2017 was a year of SO many incredible weddings and adventures. I got to photograph at TWELVE new venues and also many repeat venues that I absolutely adore, such as The Farm at High Shoals, Grant Hill Farms, and Cloverleaf Farm. The year took me to Savannah twice, where I learned that Spanish moss is the most beautiful thing ever but the gnats there are NO JOKE. I traveled to the Cataloochee Valley in NC where I photographed a 24-degree ceremony in an unheated primitive church at 8am followed by magical portraits in a pasture of elk. I flew my team to Alaska and rode a ski lift to the top of a mountain range for some of the most epic bride & groom portraits I’ve ever taken. I photographed my first firework exit, which was stressful & perfect at the same time. I worked with such ADVENTUROUS brides who danced in the rain and hopped fences and crossed highways all to take amazing photos.

Basically, this year rocked. Thank you to everyone who trusted me & my team to capture your special moments in 2017.

People joke that my orange crate is my “mascot,” and you’ll see it in many of these photos. I hate shooting up at people, and the vast majority of my brides & grooms are taller than I am, so my trusty crate is a must-have.

… always struggling to gain control over large wedding parties. JUST KIDDING I love large wedding parties, and this one was the MOST fun. :)

I love that my second shooter sometimes captures the moments when I show clients previews of their photos on the back of my camera… always such a joyful moment!

I love my 3-person team on wedding days. We’re pros at handling wedding dresses… constantly carrying so they don’t drag through dirt, laying trains out perfectly for photos, removing gnats from between layers, etc. etc.

If you haven’t been a bride, you might not know how HEAVY bridal bouquets can be! Brides regularly want to hand their bouquets off to someone else, and we happily take them!

My amazing assistants are always making sure details are picture-perfect…

and helping me set up dress shots…

and even holding the little ones when needed…

or holding umbrellas when it rains…

Here we are all bundled up and mesmerized by the elk at this 24-degree wedding.

Look at this next photo and be amazed by how tough my brides are… I was wearing about 5 layers! :)

Everyone asks about my veil shots. The truth is that about half the time we have to give the veil a little “help” when the wind isn’t strong enough…

And then there are those days when the wind is TOO strong, and my assistants try to keep the veil from flying out of the bride’s hair…

My assistants are frequently standing in as test-subjects as I set up my lighting…

getting ready for those nighttime exits…

pretending to cut the cake before the reception…

and standing in as bride & groom before people arrive to the ceremony…

As seriously as we take our jobs, we also can’t resist having a little bit of fun… from dressing up at themed weddings to taking advantage of every photo booth.

Sometimes people don’t know what the reality of a photo is until they see some “before-and-afters”… So I hope you enjoy this peek into the images we create!

That time a past-bride of mine stood in the middle of a highway to get the shot…

Most brides don’t want it to rain on their wedding day, but we always embrace it and set up a romantic rain shot at night…

That time I conquered my fear of heights and rode a ski lift to the top of a mountain. Terrified, but these epic photos were worth every second (also, #yolo).

Making the magic happen through use of light…

what you see…

what I see…

what you see…

what I see…

I hope you all enjoyed this inside peek into what we do as Claire Diana Photography! I am so thankful for the amazing clients who trusted our team to capture their special moments in 2017!