The Fête is On!

Fête Photography owners Derek and Kristi Olson bring more than just a camera to the weddings they capture. The Asheville-based couple founded Fête in 2013 after their own first year of marriage, coming together both personally and professionally and pouring their expertise, experiences, and training into their now-renowned business. Both having a deep personal commitment to the art of photography and to each other, Derek and Kristi travel the region and beyond to help couples celebrate by capturing memories in the most elegant and unobtrusive of ways.

Aside from their innate gifting for photography, Derek and Kristi both formally trained in the arts, allowing them to bring skill together with their passion. Derek, a wedding photographer for almost 10 years prior to founding Fête with Kristi, studied videography in college. Kristi studied and worked in advertising, graphic design, and desktop publishing, which provided her with ample exposure to the photography world. Together, their style is documentary (or photojournalistic) with an artistic flair. Derek and Kristi know you aren’t just paying for pretty pictures, but also their experience, creativity, and dedication to their craft. 

Your Photography Experience

“The wedding day is full of unexpected moments and no two weddings are the same,”

says Derek, noting that a wedding is one of the most significant and joyful events in a person’s life. The couple doesn’t take this fact for granted, acknowledging that they get a ‘backstage pass’ to the wedding festivities, and honoring that by capturing the uniqueness of each couple and their day. Derek and Kristi consider each wedding they photograph a personal experience and love getting to know their clients, often keeping in touch after their wedding day.

Because of their experience and training, the couple can easily adapt to different lighting scenarios, including outdoor and night lighting, as well as different landscapes and venues. They easily capture everything from sweet, natural moments as the bride and groom prepare for the ceremony, to creative portraits, to dance parties at the reception with strobe lights (after all, fête does mean ‘party’!), capturing all of these moments naturally as they unfold.

Derek and Kristi love spending time together themselves, and they know well what it’s like to be the wedding-day couple, so they’re able to work alongside each other, completely in sync, to be sure nothing is missed. Because there are two of them, they are ‘everywhere’ but can remain out of sight at the same time, giving subtle directions but blending in to ensure you aren’t aware of the camera throughout the day.

“I trust Kristi completely and wouldn’t want to shoot weddings without her by my side,” says Derek.

“We want our clients to be comfortable around us,” Kristi adds. “You can trust our abilities so you can be present in the moment and enjoying your wedding.”

The Expert Lens

Fête Photography is not only a passion-project-turned-success-story, they are recognized in the Asheville region as the best in the business by partners in the wedding business, local couples, and those coming to the area for destination weddings. Derek and Kristi’s work has been featured in Martha Stewart, Style Me Pretty, and Junebug Weddings. Fête is based in Asheville, but will travel anywhere to photograph your wedding.

“We’re so excited to work with Chestnut Ridge – their gorgeous mountain views, accommodating facilities, and the owners’ sweet personalities are a treat for anyone who chooses the venue,” the couple says. “We feel blessed to be able to do what we love for a living and to partner with other wedding experts like Chestnut Ridge.”

To learn more and check out more of Fête’s amazing photographs, visit www.fetephotography.com and follow them on Facebook  or Instagram. To book Fête Photography for your wedding or engagement, email hello@fetephography.com or call 828-606-4601.

 

 

 

{Featured Photo of Derek + Kristi: photographed by Anastasiia Photography}