Father of the Bride Wedding

May 23, 2013

I can't tell you how much Arthur and Chelsea's wedding reminded me of the one in the movie Father of the Bride. Everyone was getting ready at Chelsea's home and the reception was held there, too. Chelsea's dad was running around making sure everything was in the right place and I couldn't help but think of Steve Martin getting ready for his daughter's wedding. I had been to the Ferguson's home for Arthur and Chelsea's engagement session, and since then Chelsea's parents had built a patio/dance floor, planted beautiful flowers all around and had everything ready for a gorgeous home wedding. The morning of the wedding day it was raining (nooooooo!) and plans quickly changed to include tents and to move the reception inside the Ferguson's home. I don't know how they pulled it off so well but it was amazing. Much thanks to the wedding coordinator and friend Ms. Dale for making this happen! And yet as it turns out, the rain stopped and we got a beautiful outdoor reception and dancing with the most amazing greenery backdrop and farm animals and even a few moments of sunshine.

It was so meaningful to see Chelsea getting ready and walking in the hallway between her parent's room and her bedroom, filled with everything from her childhood. The hallway walls were decked with pictures of Chelsea and her sister, from their beanie baby phase to high school proms and pageants. I got a quick shot of Chelsea walking down the hall with childhood portraits next to her:)

One of Chelsea's bridesmaids had the best idea of how to protect Chelsea's dress from getting dirty from the wet ground- cutting a hole in a fitted sheet! Chelsea's mom got a fitted sheet and the bridesmaids had a hole cut in the middle and Chelsea walked around with her feet through the sheet, holding the dress inside the sheet until we took pictures and hid it under her dress. By far the best idea I have seen yet for ways to get pictures outdoors while not getting her dress messed up! Check out this fabulous sheet picture below:)

Chelsea and Arthur got to ride in not one but two amazing cars- one from the church to the reception and one that they rode off on their honeymoon in. The first was an incredible Bel-Air in perfect condition, and the second was a orange (in honor of Auburn) convertible Corvette. These cars were so fun to photograph!

Arthur and Chelsea included both Jewish and Christian customs into their wedding ceremony. The Chuppah is the canopy they stood under, and is meant to represent the home the couple will build together. One really neat thing I read about the Chuppah is that this "home" doesn't have furniture in it as a reminder that the basis of a home is the people in it and not the possessions inside of it. Also the canopy is meant to represent the presence of God over the covenant of marriage. How beautiful is that!!

Arthur and Chelsea were sent off with streamers and a police escort, including flashing lights and sirens so everyone in LaGrange would know there was a celebration. This was such a beautiful and meaningful wedding- I am so glad I got to be a part of it. Best wishes Mr. and Mrs. Zimmerman!

Mr. + Mrs. Kinsler//Big Day at Kimball Hall

April 17, 2013

I tend to think couples start to look alike after being together for a long time. I remember meeting Chris and Chelsea for the first time when they were dating and thought they were brother and sister, which means that after being married for awhile they will be identical! Clearly they are not brother and sister but an awesome couple who are now husband and wife. Their wedding took place at Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church and Kimball Hall in Roswell, Georgia on a super gorgeous spring day. All of those purple flowers you see on trees (Wisteria- they are actually a vine) were in bloom and covering the trees at Kimball Hall making for a perfect setting for the reception. Chelsea chose tiffany blue as one of her main wedding colors and had a lot of thoughtful reception details, like a timeline of major events in their relationship and pictures of each bridesmaid and why they are significant to Chelsea. Each table had significant numbers to Chris and Chelsea's relationship and an explanation of those numbers. They did an awesome job personalizing their wedding day!

One part of the day that really sticks out to me is Chelsea and Chris' flower girl, Audrey. She just cracked me up all day but the best was when she read the reading during the wedding ceremony. It was so special to hear her little voice read about God's love, how he loved us first. And to hear her say big theological words from the bible like "propitiation." It was my favorite ceremony reading yet.

Chris and his groomsmen are clearly close (figuratively and literally as you can see:). They are a really fun group of guys who made sure to give Chris a hard time and make him laugh all day. And when it came time to dance at the reception they made sure to bust a move.

One of my favorite moments of the day was seeing Chelsea's grandmother give her two thumbs up before she walked down the aisle. So precious! I hope to one day be able to see grandchildren get married!

Kimball Hall is a beautiful reception venue with a real family feeling to it. I loved how wonderful and personal the staff was to work with at every step of the evening and what a beautiful job the owner, Julie, did in making everything go smoothly and being great to work with. I can't recommend this venue enough! And check out the reception ballroom... incredible.

Chris and Chelsea- thanks so much for having me and the talented Steven Wallace photograph your wedding... you guys are clearly in love and so loved by those around you; I hope this day always reminds you of that!

Taylor + Olivia//Athens + Watson Mill Engagement

March 29, 2013

Taylor and Olivia made me realize something HUGE about photography during their engagement session, and I think it says a lot about them. What I realized is that it's not just me trying to make couples feel comfortable in front of the camera but the ability of a couple to make me feel comfortable behind the camera. That doesn't sound so revolutionary or new, but it really hit me when I was with them. I told Olivia right before I took the above picture that they were the kind of couple I love being around because they make me feel very at ease, free to be creative and fun. Photographer friends of mine have talked about how sometimes we freeze and become awkward behind the camera and it makes a huge difference in the pictures we take. Taylor and Olivia made my job such a joy and I really could have photographed them all day (and will come October!).

Olivia and Taylor met at UGA when Olivia was a RA in the dorms, so it made sense that we got all sorts of Athens pictures. They also wanted to include their amazing dog in on the shoot- who happens to be the most well behaved and lovable dog I have been around (really).

After exploring downtown Athens we went out to Watson Mill Bridge State Park. I had forgotten how beautiful it is out there- if you haven't been there it is definitely worth planning a picnic and going! On another random note, I found out that Taylor and Olivia are in the middle of designing and building their first home together (Taylor builds homes- that is the kind of man EVERYONE wants to know!). It was so fun to hear about their plans for it and made me wish I was doing that. I love that they are are doing it together- it seems like such a cool way to prepare for marriage by literally thinking through and building a home for the two of you. I can't wait to see it!

I can't say enough about how good it was to photograph Olivia and Taylor- how quickly they smile and laugh and how that makes for such lively and genuine pictures. Thank you guys for including me in documenting this stage of your lives and relationship- I can't wait for a beautiful October wedding!!!

welcome

INSTA-Jammin'