A few weeks ago, on a very chilly spring morning, Wes and Jennifer met me at the beautiful Old Salem in Winston-Salem, NC. Salem was the original town settlement by a Moravian group started in 1766 (though a smaller settlement not intended to be the town/church center was first settled by the same group in 1753) on a large tract of land. The history of Salem is well documented and vast, spanning several centuries and is now recreated daily as a living musuem. If you live nearby or are visiting the area, I highly recommend stopping in. 

Not only is the area a community center, historical museum, home to a private college, and a favorite destination by many surrounding residents, it is also a favorite place for couples to marry and be photographed. Old Salem offers many beautiful scenes with a landmark covered bridge,

​ tree-lined pathways, colorful, rustic, and historic buildings, barns, carriage sheds, cobblestone streets and gardens. The possibilities are endless as you can walk and travel to so many areas. The original tract of land purchased was over 98,000 acres so there are pieces of history all over the area, not just in a small concentrated museum area, which makes this a very unique and breathtakingly beautiful location for photographers and couples. 

This was a particularly great place to take Wes and Jennifer, who have a love of history and the outdoors. Wes, particularly, is very knowledgeable as he participates in historical War Re-enactments. Touring the town and discussing buildings, community, areas etc made for a fascinating morning. When one of us really connects to something the couple enjoys, it creates a whole new dynamic to the session. I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Old Salem and I was even excited that we found some purple flowers and a purple tree to fufill Jennifer's LOVE of purple! 

We are so excited to photograph their wedding this fall and continue to tell their story!