Raleigh Bar Mitzvah Photographer | Ian

Jun 10 | Evan | Comments Off |

I’ve been to and photographed my fair share of Bar/Bat Mitzvahs but it’s always fun to see how creative a family get’s while planning the mitzvah and the little special touches that make each Bar and Bat Mitzvahs different. There was certainly a lot of creative planning for Ian’s Bar Mitzvah at the Raleigh-Durham General Aviation Terminal, at RDU. It was a wonderful open space, with lots of natural light and very friendly staff. All the details of the Bar Mitzvah were carefully planned and helped to create a fun atmosphere… especially for the kids! Some other special touches the family put on their Bar Mitzvah was the cake (theme was traveling around the USA) and Ian is a hockey player so they turned a hockey stick into a candle holder for the candle lighting ceremony. Very cool details! Evan Pike Photography was also providing the green screen photo booth for the party! As you can tell by the photos, the kids were dancing and having a wonderful time all night. Of course I also had a wonderful time photographing the Bar Mitzvah and helping the family celebrate with my photography! Mazel Tov Ian!

Raleigh Bat Mitzvah Photographer | Deena

Mar 31 | Evan | Comments Off |

I’m always happy to return to the Raleigh Renaissance Hotel. I have so many wonderful memories both as a guest at my own wedding and working as a wedding or bar and bat mitzvah photographer at the Raleigh Renaissance Hotel at North Hills, Raleigh. Deena’s Bat Mitzvah was another wonderful event that I was happy to be the photographer for. Not only was I the photographer for the bat mitzvah, but also the Happy Smile Photo Booth was rented to get fun and unique photos of the bat mitzvah guests during the celebration. And this Bat Mitzvah was quite the celebration that the family and friends all had a good time at. The girls almost immediately took off their shoes to start the bat mitzvah party, so I knew it was going to be a party filled with a lot of dancing. Of course it was also filled with lot’s of love and good times for the family and guests as the celebrated the wonderful milestone for Deena and her family.

Evan vs Humidity in Mexico | Mexico Destination Wedding Photographer

Jul 19 | Evan | Comments Off |

This was such a one sided match up! The humidity and heat in Mexico totally owned me as I just had to walk outside my room and the sweat would begin to flow! Although, that didn’t stop me from photographing Adam and Jessica’s beautiful wedding at Excellence Playa Mujeres Resort and Spa, located near Cancun, Mexico (although my sunburn from my first day there almost did)! Everything from the welcome kits for guests, that included anything one might need for a trip to the beach – even intertubes – to the hand painted maracas that were used to get Adam and Jessica to kiss instead of tapping a glass, was extremely thoughtful and fit this lovely couple perfectly! Adam and Jessica had planned a very intimate wedding and even though I was the wedding photographer at their beach wedding, they really made me feel more like a guest! Photographing their wedding and engagement photography session on the beach was an unforgettable experience and I am so thankful I was given such a wonderful opportunity! Thanks again to Jessica, Adam and their families and congratulations on your beautiful wedding!

Couples like this are the Best | Pavilions at Angus Barn Wedding | Raleigh, NC

Jun 06 | Evan | Comments Off |

All the brides and grooms I have been the photographer for have been awesome. Meeting so many great people is one of my favorite parts of being a wedding photographer. This past wedding I was the photographer for, was no exception. Megan and Danny’s wedding at the Pavilions at Angus Barn had all the ingredients to make for a perfect wedding. Gorgeous (but hot) weather, beautiful and unique location, wonderful vendors, supporting family and friends, and most importantly, a sweet, loving couple. To be honest though, Megan and Danny are so in love that no matter what the details were, their wedding would have been perfect. It was wonderful to observe and capture all the lovely moments that they had during their wedding and had a lot of them! Sometimes, as a photographer, I have to “encourage” a few of special moments to happen, but at Megan and Danny’s wedding, I could just do what I do best, freeze their special moments in time! Once again, congratulations and thank you to Megan, Danny and their families for trusting me to be their wedding photographer. Finally, can I just say that dancing grandmothers make my heart melt!

What do Ligon Middle School, Chubby’s Tacos, All Saints Chapel and Sarah & Nick’s Wedding have in Common?

May 27 | Evan | Comments Off |

For many reasons, all the weddings I have photographed have been special. This last wedding I photographed for Andrew Bryant Photography at The All Saints Chapel, in downtown Raleigh, was no exception. I could go on and tell you about how this wedding was super original, from the Krispy Kreme donunt wedding cake, to the hokey pokey mother/son dance and so on and of course all the original details made this wedding special for me, but this one goes a little further. Even though Sarah and Nick are die hard NC State fans (it’s possible that the phrase ‘die hard’ might be an understatement), photographing their wedding was extra special for me because I have known Sarah since middle school, which I am sorry to say, at this point in my life, knowing somebody since middle school means I have known them for more than half of my life (how do we slow this train down btw?). To have known her for so long made this wedding extra rewarding for me to photograph. Seeing a friend get married is beautiful, but to play a part in preserving the memories from of one of the most important days of their life is humbling and rewarding beyond words. Sarah, I am so happy for you, Nick and your families and looking forward to our future gatherings at Chubby’s Tacos… as old married couples! I know you will enjoy these handful of photographs from your wedding!

Swan Harbor Farm Wedding That Blew Me Away | Maryland Wedding Photographer

May 20 | Evan | Comments Off |

Erin and Dan’s wedding at Swan Harbor Farm, was on a picture perfect day at an incredible venue. The weather was in the 70s and no rain in the forcast, but there was wind, and lots of it! I’m talking gusts of 30-40mph wind! So both figuratively and literally I was getting blown away; however, that just made being the wedding photographer more fun! Some of you may remember Erin and Dan when I photographed their engagement session with their dog, last November, both that photography engagement session and their wedding were in Havre de Grace, Maryland and photographed for Andrew Bryant Photography. It is always wonderful to meet the bride and groom’s friends and families and this wedding was no exception. As I was going through my photos, I noticed a few themes that kept showing up. With clothes, hair, the veil and the tent moving in every which direction, of course the wind was one of them. The other was just how happy and how much fun everyone was having. Even with the insanely windy conditions, nothing was keeping Erin, Dan and their guests from having a wonderful time! I am so grateful I was able to be the wedding photographer and even more so just to meet so many wonderful people. Thanks again to both families and also to the great vendors, all were wonderful and would love to work with any of them again!

Perfect Spring Day Wedding at Providence Country Club | Erin and Russ

Apr 27 | Evan | Comments Off |

As I told Erin on her wedding day, there is a very good chance she has the ability to control the weather. You probably remember this lovely couple from my post about two months ago, when we did their engagement photography session in the snow. You know, back when Washington, DC was paralyzed by the whole “snowmageddon” thing but Richmond had just enough snow to make for a picture perfect day. So lucky! Now their wedding day was scheduled about a week after the pollen really started to pick up here in North Carolina and we didn’t get our first rain until 2 days before the wedding. Thanks to the rain, what was once covered with a lime green pollen, was a picture perfect spring day. Even without taking the weather into consideration, Erin and Russ’s wedding at Providence Country Club in Charlotte, was extremely beautiful and thoughtful. Definitely a couple and a wedding that makes me thankful to be a wedding photographer! Along with Andrew Bryant Photography, we had a great time. Congratulations again to Erin, Russ and their wonderful families!

Jillian and Peter | Hilton Head Beach Wedding Photographer in South Carolina

Apr 13 | Evan | Comments Off |

My streak for meeting incredible couples continues! Peter and Jillian had a beautiful and very intimate wedding on the beach and I am grateful to have met them and photograph the wedding in Hilton Head, South Carolina. My family used to go to HIlton Head when I was a kid, so it was nice to be back as a wedding photographer for Andrew Bryant Photography. Especially for such a wonderful and loving couple. The special bond between Peter and Jillian was obvious and moving to witness. I love it when I can catch a tear or two from the groom! As a wedding photographer, I love being able to call the beach “my office,” but making new friends and seeing a couple so in love, takes it to a whole new level. Congratulations to both families and thank you for letting me photograph your beautiful wedding!

Engagement Session in the Snow | Maymont Park, Richmond, Virginia

Feb 19 | Evan | Comments Off |

I’m not going to lie, when I heard Washington DC was supposed to get 2-3 feet of snow just before my schedule engagement photography session with Erin and Russ, I was worried that Richmond would get more than first thought. Lucky for us though, Richmond got just enough snow to make everything beautiful but not enough for the roads to be treacherous (good work VDOT)! Between the snow, beautiful Maymont Park and most importantly, a loving and fun couple, I knew we would come away with some wonderful photographs. Even better, if they weren’t kissing, they were making each other laugh, which makes my job as a photographer a lot easier and also saves them from my jokes! It turned out to be a wonderful day and I was really happy to get to know and spend time with such a lovely couple! Can’t wait to be their wedding photographer this Spring!

Evan vs Japan | Tokyo Destination Wedding Photographer

Feb 17 | Evan | Comments Off |

Once realizing that I was going to have the opportunity to return to Japan to photograph a wedding photographer, I made two lists. Friends to reconnect with and food to destroy! Unfortunately, both lists were too ambitious and I didn’t get to see as many friends nor eat as many different kinds of food as I wanted to. Although, to say that the trip, portrait session and the wedding I photographed in Japan were wonderful, would be a huge understatement! Tomoko and Kohei, were simply adorable and perfect together. Between their broken English, my spotty Japanese and gestures, we were able to communicate fairly well (it’s good to know I haven’t forgotten too much). I had a blast hanging out with them and could really appreciate their kindness. It is always refreshing to meet wonderful couples like Tomoko and Kohei and such a pleasure to see how they interact with each other, which for them, the best way I can describe is like innocent school kids in love. Seriously, they were always playing with and making the other laugh. Very sweet and adorable! More

Emily and Jordan’s Wedding at Chatham Mills

Jan 06 | Evan | Comments Off |

I met Emily and Jordan a LONG time ago. It was very soon after returning to North Carolina from Japan and just after shooting a basketball game at the Dean Dome. So even though I was still having trouble making complete sentences (speaking the simplest English possible for 3+ years in Japan took a toll on my English for some time) and was all worked up after a great game, I somehow managed not to make a bad first impression! Seriously though, I immediately felt comfortable with Emily and Jordan, as anyone would with such a wonderful couple. I had been looking forward to their wedding for too long and am so happy their wedding date finally came! Their wedding was so much fun to shoot and had an incredible vibe from all the loving friends and family. Not too mention it was at a sweet location at Chatham Mills and although I shot the wedding for Andrew Bryant Photography, Andrew was off being a dad. After all, his son Stafford, was just born the day before (Congrats Andrew and Courtney)! So, I had the pleasure of shooting with a super talented photographer from Always Autumn Studios, Courtney Navey. That being said, I wish he had brought some “autumn” with him as last Saturday was a cold, cold, cold, but beautiful, winter day! Congrats to Emily and Jordan, we are all so happy for you!

Engagement Session With a Dog

Nov 26 | Evan | Comments Off |

I had the pleasure of meeting another great couple that is starting off their new life together! I love the fact that being a photographer lets me meet all sorts of people, but nothing tops meeting a glowing in-love, sincerely nice couple. We did their session where they had their first date, Susquehanna State Park in Maryland. It was the perfect backdrop for a wonderful couple and their adorable dog! I probably love dogs more than anyone else that is in the “never had a dog” club. So as you can imagine, I was stoked when I heard they wanted their dog in some of the photos. What a great idea! Again, congratulations and looking forward to the wedding, which sounds like it will be incredible!

Alexandra’s Wicked Bat Mitzvah | Raleigh, NC

Nov 04 | Evan | Comments Off |

Wow.

Where to begin!? Good thing I am a photographer, because I am having trouble coming up with the right words to describe just how awesome of a party this was! This Halloween Bat Mitzvah was not your typical costume party (or typical Bat Mitzvah for that matter)! Moreover, the family was one of the nicest and most loving families I have ever met. Don’t get me wrong, I have a great family and a wonderful, loving relationship with my parents and sister, but Alex’s family is just bursting with love and anyone who has the pleasure of meeting them can immediately see this. It was a very special Bat Mitzvah, for a very special family and I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to document the day! Oh, and did I mention that just about everything was a surprise to Alex!? Her parents did an incredible job of planning out the event and put together an amazingly “wicked” cast of vendors for this Wicked themed party:

Lauren Kennedy || staring as Elphaba
Andrea Schultz Twiss || staring as Glinda
Ray Walker || staring as Fiyero
Randy Wogick || staring as the party organizer and planner
“B” Sharp Productions || staring as the band and DJ
CE Rental || set design (elegant linens, chairs, cushions, chargers, salad plates)
English Garden || art decoration (gorgeous flowers and table pieces)
Showtime Events || visual effects (incredible wall and table lighting)
Swank Cake Design || Wicked (and of course delicious) cake
Charlie Weeks || cinematographer (did the video of the service and the party)
Maria Steiner || costume designer (service and evening gowns for all girls in the family)
Megan Brewer || catering manger at the Raleigh Renaissance Hotel

Also, I want to thank Megan and Dean from the Raleigh Renaissance Hotel! Not only did they do a fantastic job with this Bat Mitzvah, but were incredible for me as well for my own wedding at the Renaissance!

Congratulations to Alex and a HUGE thank you to the whole family!

Adventures in the Al Capone Suite at The Biltmore

Oct 27 | Evan | Comments Off |

Okay, so it was actually only one adventure and probably “adventure” isn’t even the right word to use, but to say I was excited about shooting in the Al Capone Suite at The Biltmore — where a scene from one of my old school favorite movies, Bad Boys, was shot — is definitely an understatement. Thanks to Andrew Bryant Photography, I was sent to Miami to shoot with and learn from some awesome photographers, including Ray Santana, Becker, Kenny Kim, Kenny Nakai and Lawrence Chan (SEO guru, Tofurious). It was great to see how these guys and the rest of the photographers worked and shot and feel like we all learned a lot from each other. Besides the fact that we were in one of the most beautiful cities, at one of the most famous hotels in the world, with gorgeous models, what made it extra special was the good people that were there. Anytime I can return to Miami in the fall or winter is a win for me, but coupled it with such a wonderful experience made my trip perfect.