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Happy 2nd wedding anniversary to me & Higs! Just saying that it’s only been 2 years is really hard to believe. It feels like it’s been at least 5, maybe even more. But in a completely good way! I think it feels like it’s been longer because we were friends for so many years prior to dating and getting married. Not to mention, we’ve done a lot in the past 2 years (vacationed to Jamaica, Europe, Wilmington, and the mountains, bought a house, started sadie.higs photography, not to mention became parents, etc., etc.). And every minute of it has been so fun!

We started a little tradition last year. The night before our anniversary, we went through all of our photos from our wedding, and we did it again this year. Those images are priceless to us because they bring back such wonderful memories and let us relive our wedding day all over again. Our photographer, Heather of Weddings by Heather in Pittsburgh, did an amazing job of capturing our day. All I have to do is look at those images and it puts me right back on our wedding day. I remember the absolutely perfect Fall weather, the butterflies of excitement, and seeing Higs for the first time as I walked down the aisle (he was crying, but he’ll tell you it was just the sun in his eyes — whatever!). I remember the overwhelming joy I felt as we walked back down the aisle (to no music because our DJ missed his cue — I can laugh about it now), being able to hug my husband for the first time, and I remember how happy I was to have all of our family and friends in once place at one time.

Below are a few of my favorite images from Heather. You can see a full slideshow on her website. Thank you, Heather, for documenting our day so beautifully, and for helping us relive those cherished memories each year.

Our annual anniversary self-take:

To celebrate our anniversary, we took a day-trip to The Biltmore Estate in Asheville on Saturday. The home was beautiful, but unfortunately it rained (and I mean gotta-wear-your-galoshes-and-use-an-umbrella-or-you’ll-drown rain) pretty much the entire time so we only got to take a few photos, all of which were outside because they don’t allow photography inside.

And here are some of our adventures over the past few years. Some are from as early as 2005, but any earlier than that would have needed to be scanned from film prints. Maybe next year I’ll pull out the old-school photos. Maybe.

We came to love Renee’s fun and relaxed personality after shooting her bridals. But after seeing she & Jason together when we shot their wedding last weekend in Graham, there was no doubt in our minds that they are perfect for each other. Their quick-witted jokes to one another led to constant laughing and giggling throughout the entire day. And inevitably, their happiness was easily contagious to anyone around.

A few details and the girls getting ready…

Renee & Jason opted to break tradition and do a “first-look,” which is to see each other prior to the ceremony. While we’ve heard that first-looks are becoming more common, this was the first one that Higs & I have actually had the opportunity to photograph. Let me tell you, it was fantastic! Typically, when a bride walks down the aisle, she and her groom are usually calm and all smiles. But if you really think about it, they’re actually busting inside because all they want to do is just hug each other and steal a few moments together. But they can’t. Until after the ceremony. But with a first-look, there is no holding back. Emotions are free to run wild immediately and you can actually have a few quiet minutes with the one you love. It was a beautiful moment to document and we’re so glad they chose to do it.

Not to mention, after seeing each other, it made the rest of the day go so smoothly because we were able to do all the other photographs PRIOR to the ceremony. Granted, Renee & Jason left us an amazing amount of time for photographs (thank you!!), but because of the first-look, there were no jitters, no rushing to get to the reception, nothing. Just calm, relaxed, fun photographs. Yay!

The headshot on the ground is of the absentee groomsman, Jamie, who lives in Africa and couldn’t make it back to The States for the wedding. He was there in spirit. And on an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper.

My favorite of the day.

And of course, every bride and groom has their own secret handshake, right?

Congrats, you guys! It’s been wonderful getting to know you, and thank you for letting us document such a joyful day!

We photographed Renee’s bridals back in August at the Captain White House in Graham, NC. Renee selected the location, which serves as the home to the Alamance County Arts Council. The home was built in the late 1800s and has been beautifully restored. We were excited to shoot there, but got even more excited when we saw Renee in her dress for the first time. She was gorgeous – so simple and modern, yet had this old-fashioned vibe going on. And while we were photographing her in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the old home, it, at times, felt very Gone with the Wind. I loved it!

Her fun and relaxed personality shines through in all of these images. She was beautiful then, and was just as beautiful today when we photographed her wedding to Jason, which we’ll be posting later this week! Enjoy!

While I love so many of these images, these next two are some of my favorites. I love what a versatile color range the sun flare brought to the image on the left, and I love her expression in both.

Nolan’s half-birthday was on Saturday! I know I say this every month, but I can’t believe it’s already been 6 months and how much he’s grown since his birthday in March. It seems as though each day he’s learning something new. And he’s got so much personality and spunk that he’s making us laugh even harder than the day before. It’s going by so quickly, and in between smiles and laughter, we’re trying to capture it all in photographs.

Since he’s been able to sit up on his own, he’s had so many firsts. His first time sitting in the grass and his first time helping fold laundry, neither of which he was too sure of.

And his first time at the park. Now that’s something he enjoyed!