As an NC wedding photographer, I was honored to be chosen to capture Karina & Ali’s intimate Indo-Persian fusion Graylyn Estate wedding in Winston-Salem this past Hallowe’en. It started out looking to be a pretty dark, rainy day, but the Graylyn Estate, with its grand architecture and lush gardens, complemented the dramatic mood and provided the perfect setting for Karina and Ali’s big day.
The highlight of the day for me was the emotional first look at the bottom of the spiral staircase. The couple’s love and excitement for seeing each other was palpable, and I was able to document the moment for them whilst staying as unobtrusive as possible.
As we moved into the indoor portraits, the Graylyn Estate’s large, ornate rooms provided the perfect setting for the couple’s photographs together. Using the light from the large windows, we were able to create some truly beautiful and creative shots. I particularly enjoyed working with the light in Graylyn’s Persian tea room, where I experimented with different techniques to create some pretty compelling images.
The main event of the day, of course, was the Indo-Persian ceremony in Graylyn’s white garden. The rain had stopped just in time, and the dramatic, moody light only added to the emotion of the day. I also have to give a special mention to the couple’s adorable dachshund, Lila, who served as the ring-bearer and was a constant source of joy and laughter throughout the day.
After the ceremony, we took advantage of the beautiful grounds of Graylyn Estate to capture some portraits of the newlyweds. The dramatic light and vibrant greenery were a great backdrop for these emotional and intimate photos of the couple interacting together for the first time as husband and wife.
The day finished with a relaxed dinner followed by emotional speeches from friends and family. We wrapped the day with some family portraits in Graylyn’s grand lobby. I was able to capture the warmth and love that surrounded the couple and their guests throughout the day.
As a photographer, I am always looking for ways to push the boundaries and create truly unique, meaningful and beautiful images. For this wedding, I decided to use the low-light capabilities of my Sony a1 cameras for the photos taken indoors and supplement them with my medium format Contax 645 cameras shooting Kodak Portra 800 film for the ceremony and couple’s portraits. The film’s timeless look and beautiful hues helped to create some truly stunning images set against the autumn foilage.
Karina was thrilled with the results and had this to say about her experience: “One of the best decisions we made for our wedding was having Joe as our photographer! He kept the energy high and had us and our guests smiling the whole time. No matter how hectic the day felt, Joe was incredibly flexible and easy going. Second shooter James was also amazing to work with. His pictures are truly art and we are so grateful for the memories he captured. Cannot recommend him enough!!”
Karina & Ali are a truly special couple and I was so honoured to be able to document their day for them.
Here are just a few of my picks of the pics…
