Hannah + Chris helped us start our new year off right. They were our first wedding this year. It was exactly the type of wedding we hoped for to kickstart our year. The perfect balance of fun and sentiment. The way their families meshed so well, was something so grounding and soul warming. The way Hannah’s father kept a poem he found when she was just a little girl and read it to her on her wedding day. And the time we spent with the two of them after they made their vows; it was all the perfect recipe for getting us excited about the many special days we’ll be spending with amazing people like Hannah + Chris this year.

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We held our first meeting with these two downtown at a local coffee shop and after their arrival, we exchanged some small talk while ordering and getting settled in with our steaming mugs of coffee. It was at that moment, Brett and I found ourselves drawing in that first deep breath that falls into a smile after meeting new clients who fit the bill, so to speak. Their lighthearted, down to earth, sweet characteristics blend so, so well and when you throw in some confidence and goofiness that is rooted in love, you get everything that is Lauren & Michael. They day presented itself with overcast skies with a bit of a chill that would rustle through, alongside the wind. These two could be anywhere, doing anything..and they’d be happy. Something that took us by surprise, was not how well we got along with these two, but how at ease and comfortable they instantaneously made us feel. We were super pleased over how well we got along with these two, not that it’s an odd thing for us to get along with our clients because as any of you faithful followers know, we pretty much make lasting friendships with all of our clients, but with these two, the cherry on top was how at ease and comfortable they instantaneously made us.

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We are crazy happy to finally be sharing this couple with you all. Kim and Seth were such wonderful troopers. We met with them on a chilly and wet New York winter day, but they kept to their usual selves and sported their never ending smiles the whole time. And we’re sure it had everything to do with Seth and his incredible sense of humor. We had a blast hitting the streets of Brooklyn to grab some quick photos, stopped in for some drinks in Dumbo and really got to know these two incredible people. We are TOTALLY looking forward to their wedding in Asheville next month!!

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We couldn’t wait for Jane + Austin’s wedding. It all came even more clear to us the day of the wedding why. We’ve known Austin for sometime through some of his creative outlets (he’s a crazy talented graphic designer), but the two of them together create something so charismatic  The sweet, honest overflowing love they have for another sort of pours out and effects everyone around. Their family and friends would agree. Simply put, they are some pretty great people and we are super grateful to them for letting us be there to capture and celebrate their day. Also, be sure to check out the latest on the 50 Days 50 Meals project he is part of.

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And now for two lovebirds about to tie the knot later this month! We chose a variety of locations (including the house location where their reception is being held) to shoot at in downtown Raleigh and just had the best time with them! Miriam and Jim are naturally super cute together. With the perfect Fall weather and the infectious chemistry between these two, we had a lovely time with them and can’t wait to be part of their celebration later this month!

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Who’s wedding did we shoot this past Saturday?? THESE GUYS’ and it was epic. Amy and Thomas, we couldn’t be happier for you two! We simply just can’t tell you how excited we are to get their wedding up here on the blog, but in the meantime, we couldn’t pass up sharing their engagement shoot from last fall with you guys. We met at Thomas’ family farm on a brisk, fall day and enjoyed the peacefulness of the farmland. It was nothing but relaxed and peaceful. We were greeted by three absolutely adorable puppies and loved that even though they were each so different, they all got along so well! Yeah, it was pretty darn precious.

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The scenic ocean front of Ocean Isle, NC was absolutely beautiful, a perfect setting for their ceremony. We had the best time shooting Caitlin and Matt’s wedding last fall. It was definitely one of those weddings that was packed full of countless thoughtful details and decor, like the handmade pottery by Caitlin herself, this day was truly a monumental memory making day for this sweet couple and their guests. Caitlin being a fellow photographer (no pressure right?!) certainly wasn’t a bad thing either. Seriously! Shooting photographers’ weddings is the bomb. Caitlin and Matt are some of the most thoughtful and meaningful people. Their entire families are too, and it was such a treat to capture that. It’s sort of like one of those “you had to be there” type of days, but if you weren’t, then hopefully these images do some sort of justice.

You can see and read more about Caitlin and Matt’s wedding over on their Style Me Pretty feature!

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A few months ago, we spent an afternoon with Mary Beth and Nate and ever since, we’ve been itching to share these images! The way these two are able to block out everything around them and focus on the moment together is a true talent. Taking time to themselves, slowing down and really taking everything in during portraits can be a magical time, as you’ve seen here. We can’t wait for their wedding in May!

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Caitlin and her maid of honor peeking through the blinds before the ceremony was one of our favorites from Caitlin + Matt’s wedding. Such a sweet and exciting moment!!

See Caitlin + Matt’s wedding on Style Me Pretty!

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Cowgirl boots, cotton, haybails, smores & cinnamon buns..just a few of our favorite things with a big open sky for a backdrop. This day couldn’t have been more romantic. Jenna-Beth and Ryan tied the knot this past fall and had their guests upload the play by play of their day to instagram. How amazing it was to be there and see so many fun and special moments between family and friends going down all at the same time. It was such a sweet, sweet occasion. So happy for these two great friends.

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The small towns and their history that can be seen through their dirt roads, farms, plantations and estates here in North Carolina are something we hope to never take for granted. You can walk through a place like Magnolia Manor and see the craftsmanship from way back in 1815, even though most has been redone. You almost get a sense of pride as if it’s your own. That same southern pride can be found in Allyson and Matt. Their wedding was full of it. Married in a pecan grove surrounded by cotton fields, 1960′s Corvette, pickled watermelon rinds, handmade quilts and lots of hugs and a lot “yessir” and “yes ma’am”. Allyson and Matt, thank you for having us and rubbing some of that good ‘ole southernness that we love off on us.

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Hannah and Chris are incredible humans. We have said it over and over again, but one of the best things about our jobs is getting to meet and work with such amazing people all the time. These two are no exception. They are so fun and energetic. We had a blast spending some good quality time in Carborro with them and their nearly impossibly cute and well mannered pup, Franklin. We loved our time exploring the town with them, but our favorite part was getting to grab some shots on the front porch of their house. Jessica loved the fact that her and Hannah not only share the same passion for dance but for teaching dance as well. We also love the fact that they found us through Twitter. Pretty cool right? Anyways, here’s a little secret: we’ve already got more of these two to share! Don’t get ahead of yourself and go thinking that we’ve lost our minds and think we can now see into the future, we just shot their wedding earlier this month! Yes, it was amazing. Yes, we can’t wait to share it and when we do, we’re pretty sure you won’t know what hit you.

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We let out a big sigh of relief as we watched the radar from our iPhone screens fill with greens and reds. Just before the ceremony, we watched the storm form a small clearing on the radar and saw the storm clouds literally clear just in time for Vickie and Ben to exchange their vows. It’s definitely because these two are amazing people that Mother Nature decided to be kind and wait. If you remember Vickie and Ben back from when we posted their engagement shoot, then you already know they are just absolutely perfect for each other. Their wedding was no different,  not to mention how fun it is to shoot at Fearrington Village. Atop everything else, Vickie’s handmade, physical Pinterest board that rivals so many actual Pinterest boards was so inspiring to see. Sometimes inspiration cut out from real, tangible mediums is just better.

Be sure to check out Vickie and Ben’s wedding on Every Last Detail to read and see more!

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Finally… a collection of just why 2012 was so absolutely, incredibly, strinkin’ remarkable.

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The most notable event for us was launching our new brand. Since launching in May, we’ve been overcome with the support, thoughtfulness and love shed on us. We decided to completely rebrand when we started shooting together full time, which was actually in late 2010. We knew rebranding and renaming was something that could have consequences if not done with patience, thought and delicate attention to who we are as photographers and people as well who we work with. We spent months researching, brainstorming and planning.

We ultimately decided on renaming our brand from Brett Arthur Weddings to simply Brett & Jessica because that is exactly who we are. WE wanted to be our brand, not just our photographs. When we would discuss the way we wanted to approach a wedding, we knew we wanted more than to just show up, snap away and be done. Being involved in our couples lives is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do. It’s also how we get images they never thought could be captured. When we have finished a wedding and delivered the final product, we don’t just move on. We continue to carry on friendships with the couples we photograph, because strangers should not be who a couple spends the majority of their wedding day with, friends are.

The look of our new brand wouldn’t have been made possible had it not been for our dear friend Jaime (ketchup-mustard.com). A truly gifted artist who helped us bring everything to life. The three of us put a lot of time and energy into making sure whatever our branding became visually, reflected the two of us and our mission. For the first time, all of our packaging, marketing and web presence was cohesive and became something we could be proud of and the feedback we’ve received has been incredible!!

We could not be happier and excited about everything that came from this process.

2012 treated us so good and we are extremely grateful. We traveled to new places, near and far and visited old stomping grounds. We had our work featured on some AMAZING blogs and have more coming up in 2013! We learned so much from our families, fellow photographers, friends and clients and the list goes on. Thank you all for your shared knowledge and guidance!

We also plan on doing a photographic recap of 2012, but because we spent the last three days of 2012 shooting, we’d like to wait and include those as soon as they are ready! We are SUPER excited about the 2012 recap post, so make sure to check back for it! For now, we’ll leave you some sneak peeks of shoots we’ll be posting soon!

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Horses. Fall. Clear Skies. Gretchen. Mike. We dig on all of those. You may remember these lovebirds from their engagement shoot with their sweet pup, Sutton. It was very obvious Sutton got his sweetness from mom and dad. These two are just as sweet as sweet can be and the simple joy they get out of just being together was so endearing. Gretchen and Mike got hitched at The Farm, set in the mountains just outside of Asheville, NC. They said I do in front of all of their friends and family on a most perfect fall day. We had an amazing time and are more than thankful they had us there to document their day.

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Jane and Austin have this genuine happiness that is freaking awesome! It’s the kind of happiness everyone wants to be around. Their continuous laughing fills the majority of their moments together and what more could you want when hanging out with your best friend?! It’s pretty obvious we had all had a good time doing this shoot. They have this sense of adventure and appetite for exploring that led us all around downtown Durham, which they will be calling home once they get hitched later this month. Want evidence of this adventure? Here is what Austin was doing earlier this year: 50 Days 50 Meals. Being excited for these two is an understatement.

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It was a spectacular day full of smiles and laughing and a great deal of goofing off. This wedding ranks way up there on the fun factor. And aren’t they just the cutest couple? Their first look was so incredibly sweet. One of our favorites for sure. Patrick’s anticipation was so moving and that dress! Mandie was just beaming in that gorgeous dress while Patrick looked rather dapper himself. They did so good putting everything together for their wedding day, literally. These two are aces at crafting. The hanging paper garland  they put together made a lovely backdrop for the ceremony and the cute wire dress hangers? They made that too. Mandie and Patrick are just crafty anyway, but they kept surprising us and their guests evan after we had all seen what they were up to via Instagram. They did a super job and it just made everything that much more personal and thoughtful. Just like in the way they honored family who are no longer with us by having a memorial placed on the seats. We just adore these two and love seeing their instagram feed now filled with exciting happenings as they bask in newlywed bliss. Congrats again you two animals!

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Meet Nicole and Kevin. Both have been friends of ours for quite some time. Years ago, we would of never imagined we would be able to be a part of such a significant time in each of their lives. Love works in mysterious ways and we are glad it brought these two together the way it did. This has been a common sentiment over the years we’ve been shooting weddings, as we’ve been lucky enough to be involved in many of our closest friends love stories. It’s always interesting to see who ends up together in the end. We couldn’t be any more happy for these two! April 6th, here we come!

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First of all, Kim and Matt are awesome. Poole’s Diner, their favorite date night spot, is also awesome so that, along with the awesomeness that is the new Nature Research Center here in downtown, and you’ve got yourself some happy and excited photographers! We were stoked to be those photographers that day and had the greatest time with these two. Kim + Matt are so easy-going and have the kindest hearts. Their shoot fell on the same day as Kim’s parents wedding anniversary and being the sweet and thoughtful people they are, decided to honor their enduring union as well. Hope this collection of some of our very favorites, finds you well

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