A ROYAL WEDDING DAY AT THE HISTORICAL STONELEIGH ESTATE IN STANLEYTOWN, VIRGINIA

A fairy tale wedding in southern Virginia with warm weather, an elegant estate, a precious pup, and a few sprinkles. Follow me into this true royal fairy tale at Stoneleigh Estate that will stand the test of time.

ISABEL WANG + SCOTT WENKSTERN

OF MARTINSVILLE, VA

MAY 20, 2023

This royal level wedding was nothing short of perfection in the details. The invitation showcases the beautiful Henry County venue to leave guests desiring the wedding day even more than they were before. The grounds of Stoneleigh Estate were PHENOMENAL with the perfect blend of colors. Isabel loves purple, which you will be able to see throughout the detail photographs. The purple flowers that this historical Virginia estate boasts seemed to be made for this wedding! Each room in the estate holds a different history, a different look. And the view from the gardens to the back of Stoneleigh Estate literally look as if they are from a movie. Stoneleigh Estate surely made my photography dreams come true!

As I said before, the rooms make for endless possibilities inside this Tudor mansion. Bride and grooms have their choice of a more modern room all the way to a historical feel. Being built in the 1920s, you can imagine the character this home brings. And the windows are just perfect for natural lighting. I am definitely an off camera flash kind of girl, but you just couldn’t deny this opportunity in Stoneleigh Estate. The yellow music room with the bay window truly showcased the bridal gown and the bride’s beautiful hairpiece glistening in her purple locks. Isabel & Scott are definitely model material! They both gleamed that King & Queen glow!

I could literally show you a thousand photographs from this wedding that I think the world deserves to see, but to hold everyone’s attention span I will keep it short & sweet despite my desire to blast! Isabel & Scott opted fora first look down past the garden terrace by the trees. The large oak tree* (*I believe, could be wrong!) in the background of the first couple of photographs shows that this was just the perfect choice for such a moment. We proceeded back into the garden terrace for vow readings and a few photographs along the pebble stone path. We finished up in front of the Estate, showcasing the glorious home with their personal getaway car.

The beautiful ceremony took place in front of the Koi pond with chairs along both sides for guests. The guests and bridal party entered into the space underneath an archway with lavender linens draped over, providing that extra elegance. Despite the first look, Scott was very tear filled throughout the ceremony. As I have said in previous posts, I have seen many first looks where the groom still is emotional during the ceremony! There is just something about the ceremony that makes it all just seem surreal! Isabel’s father walked her down the aisle and was so sweet. Her father and mother flew in from China, being sure not to miss their daughter’s huge milestone. And I just LOVED the guests each having bits of flowers to toss to the bride & groom as they left the ceremony. Environment friendly, colorful, and just that extra detail, once again.

Everyone deserves a moment to rest and rejuvenate on their wedding day. Wedding days are long and tiring on the body. And not to mention emotionally charged (in a good way!). Taking 10 minutes or so before your reception to just chill, really taking in the reality of “Hey, we just got married!”, spending a moment with your pup. These are all things that can recharge you for the reception. Fortunately with a first look, this gives you that extra time without eating in to your cocktail or reception hours.

Lastly, the night ended with a bang! The rain started but was so light & didn’t last! The reception was under a large white tent on one of the many acres at Stoneleigh Estate, still in view of the home. The lighting set a mood for the night, the food was delicious, and the band was amazing! Their exit was SUPER unique and special with lanterns into the sky (like Rapunzel!). This was such a fun adventure for all the guests to top off what was already an unforgettable day.

A moment deserved for the deep love I have for black and white.

LOOKING FOR Southern VIRGINIA & NC WEDDING VENDORS?

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A COOL, CRISP SPRING WEDDING AT CAROLINA GROVE IN HILLSBOROUGH, NC

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A remarkable Spring wedding in the heart of North Carolina with cool weather, beautiful florals, radiating sunshine, and true love. Join me for a truly magnificent March wedding in the heart of North Carolina at Carolina Grove.

Koby schWARZKOPF + chris phinney

of Durham, NC

March 18, 2023

Carolina Grove fully embraces the light, airy, and elegant vibes so many brides are looking for. I’m obsessed with their light wooden chairs and large chandeliers throughout their hall. The colors, the vibe, and all the details were the perfect way to start your Spring season.

Carolina Grove knows how to treat a bride & groom. Their suites for the morning of are absolutely STUNNING. The bridal suite upstairs has the largest windows for natural light to flow in and bring joy to your wedding day. The mirrors for each bridesmaid to make their final touches before the ceremony is such a thoughtful touch. And the large golden mirror for the bride is absolutely priceless. Literally could not ask for a better North Carolina bridal suite than the one at Carolina Grove.

The groom and groomsmen have a room downstairs to prepare for the day in. With couches and a TV, there isn’t much more a groomsman could ask for. BUT they don’t have to ask! They have access to the outdoors which is perfect for a game of corn hole or ladder golf!

Koby & Chris’s wedding parties loved them hard. Everyone was totally on board for this special day and showed nothing but respect and happiness throughout this cool, North Carolina wedding day. Even with the chill in the air, they shared the warmth of love with each other to keep the party going! And talk about creative colors! The English Garden florist provided the prefect bouquets for this day. Koby’s eyes with those florals-AH! Priceless photograph.

Another super sentimental first look in the books. These never get old. What made Koby & Chris’s first look so special in Carolina Grove’s courtyard was the exchange of gifts. Each gift was chosen with conscientious thinking of the other. The personalized passport books and luggage tags that MATCH the wedding colors!? That was just SO attentive. I live for the details like this!

Another example proving regardless of the first look, this groom truly loves his bride. He shed tears even as she walked down the aisle after the first look at the patio an hour before. Koby was glowing all day, from walking down the slate flagstone aisle with her father to the happiness after saying “I do”! The southern early spring sun hit her just ever so perfectly!

Koby & Chris took time during cocktail hour to do their true portraits together, and if you can’t tell they had a little fun ;)! The early spring provided a nice wooded background, representing a fresh start. This crisp, wooded NC vibe felt like the perfect way to a new beginning. While the summer and fall brings in another accompaniment of colors at Carolina Grove, I believe there would be no wrong time of year to have a wedding here! Each and every wedding at this venue looks totally different due to the natural light, the florals, the season. Carolina Grove is truly versatile!

And who doesn’t love to cap off the night with a grand reception? Another perk of this North Carolina wedding venue is the ability to have an open or closed hall. There are large garage style doors that have a beautiful black trim to keep it on vibe. Having them closed gives you the ability to have a view of who is out on the veranda and just be in nature while also being secure from its elements if they aren’t perfect on your day. But having them open also brings in fresh air and opens up the space to the veranda allowing an indoor/outdoor type reception.

Southern Harvest Hospitality Group did something I don’t see often in the wedding industry. They labeled each food item with allergy awareness. Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Dairy Free.. I thought this was SUPER special. Having a daughter with severe allergies, this made me smile. They definitely earned my business for when she’s MUCH older and decides to get married. So, Southern Harvest-GREAT JOB! That little detail was an AMAZING touch.

As I always say, some photographs are meant to be in black and white as well as color. Sometimes black and white just speaks louder than color, to me anyway. You can feel the emotions while it also feels like a truly frozen moment in time. So, I leave you with these. I’d love to know your thoughts on black and white photographs in the comments!

KOBY & CHRIS

AS YOUR ANNIVERSARY GETS CLOSER,

TAKE TIME TO REFLECT ON THE WONDERFUL DAY YOU CREATED & KNOW IT WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE LOVE YOU SHARE.

LOOKING FOR NORTH CAROLINA WEDDING VENDORS?

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AN EXQUISITE SUMMER WEDDING AT CAMELOT MEADOWS IN NORTH CAROLINA

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A JULY WEDDING IN BELMONT, NC AT CAMELOT MEADOWS JUST SOUTH OF CHARLOTTE, NC

ALY DIXON & CHASE TRITES OF LAKE WYLIE, SC

July 15, 2023

On this hot Saturday in July, the bamboo forest was the only thing that could cool down the heat from this wedding! Everything about Aly & Chase’s wedding day south of Charlotte, NC in Belmont, NC at Camelot Meadows was FIRE! The heat, the couple, the dress, the tux, the love. It was all perfection.

Needless to say, the men in this wedding knew how to have a good time. Everything was super fun & competitive while staying full of laughs! Chase could not have asked for a better group. And I’m loving the khaki suits for North Carolina summer weddings with the pop of color in the bowtie. Plus, arriving off of Lake Wylie on your boat to your wedding is totally underrated! Highly recommend!

And don’t get me wrong, these photographs are beautiful in color. But sometimes, black and white just speaks volumes. Even without a stitch of color (which I am a bold & true to life photographer), black and white photographs can just hit all the emotions. Not every photograph should be black and white. But the ones that do.. they should be showcased.

The dressing rooms at Camelot Meadows are spacious and offer plenty of mirrors (definitely a perk of this south of Charlotte wedding venue!). And the bamboo forest is an epic spot for a dress photograph.

Aly & Chase chose to do a first look before the ceremony in the bamboo forest of Camelot Meadows. It did not disappoint! We proceeded to do their bride & groom traditional photographs that you would do after the ceremony beforehand to allow them more time to be with their guests and enjoy cocktail hour.

There are many different opinions by everyone on a first look. But I see the benefits of both the first look and traditional way. A lot of guests say they want to see the groom cry when the bride comes down the aisle. Well, this groom did just that EVEN AFTER a first look! It CAN happen!

The ceremony took place in front of the bamboo forest underneath the summer sun. The white washed wooden aisle is lined with beautiful white petals. Truly spectacular setting for a summer wedding. The ceremony was full of personal stories, sweet tears, and true sentiment. You may notice, we were also praying for the clouds to hold on one side of the ceremony while the other side of the sky was full of white fluffy clouds! You never know what you are going to get with North Carolina summer weather, but the rain held out for these two.

*Check out the photograph of the ring bearer. You may notice a little visitor who made their debut just passing through. 🦋

The reception inside the venue at Camelot Meadows in Belmont was absolutely fabulous. This crowd knew how to get down. The gourgeous chandeliers were lining the middle of the venue. There was also plenty of room to dance, which is a very important part to think about when you are looking for a venue to accommodate your crowd. Everyone was up dancing from the young to the young at heart. I LIVE for a fun reception! It adds a level of fun & uniqueness to your gallery, showcasing everyone just having a great time and being themselves!

Last and BY FAR not the least: THE EXIT! If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know how I feel about an exit photo. It truly puts the cherry on top of your day. We put a lot of time and effort in to each exit, ensuring that we pick up the vibe of the day & night and coordinate them together. We know your color palette, what looks great on you, what your vibe is as a couple, and what material you will be using for your exit (sparklers, bubbles, etc.). With our deep knowledge of lighting, we take these elements and compile them together for the PERFECT exit photograph.

In this case, it RAINED (remember how we discussed the clouds holding back earlier?). It rained. Some photographers may see this as a nightmare. We at Caitlin Gregory Photography saw this as an opportunity not to pass up! A North Carolina Summer Wedding with a little rain in the mix? Yes please!

wedding reception exit in nc with rain and sparklers photographer

This absolutely wonderful wedding in Belmont, NC right at Lake Wylie, SC would not have been possible without all the vendors working together making it the glorious day it was. Looking for Charlotte, North Carolina area wedding vendors? This list may help!

Planner: Carolina Roses

Photographer: Caitlin Gregory Photography (North Carolina)

Florals: Carolina Roses

Venue: Camelot Meadows (Belmont, NC)

DJ: DJ Sinsations

Catering: Family Catering Service (Huntersville, NC)

Bar Service: Carolina Crafts on Tap