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  • Published, Weddings

    Ironclad Brewery Wedding Photography | Montana & Alex

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    See the published article about this wedding on Wedding Wire HERE.

    This was my very first time getting to photograph a Thai wedding ceremony, and Montana and Alex chose the gorgeous and industrial Ironclad Brewery as their venue. It flowed perfectly with their hand made decor – along with a whole ceiling of white lanterns and a beautiful tropical feel. They wore traditional Thai attire for the ceremony, which Montana actually had to be sewn into as part of the tradition. It was so cool to see all the differences compared to our typical western style weddings. Before the ceremony, Alex and his groomsmen walked in a small parade downtown on their way to the venue, where upon arrival, Alex had to answer questions about Montana in order to make his way through the “gate” to her. It was fun and lighthearted, including answering a question wrong and having to do the punishment of the chicken dance, followed by the moment he got to see Montana for the first time. These two have such a fun kind of love. They are so comfortable with each other and are SO well fitted. After their ceremony, we took probably some of the most fun (and unique) bridal party photos up on top of a rooftop downtown, and then Montana and Alex just making me laugh constantly during their portraits. They aren’t afraid of the camera in the way that they just goof around with each other the whole time and just have fun being together, and that’s all I can ask for. They had an incredible dinner – which was ALL cooked by Montana’s father – all Thai cuisine, followed by one of the biggest dance parties I’ve seen in quite awhile. Not just the happy couple dancing the whole night but all of their friends, too. I’m so glad I met these two and got to photograph their special day.

    – Allison

    Photographer: Allison Eding, Lightbloom Photography
    Venue: Ironclad Brewery
    DJ: Active DJ
    Flowers: DIY
    Catering: Montana’s Dad!

  • Weddings

    Southport Community Building Wedding Photography | Holly & Ryan

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    I had the pleasure of meeting Holly & Ryan on their wedding day in Southport, North Carolina at the Southport Community Building. They lived out of town and Holly’s sweet mom helped plan her big day, so I didn’t get the chance to meet them beforehand – but these two were MEANT for me. They’re so sweet and so calm and so kind and I had such a great time with them on their big day! The view from the back deck of the Community Building was overlooking the Cape Fear River where the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway join. Talk about a good view! They had their ceremony outside on the deck and their reception inside the building where they danced for hours! I absolutely love discovering new locations in North Carolina and all the southern charm that comes along with it. I’m so grateful to have met and worked with a couple like Holly & Ryan and their extremely kind family and friends. What a perfect fall day and what a fun night. Here are a few of my favorite images from the day!

    – Allison

    Photographer – Allison Eding, Lightbloom Photography
    Venue – Southport Community Building
    Coordinator – Teresa Robbins, Blue Satin Bee
    Cake – The Confectionary
    Florist – Jennifer Dunn
    Dress – Magnolia Bride
    Hair – Meagan Spivey Burnette, Ambiance ILM
    Makeup – Artistry by Kristin M
    Catering – ART Catering
    DJ – Shoresound Productions

  • Weddings

    The Atrium & Bakery 105 Wedding Photography | Allison & Charlie

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    The Atrium is the sweetest secret garden venue right in the heart of downtown Wilmington, and Allison & Charlie decided on that spot to have their wedding ceremony. It was the perfect fit for them and their family as they said their I-do’s surrounded in greenery and old brick walls. These two are the most ideal kind of couple to work with – they were fun, they were insanely laid back and completely comfortable with me. We actually met because I was bartending a shift downtown (shoutout to Ironclad Brewery!) and Allison & Charlie came in while they were in the middle of touring wedding venues. They stopped in for a beer and we ended up getting to talking about their wedding and BOOM – a few months later, here we are at their wedding day!

    So, I have a few favorite parts that we HAVE to talk about. First of all, instead of doing a traditional “first look” where the bride and groom see each other for the first time before the ceremony, Allison had a brilliant idea. We decided that we’d tell Charlie that Allison was nervous and needed to see him before the ceremony to calm her nerves, and he immediately agreed to our change of plan, no problem at all. We put him outside to wait for Allison to come up behind him, and then, instead of sending Allison all beautiful and ready to go in a wedding gown, we sent her brother… in a wedding gown. To sum up: hilarity ensued.

    They also ended up having their wedding in the middle of downtown, in the middle of the yearly street festival, Riverfest. It was loud and obnoxious and made for difficult parking – but when you plan a wedding that weekend, YOU GO WITH IT! We could distantly hear Sublime playing in the background of their ceremony, and Allison thought it was perfect for them. When we went out for portraits of the two of them, Allison bolted off right into the middle of the festival. The entire crowd around the music stage burst into applause and cheered them on, it was honestly so fun.

    Their reception was held at Bakery 105, with a gorgeous outdoor patio for cocktail hour, and the inside was transformed into what Allison called a “FLOWER EXPLOSION”!!! I walked inside and just couldn’t believe my eyes at the head table. Salt Harbor absolutely nailed it!!! They had the most perfect reception which included a live wedding band and a dance floor that was absolutely PACKED the entire night. Their families were so much fun they did SO many things that I couldn’t stop laughing over, including: making a human bicycle and having Charlie ride it, ALL of the cousins making up a song about Allison & Charlie and singing it to them, and an amazing game of limbo. I’m so thankful to have met these two and their incredible group of friends and family. This is easily a wedding that I will never forget!

    – Allison

    Photographer: Allison Eding, Lightbloom Photography
    Event Director: Sara Levesque, Salt Harbor Designs
    Flowers: Jennifer Rose, Salt Harbor Designs
    Ceremony: The Atrium
    Reception: Bakery 105
    Caterer Jill & Jordan Bakery 105
    Dessert: Nyes Ice Cream Sandwiches
    Reception Music: Empire Band
    Rentals: Party Suppliers
    Lighting: Steve, High Performance Lighting
    Hair & Makeup: Melissa Kinnomon

  • Published, Weddings

    Bluewater Grill Wedding Photography | Christina & Craig

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    See the published article about this wedding on Wedding Wire HERE.

    One of the best parts about my job is getting to document wedding days of people that I know and love. I’ve known Craig and Christina for awhile now, Craig is one of my best friends’ older brothers. These two have ALWAYS made me feel like a part of their family, including inviting me over for Christmas since all of my family is back in Ohio. I remember when Craig started dating Christina, and we were SO excited because he’s deserved a girl like her for so long now. I’m so happy that they found each other, and I’m so happy to have been able to be a part of their wedding day.

    Christina and Craig tied the knot at the absolutely stunning St. Mary’s Church in downtown Wilmington. After that we took their GIANT bridal party and adventured all over Wilmington, stopping for photos at Hugh McRae Park, Airlie Gardens, and ending at Wrightsville Beach. They arrived at the reception via private boat, TALK ABOUT AN ENTRANCE! Their reception at Bluewater Grill was nothing short of beautiful – an ice sculpture, a live painter, flowers everywhere. This family has a way of making you feel right at home, and their wedding was no exception. I’m so excited to see what comes next!

    – Allison

    Photographer: Allison Eding, Lightbloom Photography
    Ceremony: St. Mary’s Church
    Reception venue: Bluewater Grill
    Getting Ready Location: Hotel Ballast
    Florist: Fiore Fine Flowers
    Coordinator: Shauna Loves Planning
    DJ: Eyecon Entertainment
    HMUA: Meraki beauty
    Cake: Imaginary Cakes
    Dress: Camille’s
    Rentals: Party Suppliers
    Live Painter: Tesh Parekh

  • Published, Weddings

    Ironclad Brewery Wedding Photography | Jen & Paul

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    See the published article about this wedding on Wedding Wire HERE.

    Jen & Paul got married at the end of August at the beautiful and industrial Ironclad Brewery. They had a sweet ceremony on the stage downstairs, followed by a reception that involved some delicious local craft beer and a whooooole lot of dancing with their closest family and friends. They spent the day making me laugh so hard my face actually hurt when I went home. Every detail was perfect and so THEM. I wish every single wedding could go as smoothly and be as much fun as this wedding was. I could probably gush on and on about these two for many more paragraphs, but instead I’m just going to share a bunch of my favorite images from their big day!

    – Allison

    Photographer: Allison Eding, Lightbloom Photography
    Venue: Ironclad Brewery
    Coordinator: Jennifer Wilson, Belle Ame Events
    DJ-:Joey Hall
    Florist: Verzaal’s Florist
    Catering: Mission BBQ

  • Weddings

    Wrightsville Beach & Bluewater Grill Wedding Photography | Ashley & Kevin

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    I had the lucky job of spending the day with Ashley and Kevin as they said their vows to each other on an absolutely perfect and sunny May afternoon at Wrightsville Beach. Their ceremony was the sweetest beach front setup, followed by a reception at the always beautiful (and delicious) Bluewater Grill. Ashley and Kevin incorporated theses fun and artistic details into their wedding day like a hand drawn (by Kevin) and watercolor painted (by Ashley) emblem with their initials on it that they had on their invitations, on their stamps, and even on their cups at the reception! Their seating chart at the reception was one of my favorites as well, with individual hand painted names written on shells from the beach. I love working with brides (or grooms!) that have an art background, it really shows in the tiny little details of the day and it makes it so fun for me to capture!!

    Another fun thing they did was bury a bottle of bourbon (that isn’t even being release for another two years) one month before their wedding date at their ceremony site and dug it up right after the reception. Southern folklore says that if you bury a bottle of bourbon at the site where the bride and groom are to be married it won’t rain on their wedding day. According to many believers, this must be done exactly one month before the wedding, the bottle must be completely full, and it must be buried upside down to ensure maximum weather persuasion.

    These two were a blast to work with and their dance party all night was so FUN to watch – they used glow stick foam bats for their grand exit at the end of the night but they brought them out on the dance floor before that, which really made for some hilarious pictures. Also, bonus, they made their getaway out onto a boat! I can say that one’s a first for me! So unique! I’m so happy to have gotten to be a part of their day – wishing you two forever love and happiness together!!

    – Allison

    Photographer: Allison Eding, Lightbloom Photography
    2nd Photographer: Erin Allenczy
    Videographer: Farmer Visuals
    Planner: Heather, Port City Event Planning
    Ceremony: Wrightsville Beach
    Reception Venue: Bluewater Grill
    DJ: Active DJ
    Florist: Port City Event Planning
    Hair & Makeup: Deanne Harvey
    Cake: Swanky Sweets
    Jewelry: Freya and Light
    Getaway Boat: Bluewater Transportation

  • Published, Weddings

    Ironclad Brewery Wedding Photography | Jamie & David

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    See the published article about this wedding on Wedding Wire HERE.

    Jamie and David got married on a gorgeous May afternoon in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina at Ironclad Brewery. These two were so sweet and calm and Jamie was one of the most organized brides I’ve ever had, and I mean that as the BIGGEST compliment. They put together an absolutely stunning wedding day at the most beautiful venue. Ironclad is perfect for weddings, a huge industrial building covered in brick walls, wood floors, and of course, delicious homemade beer. What I loved most about Jamie and David’s wedding ceremony was that instead of doing something like a sand ceremony, they did it with beer. So unique and so fun! They danced the night away with their closest friends and their families, and they even let me sneak them away to go hang out on a rooftop nearby for some sunset portraits – an absolute must-do you if can make it happen at your wedding! I’m so thankful to have been a part of their wedding day, and so happy to work with such amazing vendors. Wilmington is a magical place in the wedding industry. Congrats, Jamie and David!!!!

    – Allison

    Photographer: Allison Eding, Lightbloom Photography
    Venue: Ironclad Brewery
    Florist: Verzaal’s Florist
    Dress: Camille’s of Wilmington
    Catering: Middle of the Island
    Hair & Makeup: Kreashenz Salon + Spa and Anna W Lee

  • Published, Weddings

    Brooklyn Arts Center Wedding Photography | Jenni & Drew

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    See the published article about this wedding on Wedding Wire HERE.

    On a perfectly warm and perfectly sunny day in May, Jenni and Drew tied the knot in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina at the Brooklyn Arts Center. Every single detail was perfectly planned out and everything came together SO beautifully. Jenni and Drew are a couple that are just filled with fun and laughter, it’s kind of hard to not just absolutely adore them. That was clear by the way their friends and family supported them. What a fun bridal party, what a sweet family. I’m so grateful for couples like these two, and I’m so happy to live in a town that has such gorgeous backdrops for photos. Thanks to everyone who came together to make this day possible! Now go look at all 97 photos that I picked out to share with you guys because I couldn’t choose any less!!!

    – Allison

    Photographer: Allison Eding, Lightbloom Photography
    Coordinator: Chandler Russell, Design Perfection
    Florist: Design Perfection
    Venue: Brooklyn Arts Center
    Catering: Middle of the Island
    Cake: One Belle Bakery
    Band: Emerald Empire Band
    Hair & Makeup: Kreashenz
    Rentals: L&L Rentals
    Officiant: A Wedding Ministry