Chelsea + Ryan | Downtown Wilmington NC Wedding | Wilmington NC Wedding Photographer

The first time I met Chelsea and Ryan was for their downtown Raleigh engagement photos last year. After talking to Chelsea on the phone I had already decided she and Ryan were adorable and I was so excited to photograph them. It turned out my instincts were right and they were the sweetest, most genuine couple. I knew their wedding would be a beautiful show of love and faith. Again, I was right. I’m pretty good at finding the most awesome people ever 🙂

Chelsea and Ryan prepped for their big day at private homes on Carolina Beach and celebrated their ceremony and reception at The Balcony on Dock in downtown Wilmington, NC. The ceremony was absolutely gorgeous and not just aesthetically, but emotionally, too. There were laughs, tears, more laughs and more tears. The sun dipped away as Chelsea and Ryan shared their first kiss as husband and wife and we hurried outside to get some photos before the sky turned dark.

Our original plan was not to shoot portraits at night but because the timeline ran late and the ceremony was much longer than anticipated (it was worth it!), we made our way through the streets of Wilmington and got to capture some really cool bride and groom photos. Sometimes wedding timelines don’t go as planned so it’s definitely important to hire a Wilmington NC Wedding Photographer who can handle any kind of lighting situation. Luckily I was prepared and Ryan was a trooper, helping me lug around my off-camera lighting!

The reception was equally as touching and love-filled as the rest of the day. The way Chelsea and Ryan look at each other is swoon-worthy. You can see in their eyes so much respect, admiration and passion for each other. They really are an incredible couple and I hope that’s easy to see in these photos.

Congratulations, C&R! I hope these past few months of wedded bliss have been all you dreamed of and more!

xo