Juline made her entrance from an elevated position above the ceremony with Jesse and all their guests looking on in admiration as she descended the staircase to greet him.  Their officiant was the Reverend Eric Guthrie, who always adds a unique touch to every wedding he presides.  The entire wedding was a very formal affair with multiple DIY touches from Juline and Jesse that were representative of their lives together.  I especially loved the buckets of Cheerwine.  Courtney C. Lee from Simply Beautiful Artistry, prepared Juline in all her splendor and did a fabulous job as always.  The food was prepared by the Peninsula Club’s very own Catering team.  Juline’s wedding dress came from Classic Bride and Formals and Jesse’s tuxedo came from David’s Bridal.  The venerable Mitch Wheeler from Charlotte DJ & Events worked the mic and music all night and Juline and Jesse’s floral arrangements were created by Bells and Blooms Florist.  The rest of their amazing wedding vendors are listed below.

Juline and Jesse, thank you for allowing Fusion to be part of your wedding, we look forward to capturing many more memories for you in the future.

• Ceremony: The Peninsula Club Patio
• Reception: The Peninsula Club Mecklenburg Ballroom
• Officiant: Reverend Eric Guthrie
• Wedding Gown: Classic Bride and Formals
• Bridesmaid Dresses: Bill Levkoff Bridesmaid Dress
• Wedding Rings: Diamonds Direct South Park
• Shoes: Classic Bride and Formals
• Makeup: Courtney C. Lee from Simply Beautiful Artistry
• Invitations: Your Invitation by Wilton
• Flowers: Bells and Blooms Florist
• Catering: Peninsula Club
• DJ/Music: Charlotte DJ and Events Mitch Wheeler
• Veil: Classic Bride and Formals
• Men’s Formal Wear: David’s Bridal

Please tell us what you think of this wedding by commenting below. CHEERS!

The post Juline + Jesse | Peninsula Club Wedding | Cornelius NC + Charlotte NC appeared first on Fusion Photography.

The post Charlotte Engagement | Uptown Charlotte | Raven + D’Andre appeared first on Fusion Photography.

fairytalehairandmakeup.com

First of all, know your budget. You can’t get anything accomplished without knowing how much money you have to spend. The hardest part after knowing your budget is sticking to it! Make a list of what’s really important to you; this will come in handy when allocating your money.  Ask us for a copy of our budget planning worksheet.

If food and drink is important to you, make that a priority. Go on tastings and choose a caterer that suits your needs and excites your palette. If the venue is the most important aspect, due your homework and scope out locations. Keep in mind all the additional costs that will come into play and affect your budget. What does the location include? Chairs, tables, linens, décor? If all of these are included in the price, great. If not, make sure to include that expense. Also consider food and drink. Many venues only allow their catering. Country clubs are a great option, but can be costly when it comes to the menu. Your dream location may come with a high priced menu.

Is having beautiful, quality images what you are looking for? Conduct your due diligence  There are many photographers out there who produce amazing, life lasting products that you’ll be able to share and enjoy for the rest of your life, but there are also individuals who claim to be professional photographers because they purchased a nice, expensive camera and downloaded photoshop. Be sure to look at their work (a lot of it) and get references (not only get references, but get in touch with those references.) You will get what you pay for.

Is the way you look a top priority? Every woman want to feel and look beautiful on one of the most important day of their life. However, if your budget is limited there’s no shame in looking for cheaper alternatives when purchasing your gown. Many bridal shops have sample sales, cutting their prices significantly. There are also gown consignment shops that house last year’s styles or overstock that has trickled from bridal stores. Another option worth looking into is individuals privately selling their gowns.

However you envision your day, keep in mind what’s most important. Sharing your vows with your loved one in front of family and friends is what the day is all about. So whether your budget is five-thousand dollars for fifty-thousand dollars, the love, commitment and promise for the future is what it’s all about.

If you like this post, comment below and be sure to follow us for more posts to help you plan an amazing wedding.

The post Bride on a Budget appeared first on Fusion Photography.

After the “police chase” scene we ended up at the Dairy Barn in Fort Mill for some “regular” photos at sunset.  Their wedding is coming up this weekend in Ocean Isle and we are looking forward.

The post Mackenzie + Paul | Dairy Barn Engagement | Charlotte NC + Fort Mill SC appeared first on Fusion Photography.

Chemical Peel Gone Wrong

Be careful what you wish for.

Want a body wrap, laser hair removal, smoother skin? While all these wants are realistic, take the time to plan ahead and schedule a trial run with plenty of time before you say’ I do’.

You never know what kind of reaction your body will have to treatments. Hair removal can be painful and has the possibility of leaving you red, bumpy and sore. You’ll want to know what the results will be beforehand. Facials, chemicals peels and other skin rejuvenation  procedures can be amazing, leaving your skin glowing, however, if you have sensitive skin and are prone to breakouts you’ll want to see the aftermath before your big day. You may remember Samantha’s chemical peel on Sex and the City? You certainly don’t want to take the walk down the aisle, have your groom lift your veil and hear him gasp when you reveal your raw, puffy red skin.

I think most brides have a goal of losing a few pounds or tightening up in certain areas. Pills may seem like an easy option, but they can have damaging side affects.  Research the products and know what you’re putting into your system.  If the side effects seem to   weigh heavy on the con side you may want to steer clear.  Weight loss body wraps are becoming increasingly popular but they can be a double-edge sword. On one end, it may be really effective and you end up losing too much weight, affecting the fit of your dress. Make sure you allow yourself enough time for a final fitting in case you lose the desired weight. On the other hand if that’s solely what you are relying on to lose weight and it’s not successful you may run the risk of not fitting into your dream dress.

Do your homework and plan accordingly.  Don’t start married life looking more scary than sexy!

The post Pre-Wedding Body Treatments before your wedding appeared first on Fusion Photography.

http://www.chocolatesuze.com/

Let’s face it, you’ll never wear your wedding dress again. And the day of passing it down to your daughter to wear on her big day has become obsolete. Instead of preserving it in a box that you’ll store away in an attic and never look at it again, consider these options.

Donate it or sell it. If you have no desire to keep or re-purpose the dress, cut it loose. Post it on Craigslist for a reasonable price and give another bride the chance to wear the beautiful dress. As the old saying goes “one’s women’s trash is another women’s treasure.” Let this ring true.

If you want to hang on to it due to sentimental value but aren’t keen on preserving it, why not re-purpose? A great way to pass your dress on without having to worry about the style is to have an item made from the fabric. An animal, a christening outfit or a quilt made from the dress may be a wonderful piece to pass on.

http://www.savvydeetsbridal.com/

Lastly, why not trash it! And I don’t mean in the sense of throwing it in the garbage! A ‘trash your dress’ photo shoot is not only fun for you (and your husband if you wish to have him included) but memorable. Take your favorite photographer on an adventure to capture the process of the destruction of your beloved gown. Unsure of how to trash your dress? Why not have a paint party? Gather up your favorite colors in paints and have a paint war with your significant other while wearing your dress! Or how about a food fight?!?! How fun would it be to toss delectable deserts back and forth with your beloved spouse! Lastly, take it for a swim. Take a dive into the ocean, pool, or swamp, which ever you prefer, and capture some amazing images as you let your inner mermaid shine.

Whether you donate, re-purpose, rip, shred, paint or submerge it water, do it with love. You wore it with love the first time around, now let the dress live a second life in love.

http://delsolphotography.com/

The post Trash the dress photography | Charlotte North Carolina + NODA appeared first on Fusion Photography.

New studio nearing completion

Our new studio is nearly complete.  In fact we actually met with two clients yesterday and both gave it raving reviews.  All that remains are some touch-ups here and there and hanging of all our glorious wall-art!

We are now located in the NODA area and couldn’t be happier!  Although our studio is not yet 100% we were anxious to share what we’ve done so far.  We hope you’ll swing by and come check out our new digs!

The post Charlotte Wedding Photographer | Fusion Photography New Studio Update in NODA | Fusion Photography | Charlotte NC appeared first on Fusion Photography.

Today’s society is hell-bent on finding a “good deal” and rightfully so. With the slump of the economy over the last ten years people were forced to become more budget conscious. I too became more frugal. We went out to eat less, vacationed smarter, and tried to minimize excess where we could. This sometimes has negative implications if not thought through carefully. This frugality has carried over to the wedding industry and the impact on the bride and groom is sometimes catastrophic. Scour the internet and you’ll find countless stories from disgruntled brides and grooms about wedding vendors who ripped them off, provided poor service or in some cases no service at all. Most of this can be attributed to poor selection based on thrifty decisions.

I wholeheartedly agree that budgeting should serve as critical element of a great wedding; however, focusing exclusively on the dollar amount and not its quality is the incorrect approach and can often lead to disaster. Imagine the price you will pay if the services rendered do not match your expectations or worse completely failed all expectations.

In an article recently featured in USA Today, titled “Weddings Gone Wrong” they cited among other things, that nearly 60% of wedding consumer complaints in 2012 were related to the photography and video realm. The crux of these complaints came in the form of poor service, bad quality, or in many cases outright failure to perform contracted services – typically signs associated with business that lack the essential skills, craftsmanship and business backbone to properly be classified as “wedding professionals”. This is not to say that credible businesses sometimes fail to perform adequately, just that your chances of being bamboozled run a much higher percentage when you shortchange your budget and hire a vendor that cannot possibly match your expectations due to their own inability to properly perform adequately.

I have always been a very large proponent of “you get what you pay for”, at the same time, I am also a deal shopper for certain items. I am not afraid to purchase a nice piece of usable furniture at a garage or consignment sale and have even taken advantage of the ubiquitous Living Social deal. And while coupons and thrift shopping hold their value there is something to be said for a really nice steak dinner, or driving a really well made automobile, or wearing an authentic Rolex watch that will last forever. These precious items never lose their sense of style, quality or taste and will make you feel like a million dollars when consumed, worn or driven. The converse of that is purchasing a handful of Timex watches at Wal-Mart that last maybe a few months to a year and have to be replaced frequently. Some expenses for me are worth splurging on because I place a high commodity on quality.

While planning my own wedding ten years ago, my wife and were not “luxury” bride and grooms by any means. However, we knew we were only going to do this once and we wanted to feel special, my wife wanted to feel gorgeous and as my daughter says, “Look like a princess” if even for just one day. Now, ten years later, when I open our wedding album or watch our wedding video, we both get teary-eyed and can still appreciate that special day as if it happened yesterday. Our pictures are still flawless, timeless and while I don’t look like a “prince” I still felt like one. This is only possible because we placed a high value on what was important to us on our wedding day (location, photography and video) and hired true wedding professionals – that were reputable and good at what they do. Yes they cost more, but their price was well worth the investment because even today we are still enjoying the value that we purchased ten years earlier. Not much different than wearing that timeless Rolex 15 year later (incidentally my first Rolex was a gift).

You ever hear the saying, “penny wise, but pound foolish”? It refers to a person who will go to great pains to save a few Pennies here and there, but think nothing of spending a large sum of money on something they may not need. Imagine the cost of hiring bad wedding professionals just to save a few dollars. Do your homework, speak to their references, and look at A LOT of their work. Think about what will hold value to you and yours ten, fifteen years from now. Certain facets of your wedding are priceless, like the tears streaming down your fiancé’s cheeks the first time he sees you, or the final embrace from your father as he passes you to your soon to be husband at the altar. Capturing these moments and preserving them for an eternity were what my wife and I considered priceless. Think of your wedding as an investment, what you put into it, is what you will get out of it. What do you value the most? Make that list and spend wisely.

The post The Cost of Frugal when it comes to your wedding appeared first on Fusion Photography.

Flowers

What’s In: The English Garden. With brides still in love with vintage but moving away from what Sayles Livingston ofSayles Livingston Design in Newport, Rhode Island calls the “weedy” informal floral decor of the last few years, they’re craving flowers that feel opulent but still natural. The look currently causing hearts to flutter evokes the feeling of flowers fresh-picked from the garden of a great estate. Alyssa agrees. “For one wedding, we’re using old brass vessels with a gold look, and the flowers are hydrangea, garden roses, and ranunculus. The look is lush arrangements.”

What’s Out: “Little bud vases lined up down the table,” says Alyssa.

Peonies Wedding Bouquet

What’s In: Peonies. Drumroll for the flower of the year—the peony. Soft, lush, romantic, the peony is the most requested wedding flower for two years running now, according to both Tara and Sayles. But with the bloom available for only two months out of the year, brides need a backup. Sayles recommends the garden rose, which has the same delicate petal feeling but is much more readily available.

What’s Out: Super-tall centerpieces placed in the center of every table. “It’s been overdone,” Sayles says.

What’s In: Garlands. 2013’s brides swoon for garlands—garlands with ribbon, garlands with paper, garlands hung from chandeliers. “We just did a wedding with one long center table and a garland of peonies and hydrangea running the full length of the table. It was 48 feet of full flower,” Sayles says.

What’s Out: The orchid. “The bloom doesn’t have that of-the-moment, freshly picked look,” says Sayles.

What’s In: Cascades. A vintage bouquet silhouette will make a big return, Sayles predicts. Expect to see cascades coming down aisles everywhere this year. The look is long and slender, with lush full flowers such as (no surprise!) peonies, tea roses and a few sweet tendrils of vine.

What’s Out: According to Sayles, bouquets heavy on the greens will be a no-go in 2013.

Source: Rachel Griffiths, Bridal Guide Magazine

The post 2013 Wedding Trends | Flowers | Fusion Photography Charlotte NC appeared first on Fusion Photography.

We met at Ballantyne Country Club but lost touch when I took another job. We reconnected when I starting working at the club again about six months later. We started hanging out with our work group of friends and quickly realized we had a lot in common. We started hanging out more and more just the two of us and became best friends. We started dating on Todd’s 20th birthday (11-11-08) and got engaged on February 13, 2010.  The first date was held at the Melting Pot.

The first date…

It was the day before Valentines Day and Todd and I were just hanging out at the house. He said he was going to run out and get my Valentines Day gift and card. I was reading a text book for school so didn’t pay too much attention when he got back from the store about 45 minutes later. He was gone for such a short time it seemed like he had done exactly what he said he was going to do (Little did I know that he and his mom had been working on this for days). He said hey to me and then said he had gotten the dogs new collars, which I didn’t think anything of since we got them new ‘necklaces’ all the time. He put them on the dogs and told me to call them to me so I could see them. The dogs ran to me, and I notice a box tied onto Ginger’s collar. I bent down to grab it and when I did Todd got on one knee and asked me to marry him. Of course I said YES!

My take…

Dana and Todd are the kind of couple you see 40 years from now all grayed out and wrinkly enjoying an ice-cream cone in the park sitting on a park bench in the shade (bc Dana now lives in the south, she’ll probably have a bonnet on).  The kind you go “oh how cute”.  They just get each other.  It’s funny to watch them finish each other’s thoughts and only laugh at each other’s jokes.  It’s cute how they both share the same sarcasm and wit and use it on each other frequently.  I am looking forward to the next chapter in their lives as they embark on a new journey together – that sounded like it came straight outta the Successories magazine didn’t it?

The wedding…

The Slideshow…

Charleston Aquarium + Isle of Palms Wedding | Dana and Todd | Charleston SC from Fusion Photography on Vimeo.

The Wedding Vendors…

• Catering: Brick Lane Catering
• Ceremony: Charleston SC Aquarium
• Invitations: Vistaprint.com
• Jewelry: Kay Jewelers
• Makeup: Kacie Faulling
• Music/DJ: Split Second Sound
• Officiant: Kathie Sherrill
• Wedding Gown: Camille La Vie, Group USA
• Wedding Rings: Zales

The post Isle of Palms + Charleston Aquarium | Dana and Todd | Wedding Photography appeared first on Fusion Photography.