“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.”

— Stephen Hawking

Celestial events are mesmerizing. They are eye-opening. And they are accessible.

Last August, my Dad and I piled into his truck with our eclipse glasses, camera equipment, packed lunches and a goal to make it to the path of totality in time for the Great American Eclipse. We ended up in a Walmart parking lot that quickly filled with cars, RV's, beach chairs, umbrellas, and people from across the area.

The eclipse was phenomenal. But what was more impressive was the camaraderie and togetherness of this shared experience. Nothing brings a couple thousand people together like sitting on blazing black asphalt in the Southern August heat staring at a giant fireball.

The sun and moon don't judge. They don't hold grudges and they surely don't care about your past. They are just there to create a natural balance in your life. They are there put on a spectacular astronomical circus. But mostly, they are there to remind us to keep looking up with curiosity and perserverance.

Allie + Mike have a love that is sweeter than listening to The Avett Brothers' "Swept Away (Sentimental Version)" on a warm Summer night under the stars. Their love is dancing to this ballad in their living room, surrounded by family + very close friends, their dog Avett, and an outpouring of warmth on a chilly October night.

These two, together since high school, had the sweetest, most intimate wedding at the North Carolina Botanical Gardens followed by a classy dinner party in their living room. Yes, their living room! I first met Allie while on assignment for a campus magazine at UNC. She then showed up on staff at the Daily Tar Heel and quickly moved to become an editor. We even ended up in the same program in journalism school. And of course, with all these things we had in common, Mike came along to event after event always supporting Allie. He's always had this look of pure affection for Allie and that was evident back in our college days. On their wedding day, that look of pure bliss and love for her was greater than ever.

Allie had a vision for her wedding photography: storytelling + unprompted with hints of fine art film shots. It was a very easy job because the enitre wedding was classic, elegant, seasonal, and full of personal touches from Allie + Mike. But better yet, their love was wrapped around every detail of their day, including the way they adoringly gazed at each other. These two cooked the meals served at their dinner party and created wine pairings for each course, they made each plate their guests dined on, and made sure to have photos with each of their guests on polaroid film.

Allie + Mike, that you for letting me photograph your wedding day and the love you two share for each other. I wish you all the marital bliss in the world, set to a never-ending playlist of the Avett Brothers.