First was the LaFiura/ Misuraca wedding. The colors were deep chocolate brown and the ballroom had two sitting areas for guests to lounge as the party went on.




Next was the Lacy/ Gialanella wedding. The colors were yellow and soft, muted tones. This couple, Anne and Matt, had an intimate ceremony on the terrace with close family and friends. Then extended family and friends came for the evening celebration in the ballroom. You will see that even the sunset cooperated with their color scheme!




Finally we had the Flynn/ McClure wedding. Think pink! The bride, Elissa, had a vision for pink and white and the team at the Washington Duke along with Kate Foster Productions, carried it out beautifully.

Want to see more about these three weddings? See their blog post which contains a SLIDESHOW that tells the WHOLE story:

http://www.kpophoto.com/2009/10/two-bagpipers-and-a-chapel/
http://www.kpophoto.com/2009/09/cameron-crazies/
http://www.kpophoto.com/2009/09/sunset-at-the-washington-duke/

After the forced postponement due to the snow storm, it was great to see the show so busy! This was the view from the Chancellor’s Ballroom.

On the left are flowers from Tre Bella and on the right is a table by An Elegant Affair. I saw a lot of kelly green, black and white and fun lighting. So different from the brown and blue craze of the past few years!

On the left is a floral design that mimics a wedding cake by Purple Puddle. On the right is a tea table designed by Floral Dimensions.

And, finally the KPO Photo table at the show. See you again next year! Thanks to Bea Miller of Floral Dimensions for the flowers. And a HUGE thanks to Julie McCay and Ashleigh Collins and their team at The Carolina Inn who do an incredible job year after year!

Want to stay in touch? Become a FAN of KPO PHOTO on FACEBOOK.

Looking back, Katy can see now that she needed ten years to find her place in the world and to be ready for this love. As luck would have it, last year Garrett happened upon Katy on Facebook. They began corresponding and ended up quickly falling in love. Early on in their budding relationship, Garrett knew that she was the one.

A decade after first meeting they were wed in wonderful ceremony on January 16, 2010 at White Memorial Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. They held a reception immediately following at The Carolina Country Club. I think their story is told best in the slideshow below. All of their wedding images are located in their GALLERY.

All the ladies got ready at Katy’s mother’s house. On the left is Holly Blanton’s dog, Percy, who probably thought that ten women getting ready for a wedding was a bit chaotic. On the far right is the wall in the laundry room where many family and friends had marked their growth in this beautiful, family friendly house.

On the left is Katy’s something blue. The church was beautiful as guests arrived at the wedding.

Katy and Garrett’s niece ran up to join her mom at the end of the ceremony. This was definitely a kid-friendly wedding, which I loved!

PINK!!!

The wedding party loved the Ravenscroft Bus. Katy’s friends decorated it complete with Diet Coke cans dangling off the back.

LIST OF WEDDING DAY VENDORS:

Floral Design: Kelly Odom
Wedding Coordinator: Nancy Congleton
Cake: Sweet Memories
Reception Musicians: TLC
Recetion Venue: The Carolina Country Club

Katy had this to say about her photos, “Kristin! Everything looks wonderful! You did the most amazing job. Thank you SO MUCH. The pictures are WONDERFUL. We are were so lucky to have you with us!”

And her mom, Holly said, “Yeah, I love it Kristin . You are the best!”

Stay in touch with KPO Photo by becoming a FAN on FACEBOOK.

On the left is a good old, clean backdrop image for various uses. Then I got to take Father Dan around to some of the most photogenic spots in the church. This is the part that I love! For the photo of the right we had originally placed him in front of another part of the stained glass window but after shooting it we all realized that Jesus was getting beaten with clubs in the background and we can’t have that. So we moved him over to the right where Jesus looks much happier.

These two work well, I think. The one on the left was kind of tricky because we wanted to include the beautiful wooden cross but it is suspended high in the air. So I got down low which can usually be a bad angle for the human beings to be photographed. But Father Dan looks great. On the right we just had to include Mary since this is an Immaculate Conception church after all.

Finally, I shot a couple of more backdrops just so they would have plenty to choose from. You just have to love the beautiful pipe organ on the left. Cyndy really wanted to include the altar and I am glad we did. The whole shoot lasted maybe 30 minutes and now he will have photographs to use for many different things for years to come. Thanks Father Dan and Cyndy!

I also want to say thank you to Sarah Van Heusen, Scott Ramsey, Leslie Barbour, Sophia Harcourt and Dan Glasgow who brought their incredible skills to your stories in 2009.

We will be closed from the 18th until the New Year. I will start 2010 with a bang with a New Year’s Day wedding! During the break I will be checking email periodically but plan on spending a lot of down time with family and friends. I hope you all can do the same! Again thanks so very much for all of your support. Happy Holidays!!!

Warm Wishes,

Kristin Prelipp Oguntoyinbo

But it wasn’t until after high school that Sam and Margo fell in love. In January 2002, Sam visited Margo at Salem College where they watched a video in a dorm room. That night, she walked him out to his car and they had their first kiss and the rest, as they say, is history.

You can get the full story of their lovely wedding/ masquerade ball in the SLIDESHOW below. Congratulations, you two! Thanks for helping us finish up our wedding season in style! We have also created a GALLERY of all their images where you can buy prints and other products.

We have carefully selected our 2009 Holiday Cards with our client’s discerning taste in mind. We also wanted cards that really showcase the beautiful photographs of your family. To purchase cards, simply go into your gallery and choose the category CARDS. CLICK HERE for more information. In order to get your cards to you by the first week of December, we would need your order by the week after Thanksgiving, at the latest. For orders placed after December 1st, we do offer a rush service for 50% of the total order.

Below are a couple of my favorite designs. Lots of folks are also choosing the custom card which is made especially for your family.

But on a chilly Halloween night in 2003 Eric and Lauren found each other. Lauren, dressed as a stunning Genie, and Eric, in a less-than-fearsome child-sized Gladiator costume, were both invited to the same Halloween gathering. In their remaining semester at Duke, Lauren and Eric were inseparable. They enjoyed every minute of each other’s company, and they did all they could to make up for both the years it had taken them to meet and the short time they had remaining. Shortly after they graduated, they reluctantly parted ways.

Lauren returned to Washington DC to begin her career at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and later made the move to New York City to work with the Whitney Museum of American Art. Eric returned to California to ski and toy with the idea of writing, and later spent time in Europe working with the Center for International Environmental Law. While geographical distance kept them apart, they never stayed out of touch for long, and each always remained in the other’s thoughts.

After Eric was admitted to UCLA School of Law, the two decided that 3000 miles wasn’t enough to keep them apart. Through the constant connection of cell phones, and flexible sharing of travel duties, Lauren and Eric nurtured the bi-costal romance that still thrives today.

On October 10, 2009 they made their union official. They were married at 6 p.m. at The Duke Chapel followed by a beautiful reception at The Carolina Inn. I think their story is told best in the SLIDESHOW below. We have also posted a larger selection of their wedding photos in their GALLERY. It is from this gallery that you can purchase prints and other products.

Here is what Lauren had to say about her photos, “Everyone LOVES the slideshow and just thinks the images are stunning. There are SO many to choose from but I think my favorite is the kiss on Chapel Drive. It turned out perfectly!!”

Wedding Vendors:
Floral Design: Fresh Affairs
Reception Venue: The Carolina Inn
Reception Musicians: Deanna Jones Orchestra
Cake Design: Sweet Memories
Videographer: Reel Life

Amira, after several years as a princess, decided to be a witch. So did her cousin, Vivian, with whom she spent Halloween.

Roman, who is forever making complicated plans for pirate ships, trains and treehouses he wants to make, decided that he must construct a robot costume. He had a vision and the whole family worked together to turn a box into his dream.

Finally, Leo, wanted to be a bat. This was his costume last year, when, ironically, he did not want to wear it. So much has changed in a year as now he can explain everything to me.




Finally the kids new school, Grady A. Brown, hosts a Halloween parade every year. The kindergarteners and all the teachers, who were absolutely dressed to the nines, parade around the bus lot to the loud roar of cheers from the rest of the school. The outstretched arms you see on the right belong to Amira as she shouts to her little bro.

The first night I had dinner at Panzanella with the Sato Family- Jeannine, Mas and Hana. The occasion- Mas had a showing of some of his pieces at Wootini in Carr Mill Mall, which is about a block from my office. We have the table and chair set from his company at my house and we love it! It has been the site of many art projects and tea parties for the kids. Click HERE to see the Inai Inai Ba site.

On Thursday night Julie Jennings hosted the 10 year anniversary of book club. Anyone who has been in the club at any point in the past decade were welcome. It was great to see the ladies from my era and also meet the current members. The whole night had a Swedish theme as they had just read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. Great to see you all!

Then on the third evening I attended Cocktails for Cancer. This is an annual fundraising event to increase awareness among the public at large about female cancers. This year’s event was held at The Franklin Hotel in Chapel Hill, NC on Friday the 16th of October.

Some of the items for the silent auction, including a KPO Photo Family Story.

Leah Forbes Waldrop, founder and chairperson of Cocktails for Cancer and her mom. KPO Photo photographed Leah and Justin’s wedding a few years ago. They are wonderful folks.

Net proceeds from the 2009 Cocktails for Cancer fundraiser will be donated to the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Paola Gehrig spoke on their behalf. She was my own doctor back in 2005 when I was pregnant with my second child. I was very grateful for her competent, personal care during that scary time.

Eric Montross did an incredible job as the MC for the live auction. He said we are all touched at one point in our lives by women’s cancers. His own mom was diagnosed with cancer in May of this year and is doing well.


A ball signed by the entire Carolina Basketball team.

Don’t drop it, man!


Tyler Hansbrough’s signed jersey!


The board of director’s of this great event from left to right are Leah Forbes Waldrop, Mollie Lutwick, Kristen Kinney and Courtney Scott Fox.

Finally, on Saturday evening I had dinner with my best ladies in honor of Katie’s birthday. We love you, Katie! Thanks, Anna for hosting and thanks Prity for accompanying me for three of my four nights.

Then came the evening reception. Wow! Kate Foster, Beth Pendergrass and their teams did an incredible job! They took the Washington Duke President’s Ballroom and completely transformed it to exactly what Elissa had envisioned. The whole room was sheathed in white with an elaborate lighting scheme. The cake was beyond description. I think all the guests really enjoyed the atmosphere as they ate well, drank well and danced until midnight. The SLIDESHOW below tells their wedding story best. Enjoy! You can also see ALL their wedding images and even purchase prints in their GALLERY.

List of Wedding Vendors:
Wedding Coordinator: Kate Foster Productions
Reception Venue: The Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club
Floral Design: Floral Dimensions
DJ: Joe Bunn
Cake Design: The Art of Cake

They are both from North Carolina – Jimmy from Charlotte, Jenny from Raleigh. Jimmy has been in New York for ten years and is an analyst at Barclays Capital. Jenny has been in New York for five years and work as an account manager for InCircle Entrée magazine. They both love New York City and living up here was always a dream for both of them. They bought an apartment in the West Village last year and love their neighborhood. They also have a dog who is featured in the beginning of the slideshow. He is a cavalier King Charles spaniel/Toy Poodle, or a “cavapoo” named Jefferson, who is pretty much at the center of their universe!

We have created a GALLERY of their images, which will be up until November 15th. You can see their wedding story in the folder called, “Wedding Best.” We also posted the best from Jenny’s bridal portrait and a large edit of the wedding images divided up into categories for easy navigation. Their wedding story is below. Just click to begin!

Wedding Vendors:

Floral Design: Kelly Odom
Reception Musicians: Bobby and the Aristocrats
Cake Design: Blue Moon Bakery
Reception Venue: Carolina Country Club
Gown Provider: Alexia’s Bridal Boutique
Formal Wear Provider: Taylors, Richards & Conger

This is what Jenny had to say, “So many people have told me how much they love the slideshow, pictures, etc…everyone just thought you were wonderful!! I can’t tell you how many times I have watched the slides show – it just makes me smile and remember how much fun we had. You really did a phenomenal job of getting the whole “vibe” of the place and I can’t thank you enough for all of the amazing pictures you took of my grandfather…you were sweet to put up with him!!”

Michael is a partner of a law firm in Atlanta which just celebrated its first anniversary. Three of his groomsmen were also partners in the firm. Christi is currently pursuing an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Three of her bridesmaids were her siblings. So this was a close-knit group. There were even two sets of twins in the bridal party! Put all together this was a happy, intelligent group who were all thrilled to be a part of this union.

I think their story is best told in the SLIDESHOW below. You can also view a GALLERY of their images from which you can purchase prints, should you so choose.

LIST OF WEDDING VENDORS:
Floral Design: Tre Bella
Cake Design: Sweet Memories
Venue: The Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club

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The Carolina Entrepreneurial Initiative (CEI) is all about entrepreneurial spirit. It is an $11 million program funded in part by The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, managed by the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise and led by faculty and staff across the university from an array of disciplines.

This program gives birth to new entrepreneurs all the time. It takes business students and pairs them with successful entrepreneurs, many of them Carolina alumni. They serve as advisors to the students, lending their real–world expertise. I love watching this program as I too, am an entrepreneur and know what kind of resolve and ingenuity it takes to choose the path less traveled.

I have been fortunate to work with Cyndy Falgout on a series of ads about C.E.I. that have been appearing in The Carolina Alumni Review. Below are photos of Hajo at his new company that I am sure is destined for greatness. Be sure to check out Custom Choice Cereal.

Here is what Cyndy Falgout had to say about Hajo:

Hajo Engelke is a numbers guy. That and a degree in finance landed him in mergers and acquisitions at Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt.

That’s where Engelke discovered he was also an entrepreneur. Surrounded by high-powered CEOs who’d risked a lot and made it big, Engelke says, “I knew then that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to be the decision-maker, the one who makes it happen.”

German-born Engelke looked to the U.S. East Coast to find a leading school of entrepreneurship. He found one at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, enrolled in its MBA Program, and pursued concentrations in entrepreneurship and investment finance.

At Kenan-Flagler, Engelke found “lots of professors who are also successful entrepreneurs, who know what to do from experience not just from their research.” He found much more.

Thanks to the Carolina Entrepreneurial Initiative (CEI), Engelke found cross-campus venture-creation programs and a network of people engaged in helping aspiring entrepreneurs hone their ideas for new businesses and nonprofits into viable action plans to create them.

Two of them, Launching the Venture and Carolina Challenge, took Engelke step-by-step to define his niche and develop his business plan.

“This is what I want to,” says Engelke, smiling, from the Research Triangle Park office of his new venture, Custom Choice Cereal. “Without the networks I’ve built through UNC’s entrepreneurship programs, this business would not be possible.”

Here are the past ads for Caroline Entrepreneurial Initiative. They are all designed by the talented Linda Noble.

Anne and Matt met at Wake forest university in 2004. From there Matt began his education to be a dentist and Anne began a masters program in mental health counseling. Both graduated this past May and moved to Chapel Hill, where Matt is now doing a 1 year dental residency at UNC-Chapel Hill. They both love being active, good food and spending time with friends and family. My favorite part of photographing them was when I stole them away from the reception to take a walk to watch the sunset. I think their story is best told in the slideshow below. We also have created a GALLERY of their images.

LIST OF WEDDING VENDORS:
Venue: The Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club
Florist: Floral Dimensions
Ceremony Musicians: Arioso Strings
Reception Musicians: Rubberband
Wedding Coordinator: Sally from An Elegant Affair
Cake Design: Sweet Memories
Gown Provider: Alexia’s
Formal Wear Provider: Men’s Wearhouse

You can also view their images and purchase prints and products in their GALLERY.

List of Wedding Vendors:
Floral Design: Floral Dimensions
Reception Music: Party on the Moon
Cake Design: Sweet Memories
Caterer/ Reception Venue: The Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club
Gown Provider: Victorian Rose Bridal
Formal Wear Provider: Bernard’s

I heard back from Katie about her photos. She had this to say, “We all love it (I showed it to my mom also). I can’t stop looking at it!!!!! “