle anxiously watched the weather which had the same news of every day this summer… hot and humid.  The weather was not a damper on Michelle’s mood though.  The excitement was billowing from her – with every laugh and every glance there was no mistaking that today was the day she’d marry her best friend and there was no mistaking how much happiness this day would enfold.  Enjoy Michelle & Eric’s happy day.The green and purple color scheme with bright yellow accents were incredible.  I know I’ve said it before but you can tell when someone has went above and beyond for their wedding day when you look back on the day and it consistently has a certain hue from start to finish.  It makes it fun for us to put the images of the day together in a way that showcases how well the tones all flowed.Michelle – you are major in your photos.  Why didn’t you mention you were a supermodel?and that Eric models too!?!One of my favorite church shots of all time.  Just yummy.Photographers scout locations to photograph at.  When we do we are looking for charater, textures, uniqueness, and most of all – awesome light/ consistently shaded areas.  We didn’t have time for a scouting trip because we were shooting Ashley & Nathan’s wedding in Florida, so I explained to Michelle what we needed and sent her on a mission.  And – she nailed it!  Way to find such a gem Michelle!  You rocked it!At weddings, I am the director.  While talking, trying to make jokes, and awkwardly laughing loudly when people don’t laugh at my jokes – I move people around and tell them where they should stand and sometimes how they should stand.  Roger then gives me a nod to let me know it looks right and assures me that I am doing a good job (or corrects my mistakes without me knowing it while I’m trying to tell jokes again).  But this time Roger came up with the posing and the location for the guys.  I don’t know what you think, but I think I should stick with the jokes and let him do the posing.  100% my favorite groomsmen shot ever.
Thank you Cassie for getting Michelle to laugh – and Roger for capturing it!  I love this series! We lucked out on the sky that day!  And on the hot couple to stand in front of it.

Michelle & Eric – It’s 100% obvious that the two of you are best friends first and foremost.  We loved watching your day unfold and how much the happiness grew when you two were finally side by side.  When you two are together there is something fantastically complete about they way you are.  It’s as if true comfort exists when the other is by your side and without it a piece of the puzzle is missing.  We were so glad that you two chose us to spend your wedding day with!  Congrats for finding your piece of the puzzle!