We all know that there's just something special about celebrating a wedding day with your closest family and friends, to exchange wedding vows with the love of your life in the backyard where you grew up playing as a child with your own daughter in your arms is just awesome!

I met the groom R. last year during a trip to Denver Colorado that I made last year on another photo assignment.

Denver City ParkA view from the shores of Denver City Park in Colorado.

He was an employee at the hotel I was staying in downtown. While he was checking me into my hotel room by chance we just happened to strike up a conversation about photography when he told me that he was getting married near his childhood hometown of Pinehurst NC this year. I asked him if he had a photographer to cover his wedding day and he told me that he did not. 

I forwarded him my contact information and told him to share my website with his fiancé.

If they liked my work then I would be happy to take pictures of their wedding.

As luck would have it they both loved my photography style and hired me to cover their wedding day.

How cool was that? I managed to book the wedding of two awesome people in a town halfway across the country. Better yet, R. & P. turned out to be one of the sweetest couples I've ever worked with.

I arrived early in the afternoon at the groom's grandmothers home in West End North Carolina just outside of nearby Pinehurst. This gorgeous house sat along the shores of the deep blue lake that sparkled in the sunlight like sequins.

Although we had exchanged many emails, phone calls and text messages, this was the first time I met R.'s bride P. in person. 

We hit it off immediately while I was taking photos of her and her made of honor preparing for the wedding. She's got a great sense of humor and smile that lights up a room!

R. and P. exchanged their vows on a deck along the shores of the lake. I thought it was particularly sweet that R. held his daughter in his arms for most of the ceremony. Such a lovely thing to see this family together!

After the wedding ended, R.,P. and I boarded a small boat and took a brief spin around the lake so that I could get some couples portraits of the two of them while out on the water. Loved this!

Upon returning back to shore R. and P. headed into their reception which was held under a great big white event tent on the back lawn. This afternoon was bright with lively conversation and raucous laughter shared between their guests. A beautiful backyard wedding reception to be sure, the warm weather and available light were just perfect for wedding photography.

One particularly poignant moment was when the grooms father delivered an exceptionally heartfelt toast to his son and daughter in law which left both of them in tears. Honestly it was a little difficult for me to keep taking pictures during his toast because I am a crier as well, haha!

Just before my allotted time was up, I managed to get a few bonus couples portraits of the bride and groom standing on the back deck of his grandmothers house. 

I'm so glad for days like today and for the opportunity to work with wonderful people like R. and P. 

I sincerely hope that I will have the opportunity to work with them again when they come to visit their families here in North Carolina.

Better yet, maybe a trip to Denver is in my future...

:)

Check out more from this gorgeous wedding day in the slideshow below.

Congratulations R. and P., thanks for choosing me to be your wedding photographer!