Welcome to my blog! I'm thrilled to be able to share with you my favorite images from weddings, engagements, maternity, and more! Grab a cup of coffee and get snuggly cuz this blog will give you all the feels!
the blog
welcome to
JC Raulston Arboretum
Thanks Mary & Jeremy for going on a fun filled adventure with us! We can’t wait for your Hickory wedding next spring!
XOXOXO,
Mabyn
Click here to see more amazing engagements!
Since moving to North Carolina and getting to experience the beautiful Appalachian mountains, I’ve dreamed of getting a couple to explore the Blue Ridge Parkway with. When Mallory & Peter came along, it quickly became clear that they were going to be the perfect couple to realize this dream with their engagement session. Daniel & I were not disappointed! I may still be on a mountain high, because we all know how I get, but this may be my favorite session to date! It was the perfect combination of a beautiful couple letting their guard down for our cameras + one of the most amazing settings in NC – the Blue Ridge Parkway! I think I’ll always swoon over this engagement session!
Getting to know Mallory & Peter, their love for each other, & their dedication to serve & protect this country has been more amazing than I can express. These two have found the real deal in each other and it shows in every single look, smile, and touch. It’s days like this that set my heart on fire for photography. Thank you both for trusting us to be your genuine loving selves!
We started the day at Moses Cone Manor in case the weather proved to be nasty. Thankfully everything was sunshine & beautiful! Especially Mallory & Peter’s snuggles. There is nothing more sweet!
There was an amazing row of giant and beautiful old tree’s lining the road at the Moses Cone Manor & I was drawn to them like a moth to a flame. The were the perfect frame for our sweet couple!
Sometimes during a photo shoot we’ll give our clients prompts to get them interacting together. Something and simple as walking down a hill hand in hand can create some gorgeous moments!
Snuggles are my favorite and these two do it so well it’s ridiculous! Add in that gorgeous afternoon sunlight and there is just pure magic going on!
Our original plans for their engagement session got derailed due to the weather, so when we met up we looked at all of the fun places we could visit on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Mallory & Peter loved the idea of having some water in their shots so we ventured over to Julian Price Lake and found it to be most accommodating!
Engagement sessions + nose kisses = melting hearts!
Our third location in our adventure with Mallory & Peter was to climb the Rough Ridge trail. There were so many perfect spots to stop along the way!
I got to snag funny little moments like this one all day long! It’s so much fun being silly together!
These two are already amazing, but Mallory definitely added bonus points when she blazed the trail in her adorable booties!
Mallory & Peter had us laughing all day long…case in point.
The way these two look at each other…there’s no one else in the entire world!
This engagement session was more than just a dream come true, it is an incredibly important time in the lives of Mallory & Peter. In just a few short weeks they’ll be deployed to serve & protect our country. I couldn’t be more honored to capture a couple and their love and I pray it will bring them comfort during their time apart.
Knowing this kind of love is such a gift and Mallory and Peter understand that like few people do. We truly loved every moment we got to spend with them that afternoon.
After navigating the muddy trail at Rough Ridge we made it to the top where the winds practically howled they were so strong!
See what I mean about rocking those booties? Mallory is something fierce!
It was so clear on the Blue Ridge Parkway, you could see for miles!
Our last stop during their incredible engagement session was at the Beacon Heights trail where we discovered hundreds of amazing spots to shoot!
By that time the sun was on it’s way down and the light just got better and better.
Look at how the light just filters so beautifully through those trees? It was like butter!
Beacon Heights offers another spectacular view of the Appalachian mountains, we just can’t handle it!
There were mountains and kisses for days on top of Beacon Heights!
I’ll never get sick of love & mountains!
A funny story, as we prepared for Mallory & Peter’s engagement session, I got a little distracted by an ad for a beautiful dress. I was considering buying it…guess who wore it to their engagement session? Mallory’s got great taste!
When Daniel & I visited Beacon Heights a few weeks prior to this shoot, it was at least 15 degrees colder & there were tons of people there trying to capture the sunset. Somehow at Mallory & Peter’s session we got it all to ourselves!
We had to push Peter to do this shot a little bit. It’s something they both do on a regular basis, but Peter didn’t want to get makeup on his tongue! These guys were SO funny!
When you’re in love & you let it show, there’s no need for poses. It’s raw & real and we love that!
This shot looks like it was taken right out of an epic romantic movie doesn’t it? So much happiness!
This, THIS is why I love engagement sessions people. When else do you get several hours to just breathe each other in? We get so busy in life, everyone needs to hit that pause button and remember why we love!
Blue mountains at the end of our Blue Ridge Parkway adventure. Just perfect!
XOXOXO,
Mabyn
To see more amazing photo sessions click here!
What is an Engagement Session?
One of my favorite parts of the whole wedding photography experience is our engagement sessions! It’s good quality time that we crave with our clients. It’s a session prior to your wedding that allows us to see how you interact. We also learn about your hopes, dreams, and desires, and allows us to capture some invaluable memories.
Over the years our sessions have evolved from pretty pictures in a park to a more involved and experiential session. Most of our sessions are full of fun exploring new places or doing activities with you while laughing and joking with each other. Sometimes they even and end with a pretty spectacular dinner and drinks. By the end of the whole day we feel like we’ve known our clients for years and we’re better for it.
Why are we so passionate about our engagement sessions?
Well other than the fact that they’re so much fun, it allows us to see into your world for just a small window of time. This little bit of insight allows us to understand what is going to be important to you on your wedding day. It’ll also put you at ease for your wedding day because you’ll trust us even more and you’ll feel completely comfortable being in front of our lenses!
How do we plan for our engagement session?
If you’re feeling a little nervous about your session with us, don’t worry! We gotchu! We’ve put together a few tips and tricks on how to create your dream engagement session! Check out this video!
6 Tips for creating your dream engagement session:
1 – Think about what’s special or exciting to you: Is there a location that means something to you both? Are there activities you enjoy doing together (i.e. going for coffee/drinks, hiking in the mountains, reading comic books together, ect..) Do you want to go on an adventure together to a place you’ve never been? The options are endless & will help ensure your engagement session is more than just pretty pictures at a nice location.
2 – Make a day of it: Use this as an opportunity to “treat youself” and enjoy the entire day. Go out for coffee or brunch. Get a massage, get your hair & makeup done. Get pampered, relax, and then have fun at our session together.
3 – This is not your friends engagement sessions: I’m sure you’ve all seen your friends engagement pictures. They may have a lot of deer in the headlight photos with smiles plastered to their faces. They may have been posed awkwardly and you can’t help but cringe a little when you see them. We all know “those engagement photos.” Don’t worry, this experience will be the complete opposite. My goal during this session is to capture your true dynamic as a couple, not a manufactured one. Who are you as a couple? Are you goofy & love to pick on one another? Are you more introverted and prefer to just hold hands? If you’re ever uncomfortable, you just have to say the word. I’ll also work to pose you in moment making opporunities. So there will be a lot of banter & activites to keep you distracted from the fact that I’ve got a camera in front of my face.
4 – Be yourself!: There’s something about being in front of the camera that makes a lot of people instantly turn into robots who don’t know what to do with their hands! I’ve got you boo! I’ve been posing couples for years and I can tell you the easiest way to know what to do with those awkward hands is to STAY CONNECTED. By holding onto your honey naturally you’ll instantly look like a pro on the camera. Plus I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve to help you kill it no matter what!
5 – Dress comfortably: Be sure to wear clothes that make you feel comortable and confident! I usually recommend bringing 2 outfits and a lot of my couples like to make them contrasting (i.e. formal vs casual). Also by having 2 outfits you’ll have variety and a backup outfit in case one doesn’t photograph quite the way you’d hope. You can also see my blog on how to choose the best outfits for your engagement session here.
6 – Go with the flow: You’ll hear me say this a lot for both your engagement session and your wedding day. Things happen, weather changes, you get a crazy text right before your session. No matter what, if you go with the flow and just enjoy each other you’re going to have a fabulous session and we’ll create some amazing images together!
I hope these tips help you feel more confident and inspire you to dream up an amazing engagement session! I can’t wait to hear all about your plans.
XOXOXO,
Mabyn
When you think of an engagement session what pops into your mind? A pretty garden with lots of sunlight & fragrant blooms where the couple smiles dreamily at each other and then back at the camera? Yeah…that’s not what we’ve got here. Prepare yourselves for some seriously delicious awesome sauce!
When Aine & Joe first reached out, they came over to our little apartment and hung out with me for 5 hours! That’s right friends, 5 hours. They win the longest wedding consult ever, but I loved every. single. minute! I kinda wish they didn’t live all the way near Raleigh, because I have a feeling there would be many more of those amazing hang out sessions…like AAAAAAALL the time!
So in getting to know our couples I love to look for connection points, aka things we share in common. Usually Daniel and I share at least one sometimes two things in common, when we reach three I get super giddy because I know we’ll be good friends. Well I’m pretty sure Aine, Joe, Daniel, & I share like 50 things in common! We talked about our geeky passions like Harry Potter & Star Wars, then Daniel & Joe moved easily into their musical passions, while Aine & I talked about our adoration for animals and how we keep collecting them!
When their engagement session finally arrived, I couldn’t help but dance inside as we drove out toward Chapel Hill. We started at Joe’s very cool place of employment, the B-Side Lounge in Carboro, NC. Another wonderful commonality that we share is a love for board games! So they busted out Ticket to Ride and had an amazing time “fake” beating each other at the game. Oh the shenanigans!
The light fades fast in the winter, so as we drove to the next location we did a little sun chasing! We found this amazing spot at the end of a side road that looked just like a path out of the Deathly Hallows! I halted our car and waved frantically for them to stop as well and we managed to snag that sunshine JUST in time before it went down.
Our adventure continued and took us to The Forest Theater in Chapel Hill which provided a perfect seat to read some comic books & make snarky remarks at one another. And what geektastic photoshoot would be complete without an appearance by a Star Wars light saber umbrella?! I think these need to be required at every engagement I shoot now. ?
We did eventually put our cameras down, but we had SO much fun that we couldn’t stop the party! We ended our evening hanging out at one of my personal favorite coffee spots in Chapel Hill, Caffé Driade and talking late into the night! The perfect way to wrap things up!
So when you envision an engagement session…what do you think of now?
XOXOXO,
Mabyn
