St. Gabriel Catholic & Alexander Homestead
Wedding at Saint Gabriel Catholic Church and Alexander Homestead by Charlotte Wedding Photographer Michael Parks
Annie & Sam’s Catholic Wedding at St Gabriel & Alexander Homestead
Photographing a wedding at your own church hits a little differently. When Annie and Sam got married at Saint Gabriel Catholic Church in Charlotte, I wasn’t just familiar with the setting—I knew the beauty and significance of the place where they were about to begin their marriage.
Their wedding day was a wonderful mix of faith, family, and the little in-between moments that make a wedding feel like your wedding. After the ceremony at Saint Gabriel, everyone headed to Alexander Homestead for a relaxed outdoor cocktail hour and indoor reception hall surrounded by friends and family.
And, as always, I wanted the photographs to feel just as timeless as the day itself.
A Catholic Wedding at Saint Gabriel
Catholic weddings have a unique rhythm and beauty. From the quiet moments before the ceremony to the processional, the readings, the exchange of vows, and finally seeing a newly married couple walk back down the aisle together, there are so many meaningful moments woven throughout the Mass. It’s one of the reasons I love photographing Catholic weddings. There’s a balance between the structured Tradition of the ceremony and the intimate humans moments happening around it.
For Annie and Sam, those moments included the anticipation before the ceremony, the joy of seeing each other at the altar, and the hugs and congratulations that followed. Photographing a wedding at Saint Gabriel also gave me the opportunity to capture some of those images in a place that is personally meaningful to me.
Photographing The Day on Film
For Annie and Sam’s wedding, I photographed throughout the day with Kodak Ektacolor Pro 400, one of my favorite professional color negative films for weddings. There’s just something about the way film renders a wedding day. Ektacolor Pro has beautiful skin tones, fine grain, and a natural, true-to-life color palette that works incredibly well with wedding photography. It has a softness and character that can be difficult to reproduce with digital photography alone.
I also photographed the day with my digital cameras, because there are plenty of moments when digital gives me the speed and flexibility I need—especially during a fast-moving wedding day. I process my digital photographs to complement the film, creating a cohesive gallery where the two formats work together naturally. The result is a collection of photographs that feels organic and timeless rather than overly processed or trendy.
From St. Gabriel to Alexander Homestead
After the ceremony, Annie and Sam and their guests made their way to Alexander Homestead, a Charlotte wedding venue for couples who want something that feels elegant but still warm and personal.
The transition from the formality of the church to the relaxed atmosphere of the reception was a fun part of the day to photograph. There were plenty of opportunities for beautiful portraits, but just as importantly, there was time for everyone to simply enjoy being together.
That’s something I always try to preserve in a wedding gallery.
Of course, I want to create beautiful portraits of the two of you. But twenty years from now, I also want you to remember the way your dad looked at you during the reception, the hug from your grandmother, your friends laughing at the table, and the completely unscripted moments you didn't even realize were happening.
Those are often the photographs that become the favorites.
A Wedding Gallery That Feels Like You
One of my favorite things about wedding photography is finding the balance between directing and documenting.
I’ll absolutely help you figure out where to stand, how to move, and how to make the most of beautiful light when we're creating portraits. But when the real moments start happening, I want you to forget about the camera and enjoy them.
That approach was especially fitting for Annie and Sam. Their wedding day had all the things I love about photographing weddings in Charlotte: a beautiful Catholic ceremony, meaningful family moments, a gorgeous reception, and plenty of genuine laughter and celebration.
And because I photographed their day with both film and digital cameras, we were able to tell the complete story—from the quiet moments before the Mass to the energy of the dance floor—with a consistent, timeless look throughout the gallery.
Catholic Wedding Photography on Film & Digital in Charlotte, NC
If you're planning a Catholic wedding in Charlotte, I'd love to help you create photographs that feel beautiful today and still look beautiful decades from now.
I photograph Catholic weddings throughout Charlotte and the surrounding area, and I love incorporating professional film photography into the wedding day alongside digital. For couples who appreciate the look of film but also want the flexibility and reliability of modern digital cameras, the combination gives us the best of both worlds.
Annie and Sam’s wedding at Saint Gabriel Catholic Church and Alexander Homestead was a perfect example of why I love what I do: beautiful places, a meaningful Catholic ceremony, wonderful people, and photographs created to preserve all of it.
Congratulations, Annie and Sam. It was an honor to photograph your wedding day.
Wedding Partners:
Ceremony: Saint Gabriel Catholic Church
Reception: Alexander Homestead Wedding
Dress: J Major’s Bridal Boutique
Tuxedo: Fairclough & Co. Mens Clothing
Camera: Canon R5 Mark II digital, EOS 1V film cameras; RF 35mm f1.4L, RF 85mm f1.4L, EF 50mm f/1.2L lenses; Canon EL-5 flash
Film: Kodak Ektacolor Pro 400 film
“Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.”
1 John 4:7