Matt & Hannah Say I Do | Sardis Presbyterian Church Wedding | Byron's Southend Reception | Charlotte, NC

We had so much fun photographing Hannah & Matt for the last year beginning with an engagement session then bridals and of course the main event, the big wedding day! They are both so fun, friendly and easy going. 

We started the day at Hannah's house having a little fun with the ladies before heading over to the church. Cheers to that!

Hannah's dress not only fit her like a glove but was the perfect amount of bling and drama. The flowers were absolutely perfect, lush and plenty of pink.

With a little help from mom it was time to slip into the dress before the big reveal to her bridesmaids and then her soon to be hubby.

The ladies were truly excited to see their beautiful friend all dolled up.

The first look is one of my very favorite moments of the wedding day. Matt was anxious and ready to see his bride to be. They are both so ridiculously good looking and perfect! 

Not only was our bride, Hannah, beautiful but those bridesmaids tho!

The groomsmen were pretty studly themselves. I had to bride them with a silly photo to give me these classic shots.

Hannah & Matt were able to sneak some moments to themselves before walking down the aisle and pledging themselves to each other for all of eternity before their closest family and friends. 

The church was grand and the organ was such a stunning focal piece for the wedding ceremony. 

Hannah & Matt have one of the largest wedding parties that I have ever photographed! I mean, heck, I don't even like that many people. Nevertheless, that many attractive people!

It was time to let the lively bunch have a little fun.

Hannah made such a stunning bride & braved the heat of the day with no complaints. 

Matt was patiently waiting for his bride before the ceremony & ready to party with his friends after! He was a trooper. 

So at this very moment, clouds came over and the sun set just enough to cool the alley and allow magic to happen. 

Give her a twirl and show off that amazing dress!

I mean, serious, how vogue is this?!

After a fun cocktail hour and some couple's portraits it was time to head into the reception to capture all of the details. 

The first dance was brief but had everyone seated at the tables awing over how adorable these two are. 

Let me tell you, I eat cake! At. Every. Single. Wedding. But, this cake was amazing! Way to go Wow Factor Cakes! The cake was moist and delicious, bravo!! 

The maid of honor and best man let out some great secrets about their life long best friends.

As the father & daughter dance and the mother & son dance were going on, everyone was trying to keep a dry eye.

All the single ladies, you know what time it is!

Matt was feeling good by this point and gave us his own rendition of Magic Mike when he was retrieving the garter. 

Only one thing left to do, party! Party hard!

Matt's mom surprised the newlyweds with a horse and carriage as their grand exit from the wedding. 

Hannah & Matt, thank you for being both so easy and fun to work with. We are so grateful that you chose us to capture your big day! 

<3 Amanda, HOH

Megan & Jeff Say I Do | The Atrium Wedding | Charlotte, NC | Southend Wedding

It was obvious that Megan & Jeff put so much thought into their wedding down to the littlest of details. From the jewelry to the bouquets, the bridesmaids dresses to the bridal gown, it was all stunning! Oh and wait til you see the groom's tux! 

The bridal details were a grand combination of old, new, borrowed and blue. The earrings are from Ladies of Lineage & had just the right amount of bling. The Dior obviously smelled amazing. The garter was a gift to Megan from Jeff's mom. The Nina shoes complimented the veil perfectly. My favorite detail though was the purse made out of Jeff's grandmother's dressed and has been passed down through the family, adding each bride's name after she has worn it. I just love that! 

Now this gown... it was simple yet extravagant at the same time! There are not many women that would be able to pull off this slimming Great Gatsby look, but Megan wore it like royalty.

Being from Michigan, Jeff picked out the rings from Diamond Jim's in Royal Oaks, Michigan. Jeff actually surprised Megan with not only one but TWO wedding bands! Her face when she saw them for the first time was priceless.

Following along the Great Gatsby theme, the bridesmaids each picked out sequined and beaded dresses in a variety of colors and styles. Just wait to you see the dresses on the girls, perfect.

The girl's got ready at the penthouse suite in the Westin uptown. Amazing light, great hair & makeup artists made for a fun morning. 

Jeff was a few floors below but when I walked in the room, he was jamming out singing loud and proud in the bathroom. 

Jeff loves funky socks so he made sure to get some for all of the groomsmen to wear on his big day.

Jeff paid attention to detail as much as his beautiful bride did. I loved the custom suit by Abbeydale which included his initials on his sleeves and their wedding date on his collar. 

The whole morning Jeff stayed calm, cool and collected. He looks so dapper in his burgundy suit! 

Meanwhile upstairs, Megan was slipping into her gown preparing to go see her groom for the first time on their wedding day. 

The veil really set the bridal look on Megan. The veil was the PERFECT addition to her wedding dress. 

Megan was such a stunning bride, I mean look at her!!

Being in the crowded Westin, on a day when 3 weddings were taking place, I had the bridal party block off a part of the lobby for Jeff & Megan to see each other for the first time in their wedding attire. 

They looked absolutely darling together. 

The bridesmaids loaded pu in the trolley and headed over to the Atrium at Southend. After a quick glass of wine, it was time to get married! 

One last moment of silence as a single woman.

The last few moments of Jeff as a single man.

The Atrium transformed in a way I had never seen before, even after shooting there 3 times in one month! The draping and string lights were so romantic and set the scene.

I do. Me too. Let's kiss. & Let me introduce Mr & Mrs Sharp!

During cocktail hour I whisked the bridal party uptown for a few quick shots.

Ahhh, those dresses!  & that beautiful bridal party! 

As the trolley driver is rushing us to head back to the Atrium, we snuck in a few sweet moments of the newlyweds. 

There's a little Michigan plug just for Jeff! 

& off we go! 

Check out a few of the details inside the reception, it has completely transformed from the ceremony space just an hour before! 

If you know me, you know I LOVE to eat. & I love everything in small portions, probably because I feel like I can eat a greater variety that way. All of the food was amazing but the BBQ sliders and the cheesecake brownies were my favs.

Jeff was really into the first dance, it may have been the alcohol, but I loved the result! Megan is smiling so naturally up at him and you can see they are lost in this moment, just the two of them. & that dip/kiss combo was perfection!

It wouldn't be a wedding without a few quick family formals. 

While everyone is inside enjoying dinner, Jeff & Megan snuck outside for a moment with just the two of them. 

The cake was so beautiful, it was almost a shame to cut it. 

Jeff & Megan have amazing friends and family who could bring them to tears and giggles all in a few minutes with a few words.

Cheers to the happy couple! 

There isn't much better than the exposed brick backdrop for the first dances. 

There's the exquisite bouquet again, it's a shame to throw it! But the single ladies showed out for this one! 

Thank you for letting me capture your big day Megan & Jeff. It was truly a pleasure to meet and work for you both. I wish you many, many years of happy marriage! 

Hernandez & Biga Say I Do | Foundation for the Carolina's | Charlotte, NC

Not only was this wedding one of my last of 2015, it was also at one of my favorite venues with one of the most beautiful couples, inside and out! 

Especially since this couple did not have me photograph the getting ready process I thought a first look was very important. The first moments they saw each other on their wedding day, just the two of them, were breathtaking. The venue had the most amazing vertical garden located on a patio many floors up hidden amongst the skyscrapers, incredible! 

Foundation for the Carolina's is nestled amongst the Charlotte hustle and bustle yet is serene and full of class. I absolutely loved how the venue is entirely indoors, except for the small garden area, yet natural light flowed in from all angles. The touches of purple really popped amongst the natural wood in the ceremony space. 

After a few more snuggles and kisses between our couple, I snuck the bride away for a few photos in the city streets. 

She was so glamourous, and everyone who passed by on the busy Friday evening made sure to tell her!

All the chairs were filled with smiling faces ready to watch the love pour during the ceremony. 

There was barely a dry eye in the house during their hand written vows.

During the cocktail hour which happened in the art gallery below the ceremony space, we escaped to Romare Bearden Park for a few photos of the newlyweds. Their love for each other was evident.

The weather couldn't have been more perfect either! Everything just fell right into place.

After the sun went down, it was time for the couple's first dance as Mr. & Mrs. Biga! The groom's father sang and played the accordion, it was such a great personal touch. 

During dinner, I snuck away down to the art gallery to grab a few photos of the rings with the art pieces. There were so many amazing options! I could have stayed down there all night. 

The cake cutting was sweet, no smashing in the face that night! The couple had a small chocolate cake for themselves and a homemade dessert bar for their guests. 

The bride's sister and the groom's best friend each gave a toast to the couple. The bride was tearing up almost the entire time. It was clear how much of a connection the girls shared which will only continue to grow later in life. 

After all the dances were danced and drinks were drank, it was time for the couple's grand exit with glow sticks! Then they were headed down to the epicenter to party!

Congrats Mr. & Mrs. Biga!! 

Hot Topic Tuesday I Copyright

The discussion of copyright versus printing rights is difficult for many clients to understand, yet comes from a place of passion for photographers. I hope this blog can clear up a few questions of exactly what copyright is in reference to photographs and why it is so important to photographers.

What is digital copyright? Merriam-Webster defines copyright as the legal right to be the only one to reproduce, publish, and sell digital content. Only the photographer that takes the photograph retains the digital copyright to the images. 

Why is it important to photographers? It is very expensive and time consuming to purchase equipment, capture images and process all of our digital files. If copyright didn't exist to protect the images that we produce, clients could take our images without compensating us. Therefore, professional photographers would cease to exist. 

What is the difference between printing rights and joint copyright? Most clients just need printing rights which is the ability to take the digital files and have them printed at your vendor of choice. (Although we prefer that you print anything larger than gift prints through us so we can maintain boutique quality images). Clients are also allowed to post images onto their personal social media pages, tagging Head Over Heels Photography's page for credit. On the other hand, joint copyright only exists in very particular situations where a photographer works closely with an assistant or designer. The Copyright Act of 1976 states that a joint work is "a work prepared by two or more authors with the intention that their contributions be merged into separable or inter-dependent parts of a unitary whole." Meaning, clients will never own a joint or shared copyright to their images.

What does all this really mean? At Head Over Heels Wedding Photography we LOVE what we do, a lot! & we want to continue to do it, forever!! So in order to continue to profit as a small business, clients must purchase the printing rights to their images before they are able to post online or print. Images, usually in the form a sneak peek, may be posted by the studio and can be tagged by the clients. These images cannot be saved and uploaded to the clients page, cropping out the studio watermark or without crediting the studio. 

Shaina & Jason I Anniversary

Every year my family vacations at Myrtle Beach for the 4th of July. (#merica) We camp out in my parents RV at Lakewood Campground. If you ever have a chance to go, do it! I get to travel quite a bit through out the year for my 'job' and this is still one of my favorite spots.

I had the great opportunity to travel to Ohio right before my Myrtle Beach trip last year to photograph Jason & Shaina's Findlay wedding. Not only was Shaina absolutely stunning as a bride but, Jason was a calm and collected groom. He even wanted to steal me away to the local creamery  after doing groomsman photos. 

The ceremony was held in Shaina's childhood church, the same church her parents were married in many years before. The service was absolutely beautiful. 

One thing that stood out to me about this wedding is that both Jason and Shaina's parents are still very happily married. I love to see that! Their families were both so welcoming and inviting. I met every single guest that night. And in true Latina style, we...I mean they...partied hard until the wee hours of the morning. 

I left the reception around 11, headed for the hotel near the airport where I slept maybe a total of 2 hours then promptly flew to Myrtle Beach in the morning to meet my family. It was a brief but fabulous trip to Ohio and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. 

Happy first anniversary Jason & Shaina! I am so happy for the life you have built together over the past year. I can't wait to see what the world has in store for you. Make sure to take some time today to celebrate your life together. 

Amanda

Head Over Heels Wedding Photography