Bella Rose Photography Blog

Featured in Southern Bride and Groom's Spetember Newsletter!

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:37:41 +0000

Duke University Hotel Network

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:39:14 +0000

While we are on the subject of the Washington Duke Inn, I thought I would mention a resource that I recently came across that is perfect for brides getting married in Durham. The Duke University Hotels Network, is an online source to find hotels near Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. They provide a wide range of services including hotel reservations, car rentals, and other useful travel tools for your trip to Durham, NC. You can choose your accommodation by price, rating and location, using their local University Hotel Map. Their system will provide you with convenient hotel rates and discount fares. Check it out!

Rehearsal Dinner ~ Robin and Garan

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:26:59 +0000

It is always a great experience to photograph the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner before one of my client's weddings because it gives me a chance to get to know the couple, their families and the bridal party a little better before the actual wedding day. The rehearsal is always exciting because everyone is anxiously anticipating the wedding the next day. Robin and Garan's wedding rehearsal was no exception. You could feel the excitement in the air, and everyone was ready to celebrate and have fun together. The rehearsal took place at the Washington Duke Inn and the dinner was at the Parizade restaurant in Durham.

Bridal Portrait ~ Robin

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:22:04 +0000

My bride, Robin, decided to take her bridal portraits at her parents home in the early spring. We were able to capture some really unique images inside their home with the staircase and then we took their antique chaise lounge out into the garden for some beautiful portraits. The chaise has been a family heirloom since the Civil War and Robin's mother was really excited that she was able to use it in her bridal portraits. And last but not least, I have to give some love to the shoes! Robin wore these exquisite Valentino silver sequined pumps with her wedding dress. The shoes had their own photo shoot. That's just how my world works!

Wedding ~ Jenny and Zach

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:52:26 +0000

I am fortunate to have a great description of this beautiful wedding written by my bride, Jenny. Jenny and Zach's wedding is featured in the Summer issue of The Bride's Book Magazine! The issue was just released electronically and should be distributed in print soon. It was a great experience working with Jenny and Zach and such an honor to be a part of their 'dream wedding'. It truly was a dream and Jenny was a spectacular bride!

Here is Jenny's description of the wedding:

"As a little girl, I had always wanted to marry the man of my dreams at the beach. Some of my fondest memories were spent seaside. After Zach and I began dating, we actually spent more time with my family on Figure Eight Island than in my hometown of High Point, NC. After we were engaged, the beautiful North Carolina coast just seemed like the perfect place for the wedding. We chose First Presbyterian Church for the ceremony because my grandfather was a member and it is where we attend church when in Wilmington. Plus, it has incredibly beautiful architecture. We chose Figure Eight Island for our reception site since it has beautiful sweeping views of the waterway and marsh. It was also close to where many of our guests were staying.

The theme of the wedding began with the dress. I had found a beautiful Vera Wang Luxe dress in a bridal magazine advertisement. I immediately fell in love with it. It was the first dress that I tried on at Alexia's Bridal Boutique. After trying on several other dresses in the store, the deal was clenched when my sister-in-law Natalie Thomas suggested that I try the dress on with a belt that had a bevy of fabric flowers. It just completed the dress!

From there, the wedding took on a "romantic, vintage" theme to match the bridal gown. The wedding cake was modeled after the dress's belted accessory. The centerpieces were hobnail white ware as a nod to the vintage theme. The chargers complimented the hobnail. We chose white on white flowers because they were delicate and romantic. The table linens were ivory, cream, and sandlewood. The invitations were written with calligraphy in wide sweeping and whimsical strokes. The seating cards and the seated dinner menu were done in the same calligraphy. The bridesmaids wore satin Vera Wang dresses that were aubergine with an off-gold belting. The colors were chosen in honor of the groom's alma mater, the University of Washington.

Traditions: I carried my late grandmother's handkerchief that was wrapped around the stems of my bouquet.

Other fun elements: My dog, Brady. met us at the reception for a quick photo. On the day of the wedding, the bridesmaids had a yoga session at the Figure Eight Island yacht club. The bridesmaid gifts included yoga mats for the lesson and a personalized bag and makeup case that they could carry to the church. Our band was Black and Blue . Zach played guitar with the band for two blues songs. The band invited the wedding party and family up on stage to perform various songs with the band."

Another super cute detail to the wedding: Jenny and Zach met in medical school and they are both doctors. The favor that they gave their guests was a pill bottle with lavender M&M's. The label said 'Love is the Best Medicine'! So cute!
Congratulations Jenny and Zach!

Rehearsal Dinner ~ Jenny and Zach

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 06:02:44 +0000

The elegant wedding rehearsal dinner of Jenny and Zach took place at the historic City Club at de Rosset in Wilmington. Zach's mother and artist, Leslie Sandbulte, painted two beautiful paintings of the couple as a wedding gift. The incredible artwork was then used to create wine labels for mini bottles of wine that were used as favors and place cards. It was such a unique and creative idea, everyone loved the little wine bottles! Guests were seated at tables decorated with a variety of berries, greenery and vegetables. Each place setting even had an individual potted plant and a delicate fern was tucked in each napkin with the menu. The beautiful styling of this event was done by none other than the talented, Jennifer Rose Sandy, of Salt Harbor Events. The guests enjoyed a five course meal that was followed by toasts and an artfully decorated dessert table with everything from chocolate truffles to creme brulee.

Beautiful Dresses for Proms, Weddings and Special Events

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:06:11 +0000

If you are looking for a fantastic dress for a prom, pageant or your wedding dress, I think it would be worth a trip to visit Dimitra Designs!

Owner Dimitra Mandala's experience comes from over 30 years of dressmaking. After graduating from design school, she worked in the Los Angeles fashion industry for such notables as Nolan Miller and Bob Mackie.

She was then recruited by famous pageant designer Stephen Yearick in Greenville, SC. When Mr. Yearick relocated his headquarters to New York, Dimitra decided to open up her own salon. She has had the privilege of dressing
many beauty pageant contestants and brides.

DressProm.Net is brought to you by Dimitra Designs Bridal Emporium in Greenville SC, that offers full service bridal attiere, wedding bridal gowns, bridesmaids dresses, mother of the bride dresses, tuxedo rental from famous brands, prom dresses and homecoming dresses instock every season from top designers, exclusive pageant gowns for beauty contests, even little girls pageant dresses. Also Dimitra Designs has in the Upstate the largest selection of quinceanera dresses and formal dresses for almost any special occasion as well as bridal accessories, wedding shoes, veils, tiaras and wedding invitations.

They gave Bella Rose Photography some love on their blog today! Check it out!

Feature on the Southern Bride and Groom Website!

Thu, 20 May 2010 13:51:27 +0000

The wedding of our lovely couple, Melissa and Chuck, is featured on the Southern Bride and Groom website. Read their love story and view their wedding details at this link.

Blog Love from Blaine Photography Blog

Thu, 20 May 2010 13:45:02 +0000

One of my photos was featured on the Blaine Wedding Photography blog recently! Nice!

Haute Hat Show!

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:41:10 +0000

The glamorous 'Haute Hat Show' was the 'grown up' equivalent of playing dress up. All of the models were dressed in sophisticated 'little black dresses' with jewels, gloves, boas, high heels and of course, fantastic hats! I felt like I had gone back in time and we were witnessing a modeling show from the 1940's with models that stepped out of Vogue magazine.
Jan Wutkowski of aMuse! has been creating custom-made hats since 1995 when she studied hat making in Melbourne, Australia. She now resides in Wilmington, North Carolina and has a charming little store. Aside from creating hats, veils and headpieces, Jan has an extensive collection of vintage jewelry, gloves, handbags and other pretty things. It was so exciting to photograph this show and I absolutely loved every minute!

The talented, Dessert Divas, made a cake inspired by one of the hats in the show. They chose a dramatic large brimmed hat and recreated it in frosting! The beautiful model, Elena, modeled the hat with the cake for me! So glamorous!

Amanda DeLeon, (fashion designer), Rebekah Hinkle, (The Dessert Divas), Jan Wutkowski, (aMuse!), Deborah Place, (The Dessert Divas), Lisa Brown, (Bella Rose Photography), Jennifer Mattis, (The Dessert Divas), Jess James, (Style Girl).

Jennifer, Rebekah, Jess, Amanda, Elena, & Lisa enjoying the delicious cake!

Orton's Secret Garden Wedding and Event Show!

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:14:00 +0000

I have always loved the story, 'The Secret Garden' by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The idea of an enchanted garden, hidden by overgrown vines that comes to life with the care and love given by a little misplaced girl always captivated me as a child. When I was invited to participate in Orton's Secret Garden wedding show, I was immediately intrigued. I was even more excited when I heard that the idea for the show was for each vendor to display their work in a creative manner that would really showcase the possibilities of the site. And I was thrilled to be able to display my photography in the quaint historic chapel with the beautiful flowers and decor by Wendy of A Beautiful Event. I designed imagery to hang in the windows of the church using photos from previous weddings and bridal portraits taken at Orton Plantation. To keep with the 'secret garden' theme, I attached vintage keys to the ribbons and designed ornate, vintage style frames for my photography. We also had the a beautiful dress on display by Fountaine Bridals, gorgeous veils and accessories by aMuse! and fantastic violin music by Maura Kropk e. It was absolutely dreamy! To me, there is just something mysterious and enchanted about Orton Plantation and it is the perfect place for your own 'secret garden' wedding. And just like the book, a little bird came inside the chapel on the day of the show.

Jan Wutkowski, aMuse, Maura Kropke, violinist, Lisa Brown, Bella Rose Photography, Wendy Wright and assistant from A Beautiful Event, and Lindsay Blyth and assistant of Fountaine Bridal.

Jennifer and Rebekah of the Dessert Divas with Jan Wutkowski of aMuse!

Lindsay, Rebekah, Lisa, Deborah, Jennifer, Jess and Jan

My assistant Jill and I at the show!

Jess James with Cindy and Ron Pickett, owners of the Dudley Mansion.

It was a pretty day, but still very cold! I think it was a high of 52 degrees!

Jess James doing her job well- looking stylish!

A Happy Affair Bridal Show!

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:32:09 +0000

The Happy Affair Bridal Show at North Ridge Country Club was a great event. We were positioned in the lobby area of the club so that couples could have a spontaneous 'mini engagement session' in front of the fireplace when they arrived for the show. Then couples entered into the main ballroom to meet with other vendors and to hear the speaker, Stacie Francombe. Stacie is the Get Married Founder and President. She hosts a weekly television show on WeTV and also publishes a beautiful magazine. The focus of the show and magazine are to discuss current trends in the wedding industry. Here are a few of the trends Stacie mentioned in her presentation:

1. Non-linear aisle: Brides are personalizing the procession by altering the traditional aisle with a circle or a triangular double aisle, enabling the couple to enter from multiple spots with a central meeting point. Stephanie Davis, Get Married magazine editor-in-chief and new bride, wedded lake-side on a circular dock from which she and her groom entered. "Our family no longer has two sides, so everyone sat together and, as an added bonus, there wasn't a bad seat in the house!"

2. Comfort foods with a kick: Chef Wolfgang Puck believes that comfort foods have become more popular in the current economy. Think burgers, pizza, ribs, pot pie, and risotto--but comfort does not have to mean pedestrian. "Upgrade ingredients and prepare them with great expertise. Serve hors d'oeuvres like Kobe burgers, wild mushroom risotto, smoked salmon pizzas, slow-braised short ribs or a simple chicken pot pie with lobster," advises Puck.

3. Gifting techie gadgetry: Registries and wedding gifts have increasingly become more high tech. Brides want electronic recipe finders, books and charging plates, and matching his-and-hers PDA cases--all examples of great gadgets for the couple as well as thank-you gifts for parents and the wedding party.

4. Texture-inspired invitations: Top bridal designer Monique Lhuillier shares inspirations and details from her various collections: "A lot of fabric details from the dresses translate into the invitations. We use techniques of embossing to mimic textures and incorporate the same colors from the gowns into the invitations." Look for details you would see on the runway on your wedding invitations.

5. Old, new, borrowed and cobalt blue: From hints of blue in bridal fashion to saturated color throughout the wedding decor, "blues will be the most requested color in 2010," said Shane Murray of The Wedding Report. Bright cobalt blue is a hot hue for 2010, offering fresh, bold and atmospheric twist on the bluesy tradition.

6. Wear-again bridesmaid dresses: The urban legend of wearing a bridesmaids dress by choice after the wedding is a reality with the new silhouettes that mirror what is happening on the runway. Gorgeous and glamorous dresses with drop waists, bubble skirts and ruffles add an additional sense of style for bridesmaids to wear--and wear again.

7. Three-dimensional save-the-dates: Inform your friends and family of your wedding day with a twist. Three-dimensional elements on the save-the-dates, like a paper umbrella (signifying a destination wedding), adds character, humor and relevance.

8. Old Hollywood glam, for men!: A return to Cary Grant's sense of style is making a comeback this year for grooms, looking charming and dapper in a white tuxedo with black-rimmed lapels. This cool old-school look brings back the sharp-looking vest and nostalgic pocket watch.

9. Blogger brides abound: Now more than ever, Get Married is seeing brides enjoy sharing snippets of surprises, ideas and images throughout their wedding planning experience. Personal blogs offer a space for brides to share, gather inspirations and explore. Check out Get Married's robust and newly designed wedding blog.

10. Personalized plus: From the décor designs and inspirational invites to a great gifts and super-fab favors, Get Married is observing brides' aspiration for distinctly personalized wedding details. Designing invitations, save-the-dates and thank-you cards and adding monograms to guest books, aisle runners and gifts (like cosmetic and travel bags) offers a hint of personal bridal style. An assortment of personalized décor, invitations, gifts and favors are available a www.shop.getmarried.com.

Check out this new magazine!

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:44:14 +0000

I thought all of my newlyweds out there would be interested in checking out this new magazine. Here is a link to the online copy of the magazine. You can view an online version of the issue and the interior design is awesome!

Bridal Luncheon ~ Jenny

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:06:17 +0000

Along with the wedding day photography coverage, I was also able to provide photography for the Bridal Luncheon given for my client Jenny at the Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington. It was a beautiful day, perfect for such a nice party! Love the unique flower arrangements incorporating flowers, fruit and shells.

Bridal Portrait ~ Jenny

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:58:36 +0000

My beautiful bride, Jenny, took her bridal portraits at her parents home on Figure Eight Island. The perfect location for some unique interior shots and a great view of the intra-coastal waterway for some beautiful location shots. I love the images of Jenny with her dog, Brady. He is the sweetest dog and was so cute in the photos looking at Jenny. Jenny's lovely dress is a Vera Wang and they completed the look with a designer veil with handmade lace! Gorgeous!