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David and Maitlyn had their wedding at one of my FAVORITE local Hertford, NC Wedding Venues. When a couple chooses me as their wedding photographer and tells me they are having a Crawfish Shack wedding, I get really excited! While the name, “The Crawfish Shack”, leads you to believe otherwise, it happens to be a gorgeous gem full of beauty. A few miles off of Highway 17 South, you turn down an unassuming dirt path and enter the gates where many of my Bride and Grooms start their lives together as husband and wife. With a beautiful covered deck overlooking a pond that glistens in the sunshine and a ready made reception space big enough for the average wedding gathering, it really is a sweet spot! The owners always make sure to greet and help celebrate each wedding couple with a custom sign right at the entrance. It is always my first stop and the first photographs of the wedding day and it always brings a smile to my face!

David and Maitlyn have known each other since way back in the third grade and they even lived in the same neighborhood growing up. However, they didn’t start dating until 2015. From there, the rest is history. He proposed at the Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo, NC (where Maitlyn had her Bridal portraits taken at). Maitlyn says that was “one of the best days ever!”.

Photographing details is always super special. Way before the wedding, I send out a wedding questionnaire which helps me build the wedding timeline but also allows the Bride several spots to add certain important details that are important to her. This is typically where the Bride will list if they have heirloom jewelry or special items that they would like incorporated into their details shots. For this wedding, Maitlyn wanted her “something blue” incorporated in the detail photographs. It was a heart shaped piece of shirt that belonged to her grandfather. We also took the time later during the “getting ready” photos to make sure we documented her Mom pinning the blue heart under her dress. Things like this make a wedding day so special!

The covered deck overlooking the pond at The Crawfish Shack is my favorite place to do both the Bride and Groom’s getting ready pictures. We take great care to make sure that Bride and Groom don’t see each other since they are in same close vicinity. Having constant communication through either text, through the wedding planner or a designated point person is how this is accomplished without any issue.

Typically, First Looks are done between the Bride and Groom or the Bride and Dad but it can also include a sweet First Look between the Bride and her Brother like below. These two have such a sweet and special bond it was such a precious moment shared between them! There are no rules for first look, your wedding should be a reflection of you 100%! One Bride in the past did a First Look with Dad, Step Dad and the to be Father in Law. There are no rules!

Maitlyn’s Dad was unable to be physically present at the wedding due to being hospitalized but he was still able to still be connected and present during the entire wedding day through the blessing of FaceTime. Her brother held the iPad to face his beautiful daughter as she walked down the aisle and then the iPad was handed off to family in order to watch the ceremony. We made sure to get him in the pictures throughout the day. As the reception was underway, he was dancing in his hospital bed pumping up the crowd and making his daughter smile so big!

Maitlyn said, “Looking back on it we had so many special memories from this day, but if we had to narrow it down it’d definitely be the moment David and I laid eyes on each other as I was walking down the aisle with my brother and dad via iPad. I am so blessed and grateful for all the support I received from David and all of our family and friends to help us make it through this day without my daddy.”

1 Corinithians 13:4-8 is one of Maitlyn’s favorite Bible verses. It says that, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” What a beautiful reminder of God’s love and how we should love one another.

David and Maitlyn celebrated the end of their wedding day with a beautiful sparkler exit. One of the most common questions that is asked about wedding sparklers is about the sparkler length. I always recommend the longer sparklers. When you search wedding sparklers on Amazon, they list how many minutes the sparklers are expected to last. I recommend the sparklers that last between 2-3 minutes, you can find a link to the 3 minute ones here. This allows enough time to get all the sparklers lit and for them all to be still burning while we are capturing the beautiful sparkler exit images like below!

David and Maitlyn’s wedding was such a wonderful day! There was no denying the love they share and how important family is to them. Their families and friends rallied around them to celebrate and help their wedding day be nonstop fun and full of joy!

The Henne’s had this to say, “We love Katie, she’s absolutely stunning and such a down to earth person. She takes her work very seriously, but has the best time doing so. We love how she gets into the session with you while she’s capturing all the special moments. She’s definitely a blessing to be around.”

Thank you both for the sweet words! I’m so thankful to have been your wedding photographer!

VENDORS:

Second Shooter: Robbie Myrick

Wedding Venue and Reception: The Crawfish Shack in Hertford, NC

Wedding Dress: Studio I DO Bridals

Rings: Kay Jewelers

Florals: Jeffery’s Greenworld Florist and also Norfolk Wholesale

Wedding Decor: Family and Friends

Table and Chairs: Brothers table and chair rentals

Cake: Mel’s Sweet Treats

DJ: Mike Walker of Mixin’ Mike

Makeup Arist: Alexis Beals