Elisabeth + Patrick

These two met in New York City, but both have roots down South so it makes sense they married in Elisabeth's home town.  And it was an incredibly beautiful wedding! I loved getting to see these two laugh and have fun with each other, while also having sweet moments that showed their love and devotion.  Here's a little preview of their big day...

Elisabeth looked like the perfect bride and is so photogenic that its impossible to take a bad photo of her! Special thanks to Kristen White Imagery for being an amazing makeup artist and her team for making everyone look pretty fab.  

One thing that has really hit me after photographing weddings for 7 years is the importance of the bride and groom's parents.  It stands out to me because they are the people there who have loved these two special people the longest, have stood by them over the long haul, and who are the people that remain the key players throughout the rest of their lives.  So here's a tribute to the special parents who make weddings possible and for these two couples whose love was so apparent for the couple.

The wedding reception at Athens Cotton Warehouse was INCREDIBLE.  Bethany at Epting Events did an amazing job bringing Elisabeth's vision to life and the venue was magical with candles and hanging lights.  I especially loved the praline bar and donut wedding cake... 

This reception was full of dancing- it was rare to not have the dance floor completely covered.  I loved getting to see everyone have fun, but the best was when Elisabeth and Patrick joined the band on stage for "Shout," and then were surprised by Elisabeth's dad coming on stage showing his moves!  I'm so glad I get to capture moments like these because I hope these photos will bring them back to a really special memory.

Congratulations to this beautiful and lively couple- and thanks so much for letting me document the celebration!! And special thanks to all the wedding vendors who contributed to the beauty of this day, including my second photographer extraordinaire- Latetia of June Bird Photography !

Henry + Mandy

These two.  I had the privilege of photographing Henry and Mandy's wedding near Fort Worth, Texas at an amazing country church (The Brooks at Weatherford).  I had tears in my eyes for most of the wedding because of their deep joy in each other and in God.  Mandy is a talented artist (see her work here) so each detail was carefully thought through and beautifully made.  

Henry's expression when he first saw Mandy for the first look goes down in my books as one of the most priceless moments I've ever captured.  They truly delighted in each other.

The wedding day was mostly cloudy until the ceremony, and it was incredible how the light broke through at that exact time.  The sun came out and shined exclusively on the alter at the front, spotlighting this covenant making ceremony.  I've really never seen anything like it.

One of my other favorite moments in a wedding is when the bride and groom see family and friends after the ceremony.  It's the hugs from parents that are filled with such joy and a sense of "well done, my son" that speaks from the embrace.  

I took so many photos and could fill the whole internet with shots from this amazing day, but I had to just choose a few to share on the blog.  I chose the mixture of sweetness and intimacy with fun and heartfelt expression to give just a taste of this amazing wedding.  So thankful for these two and the gift it was to me and Mattie (bestie and second shooter who turns out to be a talented photographer as well as designer!!!) to be a part of it.  Much love!!!

Mr. + Mrs. Smith//Palmetto Terrace Wedding

Robin + Brittany Smith, also known as Ben + Brooke West, tied the knot on a beautiful but windy Georgia/South Carolina day.  I joke around about their names because I TOTALLY messed up and called Brittany the wrong name for about half of their engagement session and wouldn't have known unless Robin told me.  They were very gracious with my crazy name calling:)  So we joked around and called them Ben + Brooke for a little while.  Then their pastor misspoke during the ceremony and gave them their new last name, West, instead of Smith (which I would have done too if I was a minister!).  So maybe this beautiful couple has a future in being foreign spies or something.  Their alias is already made, so Mr. + Mrs. West are set for their undercover life!

I love seeing the special gifts that brides and grooms give to each other on their wedding day, and Brittany + Robin had an especially sweet one.  I don't think these gifts are special because of the dollar amount but by how much heart they put into the gift.  This book Robin is holding is one that they wrote notes to each other expressing their love and devotion.  Good idea, Robin.

Every wedding something specific stands out to me as especially beautiful... and this wedding had me in tears watching the Father/Daughter dance.  It was the most beautiful dance to watch because their special relationship was so evident.  Brittany's dad closed his eyes most of the dance, taking it all in and had the look of a proud and deeply blessed daddy.  Brittany held her dad's hand with so much love and trust and gratitude and both of them had teary eyes throughout the dance.  It was like no one else was in the room and it was their special moment as father and daughter.  I think this means so much to me because of my relationship with my dad and knowing how much love a parent has for their child in having my own children.  God willing I look forward to having a special dance like this with my boys... but for now we just need to make it to kindergarten:)

You guys are such a kind and loving couple- I can't wait to see how God blesses you guys in the future! Thanks for creating a beautiful wedding day for me to photograph!