A Long Time Coming…

Jessica and Drew met almost a Decade ago… They became friends, and as time
swept by, they suddenly realized that there was something DEEPER to their relationship.

It didn’t take long for them to get engaged, and then begin planning their wedding.
Jess had grown up in Reidsville, NC and dreamed of having her wedding at the
Chinqua Penn Plantation, or the Penn House. It worked out that the plantation was
booked already, but there was still space at the beautiful Penn House.

And let me tell you, this place is TRULY a beauty!

Nelle and I arrived Thursday evening to prepare for a VERY full wedding weekend.
While I was shooting the wedding happenings, Nelle had agreed to help coordinate
the last minute details and do all she could to be a blessing.

Saturday morning began with a beautiful Bridesmaid’s Brunch at the “Backstreet
Buzz” Coffee Shop:

The Ladies, beginning with Prayer.

Mother of The Bride (and the Bride herself!)

From there, we took off for our traditional “engagement session”.
Even though it was the day before their wedding, we ALWAYS
include a session just to get some time to hang with the Bride and Groom
before their day

(Plus, they look awfully cute together).

 

And One More…

After our engagement session, we hurried to the Penn House for the rehearsal!
As we arrived the sun began to set and draped us with the most BEAUTIFUL light.

(The Bride arriving with one of her very best friends).

(The Groom and his men).

In the interest of time and space, I’ll skip the HILARIOUS photos from the rehearsal
dinner and jump straight away into Sunday morning aka the morning of the wedding

And then, it was time…

Sadly, we didn’t have that same luscious light as the night before.
Their precious emotions more than made up for it though

 

Told you so

Having the reception in the mid-afternoon was a REALLY fun twist,
people wore sunglasses, were thankful for the breezes and danced like CRAZY!

Plus, I have a serious soft-spot for really cool DJ’s.
This gang rocks

 

There were LOTS of single ladies vying for the bouquet

This special little gal “won”

The afternoon continued with fun dancing, great family portraits and
a beautiful exit (with bubbles!)… But here’s the REALLY fun part.

After the Bride and Groom “left” we met up a few hours later for a
quiet portrait session in a small field… From the moment we arrived,
the sunset light, and TRULY unique green that only North Carolina
can provide, swept us away with it’s beauty.

And that’s it!
The Bride and Groom made their way to Colorado for an incredibly
romantic SNOWED IN honeymoon at a private cabin.

MY Bride and I would LOVE to shoot more weddings up in North
Carolina, especially when the seasons are changing, it’s so darn beautiful
up there!!

Much Love and Peace to each of you… Talk Soon!

A Bit Of A Flashback…

Quite a flashback, actually… If you’ve been keeping up with me for a while, you
probably remember the “Epic Surf Trip” I took in my 1970 Volkswagen which began
in November 2008.

I left from Orange County, CA and drove all the way up the Coast to Seattle, encountering
all sorts of fun adventures along the way (including sinking my car in the Pacific Ocean).

After arriving in Seattle, I got my first ever chance to explore the city… And of course,
I started things off down at the Pike Place Market. As I strolled down the brick streets
something out of place hit my ears… Was that a PIANO I heard?

Sure enough, there it was… I could barely believe my eyes. A man with long, gray hair
sitting at a piano, right there on the street corner. He moved with effortless grace, swaying
with the music like an aging metronome… Comfortable, fulfilled, and certainly moving to
the his own beat…

As I stood there watching him play, I suddenly found my eyes closing; hearing the
passion in his music, the grace in the sound. This man was no normal street performer.
Sure, he was a bit disheveled but there was something MORE to him.

As I collected myself, I lifted my camera to my eye and captured these photos:

(My First View)

And then more:

It was frigidly cold that day. Yet here was this man playing his piano,
gloves on his hands, jacket on top of jacket, and eyes closed blissfully.

I wandered around him for several minutes before he even knew I was
there… Finally opening his eyes at the end of the song, he smiled and said hello.

I thanked him for the music, and wandered away.

Flash Forward….

Thirteen months later, my wife and I made our way back to Seattle…
Once again in a Volkswagen, though this time with decidedly less dunks
in the Pacific.

As we made our way up to the market, I smiled as I heard the music in
the distance I was so excited to share this beautiful man with my bride!

Just as we arrived by his side, he finished his song and took a moment
to talk to us. I told him that I’d taken his picture the previous year and had
it hanging in my home (that first photo looks AMAZING on canvas

He asked me for a copy, and shared that he truly wasn’t your average street
performer, barely getting by. His name was Jonny Hahn and he’d been performing
at that same location for nearly as long as I’ve been alive. He lived just down the
street and LIVED to make the music he shared.

It was truly inspiring to talk to this gentle, passionate soul… A man commonly
overlooked, but filled with a humble joy.

Here’s a video I found of him playing on YouTube:
(I’ll try to get a better one next time!)

I’ll be back in Seattle in Late June for a beautiful wedding… And I can assure
you that Lord willing, I’ll be stopping by to see Jonny and thank him for his
constant inspiration.

How are YOU inspiring people?
Who’s inspiring YOU in unexpected ways?

Thanks For Reading,