amanda + ben | blue ridge mountain north carolina vineyard wedding.

amanda and ben had thought of and planned for just about everything for their north carolina vineyard wedding, except for the surprise pop-up thunderstorm that happened to go down exactly for the duration of their outdoor ceremony.  but what's amazing about these two is that no matter what happened on their day, they stayed focused on what really mattered for them: the fact that they threw a big party and invited their closest family and friends, simply because they love each other. this story is something we love sharing with our clients, simply because this wedding is a true testament to love and laughter. it's easy to fret over the small stuff, stress over the detail, wonder if you should have picked a different font for your programs, worry about seating charts, weather, thank-you gifts, timelines, and the list goes on and on... but in the end, these are all minor moments and details. because what's most important is the person saying "i do" right next to you... who'll laugh through the pouring rain, who'll say "you're beautiful" even though every part of you is drenched, and who'll be the first to point out that beautiful rainbow once the clouds part and sun comes pouring in.

we hope you enjoy this selection of photographs.  rain or shine, the smiles on these two could not be broken.

stop motion. 2013.

holy smokes, this has been one epic year of travel! it started in late winter on a trip to the oregon coast, then off to las vegas for our annual WPPI conference and a quick trip to the grand canyon (we fell in love with arizona!).  we celebrated our 10-year anniversary as a couple hiking the sleeping bear sand dunes and kayaking lake superior on michigan's upper peninsula.  our clients took us to chicago, cooke forest, and a north carolina vineyard wedding off the blue ridge mountains.  and finally, the year ended with a trip to maui on a family vacation that we will never forget. however, being away so much made us realize just how lucky we are to have our home here, surrounded with so many loving friends and family.  we are so thankful for your unconditional love and support, and for the best clients we could possibly ask for.  not to mention, we love coming home to the purrs and snuggles of two adorable kittens we adopted this year, alfie and miso.

on a professional level, we tried to push ourselves to the limit with how we approach photography. our  motto has always been to give the best customer service above all else.  but this year, we really wanted to push that more and take on a collaborative approach.  we saw each project as a way to work with our clients, molding their ideas with our vision and style.  the results have been so rewarding for both us, and them.

below is a sampling of work done for aperture this year, as well as a few personal photo projects sprinkled in from our travels.  also, please click here to see one of our favorite engagement sessions we've done thus far - a stop-motion movie "save-the-date". we hope you enjoy these, and we cannot wait to see what 2014 has in store for us!

love, h & p