Ciera & Richard's Wedding

High school sweethearts. Hot pink bridesmaids dresses. Sparkly silver shoes. Adorable flower girl and ring bearer. Fun-loving family and friends. A love blessed by God. Ciera and Richard...







Sweet sisters!



The ring bearer and flower girl literally had to be pushed down the aisle, and they both kept checking over their shoulders during the whole walk. The flower girl threw her petals on the way back up the aisle after the ceremony--too cute! Once the ring bearer got settled in, though, he was pretty interested in the wedding...



Ciera and Richard have moved from being prom dates not too many years ago to finally becoming husband and wife. I love the look on his face here; even though you can't see her expression, you just know she is beaming up at him!



Love it, love it!



This was a very family-oriented wedding, and there were lots of cutie-pie babies there. I'm crazy about this happy little face at the reception!



The Flower Girl is also a Daddy's Girl!



Like any good Southern wedding, the groomsmen decorated Ciera and Richard's get-away car. Now I can't show you what was written on the windshield (the blog is family-friendly, thankyouverymuch), but these two ladies sure got a kick out of it!



One of my absolute favorites from the whole day. He was in no mood for group photos earlier, but by the end of the afternoon, the ring bearer had gotten over his camera-shyness. (I think the fact that he got to throw birdseed and blow bubbles had something to do with it.) :-)



Ciera and Richard--I had a wonderful afternoon with you and your families, and I'm so glad you found me through Myra and Ciera's aunt! See you guys soon!
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Ashley--a very "Good Friday"

Ashley and Garron were married Saturday in a beautiful outdoor ceremony at Rock Barn Golf and Spa in Conover, NC. Those pictures are coming! Until they are ready, though, I wanted to post Ashley's gorgeous bridal portraits.

Back in March, on Good Friday, I photographed Ashley at her great-grandparents' homeplace. It was a windy spring day, and the old farm--now updated and where several family members still live--was the perfect backdrop for her portraits. Ashley was stunning and up for anything I suggested, although back in March she kept saying she "felt like a martian" in her wedding get-up. She was happy to report Saturday that she finally felt completely comfortable in her beautiful dress and veil!

Enjoy the preview--there are lots of pictures, and it was hard to narrow it down even this much! A special note to Ashley and Garron's family and friends: please continue checking back over the next week or two for ordering information for the wedding photos! Thanks!

Did I mention it was windy?!? We about lost the veil!








Oooh, I love these!!




Ashley--it has been so great becoming friends over the past several months! Your portraits are some of my all-time favorites, and that was such a great day with you, your mom, and Marilynn at a place so special to your family. Hope you and Garron are enjoying the honeymoon, and I can't wait for you to see the wedding pictures!

Tammy & Cecil--Lovin' Downtown

OH. MY. GOSH. Romantic...passionate...fun...energetic....seriously smokin' hot....just a few words to describe Tammy and Cecil and their pre-wedding portrait session. Tammy and Cecil will be married 08-08-08 in a little country church in the mountains of Highlands, NC, with an after-work reception back at The Lazy Goat in Greenville, but they wanted to go ahead and have some time just for the two of them to really capture their love with photographs. We spent almost 3 hours shooting all over downtown, and I am just giddy when I look at the results! Holy smokes, they were rock stars, and I'm gonna have to post a "part two"!

As a wedding photographer, I meet lots of couples in love, but not all of them share the same level of connection that this couple does. As Tammy and Cecil told me their love story over dinner and champagne on their awesome downtown balcony, I couldn't stop grinning because they are so sweet and their story is so perfect. They are truly meant for each other; if you don't believe me, check out these portraits...



These sweet gestures were 100% spontaneous--they just dote on each other all the time...








They bought Tammy's ultra-sexy shoes in Vegas...


Tammy & Cecil, I had an awesome time working with you guys and I can't wait for the wedding! Thanks so much for dinner--it was wonderful and I really enjoyed getting to know both of you better. I hope you are as excited about your photos as I am!!

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Carter & Elizabeth

I've been friends with Carter and Elizabeth's parents for years, since they first began dating. This portrait session in April was the 4th time I've photographed their family, and Elizabeth had just turned 1! We headed out to a family member's beautiful farmhouse near Gaffney for some fabulous outdoor shots.

Here's Miss Elizabeth...I think she looks like a little garden fairy!

Look at those bright eyes!

Little girls' clothes are just too cute. :-)


I really love this casual family portrait in front of the barn.


Carter is all about tractors! He knows all the name brands and types of tractors and machinery. His Pop bought him this tractor, and he was right at home riding it in the yard! He said that he needed to go buy some parts for it. :-)





Another casual but "real" portrait...


A different take on the traditional "family portrait." I love how this image symbolizes that each family member plays a role in guiding Elizabeth as she grows.

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Erin & Paul--When you know, you know!

They always say that when you meet "the one," you just know. Well, after Erin and Paul first met in spring of 2007, it was only a matter of weeks before she had moved to Georgia and they were engaged! I was really excited about their wedding because of their fairy tale story and also because Erin is part of a group of friends whose weddings I've been honored to photograph.



Erin and Paul were married at the same small church in Spartanburg where her parents and several other family members also were married.



The stained glass windows were amazing--very thick glass with the most vibrant colors you've ever seen! The sun just streamed in all throughout the ceremony.



The basement had really funky murals that the youth group must have painted. Perfect backdrop for some dramatic portraits...



Erin's three nephews were all involved in the wedding, and they were so excited to be a part of the day. The little ring bearer was SO excited that Aunt Erin said he could keep the ring pillow! He was the first person to congratulate them after the ceremony. :-)



I love this one! How amazing is the light from those windows??



Some happy "alone time" before moving on the reception. I'm going to have to do a separate post for the reception--just too many to choose from!

Would it be an Amy Clifton wedding without a shoe-shot? Of course not!

Congratulations Erin and Paul!

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Myra & Mark

Since I just started my blog a few months ago, I wanted to showcase some weddings even though they are from last year. Myra and Mark were married during an outdoor ceremony at Creekside Plantation last October and had the perfect fall-themed wedding. I love fall, and their decorations were all about bright oranges and deep reds, pumpkins, sunflowers, and fall leaves. Two of Myra's nieces were the flower girls, and instead of throwing flower petals, they lined the aisle with fall leaves. This photo of the girls is one of my all-time favorites that I've ever taken!

Mark proposed to Myra with a Taco Bell sauce pack that said "Will you marry me?" He gets the award for most creative proposal ever!


They have such a sweet love between them!


Here are a couple of the less traditional portraits we took during Myra's bridal portrait session. I love being able to get creative during bridal portraits!






M & M--It was such an honor to be a part of your wedding day and to share that with your family!