Downtown Wilmington wedding

Weddings
Bakery 105 Wedding Photographer | Taylor & Greg
- June 12, 2023
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- by Allison
Let me just start by saying WOW. First of all, I already love working at Bakery 105 in Downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. Its outdoor patio covered in brick and ivy is a photo dream, and the interior is honestly just as pretty, too. It’s one of my favorite venues, but also, fill it up with a bunch of ridiculously wonderful and fun humans, and it’s EVEN BETTER. I’ve had the pleasure of becoming friends with Taylor and Greg over the last few years, especially when we all got to head to Vegas together last year for our mutual friends wedding (Joe & Dianna in VEGAS! Ya better go look at that one, too). So I was EXTRA thrilled when they asked me to photograph their wedding! These two know how to throw an epic party, and pack a dance floor with a whole lot of non-traditional wedding songs (literal music to my ears). But the absolute best part? Taylor and Greg were just SO HAPPY to marry each other. They both audibly breathed sighs of relief upon doing the first look, and that right there is why I suggest a first look, always. Spending more time with your partner on your wedding day will make you feel instantly more calm and grounded, and excited to promise forever to each other. Anyway, I’ll stop blabbing, but please enjoy these highlights from Taylor & Greg’s wedding day!

Photographer: Allison Eding, Lightbloom Photography

Venue: Bakery 105

Planner: Do Me A Favor Events

Florist: Do Me A Favor Events

Cake: Lindsay Jennings

Rentals: Martha My Dear Rentals, White Birch Rentals

Dress: Camille’s

Hair & Makeup: Beauty Crew Mobile

DJ: Bobby Zee

Catering: 128 South

Lighting: High Performance
Weddings
Warehouse on Water Wedding Photographer | Sara & Morrell
- June 5, 2023
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- by Allison
Where do I even begin to describe the epic-ness that was Sara & Morrell’s wedding day? I had the pleasure of photographing this special day at the gorgeous Warehouse on Water, in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. I love this venue for its big brick walls and old warehouse vibes, along with the proximity to the Riverwalk (one of the best sunset views in town!) and all kinds of beautiful areas for photos! But what makes this venue even better? When it’s filled with friends and family surrounding a couple who just absolutely could not wait to marry each other. Now, when I say the excitement could be felt from multiple blocks over, I am serious. When I started walking to the venue with the girls from their getting ready space, I could feel the energy from these ladies, walking together, blasting music, singing about how Sara was on her way to get MARRIED! And then, I kid you not, every single bridal party member (and the GROOM!) even DANCED down the aisle for the ceremony. I’ve been photographing weddings since 2010, and honestly, this was a first. I was nearly crying from laughing so hard, watching this group have the MOST fun, supporting their best friends. The day was perfect, the weather was perfect, Sara and Morrell were perfect. Beautiful decor, an even more beautiful couple, and an AMAZING dance party to end the night. Another one of my favorite moments was their private last dance, you can just tell how excited they were that they had finally DONE IT! They’re MARRIED!!!! After their last dance, we headed outside for a bubble exit – but not just any bubble exit. They rented a bubble machine (shout out Atlantic Premier Entertainment) where the bubbles were filled with smoke inside, so when they popped, it created this fog effect, and I think these are some of the most magical exit photos EVER!!!! Congrats to these two absolutely wonderful and deserving people, I’m so excited to see the rest of your story unfold together <3

Photographer: Allison Eding, Lightbloom Photography

Venue: Warehouse on Water

Planner: Elise Does Events

Florist: Elise Does Events

Videographer: Atlas Film & Photo

Cake: Publix

Rentals: L&L Tent and Party Rentals

Dress: Casablanca

Hair & Makeup: Beauty Crew Mobile

DJ: Atlantic Premier

Catering: Middle of the Island

Ring: Reeds

Transportation: Azalea Limo
Weddings
Carolina Beach Wedding Photographer | Rachel & Bailey
- May 29, 2023
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- by Allison
Where do I even begin in describing this epic wedding day? Rachel and Bailey planned a gorgeous outdoor beach ceremony at Carolina Beach, and Wilmington weather had other plans for them. With a wildly rainy May, it tried to quite literally rain on their parade, but Rachel was DETERMINED to have her outdoor beach wedding. And I’m so glad her determination paid off because we had a (mostly) dry ceremony, and even though we got caught in some PRETTY HEAVY rain showers and there was a mad dash back to the hotel, we still managed to get some outdoor time and get some gorgeous photos and most importantly – have the BEST DAY EVER.

Rachel and Bailey have one of those intense kinds of loves where you can walk into a room and just feel it. I couldn’t stop watching them all day, and smiling the whole time. They had a brunch reception – which I just think MORE people should do, brunch food at a wedding AND mimosas AND Bloody Mary bars? Also unlimited coffee? Why isn’t this more common!? Then once the reception was over they had a beach ball exit instead of sparklers, which is now my new favorite thing, and then my absolute favorite part of the whole day happened – we walked down the Carolina Beach boardwalk (to many shouts of congratulations from the locals) and stopped at Britt’s Donuts, and then walked over to the Fat Pelican for some drinks. I love stepping outside of a “typical” wedding day and doing fun things like this, it makes it so much more unique, so much more memorable, and so FUN! We may have gotten caught in yet another rain storm, but nobody cared. What a day, what a couple. I’m so glad I got to be a part of their wedding day, it was totally worth getting soaked for!

Ceremony Venue: Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Reception Venue: Courtyard by Marriott Oceanfront Carolina Beach

Planner: Juju Lee Events

Florist: Radiant Bliss Designs

Videographer: Atlas Film & Photo

Cake: Apple Annie’s Bake Shop

Rentals: L & L Tent and Party Rentals

Dress: New York Bride & Groom

Men’s Suits: Men’s Warehouse

Hair & Makeup: Bridal Styles Beauty

DJ: FMG Events

Catering: Courtyard by Marriott Oceanfront Carolina Beach

Officiant: Charlie Deer

Rings: Manly Bands & New World Diamonds
Weddings
Slate & Cypress Wedding Photographer | Kyley & Corey
- May 22, 2023
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- by Allison
Kyley & Corey chose the beautiful venue, Slate & Cypress, out in Calabash, NC for their wedding day. I had the pleasure of documenting their big day, and let me tell you, this was absolutely one of the most fun days EVER. They had a bunch of fun ideas up their sleeves, and I just absolutely love when my couples are down to have a GREAT TIME, and these two did not let me down. From morning mimosas with the girls, to a staged “first look” with the groomsmen that was ACTUALLY Kyley just “icing” them (if you don’t know what that is, look it up, it’s incredible), to dancing all night long, these two had CONSTANT smiles on their faces and the love in the room was SO loud. It’s hard for me to even pick a favorite part of the day because it was honestly full of surprises and it was so much fun from the beginning of the day all the way until the exit. Thanks for including me in your special day, and trusting me to photograph it, and thank you even more for making me feel like I was just one of the guests. Obsessed with Kyley & Corey and obsessed with this day. Now check out the highlights!!!!

Photographer: Allison Eding, Lightbloom Photography

Venue: Slate & Cypress

Planner: Hannah Strickland Events

Florist: Eco Chic Blossoms

Rentals: L&L Tent and Party Rentals

Dress: Savy Bride (Charlotte)

Hair & Makeup: I Do Style

DJ: Active DJ Entertainment

Catering: A Thyme Savor

Transportation: Carolina Limo and Coach

Invitations: Zola

Live painting: Barbie Coble
Weddings
Kure Beach Wedding Photographer | Holly & RJ
- May 15, 2023
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- by Allison
Holly & RJ got married last weekend on a beautiful May morning, facing the Atlantic Ocean at the pavilion at Kure Beach. Living in coastal North Carolina is pretty incredible, especially when you get to wake up at the beach, get ready for your wedding, and say “I do” to the sound of the crashing waves. I love an intimate wedding, and the relaxation that comes with those kinds of days. Congratulations to Holly & RJ!!!

Photographer: Allison Eding, Lightbloom Photography
Venue: Kure Beach Oceanfront Park & Pavilion
Florist: Skyland Florist in Spring Lake NC
Cake: Publix at Carolina Beach
Dress: Simpson’s Bridal in Monroe NC
DJ/Band: Generations DJ
Catering: Smithfield’s Chicken and BBQ
Weddings
Porter’s Neck Wedding Photographer | Kathy & Mandy
- May 8, 2023
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- by Allison
Kathy & Mandy have been together for TWENTY YEARS now. They decided it was finally time to celebrate their love and invite their closest friends and family to join them all together in one place. They have over 20 people come over from Europe, which is a record in my opinion! I met these two for their “engagement” photos (they’ve already been married for awhile!) to get to know them before the big day, and we did their photos in their beautiful home along the water in Porter’s Neck, facing Figure 8 Island. They let me befriend their dogs and share a glass of wine and we exchanged travel stories and I knew that I was going to just LOVE their wedding, and boy was I right. They hired a team of TOP TIER vendors, so I already knew going into the day that it was going to be stunning, but even I underestimated just how stunning it really was. A hanging spring floral chandelier, twinkle lights covering the entire ceiling of the tent, a live band to play music to keep the guests dancing ALL NIGHT (and I mean literally all night). The food was hands down my favorite meal I’ve ever had at a wedding, and the vibes were the best part of all. The guests kept me laughing and enjoying myself all night, and the love for these two humans was felt for miles. They had their day planned out perfectly, and I loved the layout of their day, as it was very non-traditional. They started with a cocktail hour while all the guests arrived and they got to mingle and greet everyone together, followed by a ceremony of just their vows, followed by dinner, and drinks and dancing! I’m so grateful to get to be involved in days like this one, and I wish Kathy & Mandy many many many many more years of happiness together!

Planner: Knot Too Shabby @knottooshabbyevents
Ice Cream: Nye’s Ice Cream @nyescream
Catering: Spoonfed Kitchen @spoonfedkitchen
Florist: Designs by Dillon @designsbydillonnc
MUA: Amy K @amykmua
Band: The Finns @thefinnslive
Tent & Floor: Perfect Touch Rental @perfecttouchrental
Rentals: Party Suppliers @partysuppliersandrentals
Transportation: Coastal Event Shuttle @coastaleventshuttleilm
Specialty Rentals: Martha My Dear Rentals & Design Perfection @marthamydearrentals @dpetc
Lighting: High Performance @highperformancelightingnc
Plants: Coastal Plant Rentals @coastalplantrentals
Stationary: Minted @minted
Calligraphy: Southern Bee Brooke @southernbeebrooke
Weddings
Neuse Breeze Wedding Photographer | Lesley & Brian
- April 17, 2023
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- by Allison
This was my very first time photographing a wedding at Neuse Breeze in Havelock, North Carolina. What a great space, I can completely understand why people choose this venue! The perfect outdoor areas, a ceremony space right on the water, an outdoor dance floor, a house for getting ready, and a great floor-to-ceiling window reception space. However, for Lesley and Brian, things didn’t go EXACTLY as they planned. When we saw a 100% chance of storms ALL DAY, we had to make some backup plans. The wonderful staff at Neuse Breeze worked really hard to transform their reception area into a ceremony space, too, and let me tell you, it made me forget the weather outside. I know that it wasn’t their original plan, but the floral display and the table setups and everything was just STUNNING. Yes, we were stuck inside all day, but you know what? WHO CARES. What a fun and energetic bridal party, they kept the dance party happening ALL NIGHT, and I could not stop smiling. Lesley has this energy about her that literally lights up an entire room, and her attitude about the day is really what changed everyone’s mood about the storms. She was positive, happy, and she realized the one most important thing: she still got to marry the love of her life that day. Thank you both for such an incredible experience, and for going with the flow, and for throwing one HELL OF A PARTY!

Photography: Allison Eding, Lightbloom Photography

Venue & Florals: Neuse Breeze

Hair & Makeup: Dalisay Salon

Bar: Sassy Spirits

Cake & Desserts: Famous Baking Company

Catering: The Flame Catering

DJ : Paul D’Elia, Generations DJs
Weddings
Bakery 105 Wedding Photographer | Erin & Ryan
- April 10, 2023
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- by Allison
I am back from my brief hiatus (vacation hiatus!) and attempting to be back to my blog post schedule! Starting with my last wedding before I left for the Maldives! Erin and Ryan got married on a BEAUTIFUL day in March at one of my very favorite venues: Bakery 105! Located in Downtown Wilmington, just a block from the river front, this venue is such a catch. Brick walls, the patio full of ivy climbing up the walls, walking distance to all my favorite downtown photo spots, I just love working here. Pair that with an EPIC couple, I am so grateful I was able to be there for Erin and Ryan’s wedding day! These two have such an incredible, welcoming energy. I adored being around them, and TALK ABOUT A DANCE PARTY. One of my secret favorite things about working weddings is seeing all the different kinds of dance parties by the end of the night, because every wedding is so different. Let me just tell you, this one was a night to remember. Thank you for having me, you two, wishing you allllllllll the years of love and laughter!

Photographer: Lightbloom Photography

Venue: Bakery 105

Planner: Meg Henson Events

Florist: Among the Wildflowers

Dress: Beautiful Brides

DJ: Active DJ

Catering: 128 South

Rentals: L&L, White Birch

Lighting: Event Excellence

Cake: Publix

Hair & Makeup: Dalisay Salon

Popcorn: Midtown Pop
Weddings
Station No. 2 Wedding Photographer | Ally & Doug
- March 13, 2023
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- by Allison
Station No. 2 is a beautiful wedding venue located in Downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. I adore photographing at this spot – but this was my first spring season wedding here and OH MY GOODNESS. The outdoor patio was transformed into an English spring time garden, and I am HERE FOR IT. Ally and Doug are the kind of people who make the people around them feel loved, welcome, and like your’e just part of the family. Ally’s daughters quite literally made me one of their own, and I happily accept this position. Being at their wedding felt like a big warm hug. Ally and I bonded pretty early on into our booking process, over our love of books and taste in music (we actually unintentionally met for the first time at a The Head and The Heart concert in town) and our similar personalities, and all of that bonding made for an even more amazing wedding day. It was my first full-sized wedding back for the season, and what a way to start off the year! One of my favorite moments was when Doug surprised Ally by writing personal vows (which they had promised they WEREN’T going to do – and then he did it anyway!) and saying them to her after their first look, when it was just the three of us. Something he said in the vows really stuck with me, when he told her that he liked the person that she made him. Okay, I’m not a cryer. I work weddings for a living, I see a lot of cool stuff. But this one got me. And then later on at the reception, he wasn’t done! He also surprised the entire guest list by standing up and performing a song for Ally that he had written, AND IT WAS AMAZING. I love their love. I love their wedding day. I wish we could do it again already.

Photographer: Allison Eding, Lightbloom Photography

Venue: Station No. 2

Planner: Meg Henson

Florist: Designs by Dillon

Cake: Pink Baking Co.

Rentals: Party Suppliers and Rentals & White Birch & Honey Bee Vintage Rentals

Dress: BHLDN

Hair Stylist: Beauty Crew Mobile

Makeup Artist: Beauty Crew Mobile

DJ/Band: Active DJ

Catering: A Thyme Savor

Invitations: Minted

Ring: Melanie Casey

Calligraphy: Lady Bird Lettering
Destination Wedding, Weddings
Charleston Wedding & Elopement Photographer
- March 6, 2023
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- by Allison
I had the most incredible weekend in Charleston, South Carolina photographing in the absolutely stunning downtown area. I’ve gotten to photograph weddings in Charleston before, but I’ve always been at the plantation kind of venues, and I’ve never gotten to photograph downtown before! So when I saw a photography workshop available on instagram from The Crafted Space, I signed up right away. This workshop was everything – multiple real couples styled up for these photo sessions, ranging from engagement style shoots to wedding and elopement styled shoots. With different backdrops around the city, I was screaming in happiness. What a beautiful place, what an incredible group of people, what an experience and a fun fun fun weekend in Charleston. Hire me for ALLLLLLL the Charleston weddings. I will repeatedly drive there from Wilmington. I don’t even care. I love it so much!

Also, another perk of being a part of this workshop was that I was able to take the time and shoot some 35mm film photos, too. Something I’m not always able to slow down and do. I’ll add all of my favorite film photos here, too!

Nora

Val & Charlie

Maddie

Harper & Johnny

Caroline & Drew

Dani & Fin

35mm Film Photos

Downtown Wilmington wedding

Nora

Val & Charlie

Maddie

Harper & Johnny

Caroline & Drew

Dani & Fin

35mm Film Photos