Black Mountain Wedding Photography

At the beginning of Jessica & Mike's wedding week, I began checking the weather forecast for Saturday (as I usually do). All the way up until Thursday, the forecast was rain. I was totally prepared to brave the rain and get some awesome photos regardless of the weather, but there is nothing like a wedding on a beautiful sunny afternoon in Western North Carolina. And I was thrilled the forecast was wrong, because Saturday turned out to be an absolutely gorgeous day!

The guests were seated, the music played, and the beautiful ceremony for Jessica and Mike began beneath the tree on Lake Tomahawk. I got to know some of the wedding party at their rehearsal dinner the night before, and they were SO much fun! The fun continued on Saturday, and I was honored to capture the memories between such a loving group of family and friends.

Check out a sneak peek from their amazing day below. Congrats, Jessica & Mike!

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If you’re reading this wedding photography blog for the first time, welcome! My name is Lance Crawford and I’m a wedding photographer in beautiful, quirky Asheville, NC. Feel free to leave a comment (or give a like). If you’re interested in hiring me for your wedding or portrait, please drop me a line. I’d love to chat!

via Ultraviolet Photography | Asheville Wedding Photography - blog http://www.ultravioletimages.com/blog/2016/jessica-mike-black-mountain-wedding-asheville-wedding-photographer

Hickory Wedding Photographer

Lindsay and Cory could not have asked for a more beautiful day for their wedding. And I could not have asked for a cooler couple to photograph. I had the honor of photographing their engagement session and Lindsay's bridal portrait, and since I had so much fun at both sessions, I was completely stoked to photograph their wedding. Their wedding was at the lovely Rex Allen Theater, located in the beautiful countryside of Hickory, North Carolina. It's one of the oldest farms in western North Carolina, is family-run, and has a great theater on site to host an intimate reception.

From the wedding party to the friends and family, everyone was so great. I had a blast photographing the details and capturing the special moments preparing for the wedding ceremony and celebration (not to mention, the sweet '67 Mustang below!). I spent some time with Lindsay and her bridesmaids in the bridal house and then headed up to the theater where the guys were getting ready. Then, the ceremony by the pond, which was so beautiful and peaceful. Once the couple was pronounced as husband and wife, we captured some great shots of the wedding party and families. Then, my favorite part of the day...

Bride & Groom Portraits

After all group photos are done, I send everyone but the the bride and groom to the reception. At this point, they've been married for about 30 minutes, but they haven't had a chance to just breathe and...be married. So, I give them a couple minutes where I back away and just ask them to enjoy a few minutes together away from the crowd (these moments make some for some amazing photos, too!) For this special moment, we took a golf cart ride to a secluded field on the property. It was an amazing spot. In a few pictures below, you'll see this field has a few abandoned church steeples. I thought they were really interesting, so we took the opportunity to get a couple of them in the photos. Once our portraits session was complete, we took the golf cart back to the theater, and the reception fun began!

A Beautiful Day

With a beautiful day and a wonderful couple, this wedding could not have been better. I'm so thankful to have been a part of it by capturing some lifelong memories on camera. Here's a sneak peek into their incredible day:

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If you’re reading this wedding photography blog for the first time, welcome! My name is Lance Crawford and I’m a wedding photographer in beautiful, quirky Asheville, NC. Feel free to leave a comment (or give a like). If you’re interested in hiring me for your wedding or portrait, please drop me a line. I’d love to chat!

via Ultraviolet Photography | Asheville Wedding Photography - blog http://www.ultravioletimages.com/blog/2016/lindsay-cory-hickory-wedding-asheville-wedding-photographer

Wedding Day Tip from an Asheville Photographer

So, I've decided to turn this whole "wedding day tip" thing into an ongoing blog series. As I wrote about in my first post, wedding days can be a huge blur. There are tons of special, sentimental moments and lasting memories. And sometimes, these moments all blend together and become one big giant rush of adrenaline. There’s also a lot of moving parts and many people demanding your attention. Planning details ahead of time is crucial to a relaxed, blissful wedding day (yes, a relaxed wedding day is possible!). So, that's why I've created this series, Wedding Day Tips. This is mostly for the brides. Sorry fellas, you're just not as important. I'm kidding! Sort of. Anyway, here's a wedding day tip:

Seven Things a Bride Should Bring to Her Getting Ready Room

Do you want to make your photographer super happy? I mean...Do you want to have AMAZING photos that you will cherish forever of all your gorgeous details you spent so much time picking out for the most important day of your life?

I thought so.

Plan to bring these seven items to your getting ready room. Whether you’re in the bridal suite at your venue, a hotel, a cabin, or a church basement; bring these items to help your photographer grab some amazing detail shots quickly.

1. Rings.

Have all three of your rings in one box - your engagement ring, your wedding ring, and your groom’s wedding ring. If you’ve got some other combination of rings, bring those! Get these shots out of the way so your photographer is not chasing you down for your rings at the reception.

2. Other jewelry.

Wearing Grandma’s pearl earrings for your ceremony? Wearing a necklace? Bracelet? Other rings? Bring them! I know this seems obvious. Because it is. But, this is a list, and not everything on this list will be groundbreaking. So, just bring your jewelry, okay?

3. Shoes.

Whether you’re wearing designer shoes or slippers, make sure to bring them to your getting ready room. Wearing Converse All Stars at the reception? Bring those too! Bring all of the shoes.

4. Meaningful Items.

Something borrowed? Something blue? Bring 'em!

5. Flowers.

Sometimes all of the flowers are delivered to the venue. If you’re getting ready somewhere other than your wedding ceremony venue, make sure to grab your bouquets and bring them with you to your getting ready space. This is especially important if you’re doing bridal portraits or some group photos with your bridesmaids at this space. You’ll want to have those flowers on hand for some of the photos!

6. A Nice Hanger for Your Dress.

I realize “dress” is not on this list. That’s just too obvious. But what’s not too obvious is a really nice hanger for your dress. Your photographer will be getting some sweet photos of your dress (probably hanging in front of an open window or doorway), so you’ll want to compliment the dress with a sweet hanger. A nice wooden hanger will suffice, or you can opt for a custom hanger with your name on it.

7. Perfume.

You may not normally wear perfume. But, get this. The sense of smell is the most nostalgic of all the senses. That’s right, smells bring back memories. So, whether you normally wear perfume or not, try wearing a new scent of a really nice perfume for your wedding day. As an added bonus, a nice bottle makes for some nice photos! It might even be a good idea to get your groom’s opinion of the scent before purchasing. After your wedding day, only wear it for special occasions. Each time you wear it, memories for the both of you will come flooding into your mind and fill your heart and you live happily ever after. The End.

via Ultraviolet Photography | Asheville Wedding Photography - blog http://www.ultravioletimages.com/blog/2016/wedding-day-tip-seven-things-a-bride-should-bring-to-her-getting-ready-room-asheville-wedding-photographer

Black Mountain Engagement Photographer

I first met Jessica and Mike at an awesome spot in Black Mountain, NC called The Dripolator. As I typically like to do when I first meet with an engaged couple, I swapped stories with them, enjoyed some really good coffee, and talked about a plan for their wedding day. They told me about their love for gourmet BLT sandwiches and how they host a yearly party revolving around said sandwiches (Amazing idea, right?). Immediately, I knew we'd work well together.

Wedding Photography in the Asheville Area

They were obviously crazy in love, so I was stoked at the chance to capture part of their love story on their wedding day. We toured their wedding venue (Lake Tomahawk in Black Mountain) and discussed possible locations for their ceremony. A couple months later, we decided to capture some engagement photos in downtown Black Mountain and around Lake Tomahawk. As a wedding photographer in Asheville, I love to explore all the small towns that surround the area. Literally, every little community in the greater Asheville area is absolutely gorgeous.

From the breathtaking views in Weaverville to the quaint downtown of Hendersonville. From the Seven Sisters Mountains in Black Mountain to Mt. Pisgah in Candler. It’s all amazing. The only problem this day was that it rained almost the entire time! But, Mike and Jessica were enthusiastic to capture these photos (and so was I!). I’m so glad we braved the weather, because the images turned out amazing!

A Monument of Their Love

This was such a fun photo shoot! During our time together, they decided on the exact location to tie the knot. It’s that tree in some of the photos below. That tree is now a monument to their love in the little town of Black Mountain. By the way, the wedding ceremony below the tree turned out to be everything dreams are made of (You’ll have to wait until a later post to see those!). Great choice, y'all! Without further ado, here are Mike and Jessica in Black Mountain:

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If you’re reading this wedding photography blog for the first time, welcome! My name is Lance Crawford and I’m a wedding photographer in beautiful, quirky Asheville, NC. Feel free to leave a comment (or give a like). If you’re interested in hiring me for your wedding or portrait, please drop me a line. I’d love to chat!

via Ultraviolet Photography | Asheville Wedding Photography - blog http://www.ultravioletimages.com/blog/2016/jessica-mike-asheville-engagement-wedding-photographer

As a wedding photographer who has participated in literally hundreds of wedding days, I’ve learned it’s important to delegate the details.

Wedding days can be a huge blur. There are tons of special, sentimental moments and lasting memories. And sometimes, these moments all blend together and become one big giant rush of adrenaline. There’s also a lot of moving parts and many people demanding your attention. Your mom is asking you where your dad’s boutonniere is. Your Aunt Sally wants a quick picture with you before the ceremony. Your bridesmaid is running late and needs directions to the salon. Your ring bearer is uncooperative and your flower girl is having a total meltdown. The list goes on.

But, there are ways to avoid the madness and make sure that the day goes smoothly so that you can focus on what really matters: you and the one you love making the decision to spend the rest of your lives together. No big deal, right? But seriously, everyone is there for that same reason. Why do you have to be the one to focus on everything else?

You delegate wedding photography, why not delegate smaller details?

One key to avoid the madness is to delegate the details to people you trust so you don’t have to worry about it. You hire a photographer so you don’t have to take a selfie on your iPhone during your first kiss (I know a great photographer, by the way!). You hire a florist so you’re not tying some roadside flowers together with a string at the last second. There’s no way you could pull off a large, elegant wedding ceremony and reception without the help of some qualified professionals. So, why not do the same thing with the details?

I would highly recommend hiring a professional day-of wedding planner to handle the medium to large task that somebody has to be in charge of. But, for the small details, delegate it to someone else you trust. And who could that be? Oh, I don’t know, maybe your closest friend whom you’ve already asked to play an important role on your wedding day? That’s right, your Maid of Honor! This is just a suggestion, of course. It could also be a close friends who’s not in the wedding party. It actually could be your Aunt Sally. But, please, whoever it is, delegate someone to take care of details. This day is about you, after all, and almost anybody you ask will be honored to serve that role. If she knows you at all, she’ll make some great small decisions and come to you with any decisions she needs your input on. Think of her like your agent. She’ll filter out annoying phone calls and put out any fires that don’t require your attention.

Delegating Tips from an Asheville Wedding Photographer

Here are some important tips on delegating the details:

Pick someone you love and trust. She’ll be making small decisions for you. You want to trust this person with those decisions.

Pick someone with good organizational skills. Make sure she’s usually punctual and organized. You want someone with whom you have full confidence they’ll get the little things accomplished.

Inform everyone that she’s their go-to person. At the rehearsal dinner, have this person make sure everyone else has her number so they can call and text if need be. No calling/texting the bride about wedding details except for an emergency!

Give your vendors her number in case they can’t get ahold of your planner.

Give her the responsibility of the rings, the flowers, and making sure all your bridesmaids are ready on time.

Have her assist the photographer with group shots after the ceremony. This is obviously my favorite tip. I always have a list of groups shots, but it is SO nice when someone who knows most everyone’s name can help round people up. This eliminates so much wasted time and allows you and your wedding party to get the reception so much quicker!

As other small task come to mind on your wedding day, have her do them! Let her know ahead of time that her job is to alleviate some stress for you. As long as there are clear expectations, this shouldn’t be a problem!

An Asheville Love Story

Wedding Photography for Your Asheville Love Story

Asheville is unique. Your photographers should be too.

A wedding is a beautiful blur: everything around you freezes and speeds up at the same time. Some moments live forever in your mind, while others race off into the forgotten past. We believe wedding photography is about catching those most precious moments in a format that lasts a lifetime. We’re committed to crafting unique, Asheville-classic images that stand the test of time and focus on what’s most important: your love story.

Making you feel at home in front of the camera is a must for any photographer worth their salt. We’ve been doing this long enough to know that weddings are not about photographers. We know our role. We own our part of the day (so you don’t have to), then slide to the background to document the festivities. We take our brand of Asheville-inspired photography everywhere we go, but our primary focus is on capturing the unique story of your wedding.

Why Asheville Photographers?

And what is “Asheville-inspired photography?”

If you choose to get married in Asheville, there is something deep down inside you that beats for this city or its mountains. Maybe you grew up here. Maybe you just love magnificent vistas. Either way, we believe it is important to have a photographer that shares that connection. Because — let’s be honest — Asheville is unique, and those best qualified to tell its stories are those who have lived them.

Asheville-style is about being a little bit different. But it’s also about being classically beautiful. It’s about warm, folksy bricks and expansive timeless mountains. It’s about dusty wooden floors, luxurious leather couches, banjos and violins. We try to take the soul of Asheville and weave it into every photograph we take of the weddings held here. We hope yours will be one of them!

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If you’re reading this wedding photography blog for the first time, welcome! My name is Lance Crawford and I’m a wedding photographer in beautiful, quirky Asheville, NC. Feel free to leave a comment (or give a like). If you’re interested in hiring me for your wedding or portrait, please drop me a line. I’d love to chat!

via Ultraviolet Images | Asheville Wedding Photography - blog http://www.ultravioletimages.com/blog/2016/an-asheville-love-story

The Bridal Portrait | Asheville Photographer

So, bridal portrait sessions. It’s something we do in the South. And maybe it’s just because I’ve been a southerner my entire life, but I love bridal portraits.

On second thought, maybe it’s because I’m a wedding photographer, and I love every opportunity I get to photograph a beautiful bride. For most wedding days, I don’t get an extended period of time to focus on photographing just the bride like I do in a portrait session. There’s just not time built in to a wedding day that allows for that. Sure, I’ll spend most of the day with the bride. I’ll photograph the bride getting her makeup done, sharing a laugh with her bridesmaids, walking down the aisle, and dancing with her new groom. And on a good day, I’ll get maybe fifteen minutes to take few portraits. But, never do I have an hour or more.

So, enter the bridal portrait.

The bridal portrait is exactly what its name implies: a portrait of the bride. I usually schedule the bridal portrait session 1-2 months before the bride’s wedding. Not scheduling too far in advance of the wedding ensures that the bride’s appearance and style don’t change much from the portrait session to the wedding (a drastic haircut, a change of mind about wedding day jewelry, makeup, or even the dress!). So, the bride will typically hire her wedding day hair and makeup artists, put on her dress and wedding day jewelry, and look absolutely beautiful for a relaxed portrait session. And I love it. We can get really creative without the typical rush of the wedding day. We can even explore multiple locations and create multiple sets of photos in different environments.

I deliver the photos at least a couple weeks before the wedding, and some brides have them on display at their reception or have a small custom album designed as a wedding day gift for their groom. Regardless of how they choose to use the photos from their session, brides always love that they chose to do a bridal portrait. The only downside of the bridal portrait is that I can’t share the amazing photos of the beautiful bride until after the wedding! We definitely can’t let these photos get leaked online and risk the groom seeing his bride in her dress before the wedding day. So, I always share a private, password-protected gallery for the bride’s eyes only.

Hickory Bridal Portrait

Lindsay’s bridal portrait session was amazing. She looked absolutely gorgeous and was so open to trying all kinds of ideas (and even brought a few of her own!). She chose the location of her wedding (Rex Allen Theater) for her bridal portrait as well. The landscape was perfect for a rustic, southern feel. I had so much fun with our session and am thrilled with how these photos turned out.

Check out Lindsay’s engagement session at Craggy Gardens here.

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If you’re reading my wedding photography blog for the first time, welcome! My name is Lance Crawford and I’m a wedding photographer in beautiful, quirky Asheville, NC. Feel free to leave a comment (or give a like). If you’re interested in hiring me for your wedding or portrait, please drop me a line. I’d love to chat!

via Ultraviolet Images | Asheville Wedding Photography - blog http://www.ultravioletimages.com/blog/2016/lindsay-bridal-portrait-asheville-wedding-photographer

Hi, I'm Lance Crawford, and I am an Asheville wedding photographer, although I shoot weddings, families, couples, and bands all over the southeast and beyond. My style is a mix of photojournalism and intentionally natural portraiture that displays the personality of the people in focus.