Greenville Wedding Photographer : Backyard Farm Wedding : Jessica and Zack

As a rule, I don't typically watch a lot of sports.  I make periodic concessions to this rule for special occasions, but if you know me, there's a roughly 95.4% chance that you've never seen me actively watching a sporting event of any kind.  And there's a reason for that.  And, I know you're all thinking, "Well duh, Melissa.  You're an artsy kid who eschews all forms of athleticism other than large, elaborate dance sequences!".  But you'd be wrong.  I actually thoroughly enjoy watching a good game...perhaps a little too much.  In other words: Hi, my name is Melissa Ragan and I scream loudly when watching any and all types of competitive televised event-like things.  Sports, game shows, you name it...I yell at the TV during it.  You should hear my parents and me attempting to compete with the people on Jeopardy.

Up until last night, Super Bowl Sunday 2012, Steven had no clue that I have this tendency.  Largely because we really haven't watched anything remotely resembling a football game together since...forever.  So, as they entered the second half, I tried to keep myself calm.  No need to scare the boy just because he's stuck with me now.  And then came Eli Manning's hail Mary pass to Mario Manningham, and before I knew it, I was jumping up and down, shrieking "GO GIANTS!!" like it was my job.  And then there was silence.  Seriously.  I'm pretty sure things got quiet in the MetLife Stadium because I'm convinced that our TV stopped making noise.  And I wish I could have captured the look on Steven's face, because it was one that can best be described as a cocktail of shock, wonder, and delight.  Apparently, even the Tony Awards don't elicit such reactions.  

So now I'm left wondering if perhaps I should have just been upfront.  Apparently, it's cute and endearing , as opposed to horrifying.  Ah, the joys of marriage...

Speaking of, how much do you love Jessica and Zack's farm wedding?  The land where they actually had their ceremony was so pretty, it made me want to up and move to Dacusville.  And I'm pretty sure I've already mentioned this, but how gorgeous is Jessica??  Good gracious, woman!

Ceremony : Private residence

Dress : Mori Lee

Flowers : Sherri Smith

Hair and Makeup : Angel Pitch

Bridesmaids : Angelina Faccenda

I think I've decided that all weddings should have a hay ride to kick things off...

Yes, everyone...Jessica is stunning, and her new hubby is quite the stud himself.  Yeesh, the DNA of these people...

Fact: I was sad because I wasn't wearing my cowboy boots.  All.  Day.  Long.

Well, hey there cute boy coming in on the hay ride!

The tiny people completely stole my heart...how cute are they??

For the picture on the right, all I did was say, "Pretend I'm not here!".  Think they were excited?

Once it was time for dancing, Jessica changed into her mom's (also ADORABLE) wedding dress.  Loved this.

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Philpot!!

Greenville Wedding Photographer : Huguenot Loft Wedding : Matt and Rene

Raise your hand if you love cold and flu season!!!  What?  No one?  Well, gee willickers, that's just plain shocking.  Or not.  What I'm really getting at here is that I have a cold, and it's making me grumpy.  I'm reasonably tough about lots of things, but I feel very strongly about being about to breath through both nostrils.  I admit there are perks...staying in sweatpants all day, not feeling the least bit bad about working from the sofa watching Les Miserables on repeat, and eating copious amounts of strawberries because I just like them.  But then we come back to the aforementioned single nostril breathing, and the light pounding in my head that comes with it, and I'm just not sure it's worth it.  Plus it's been several days since I've gotten any natural vitamin D in my life.  Steven has been instructed to only approach me with chocolate, and perhaps a shiny new tabloid magazine.  

I just needed to get that little bit of whining out of my system...every time I complain to Hallie, she just sort of looks at me, and then farts.  Not quite the expression of sympathy I was looking for, but I guess on the plus side, I can't smell anything.  But I digress...and really into a place I don't particularly care to go, so let's move on.

I love looking back on this wedding...everything from the color palette and amazing venues, to just how cute Matt and Rene are together.  It's all so bright and cheery, and it helps me forget that between the weather and the cold (that I WILL whine about until it goes away),  everything seems to look, feel, smell, and even taste gray today.  I think you'll agree...

Church : Grace Church Downtown

Reception : Huguenot Loft

Dress : Poinsett Bride

Flowers : Dahlia

Coordination : B & R Events

Cake : Couture Cakes of Greenville

True story...Steven and I got into wreck on the way to meet up with Matt and Rene at the Hyatt.  It was totally minor, we were both fine, and we even managed to get to the Hyatt on time.  Always leave early, kids...very, very early. Anyway, all was fine, but I'm not exactly famous for handling things like this in a calm fashion.  My hands were shaking up until I actually got together with Rene and her bridesmaids.  They were so sassy and fun that I honestly forgot until the end of the night that part of my car had gotten smashed earlier in the day.

I still maintain that Matt looks like Brendan Fraser...

I love the this...candy buffett before and after.  :-)

Greenville Wedding Photographer : Bridals : Megan

Happy 2012, everyone!  I hope your year is getting off to a downright spectacular start.  My year is getting kicked off with a super fun detox...nothing but lean protein and veggies for me for a couple of weeks.  So just be aware that I might not finish this blog post on account of chewing off my own hand.  True story.  

I'm working on getting my goals for this new year and getting a big, beautiful, high accountability blog post up and running, but in the interim, please enjoy these images of the lovely new Mrs. Megan Bennett, who got married on New Years Eve.  When we were planning out her bridal session, Megan said she definitely wanted somewhere with drama.  I think this view covers that concept pretty well, no?

Good grief, Megan...YOU ARE SO GORGEOUS!

Give me angles!  Now smize!

For our last few frames, Megan completely made my life and pulled out this fascinator hat.  And it looked amazing.  And I wanted to be British so that I could see those suckers at every wedding I go to.

This last image is one of my favorites that I've ever shot.  No lie.

Greenville Wedding Photographer : Engagement : Megan and David

Exciting news, friends...this shoot marks the beginning of things I did in the FALL!!!  Which is extra great fun because it's pretty much Winter now.  Le sigh.  Okay, moment over...moving on now...

Before I get into the adorableness on a stick that is Megan and David, I have to talk about a personal struggle I've been facing lately.   I'm afraid that Steven is a much better wife than me.   I know that I've mentioned on numerous occasions that my hubby is an excellent cook.  It was definitely one of his snazzy early dating tricks.  Like, "Don't worry about dinner when you get home from work tonight.  I'll come up with something."  And then that "something" is pesto steak tips and cheddar fondue.  What just out of college guy can do that??  And then there's my girls' night tonight, when he is whipping up an entire meal from scratch.  Because he feels my friends deserve better than under-boiled noodles and jarred sauce.  And all that is great, it really is, but around Christmas every year, I start getting this creepy, weird domestic kick.  And I get really into baking and other dessert-like stuff.  So I look up fun new recipes, try them out, and sit back and bask in the glow of my success.  People rave about how they had no idea I was so skilled in the kitchen.  It's awesome.  

That is until this year, when Steven decided to start making homemade cheese.  That's right...fresh cheesey goodness right in our kitchen.  And he did it right in the middle of my baking bonanza.  So what happens when I take fresh saltine toffee to my parents?  Well, nothing, because they're entirely too distracted by the fact that I also brought some of Steven's fresh mozzarella.  And it's good.  And how can a yummy toffee treat compete when someone took a gallon of milk and brought forth cheese??  I'm sure I'll be talking to a therapist for a few years about that newfound inferiority complex, but in the interim, I've decided to just throw up my domestic white flag and give him this one.  So, he can cook, and churn, and get his Martha on all over the place, and I am going to sit on my keister, watch sports, and scratch something.  That'll show him...

Okay, still reading?  Excellent...onto business!  Megan and David are getting married this coming June at Furman, and I'm pretty sure they win my award for most preciously adorable couple ever.  Seriously, just look at these guys:

I rest my case.  :-)

Fact: I did not retouch/enhance/do anything to Megan's eyes.  They're actually that color.  Love!

This chalkboard sign makes my whole heart happy.

On our way to our last location, we decided to take a road that cuts through a horse farm.  And I promise that I really was planning to just quickly and quietly scoot on through...but then we saw this guy.  :-)

 

Greenville Wedding Photographer : Chris and Carly : Part 1

Steven and I have the world's second cheapest cable package available.  Not the cheapest one, mind you, because we are classy people...who are too cheap to pay for all the channels past 20.  We also have a Netflix subscription and TiVo.  This gives us the ability to jump in on all the great television trends a good 2-5 years later than everyone else when the stuff we normally watch goes on holiday hiatus.  Like right now.  Obviously, everyone wants to be our friend.  So, let's talk about the immense hilarity that is How I Met Your Mother.  We're halfway through the first season and we're just a little obsessed.  I want to jump in my TV and be best friends with all of them right now.  We're also working Christmas movies into the rotation, because they're awesomesauce and one of our (my) favorite parts of the year.  This yummy, and slightly bizarre combination of viewing has led me to a somewhat unsettling realization about myself: I am the lovechild of Robin Scherbatsky and Buddy The Elf.  

Seriously...Steven agrees with me, although that's probably a bad thing.  But I am an excellent bro, would definitely have 5 dogs if I were allowed, think I would be a superior news anchor, and I love smiling.  It really is my favorite.  I also think that the perfect day would involve snow angels and holding hands.  Putting all of that out there has probably also just cost me all potential clients and business for the rest of my life.  Hmmm...I think I'll distract you all with pictures!

Not gonna lie, I have enjoyed more than anything else in the world saying that I got to photograph Chris Brown's wedding.  On more than one level.  Firstly, there's the obvious misunderstanding of which Chris Brown I'm talking about, which gives me massive street cred.  Not that that's really a problem for me anyway.  Then, and this is really the biggie, I love him and his new wifey so much.  I want to shrink them down and keep them on a shelf in my house so that I can hang out with them whenever I want.  But that would be weird, so I'll settle for just saying once again, that they both are truly amazing people and I really do adore them.  

Also, I have entirely too many photos for just one blog post, so I'm dividing it up into the overall story of the day (this post) and the mammoth portrait session we did with their wedding party in Fall's Park.  Here we go!

Ceremony : Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Reception and Catering : Embassy Suites

Bridesmaids : Coren Moore

Cake : Kathy and Company

Carly is an avid Yankees fan.  :-)

Carly seeing her dad for the first time...is it weird that I'm majorly jealous that Steven took this one?

When I came across this little gem while culling through my original files, I may have snorted.  Loudly.

Carly's cousins suprised them with a custom version of Airplanes.  It was 100 different kinds of fabulous.

In case you were wondering...theatre people can THROW DOWN.  

Best bouquet sequence EVER!

Holy Sweaty Photographer, Batman!!  And yet still, these are my favorites.  :-)

Stay tuned for the portraits, later today!