Juliana's Bridal - The Gardens at Southern Soirees

Now that Juliana & Brian are married, I can finally share photos from her bridal session! What a lovely & elegant bride she was - so stunning!  The privately owned Charleston-style gardens were fantastic, not to mention the perfect setting for her session.  As I was looking through these, it was such a daunting task trying to decide on which ones to post as I have so many personal favorites.  Juliana & her mother Julie agreed it was not easy narrowing down which one to print for the canvas enlargement, which was displayed at the wedding reception. Its the one I have posted first below - such a great choice!  Stay tuned for a future blog post featuring their wedding and be sure to visit the blog from last week's post of their engagement session. I have adored working with this couple and their families & know that I'll have that opportunity again!

location of gardens - Southern Soirees 
bride's gown & veil - Maya Couture
 bouquet - Designs North Florist
hair - Neal's Hair Studio
makeup - Merle Norman

all images © elizabeth larson photography 2015

wedding+event venue: paul j ciener botanical gardens

earlier this month, i was honored to photograph the guild luncheon for the triad/triangle perfect wedding guide. the luncheons are a great way to meet other wedding vendors of all kinds and each month they are held at a different location.  the gorgeous paul j ciener botanical garden in kernersville, nc were the hosts for the april triad luncheon.   speakers were the pwg's intern, rebecca cadden, and hooman bahrani, of vesic photography. they spoke about the importance of utilizing pinterest as a wedding professional.

the garden opened to the public last spring in the historic district. not only is it a place to enjoy flora of all kinds, the facility can be rented for business luncheons, conferences, cocktail socials, and of course weddings. they offer a beautifully appointed ballroom with french doors opening up to the terrace with a view of the gardens, a full catering kitchen, bride's quarters with private bathroom, and an area for the groomsmen to prepare.  the gardens offer scenic areas for photos and the terrace is a nice place for a wedding ceremony or to dine under the stars.  if you haven't been by for a visit, you must!  

venue: paul j ciener botanical garden

{toni hayes, program coordinator • kitty lyon, executive director}

catering: bibs downtown

cupcakes: treasured memories

gelato: gnam gnam gelato

floral arrangements: courtesy of a volunteer at pjcbg

rentals: hauser rental service

stationery/table numbers: bridal flavors

speakers: rebecca cadden {pwg intern} and hooman bahrani {vesic photography}

door prizes: bartending unlimited & bridal flavors

to attend a luncheon, please visit perfect wedding guide to register

to see a complete gallery of photographs you may do so here

all photographs © elizabeth larson photography 2012

charlottesville portrait photographer: kristin, dave, savannah, + ella {family session}

kristin and dave are another one of my wonderful wedding couples! they were married on a gorgeous fall day october 6, 2007 at the university of virginia chapel in charlottesville and their reception was held just west of town at old trail. their wedding was one of the first i featured on my blog {and before i learned how to show photos in large format!}

i orginally met kristin and dave in the spring of 2007 when we got together for their engagement session. and since their wedding, we've kept in touch via email and facebook as well as seeing one another at a wedding in raleigh, which they referred to me.  then came the news of the birth of their two daughters, savannah born in 2008 and ella last fall. i just love it when my wedding couples share such exciting news with me, it means so much!

when savannah was about four months old, i returned to charlottesville to photograph their family, which i also featured on my blog.  savannah is now almost three and her little sister, ella, is 8 months old. when they contacted me earlier this summer to arrange for another session, i was thrilled! i met up with them in august at dave's parents beautiful home, which made for the perfect backdrop as they have such beautiful landscaping and gardens.  dave and kristin's company, timberstone landscape design+build, did all of the stonework including the water feature, a gorgeous fish pond and waterfall. very impressive!

their session was tons of fun and their two adorable little girls were a joy to photograph!  we did have to coax savannah somewhat {with ice cream!} but she was a real trooper. i love the photo of dave & savannah towards the end of the session enjoying their sweet treat.  ella was so laid back and was mainly interested in the grass when we had her sitting on the lawn. what a good baby she is! tank, their yellow lab, joined in for a couple shots too.  kristin has already said she wants to make this an annual thing!