JC raulston arboretum wedding

October closed out in style with Holly & Sut’s intimate JC R aulston Arboretum wedding. This was such a beautiful day to photograph!

Departing from tradition, Holly & Sut decided to forgo some of the typical wedding elements like a bridal party, dancing, or a sparkler exit; they focused instead on an intimate ceremony and candlelit dinner under the stars with heartfelt speeches from their closest friends and family—a personalized reflection of the couple’s vision for their special day.

From a photography standpoint, I always say each wedding has its own personality which translates over to the photos themselves. For Holly & Sut’s day, I found I was really drawn to two different vibes as the afternoon progressed: the anticipation and quiet mood of the bride and groom getting ready together in their hotel room leant itself to a B&W look; whilst the warm hues of the autumn afternoon and golden hour at the arboretum naturally led to a more vibrant look for that part of the day.

You’ll see Holly & Sut placed a lot of emphasis on the portrait side of things and bringing in the environment of the arboretum as well as the intimacy of the event. I always ask my couples what drew them to my work and this is what they told me in the intro questionnaire they filled out for me:

“We love your landscape shots! Especially the grandiose nature views of the couples. Your composition — the placement of the couple, the amount of space around them, etc. shows your strong sense of perspective when shooting. The lighting (natural) is also what we prefer. The contrast also peaks interest in your shots — with broad range of dark to light that brings depth to the scene. We’re hoping for: landscape compositions, depth/contrast in light and color, nature, elegance, and candid shots, too. We’re trying to create a simple, elegant, and intimate event for our closest friends and immediate family and would like to capture that essence as well.”

So with all that said, here are just a few of my faves from Holly & Sue’s special day. I hope you’ll agree we accomplished the brief!

Cheers to the Holly & Sut and best wishes to them both for a long and happy life together!!