Ana met Will in the winter of 2015 during one of her trips to Charlotte as a flight attendant. They knew they liked one another immediately, so they scheduled an official date in the upcoming weeks. Their first date took place at Not Just Coffee in the 7th Street Market. They talked about everything under the sun, and then decided to extend things with a trip to the Carolinas Aviation Museum. Things went so well that Ana changed her flight home so she could also have dinner with Will, even though doing so meant an hours-long bus ride back to her home in Maryland. After just a few months of dating, it was as though they’d known each other for years.
When Will made the decision to propose, he knew it all had to go back to where he and Ana had started to forge their connection, Not Just Coffee. His plan was to do the deed first thing on a Saturday morning, but he was so excited to get on with things that they ended up at the 7th Street Market on Friday night instead. After the proposal, Ana and Will hit some of their favorite uptown spots, including Fahrenheit and Stoke. The ring was just what Ana wanted to accommodate her busy lifestyle: a simple solitaire diamond set low in a four-prong setting.
For the big day, Ana and Will toured several sites, but they finally settled on Morning Glory Farms. They felt at ease there and knew that the location would provide the beautiful backdrop they wanted. As a photographer, I love working at Morning Glory Farms. It’s quaint and neat and surrounded by blooming farmland. One of my favorite backdrops on the site is the Bridal Cottage, which has these beautiful, light-toned interiors with tons of great surfaces to shoot against (especially helpful for bridal details) and a gorgeous stone exterior. The wedding site itself is stunning. The bride makes her entrance into the ceremony area through double-hung antique doors, down a bricked path that curves through the woods, and then opens into a lovely spot overlooking the pond. It’s like the place was designed with photography and peace in mind, in equal measures. It’s like you could fill the venue with any amount of detail and everything would look perfect, no matter what.
One of the moments I love most from this collection of photos is the pair of first look portrait sessions I did with Ana, one with her dad, and then one with Will. Once Ana was dressed and ready, I directed her dad to a beautiful meadow adjacent to the Bridal Cottage and asked him to stand with his back turned. Ana made her approach, looking totally amazing by the way. When her father turned around he looked like his heart might actually burst. After a few portraits of Ana and her bridesmaids, we headed up the gravel road to the ceremony site for her first look with Will (also precious). Then we roamed the property capturing images in a few more gorgeous spots before getting everyone tucked away until the ceremony began.
For their honeymoon, Ana and Will headed to Hawaii, where they surfed, snorkeled, drank local craft beers and hiked a volcano.
I had such an amazing time working with these two. I’m so delighted to have been a part of their wedding day. An enormous thank you to my second photographer, Laura, for contributing her lovely images to Ana and Will’s wedding collection.
Event Planner: Caroline Emmons of Mint to Be Weddings
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Morning Glory Farm
Ceremony Officiate: Rev. Dr. Patrick Malloy
Hair and Make-up: Jennifer Abercrombie Beauty
Floral Design: Ribald Florals and Events
Catering: Best Impressions Caterers
Cake Artist: Icing on the Edge
