We always love being a part of any couple’s big day and consider it an honor to be chosen to capture their wedding, but when you get to join a group as incredible as Ali and Jackson’s it takes the work out of the day and you find yourself smiling and laughing along with everyone. The day started sweet and sentimental and ended with a bang. What a reception! This group knew how to celebrate a great occasion, and celebrate they did! Congrats, Ali & Jackson! We hope your marriage is blessed with as much fun and laughter as your incredible wedding day!
~ A big thank you to these vendors for making Ali & Jackson’s wedding so special ~
Ceremony Venue: St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church
Reception Venue: Sedgefield Country Club (Dye Course)
Hair & Makeup: Family friend, Tasha
Flowers: Family friend, Kari
Cake: Delicious
SESSION TYPE: Senior Diva Session
LOCATION: Combo (Wicked Purple+location)
MAKE UP & HAIR: Brittany Hall (from Chevalrie Salon and Spa)
CLOTHING STYLIST: Wicked Purple Boutique
PHOTOGRAPHER: Bill Broere (assistant Dyanne Broere)
We had a blast with two more of our Senior Spokesmodels even in the midst of a torrential downpour! It didn't stop us from getting some incredible shots of Nikki and Sarah Austen. These best friends were full of life and made our jobs easy! Thanks Nikki and Sarah Austen for a great shoot!
Also a HUGE thank you to both Wicked Purple for the awesome clothes and accessories and Brittany for the gorgeous hair and make up. Our dream team helped us make this another successful Senior Diva Shoot!
The Lofts at Union Square is quickly becoming the most sought after wedding venue in The Triad and beyond, even drawing brides from Raleigh and Charlotte…and we can see why. The unique look of The Lofts makes it a venue like no other. The signature fluted columns, the floor to ceiling windows, the exposed brick…it all culminates into an immediate wow factor as soon as you walk in the door.
Originally the Adams Millis hosiery plant built in 1904, the history of The Lofts is still evident today. It might seem like an odd backdrop for a wedding, but the stark contrast of the industrial architecture against the beauty of a wedding reception makes for a sight that is nothing short of jaw dropping.
Under the direction of Ayesha Oglesby, The Lofts has been gaining extreme momentum taking it from a wedding venue with great potential to the “it” wedding venue of the Triad. To date there are already over 70 weddings booked for 2014, and with a third space opening up in The Lofts, that number is sure to continue to climb. With several moving parts at The Lofts, Ayesha is keenly aware of all of the venue's events and keeps the importance of the bride and groom’s day at the center of her focus to ensure their day is flawless.
The Lofts's tagline “unlimited possibilities” hits the nail on the head. It is the perfect place to let your wedding dreams come to life and to execute the vision you’ve always had of your big day.
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. All brides have heard this saying, and most make sure they follow it on their wedding day. One of the oldest traditions is not seeing the groom before the wedding. What happens if you do? Is it really bad luck?
Although having the “first look” is on the rise, we have had only a handful of couples that have chosen to see one another before the wedding. And for each of them it has been a special moment.
One of our couples decided to have their first look at the front of the church where they were to be married. It was a large stone church with an extremely long aisle. The groom was waiting at the front of the church while the bride slowly walked toward him. It was such a dramatic moment. You could have heard a pin drop. No guests, no bridal party, no parents. Just the bride and the groom together for a brief time to enjoy each other before the commotion of the day ensued.
At one of our destination weddings, the couple planned to meet on a bridge over one of the resort pools. The groom stood at the middle of the bridge anxiously awaiting that first glimpse of his bride. She peeked around a tropical tree to see him and immediately beamed with excitement. It was so adorable and heartwarming to see them together.
Another couple planned to have their first look at the grand staircase of the hotel where the bride was getting ready. She kept trying to peek down the stairs. She couldn’t wait to see him! Once she got to the landing at the top of the stairs, she stopped for a moment and smiled. Seeing the groom’s face the first moment he saw his future wife was the best.
A wedding in Florida brought us another highly anticipated first look moment. The groom waited on the dock behind a family friend’s home for his bride to walk down to him. You could see him pacing the dock while he waited for her. Their moment of solitude among the mossy trees was so romantic, as if it was straight out of a movie.
If you're wondering whether the moments were taken away for these brides when they walked down the aisle for the ceremony, don't worry. In each case the excitement was still there. The music, the guests, the flowers, and knowing this time they’d be saying “I do” created another emotional experience for the bride and groom to enjoy. Nothing, however, will compare to that first quiet moment when each couple was together...alone.
The fantastic boutique in High Point, Wicked Purple, provided the amazing outfits and accessories. And our two favorite stylists, Brittany and Gentri from Chevalrie Salon and Spa, joined us again to do the gorgeous hair and make up.
A huge thank you to everyone that helped make this shoot happen!
Awesome shoot, girls!!! ~ Bill
Flower bouquets are an essential part of the wedding day. The colors and the various types of flowers add another dimension to the bridal party as they stand before your family and friends…but they can be so much more!
The bridal bouquet is the perfect hiding place to hold small trinkets of personal value. The possibilities are endless! Wrap a family handkerchief around the stems while holding the bouquet or even wrap a piece of your mother’s wedding dress around your bouquet. One mother of the bride surprised her daughter by doing just that. The bride didn’t know until just before she walked down the aisle and was handed her bouquet. It made holding that bouquet all the more meaningful.
You can also attach to the bouquet a piece of jewelry or a locket of a loved one who cannot be with you the day of the wedding. Honor your loved one by holding them close to you on your most important day.
Or you can use your bouquet to show off the initial of your new last name. Don’t let the personalized napkins or cake topper be the only places that get to announce your new name!
The bouquets can also be a chance to give your bridal party a thank you gift. One of our brides gave each of her bridesmaids a beautiful broach, but instead of giving it to them in a gift-wrapped box she pinned the broaches to their bouquets. The same idea was carried over to the mothers’ bouquets. The bride wrapped a bracelet with a silver charm engraved with their initials around the bouquets. The mothers loved their flowers, but when they saw the extra-added touch they were even more thrilled to carry their bouquets.
Another bride had her floral designer add flowers to beautiful pearl bracelets for her mother, future mother-in-law, and flower girl. After the wedding the flowers could be removed and each of the recipients had a beautiful memento of the day.
Taking a part of your wedding decorations and adding a personal touch instantly takes it to a new level. Bouquets can be more than beautiful flowers...they can be gift boxes for the person holding them.
The photo-ops are endless at Rose Hill Plantation. We felt like kids in a candy store! As you begin driving up the half-mile private drive lined with Crepe Myrtles, you will understand why Rose Hill has become one of our favorite wedding venues. It’s like the opening scene of a movie! When you pull up to the Manor House you just know there could not be a more perfect location for your once in a lifetime day.
Whether you have 50 or 400 names on your guest list, Rose Hill Plantation has the right place to say “I do”. If you’d like to be indoors, there is a grand ballroom in Nathan Hall that lives up to the word “grand”. Or if you’d like to utilize the 830-acre estate, there are several outdoor options from the Pecan Grove to the front steps of the Manor House or even a gazebo overlooking the swans swimming in the pond.
As if the beauty of this place isn’t enough, the service and food are over the top. The General Manager, Walter Marrotta, has been with Rose Hill for 8 years. Starting out as the Executive Chef, he knows the ins and outs of everything and will be able to handle any request a bride can bring him. With a man like Walter at the helm of the staff, you can rest assured your day will be in the best hands. They will even go out with leaf blowers to dry the grass and the chairs if it has rained the morning of your wedding. Talk about going the extra mile!
Rose Hill Plantation has 52 weddings in a given year, so we’d suggest putting this venue at the top of your list, and visit it soon!
We had the pleasure of chatting with the extremely talented Amy Dunlap, owner of Amy Lynne Originals, at her studio in downtown Winston-Salem. As soon as we walked in the door, we were greeted with a big smile and an outstretched, welcoming hand. Even though we had the opportunity to photograph her exquisite flowers at JR & Michelle's wedding, this was the first time we sat down and talked with the woman behind the flowers.
Amy received her degree in Horticulture at the University of Kentucky, but her innate ability for floral design goes beyond what you can learn in a classroom. She gets to know her clients and delivers exactly what they’re dreaming of seeing on their most important day.
In order to keep her “creative juices flowing”, Amy hosts workshops in her studio for those interested in getting invaluable guidance on how to put your own arrangements together. Her next workshop will be a BYOC workshop, Bring Your Own Container. If you have a container you’ve wanted to put out in your home but just don’t know what to put in it, grab it and see what Amy can help you put together.
Amy is a member of The Chapel Designers, a network of some of the country’s best floral designers, and will be attending their workshop in New York this year…yet another way to keep her creative mind sharp.
Amy truly has a way of making her brides’ dreams come to life. We so hope to be able to work with her again and see what beauty she brings to another wedding.
The gorgeous details came together to make their reception not only a stunning sight but also a wonderful tribute to their families and their family’s history. A table of family photos, a dessert selection of homemade goodies from the bride’s mother (the pecan pie was amazing!), and a beaded send off for the bride and groom brought their fabulous day to a close.
Congrats Laurel & Blair!
~ A big thank you to these vendors for making Laurel & Blair’s day so special ~
First Look Venue: JH Adams Inn
Ceremony Venue: Christ United Methodist Church
Reception Venue: The Lofts at Union Square
Hair & Makeup: Brittany & Gentri with Chevalrie Salon
Flowers: Becki Arrington
Caterer: Visions
Cake: Doris Tilley
DJ: Randy Smith (Your Personal DJ)
There were so many special moments throughout their day that really made the whole day a tribute to their love and the love of their families. The personal memento on Michelle’s bouquet; the first look she had with her brother and dad; the bus ride in between the ceremony and reception that paid homage to Michelle’s profession (she’s an elementary school teacher); the mini-celebration picnic with the wedding party before the reception…JR & Michelle really made it a day of celebrating everyone that brought them to this big day…and it was a great celebration!
Congrats JR & Michelle!
~ A big thank you to these vendors for making Michelle & JR’s day so special ~
Wedding Planner: Beverly Shepard with Occasionally Yours
Ceremony Venue: St. Leo the Great Catholic Church
Reception Venue: Brookstown Inn
Hair: Courtney Stowers with The Escape Salon
Flowers: Amy Lynne Originals
Caterer: Visions
Frozen Yogurt Bar: Brynn's Frozen Yogurt
DJ: Randy Smith (Your Personal DJ)
Congrats Jen & Tom!
~ A big thank you to these vendors for making Jen and Tom’s day so special ~
Wedding Planner: Jan Greene
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Grandover
Hair: Lauren Ladd with Local Honey Salon
Flowers: Jordan House
Cake: Maxi B's
DJ: Wally West
The most beautiful moment of the day was the smile that came across Scott’s face when he saw Jamie pull up in her horse drawn carriage. It was the epitome of love…and they only had eyes for each other the entire night.
Congrats Jamie & Scott!
~ A big thank you to these vendors for making Jamie and Scott’s day so special ~
Wedding Planner: Your First Impression
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Rose Hill Plantation
Dress: The Intimate Bridal
Hair & Makeup: Images by Denise
Flowers: Expressions of Love
Harpist: Laura Byrne
Cake: Susan Ellis
DJ: Mr. Beach
We are a little biased in saying this, but we are obsessed with this shoot! We can't thank Brittany and Gentri at Chevalrie Salon & Spa enough for helping us pull this shoot off...and pull it off so well! They glammed up our senior models with the perfect hair, make up, and fashion and really made our vision come to life.
The outfits by Show Diva Designs at this shoot were unbelievable! A different direction than their casual line, these were one-of-a-kind, handcrafted works of art! They are western show outfits that were definitely made to be showcased...be sure to catch them in person at the NCQHA Fall Classic and the Congress this October so you can see for yourself just how gorgeous they are.
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A gorgeous dress, a stunning bride-to-be, a beautiful day, and the perfect backdrop make our jobs easy…and our job was easy with this bridal shoot at Rose Hill Plantation. Photo ops were at every turn and only made Jamie look even more beautiful.
We can’t wait to see Scott's face when he sees his bride for the first time in this gown!
(P.S. Don't fret. We waited to post this after the wedding...and yes, Scott was floored!)
Love and laughter were all around us on this shoot. If cartoon hearts could have appeared, they would have...and there was no wiping the smiles off of these two. They were both filled with pure joy that can only come from good old fashioned L-O-V-E. What a fun afternoon spent with a couple that is just giddy in love!
Kelly has been around horses for as long as she can remember. It's where she loves to be. It's where she longs to be. To see her with her horses is to see love in another light. It's magnificent. It's peaceful. Simply put, it's beautiful.
These Wolfpack fans were so fun to be with. They have an undeniable love for each other that was evident from the start. Scott's eyes light up at the sight of his bride-to-be...which made the day of shooting go by like a breeze. What a fun-filled day with two lovebirds that even ended with fireworks. Literally!
There is just something about a newborn baby that makes you swoon, and Harper is everything a new baby girl should be. An itty bitty bundle of sweetness! We've known her mom since she was in preschool, so that made this shoot all the more special. Little Stacy is all grown up and has her own precious baby girl now.
Congrats Stacy and Brandon! Harper is a doll baby!
We had another fashion shoot opportunity, and this time it was for Show Diva Designs. Their specialty is limited edition western show apparel. However, this shoot featured their awesome new line of everyday looks. Catch Show Diva Designs at the NCQHA Fall Classic and the Congress this October.
These two are a couple plucked straight from the storybooks. A few minutes with them and anyone can see how in love they are. It only took this love-struck couple a few dates before they knew this was it...and how sweet it is!
We had two shoots with JR & Michelle, one in the winter and one in the spring...and their smiles were just as big and their excitement for the big day was just as evident. It's heartwarming to be in the midst of this kind of love.
"Love abounds" was the theme of the day for Kathryn and Ziad. And it went beyond the bride and groom. The love between the family members of these two was incredible. Ziad's best man, his dad, was beaming the entire day. Almost as much as the happy couple. Almost!
A loving couple plus a love-filled family only makes for the perfect celebration and a great wedding day.
Congrats Kathryn and Ziad!
~ A big thank you to these vendors for making Kathryn and Ziad's day so special ~
Wedding Planner: Coordinated Events
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Grandover
Dress: Tre Bella
Hair & Makeup: Updo's
Flowers: Cindy Tole of Botanica Flowers & Gifts
Cake: Ellen Allen
DJ: Wally West
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We had the opportunity to do a fashion shoot for Unique Chic, an up and coming fashion line out of Raleigh that offers a wide range of super cute and trendy styles for all occasions. It was neat to finally see the bright, vibrant clothes in person knowing the hard work and dedication that went into making it all happen. We'd say that hard work paid off! Congrats Lindsey!
Blink and you'll miss it! That's what Hutson's first year felt like. We've watched this precious girl grow from the very beginning (even from the first ultrasound). She has already developed the sweetest, cutest, most adorable personality.
We shot this back in January but loved it so much we had to share some of our favorite images. This was such a fun shoot! I think it was as much fun for Hutson too...it might have something to do with the balloons and birthday cake.
Happy birthday (again), sweet girl!
Welcome to the blog for Bill Broere Photography! We are so excited to share our latest work with you and to show you the real beauty behind our business, our clients. We hope you enjoy our posts. Thank you for stopping by!
Bill & Lauren