May 17-12

Meet Jennifer and Nicholas!

I adore this couple. Not only do they make a gorgeous pair, they are the sweetest, kindest, most affectionate couple I've ever met. After spending time with them, I felt like I really knew them.  Nicholas was quick to give Jennifer the praise she deserves, telling her she is beautiful and wonderful. Jennifer returned his words with her sweet smile, affection, and kindness of her own. The compliments just kept coming. I was encouraged and blessed, just by being around them! The way they spoke so highly of one another speaks to their future - they will undoubtedly have a happy and blessed home.

And their style! I die. Seriously, one of my favorite engagement session outfits to date. I love that they are not afraid of accessories and color!

J & N... I can't wait for your big day!

Comments: 8

  1. Amber May 17, 2012 10:08 am

    Gorgeous couple and style, love seeing pics at Duke Chapel, what a great session!

  2. Liz May 17, 2012 10:20 am

    Love the light in all these photos – so natural! I mean, I know it is natural, but you make even more so!

  3. James May 17, 2012 10:49 am

    Pics at the college indoor arena in the nation. Congrats to the both of you. Happiness is contagious!

  4. James May 17, 2012 10:50 am

    Ooops…left out greatest*

  5. MacKenzie May 17, 2012 10:56 am

    Really great shoot Nancy! So fun and love that you got access to Cameron! I’m loving this couple’s laid back style! Thanks for sharing.

  6. Emily N. May 17, 2012 10:57 am

    Ok. Model status. These two are beautiful! Great pictures Nancy :)

  7. Regina J. May 17, 2012 12:16 pm

    Beautiful pics! Absolutely love the indoor pic! All are wonderful! Congratulations Nick! God Bless!

  8. Em May 17, 2012 6:55 pm

    1) Love the color of her pants
    2) Love the first pic and the black and white in the middle in particular
    3) LOVE, love LOVE that you shot at Duke, and especially in Cameron!!! John would have died.

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May 16-12

A few weeks ago, I attended Making Things Happen for the second time in my life.  This experience was completely different than the first, and it came at a time in my life when I needed it. On May 1, I needed to refocus, to separate myself from my distractions, to realize my true priorities. I needed to shut off my phone for an entire day, to not look at Facebook or Emails, but instead to stare life in the face. Life is too short to be wasted on things that give us no fulfillment yet steal our time, and I needed this MTH intensive to get me back on track.

I have so much on my heart, so much that I gathered and learned from MTH 2012. After starting this blogpost several times without succeeding in finishing it, (it is simply too much to fit into 1 post!) I have decided to share the 5 most important lessons I learned from MTH over the next 5 weeks. Each Wednesday, I will be challenging myself all over again, and challenging you with what really inspires us. I will be drawing powerful boundaries in my life to set myself up for success. Dreaming big. Being realistic, and being wise with my time. Breaking social media addictions. Eating healthy. Waking up early. And so on...

Today's challenge? Living the ideal day.

Have you ever taken time to write out what an ideal day would look like for you? Close your eyes and imagine it. Set this dream in your real world, too : not on the beaches of Mexico, or in the mountains of Italy. Imagine your ideal day in your home, at your work, doing what you do, living your life, and loving it.  What would that look like?

•••

Nancy Ray's ideal day:

6:00  Wake up. Do not snooze. Let Winston outside. Drink coffee on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, with a candle burning and windows open.

6:15  Read my Bible as I drink my coffee.

6:30  Pray for William. Pray for my day. Pray for my family, for my youth group. Pray for a greater hunger for the Lord.

6:45  Read a chapter from an inspirational book.

7:00  Stretch, then eat a healthy breakfast.

7:30  Put on running clothes, then edit photos or do non-email related work for 1 hour straight

8:30  Go running!

9:30  Stretch, do more office work for 1 hour (no distractions)

10:30 Email for 1 hour

11:30  Shower / Change / eat lunch outside on my porch / Water Garden / Tidy home

1:00  Work for 2 hours nonstop :: open windows, good music

3:00  15 minute break! Lay flat on my back - on the patio in the sunlight

3:15  Walk Winston to get the mail

3:30  Finalize work for 1 hour: Wrap up emails, blog, clean studio

4:30 Close studio, begin dinner prep, tidy my home

5:30  Have dinner prepped, welcome Will home with a big kiss, then spend the evening together [dinner, walk outside, read our current books, play with Winston]

9:00  Make Will's lunch for the next day, lay out clothes, tidy up home, get ready for bed

9:30  Read

10:00 Lights out

•••

This week I am learning that I can actually live out my ideal day every day.  What a fulfilling life that brings! Today, I have been quite successful, I must admit! Although I woke up at 6:30 and not 6, everything else has fallen into place. I stay much more focused when I am on a timeline. I read my Bible and The Magic of Thinking Big. I ran 4 miles this morning, I worked with no distractions for several hours, I took time to get ready for the day, eat a healthy breakfast and lunch, and I have accomplished much work. It's a good day.

Now, it's your turn! If you haven't done it already, go write out your ideal day. Then ask yourself, what's stopping you from having that day every day? Why not today? 

Then leave an idea in the comments that would make your day more "ideal."

Comments: 7

  1. Megan Leader May 16, 2012 3:20 pm

    This is SO good!! I’m so doing this tonight! :)

  2. Andrew Cash May 16, 2012 3:41 pm

    This is so great Nancy … I need to reach out to “old” friends more and even my family … So maybe writing a small note then sending via postal service. Glad you start the day off with coffee!

  3. Kate May 16, 2012 5:01 pm

    Thanks for sharing your journey. May you have many more ideal days ahead of you!

  4. Christy Tyler May 16, 2012 5:17 pm

    Oh I LOVE LOVE LOVE this! I need to write mine out and stick to a timeline… especially this busy season. It’ll keep me productive, healthy, and less frustrated (I hope). Thanks for the inspiration!

  5. Reagan May 16, 2012 6:24 pm

    Nancy, wow. I just happened to read this and what BLOWS my mind is when I first woke up this morning, like on the brink of sleeping and waking, I thought to myself “I really just want an -ideal- day. I want THE day I have been waiting for and longing for.” I have been making lists and changes obsessively the past two weeks. It is awesome how the flow of thought works in a community.

  6. Erin Davenport May 16, 2012 6:32 pm

    What a fabulous ideal day! Good for you for making it happen today :) And thanks for the refresher/motivation. XOXO

  7. beka May 16, 2012 8:24 pm

    Nancy, I just think you are wonderful. And I love your ideal day! Thanks for posting this; you’ve motivated me to check back in with my MTH notes and make a finalized print-out of my ideal day, too! One change I’ve made since coming home is making sure I get out for a walk in my beautiful neighborhood every day – even if it’s just for 10 minutes! I love where I live in the city but I rarely took the time to appreciate it, and now just those few minutes every day make such a big difference! Can’t wait to read the rest of this series!!!

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May 15-12

Love this couple. They are sweet, quiet, and so happy. The more I watched them, the more I realized how content the two of them are just to be together. I imagined them in the future - married, sharing a home together, having the best time talking and cooking. It didn't matter if they were home alone, watching a movie, or eating dinner - they were together. That's all they care about. No one around them matters, no one can mess with them. When they are together, they are content. That's a recipe for a good marriage if you ask me.

I met them at the lovely Duke Homestead one morning, and I instantly fell in love with this location. Rustic barns, moss, fields, old architecture and trees - all within a very short walking distance. We had the best light and the best time! And we ended the session seconds before a downpour. It was pretty perfect.  Ashley and Dustin - I can't wait for your wedding!

 

Comments: 2

  1. Ashley May 15, 2012 9:07 pm

    Wow Nancy, we love them!! Such a fun and beautiful place, and we got so lucky with the weather :) Looking forward to having you capture our wedding!

  2. Liz May 16, 2012 9:25 am

    Wow Nancy – how do you fit everything in the frame??Love the one of them next to the red wagon.

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May 14-12

Katie was one of the most elegant brides I've ever worked with. She carries herself with grace and love, and that was particularly true of her on her wedding day this past Saturday. Her personality is so sweet - she loves on everyone she meets! One of my favorite moments from her wedding day was when she saw her two flower girls... each girl evoked such excited reactions from Katie!  She loved on those girls, and their age didn't matter. Everyone is important to Katie.

Christian (who is now Katie's husband), was so enamored with Katie! During their first look, he just kept spinning her and looking at her over and over and over again. It was so sweet to see the two of them - inseparable the rest of the day. You can see from her beautiful bridal session why he just kept spinning her - she is stunning!  Their love for their Lord and one another was so sweet - I cannot wait to share photos from their gorgeous wedding.

 

Comments: 3

  1. Samantha May 14, 2012 9:03 am

    Nancy, These are so pretty! I love her veil!

  2. Liz May 14, 2012 9:16 am

    These are so gorgeous and romantic. Nancy!

  3. Aunt Carmen May 14, 2012 11:23 pm

    Beautiful bride. Beautiful pictures

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May 10-12

Michael and Michelle's wedding falls under the category of "weddings I will never ever forget."  Scattered thunderstorms were predicted for the entire day of their wedding, and when I arrived, the clouds looked a little scary. It didn't take long for the darkness to roll in; for the skies to open up and pour. During the "getting ready" photos, Michelle was almost in tears. She was so excited to be marrying her man, to be wearing her favorite pink wedding dress, to be in a room with all her favorite girls. But all she wanted was an outdoor ceremony! Was that too much to ask?

Literally, 30 minutes before the ceremony, when we were about to move everything under the reception tent, the skies parted. The sun began shining, and workers busily began drying off all the seats in the courtyard. Michelle was going to get her outdoor ceremony after all!  The guests were happy, and the storm was just what the day needed to cool things off.

Michael and Michelle are perfect for one another. Michelle - a vibrant, fun, caring and thoughtful young woman - is the perfect compliment to Michael, who is laid back, calm, and easy to please. Truly, they make sense together. It's so fun to watch them, because mostly, they just laugh together.

Fast forward to their reception... I have never seen such a group of party animals! Everyone was having the best time of their lives! Silly dance moves, tying napkins onto their heads, lots of laughter... it was the definition of a good party. Then, hours before the reception was supposed to end... a massive storm arrived. So massive that it sent all the guests to the main house in a state of semi-panic! Talk about a memorable day! The reception ended early, but thankfully, that didn't stop the guests from having an amazing time. And we still got that photo of Michael and Michelle on their tandem bike... even in the rain. :]

Thank you, M&M, for allowing me to capture such a memorable wedding day! I couldn't imagine anyone else handling it with as much joy and laughter as the two of you did.

Venue : The Sutherland
Caterer: Shuckers
Cake Artist : Ashley Cakes
Florist : Purple Poppy
Bluegrass Band : Tommy Edwards Bluegrass
Reception Band : Gold Rush
Hair & Makeup : Marigold Parlour
Stationery : Oak City Stationery
Wedding Gown & Reception Dress: Lily Pulitzer from Traditions by Anna
Programs : 3 Little Finches

 

 

Comments: 4

  1. Debbie Lee May 10, 2012 4:51 pm

    Love, love, love the pictures! Beautiful photos of a beautiful couple on a very happy day! Can’t wait to see more!

  2. Michelle Lee May 10, 2012 7:11 pm

    Wow!! Love these! I literally cannot wait to see them all!! Thank you so much, these make me so happy! :)

  3. kristin partin May 10, 2012 9:08 pm

    What totally beautiful gowns! Awesome photos, nancy :) pretty pretty details <3

  4. Winanne & Tommy May 13, 2012 12:22 am

    THE MOST ROMANTIC & BEAUTIFUL WEDDING WE”VE BEEN TOO! So happy we were there with you all. Love, Aunt Winanne & Uncle Tommy

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Photographer, wife, and worshiper... I am a Southern girl who looks most forward to waking up each morning to drink my coffee, read my Bible, and soak in the beauty that surrounds me. These pages chronicle my work, my life, and the things that I love most. Thanks for visiting, I do hope you stay a while!
Nancy Ray