CHARLOTTE WEDDING & PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER
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Southpark Backyard Wedding
What a lovely wedding to photograph at this Southpark home’s backyard in Charlotte, NC. With sunny skies, pool, and cabana, this backyard was a beautiful backdrop for an intimate ceremony.
As a Charlotte wedding photographer, I’ve photographed some of the biggest weddings in Southpark, Myers Park, and Uptown, but I’m also really blown away by the beauty in every personal at-home wedding. Maybe most importantly, every wedding is defined by the couple getting married and honoring their commitment to each other in marriage.
Charlotte Catholic Senior Photos
Candid pictures at McGill Rose Garden and Freedom Park for this Charlotte Catholic High School grad. After photographing her older sister’s senior photos, it was great to reconnect with the family again for another graduating senior. The best part of my job is getting to know clients and working with them on their events through the years.
We chose McGill Rose Garden and Freedom park as the locations on a quiet weekday evening in the spring. In May, we found oak leaf hydrangeas and roses in bloom with lots of green backgrounds. A great night.
Wedding at St. Matthew Catholic Church
Celebrating the sacrament of matrimony at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Charlotte, NC with a full Mass. So honored to participate in Katarina and Ross’s wedding celebration at St. Matt’s by being their photographer.
I’ve been in St. Matthew’s many times for photography work, as well as my own family’s events, and I’m grateful. Each time I’m at St. Matt’s, I realized there are many great locations on the campus based on how the sunlight is positioned on a given day.
Bridal Portrait at St. Matthew Catholic Church
Timeless bridal portrait session at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Charlotte, NC. The Church was kind enough to grant us an hour in the main sanctuary on a quiet afternoon, so that we could create these pictures of the bride to print for display at the wedding reception and later in their home.
What a pleasure to spend the afternoon at St. Matthew and have the time to setup and photograph these bridal photos exactly as the bride had envisioned, before the busy wedding day.
Charlotte Catholic High School Senior
Casual senior photos at Freedom Park for this Charlotte Catholic High School graduate. My daughter was a high school senior last year, and I learned just how big a deal graduation is for a senior and their family. A senior portrait session, bringing along Mom or a good friend, is a great way to celebrate the milestone and capture a bit of the magic of this time in their lives.
So happy how these pictures turned out for this beautiful young lady, and wish her the best at college next year!
The Crowe Mansion Engagement
Josie+Ethan’s classic engagement session at The Crowe Mansion near Charlotte, NC. A bright spring evening near sunset set the stage for these fun engagement photos. With both Mom’s on the scene, we all had a blast celebrating the engagement and creating pictures together for Save-the-Date cards. Their first outfits of her fun summer dress and his short-sleeve button down, khakis, and boots lent a casual vibe. Later, dressy outfits of a white cocktail dress and black suit matched up just right with a bottle of champagne and an evening stroll along the property.
Looking forward to returning to elegant The Crowne Mansion next spring for their wedding!
Venues at Langtree Wedding
Timeless outdoor spring wedding at The Venues at Langtree in Mooresville NC by Charlotte wedding photographer Michael Parks.
Allison and Nick created a wonderful celebration of their relationship, surrounded by friends and family this April day. Allison’s classic A-line wedding dress and Nick’s blue suit aided the bright and airy feel of the day at Langtree under the oaks. The beautiful florals lining the garden seating and arbor set the finishing touches for the light, bright vibe.
Congratulations Allison and Nick. I was so glad to be a small part of your beautiful day.
Charlotte Senior Pictures in the Studio
Senior pictures for this Charlotte Catholic High School senior girl. As a parent myself of a high school senior last year, I get how big of a milestone graduation is for seniors and their parents and it’s why I specialize in senior photos for my clients.
This was a really easy session at ParksPictures’ studio, with a natural background and perfectly flattering lighting. We tethered into a big monitor, so the senior, Mom, and I could all see the pictures as they came through and adjust. Love how these pictures turned out for this lovely grad.
Charlotte Courthouse Engagement
Claire+Steven’s timeless engagement session at Uptown Charlotte’s courthouse and The Green in Charlotte NC. On a warm spring evening, we met Uptown to capture some natural pictures for this couples’ Save-the-Date announcements and to share with friends and family. Their dressy outfits paired perfectly with the classic style of the courthouse’s stone columns and architecture.
Really looking forward to being their wedding photographer next year at St. Matthew Catholic Church and Longview Country Club. Gonna be a great one!
Country Day Senior Pictures
Senior pictures for this Charlotte Country Day senior guy. Graduation is such an important milestone for my seniors and families, and why I specialize in senior pictures for my clients.
This was a great evening at the very cool Camp North End near Uptown Charlotte. Lots of varied backgrounds with pops of color and great industrial textures create lots of options for pictures year round.
Proposal in Southpark
Sweet spring wedding proposal at Serenity Gardens in the Southpark neighborhood of Charlotte NC. Beautiful flowering greenery and blooms fill the background at this garden tucked away in south Charlotte. Helping Garrett design his surprise proposal for Noelle was really fun, and getting to photograph and film the big question was a gift.
After the proposal, we celebrated with engagement pictures around the gardens, popped a bottle of champagne, and finished with a quick highlight film with drone footage. A beautiful day.
Excited for these two, and their upcoming wedding.
Senior Pictures at McGill Rose Garden
Senior pictures for this Hough High School senior girl in Charlotte NC at McGill Rose Garden. I specialize in senior photos because graduation is such an important milestone for my clients and families that need to be captured.
This was a great evening at one my favorite Charlotte garden parks, where this lovely senior and her mom met my for her senior pictures session. Lots of greenery and blooms as background for these casual portraits.
Planning Spring Photography
Spring in Charlotte starts March 20th. And client’s most common question for their spring wedding proposal, engagement, bridal, family, or senior session is when blooms will arrive. Cletus and I scouted favorite photography locations this week and found lilies, daffodils camellias, Bradford pear trees, and Japanese maple trees already in bloom. So it’s early March, and we’ve already got blooms!
In April, expect azaleas, flowering cherry trees, Eastern redbud, and more spring wildflowers to show blooms, grass to green up, and green foliage on vines and oak trees.
In May, look for dogwoods and hydrangeas to flower with even greener grass and full green tree canopies.
Know of any blooms in your part of Charlotte? Or have questions for this Charlotte wedding and portrait photographer on the best time to schedule your photography session? Contact me and I’d be glad to help!
Catholic Weddings in Charlotte NC
As a Catholic wedding photographer, and a Catholic myself, here’s my insights on photographing Catholic weddings in Charlotte, NC. Our family’s home parish is St. Gabriel Catholic Church, where my wife and I went through Pre-Cana ourselves. I’ve photographed several weddings at St. Gabriel, as well as St. Peter in Uptown Charlotte, and am looking forward to photographing weddings at St. Matthew and St. Patrick next year.
I believe that the sacrament of marriage, and it’s a blessing every time for me to be able to capture it for my couples. Whether the bride and groom have planned a ceremony with a Mass or not, I understand the unique order of celebrating matrimony and how to capture it beautifully and respectfully.
Proposal at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
A winter wedding proposal in the Conservatory at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, where the greenhouse provides lush greenery and flower blooms year round regardless of the weather outside. Helping Kevin plan his surprise proposal was so much fun, and getting to photograph and film him proposing to Olivia was very special. After the proposal, we celebrated with engagement pictures around the gardens, popped a bottle of champagne, and even did a quick highlight film with drone footage. An amazing day!
Excited for these two, and their wedding!
St Gabriel Catholic Wedding
Classic wedding at St. Gabriel Catholic Church in Charlotte NC by Charlotte wedding photographer Michael Parks.
Lauren and Charlie lit up the afternoon with their smiles. Lauren wore a timeless white wedding dress from Vow’d, while Charlie’s outfit was the smart black tuxedo. There was an incredible vibe of love and support for the couple all day, and it lifted everyone up to be a part of that ceremony.
St. Gabriel is also my home parish, and I live just five minutes from it. Always a blessing to be able to photograph there. Congratulations Lauren+Charlie!
Senior Photo Album
My best recommendation when seniors and parents are deciding what to print from their senior picture session is always an album. Just like my wedding couples, I hear from seniors and their families that the album is what they go back to over and over. For my own daughter’s high school graduation, I created an album and it’s come out over and over as we have visitors.
Just like my wedding albums, I design each senior photo album myself using a proprietary software package and work directly with the professional industry-standard MillersLab who makes each album by hand in their MidWest shop. In my view, it’s the best album you can get.
Myers Park Family Photos
Fun family pictures in Myers Park in Charlotte NC by Charlotte wedding and portrait photographer Michael Parks.
I’ve known Tri since middle school, and it was awesome catching up with him and his family on a quiet evening at Freedom Park for family photos. They had great winter outfits with blues, greys, and creams that complemented the evergreens and stone at the park and around the pond.
Charlotte Wedding & Portrait Photographer
Charlotte wedding and portrait photographer Michael Parks is a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) through Professional Photographers of America (PPA). Michael completed his certification in 2021, and re-certified in 2024, demonstrating his photography expertise through a rigorous testing process and photographic demonstration and evaluation by PPA Master Photographers. In Charlotte NC, Michael is one of only four photographers with this prestigious designation.
Extended Family Pictures
Such a special evening celebrating a wonderful grandmother and grandfather and extended family with a casual backyard portrait session in the Southpark neighborhood of Charlotte NC by Charlotte wedding and portrait photographer Michael Parks.
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