I've known the photographer for a few years. Not only does she do amazing work but she gives you…read morethe "bloopers". My husband and I were playfully messing around during our shoot and she captured it and gave us the photos. They make me smile and laugh. Plus, she makes it so easy to talk and just be yourself.

My family and I have had multiple sessions with Lara E. Photography over the last few years. Lara…read moreis AMAZING!!! Our first session was when our daughter was only 3 months old. Lara was patient through the newborn meltdowns, she was happy to pause and allow me to nurse my daughter between shots when needed, and our photos were absolutely stunning. Our next shoot was another family session with our then one year old. Lara again was incredibly patient and sweet, and we had an amazing session. The third session was our photos with Santa session. First of all I'd like to note that lara's Santa is THE best Santa I've ever seen. But most importantly, Lara and Santa were patient with an untrusting one year old, and even through some tears were able to gain her trust and we got some incredible photos. Had we not left the marine corps and moved home, we'd still be using Lara for our sessions because she is THAT amazing. She is talented, she is kind, she goes above and beyond. And above all, you have a good time with Lara! It's not awkward. It's not weird posing. It's not just another session. Over our sessions, Lara became a friend. My husband, who HATES when I make him do photos, even had a good time. And THAT is saying something! I'd recommend Lara E. photography a million times over!!! She is truly WONDERFUL!!

Randal and Crysta were amazing! So nice and helpful. I would recommend this outfit anytime!! In…read morefact, I want to work with them!! Lol Doreen B.

Short Version: There's a strong trend in the reviews for this vendor. Many people get their boats…read moreand have a good time. But Crystal coast Boat Charters has a problem with communication, and if anything at all goes wrong, you'll find yourself wondering what just happened and be left without a boat. We booked a boat for rental on Friday, May 28, for our family coming in to town for Memorial Day weekend. We had a couple calls with Krista over the next couple weeks, up until two days before the rental. During that call she told me the person who was bringing the boat (I think she said her husband, but not sure if I remember that right) had a broken phone, but that she promised to get me "some phone number so you could reach him." Not exactly confidence inspiring, but stuff happens, so I rolled with it. I went back to other reviews after the crash and burn and found this broken phone thing was a common issue that they still haven't fixed. The day of the rental came and I finally received a phone call about an hour before our rental time. The gentleman who called me was bewildering at best. Instead of clearly telling me what was broken and whether it could be fixed soon, I got a bizarre set of contradictions ranging from, "I have a guy in Swansboro hooking me up" (With what? A new boat? A part?), to "I'm trying to just delay an hour" and then ending with, "I'm shootin for the stars, man, I just dunno. I'm a nice guy, though, I'm an owner operator." It was difficult to get further details out of him. As we got closer to delivery time, I texted. No response. Then I called at the time he was supposed to deliver the boat. "Sorry man, I'm not 1000% sure it's going to happen today." I said "ok, if it isn't, then do you know anyone else that rents boats?" Instead of responding to the question, he said "Gimme a few minutes man, I'll call you back." When he called me back, he said, "We got it and we'll be at X launch point in 30 minutes." When I told him, "We ordered it for Y launch point," he replied, "Well that's news to me!" But we expected to meet him there in 30 minutes. 30 minutes later, I received a vague text message, "The hub is done sorry I will call you." I tried calling him and he stopped picking up the phone. Not knowing exactly what that text message meant, I texted Krista indicating what a stunning failure this had been and received a text full of excuses. Mechanical issues are out of people's hands. I get that. But communication is fully in the business's hands. Bottom line: this company is a slap dash operation who won't take responsibility for their failures, and will just stop talking to you when everything founders.

Ms. Samantha is attentive to every detail and has a warm personality. We have used her services for…read moretwo consecutive family reunions and couldn't be more pleased!

JW Portrait Studio is amazing!…read more The studio itself is top-notch. The outside building is deceiving. I was confused. But you are greeted with beautiful photos in print, canvas, and metal once you enter the building. And everything is created on-sight, in the back of the office. The JW staff are friendly professionals in every sense. They welcome all into their studio and they strive to create an inclusive environment. The photo shoot was intense. The actual photoshoot was scheduled 30-days ahead allowing us to prepare. Jeff and his crew did everything they could to ease our nerves. The dressing room was private and clean. The session was expertly planned, allowing us to take photos in the studio, outside the studio, and at our local gym. The final photos were breathtaking. The photos looked so good, it was difficult selecting 25-30 photos from the 100 taken in the photoshoot. You will want ALL of the photos!!! Price.... The prices were fair considering what you get. In 2000, I paid $2k for wedding photos, a leather-bound photo album, and several small prints. We cherish those photos to this day. JW Portrait Studio's products and services are well-priced for the quality of work they provide. My best advice is to (1) Be ready to be wowed, (2) have the bravery to select only the best photos, and (3) printed photos are a snapshot in time that will be priceless 30-years from now.

Our experience with Jeff was nothing short of remarkable. If your time is valuable and your…read morecaptured moments are precious to you and your family, this is the road best traveled. If you are looking for a Shutterfly experience, Jeff is not your guy. We were initially brought in to get a tour of the studio and a full understanding of what his capability set looked like. We were impressed by the depth and breadth of his artistic capability and state of the art equipment. We then attended a well-planned out timely photo shoot as a family both in the studio and by the water. The last step was a casual meeting over coffee in a beautiful office where we selected our packages and placed the final order. Jeff charges a premium comparable to other artist in his league for his service. The value Jeff brings, far out ways the investment. If you are looking for a polished publisher quality memory, call him today.

Mari Jenkins is a retired USMarine that represents the best qualities of a US Marine…read more She went above and beyond in transporting our 12 year old pit Bull that was bleeding from a tumor to the Emergency Room Veterinary Hospital in Swansboro. She lifted, unassisted, our 130 lb pit Bull into her PET TRANSPORT VAN. This is one helluva strong woman! My 88 year old Father, himself a retired US Marine, rode in the van with his fur baby, his pit Bull. Mari stayed with us until the dog was on a gurney and safely taken into the care of the ER vet techs. God bless you, Mari, for your compassion and care for sick animals. I highly recommend SEMPER FI PET TRANSPORT.

I can't recommend Bailey enough! Whether you need a wedding photographer or family portraits your…read moresearch should start and end right here! Shes incredibly polite via email and even more awesome when you meet her in person. She has that intangible ability to capture special moments in the most beautiful way possible! 10/10 professional

A beautiful and healthy forever home for exotic birds that can't be rehomed for a variety of…read morereasons including health issues and behavioral matters. The birds at this non profit sanctuary are well taken care of. This sanctuary is not open to the public but do welcome guests by appointment for private visits. This is a wonderful place for home school students or small family picnics. The sanctuary can also be used for private yoga sessions. This is a serene sanctuary that I have used for private yoga sessions. We set up near the macaw aviary, and the birds actually mimicked our movements. It was an amazing experience. Please do contact the sanctuary directly to set up an appointment to visit.

Note: Visits are by appointment only. Check the website…read more We did this as a stop on our way to Beaufort. We're a homeschooling family with kids that love animals and one with an affinity for birds! This is a great place for "retiring" parrots. The parrots come from homes where the owner has passed or the owner is moving, or they just cannot take care of them anymore. When we were walking through with one of the co-owners he told us all about the parrots, that they are nonprofit and how they are planning to expand. We had a really great time and we will visit again sometime!