I am SOOOO EXCITED to once again share another amazing couple I had the privilege to photograph on their wedding day . . . Michelle and Greg were married in downtown Asheville, NC on a beautiful sunny, Fall day. This was really my first urban, downtown wedding that I’ve gotten to photograph and it was so fun!
When I arrived, Michelle and her bridesmaids and Mom and soon to be Mom-in-law were all finishing getting ready at the Windsor hotel in downtown Asheville. It was such a beautiful hotel with so much charm, class, and character! Michelle’s brother even came over to have a special time to see his sister before the day got started!
Meanwhile, the guys were finishing getting ready a few blocks away at the Renaissance hotel. Because they were at two different locations, my awesome second shooter, Ashley, took care of capturing the moments of the guys finishing getting ready. (This is one example where having two photographers for your wedding day is extremely helpful. 🙂
Michelle and Greg decided to do a First Look, and I’m so glad they did! When it was time for the First Look, I walked Michelle to the spot we had agreed on and Ashley walked Greg there. We had to do just a little hiding Michelle behind a car or two parked on the street, to ensure Greg didn’t see her until we had him set up facing away so she could come up behind him. I was definitely glad that my husband and I had come to Asheville back in the summer time and met with Greg and Michelle to walk around to the different locations downtown. It was so helpful to know where I was going! Plus it gave me more time to get to know them, which I always love! Greg and Michelle’s First Look was so sweet. Greg got a little teary eyed, and who can blame him? Just look at his beautiful bride, Michelle! I let them enjoy those first moments together, just the two of them.
After the initial few moments of the First Look, I then began directing Michelle and Greg into a few poses for more pictures. That is the advantage of a First Look . . . having more time for bride and groom photos before the ceremony. Plus Michelle and Greg then were able to actually BE WITH EACH OTHER and enjoy walking around downtown Asheville with their wedding party and close family members to get more photos.
They had a lot of guests traveling in from out of town, so they wanted to minimize the amount of time after the ceremony for taking pictures so they could get to visiting their guests faster. Going around Asheville to the different spots we had scoped out back in the summer worked out so well! As we walked around the city, Michelle and Greg and their wedding party got plenty of shouts and cheers from people passing by congratulating them too!
After wedding party photos, we proceeded to go ahead and do the family photos we had time for with the family members who were available before the ceremony. Here are just a few of the family photos. I know Michelle and Greg were so thankful to have their family there to share in their day with them!
Before we knew it, it was time for the ceremony to start! I actually had planned to give Michelle and Greg a 20-30 minute break between finishing pictures and the ceremony starting, but we really wanted to fit so many pictures in, as we knew at the end of the ceremony the sun would almost be set and it may be difficult to get many more photos after. So, by the time we finished what we had planned, it really only was about 10 minutes until ceremony time! I’m so thankful Michelle and Greg were so flexible and were able to go with the flow so well! After all, they were about to get married, so I’m sure they were so excited!
The ceremony started with family members being walked in first, followed by each groomsmen and each bridesmaid walking in separately. The downtown Pack Square Park where the ceremony was held was just beautiful. By the time the ceremony started, the weather had cooled off to a very comfortable temperature, just perfect with a small Fall breeze blowing. You couldn’t have asked for any better weather for their Fall wedding. Then Michelle and Greg chose to walk hand in hand down the aisle to their ceremony, which I thought was such a perfect personal choice for them. One of the things I loved so much about Greg and Michelle’s wedding is that they truly made it their own. Everything was planned according to what was important and special to them.
And then the final moment when they were pronounced husband and wife and Greg could officially kiss his new wife! I am so happy for them! No matter how many weddings I photograph, the kiss at the end of the ceremony and the elation on their faces walking out of the ceremony together is just priceless and one moment to remember forever!
After a few more family photos directly following the ceremony, it was time to head up to The Century Room, which was located right beside Pack Square Park, so it was convenient for everyone to walk upstairs to the beautifully decorated Century Room. Michelle and Greg’s classy black and gold decorations complimented their whole day!
Right before heading into the Reception and starting all of the reception events, I stole Michelle and Greg away for a few bride and groom portraits in the brick stairwell leading up to The Century Room. These photos are some of my favorite from their wedding day. It was just a sweet few moments for them to enjoy finally being husband and wife!
The meal was served to all of the guests at once, and each course was brought to the table and passed around to be served family style. Not only was all of the food delicious, but I loved that all of their guests were able to eat at pretty much the same time and be finished at the same time. Michelle and Greg were so considerate to think of both myself and my second photographer and provide us both with a named seat at a table to enjoy the meal along with their guests. This is not always the case at weddings I am photographing, and it is certainly not required, but it sure did make Ashley and I feel like an honored guest, even though we were working for them! We were so appreciative of their thoughtfulness in this area.
After the delicious meal it was time for first dances. Michelle and Greg enjoyed a sweet first dance together. And then Michelle and her Mom had a Mother/Daughter dance which was also so sweet and fun. Then Greg and his Mom had their Mother/Son dance.
The speeches by the Maid of Honor and the Best Man to Michelle and Greg were so heartfelt and it was obvious that all of Michelle and Greg’s friends loved them and wanted the best for them. It was also mentioned how both Michelle and Greg really were perfect for each other and complimented each other’s personality so well. I know they were both so thankful for the kind words that were given. Greg also addressed their family and friends and just thanked everyone for traveling to celebrate their wedding day with them. Many people had traveled out of state, as both Michelle and Greg are originally from Virginia. But Greg explained that Asheville, NC is the first place that really felt like home for the both of them together, and that is why they chose to have their wedding in Asheville. I think it was a perfect choice and hopefully their guests had a chance to check out all that Asheville has to offer while they were here!
The night went on with dancing, visiting their guests, and having fun at the selfie station!
I was so honored to photograph Michelle and Greg’s wedding and have them trust me with their memories on their special day. I met them almost a year ago when Michelle first contacted me about photographing their wedding. At the time, I was fairly new to photographing weddings, after being a family and children photographer mostly for the past 5 years. Michelle and Greg were one of my first couples to book me for their wedding, and their trust in me to capture this time was so, so appreciated! If you missed their love story of how they met and got engaged, check out their
Engagement Session HERE. Throughout the course of the year of getting to know them better, I have had the opportunity to main shoot and second shoot A LOT of weddings, I don’t even know how many at this moment. But one of the reasons I love wedding photography so much, and have almost totally transitioned my whole business to mostly weddings is because of couples like Michelle and Greg. I absolutely LOVED working with them over this past year and planning their wedding day and all their details with them. I truly consider them friends now and hope to stay in touch! Michelle and Greg, I wish you the best and hope you have enjoyed your full blog post from your day!
Check out Michelle and Greg’s Vendors from their wedding day:
DJ/Entertainment: Asheville Wedding Entertainment/Eric Everett
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