New Blog!

I have a brand new blog and am so excited about sending you there! Here's the link:
www.marthamanning.com/blog

Please visit often :)

WPJA

I was contacted this week by WPJA, Wedding Photojournalist Association, with an invitation to join after going through an extensive portfolio review process. Reminiscent of my days in photography school where I sat through hours of portfolio reviews, I was thrilled! WPJA is a fabulous organization that includes photographers from around the world who I admire, so it is a huge honor to be there among them. Here is the description from their site...

"The Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) is a professional organization composed of photojournalists and wedding photographers from around the world. What sets our members apart in the industry is their candid, documentary approach – a distinctly artistic vision toward wedding photography."

Stephanie + Davis = Married!

I posted Stephanie and Davis' engagement photographs back in December. We did them in Wilmington on a surprisingly warm winter day and it was so much fun!

Well, here are some of the getting ready shots at the big event! I have to tell you a little bit about this amazing weekend at The Greystone Inn at Lake Toxaway, NC. This gorgeous resort is just outside of Asheville in the beautiful NC mountains. It is an intimate setting where there is always a view and a lit fireplace. If you ever have the chance, go!

I have known Stephanie since we were at Appalachian State University and she remains a life-long friend. I love this girl's sweet face!

Stephanie and her wonderful Mom...the candids are always the most cherished photographs.

As a surprise to wear on the wedding day, Stephanie's Mom had this jewelry designed and hand-crafted with the help of her very own exquisite taste.

I love gowns and great shoes! I also love the texture in this room at The Greystone Inn!


...and I love Davis (here in the middle of his brothers). David and I look forward to the time we'll all have together in the years to come! Now if we can only convince them to move back to NC...

Here are some last shots of Stephanie after she put on that amazing gown and prepared for the ceremony.

New studio update: Paint

Now that I have the keys to my new space (woo hoo!), the task of putting a fresh coat of paint on those walls is at hand. I want the walls to have a gallery feel to them...clean, fresh, with the focus being on the large gallery prints hanging up and the beautiful window light. But, there is no such thing as just plain white. Did you know how many variations on white there are out there? Thankfully, I'm one who appreciates creative names, so here are some that I took note of in my search:

vanilla custard, beach basket, mocha white, whipped white, bleached stone, vital spark, white crystal, white wedding, soap bubbles, clam island, man in the moon, symphony white, vermont snow...wow, the list goes on and I admit that I did get attached to the idea of painting my walls with mocha white, but I decided on clean & crisp.

I have a fresh roll of blue tape and even a brand new drop cloth, so I'm ready to go! I better get my iPod ready, too :)

By the way, did you know that an IKEA is coming to Charlotte in the spring of 2009? I'm waiting for my office furniture to ship from the DC location and was dreaming of how much fun it would be if I could just hop right over to Charlotte and get everything now. Oh, well! Happy painting!

Liz & Tommy

These two fun people enjoyed their outdoor ceremony at sunset in Fearrington Village. Their elegant reception was at Fearrington's Barn. They always do an incredible job with every detail of the wedding planning process!



See what I mean? ELEGANT!

This was something I haven't seen at a reception before. Great idea to all of you out there planning your weddings! They served yummy ice cream cones late in the night when everyone needed a little refreshment from all the dancing.

time flies

I cannot believe it has been two years since Kathryn and Jeff's wedding! These two were married in downtown Orlando, Florida and the amazing thing about their ceremony was that her Dad was their minister. It was such a touching service and I don't think there was a dry eye anywhere! This particular photograph cracks me up because Kathryn is always laughing and bringing out the best in everyone around her, even in her ceremony. Since then, she and Jeff have moved far away and have a little boy who is adorable. Thankfully, her family lives in NC and I can still catch up with her when she's in town. Happy 2 year anniversary, you two!!

Meet Cathy and Scott. These two are also celebrating their 2 year anniversary and I wish them the best in their life together! Their wedding was at the Grandover in Greensboro...an incredibly romantic spring outdoor ceremony with lots of dancing and laughter at the reception. Cathy is a professional dancer, so let me tell you, there was some serious dancing going on at that reception!

What an honor to be able to capture the details and emotion of such a historic day as someone's wedding. I love it!

something fun ahead!

I have exciting news coming soon about a new space for my business, but first a peak at something beautiful I found to hint at the design of my space....

think IKEA with a hint of anthropologie mixed in there somehow. So exciting!!

And, something completely unrelated to photography, but still fun, is the upcoming Dave Matthews Band show in Raleigh on July 2nd. I admit I was online buying tickets the first day they went on sale...after seeing them (too many times to admit) over the course of 12 years since the days they played in Boone, NC at Appalachian, you better believe that I am getting a seat this time! Woo hoo!