The Real Barbie + Ken

December 20, 2012

As I was thinking of a title for this blog post it hit me- Patrick and Liz are real life Ken and Barbie!! I have been looking through their wedding pictures and I don't think it's possible for them to take a bad picture. And I really do think they should dress up as Barbie and Ken for future Halloween parties:) Needless to say their wedding was beautiful! It's fitting for Georgia alumni to get married at the UGA Chapel, and to get pictures by the same Christmas tree where Patrick proposed a year earlier. The Christmas lights were magical and I loved being their third wheel as we walked through downtown Athens. And December weddings in Georgia are not frigid like in some states- only in the South can you have a wedding in the winter and it be more mild and moderate than almost any other month!

I'm not going to lie- this picture below was totally inspired by a shot I had seen online. But I thought it'd be so special for Liz's niece to have when she gets married someday. And in staying true to one of my favorite quotes concerning all art: "Don't try to be original, just try to be good." I love this quote for a few reasons that probably deserve a whole other blog post, but here's the short version: God alone is the original creator, and all our work is but putting together parts of creation. This means that we just synthesize what is already created, and hopefully that is done with some new ways of putting different things together. No one is truly original (minus God), and there is nothing new under the sun. So my goal isn't taking a picture that no has ever taken before, but instead putting together an image that is somehow beautiful or special. More thoughts on that at another time- back to the wedding!

Liz and Patrick chose to do a "first look" before the ceremony, and it was so fun to see Liz's mom and bridesmaids all watching from the window!

Liz chose a neutral palette for her wedding colors and it looked amazing; these bridesmaid dresses were stunning!! and it helps that all the bridesmaids had beautiful hair, too!

A quick but significant note about the sunglasses in the below picture: One of Patrick close friends who would have been in the wedding died a year earlier. In honor of Whitner, 2 of his best friends started a company specializing in sunglasses that is called Red’s Outfitters. Each style is named after a significant person. Patrick bought each groomsman a pair of “Whitners” in honor of his close friend. It was special seeing all the guys wearing them, and even the ringbearers:) I think it's a great idea to get groomsmen gifts that are significant in whatever way possible- and this tops the list.

Wedding receptions have become even more fun since Gangnam Style hit Youtube! These guys did an awesome rendition of it- so glad that South Korea has a little thing for pop music...

and you know a party is going well when guests from other weddings do a little wedding crashing into your reception!

Thanks Liz and Patrick- I'm so happy for y'all and grateful I got to be a part of it! And special thanks to Steven Wallace for doing an awesome job second shooting and taking great pictures!

Brad + Sallie//Engagement Session Advice

December 14, 2012

Brad and Sallie have been dating since 9th grade, and Sallie had a crush on Brad from way back in the days of middle school. These two have been the cutest couple for a long time and I felt so honored to take their engagement pictures. Sallie and I talked about the type of engagement pictures she wanted, and her words were so perfect. She said, "We pretty much laugh all the time when we're together and we're always goofing around having fun, so I'd love to capture that..." She wanted the pictures to be a reflection of how they really are best friends. I loved reading this and completely agree that engagement pictures are less about the location, less about props and more about the couple and capturing their genuine relationship. So here's some engagement session advice: take the pressure off to be super trendy or use lots of Pinterest ideas and think more about what you want to capture about the two of you as a couple. If you are not the laughing and gregarious type, think about what you do love about your relationship. It might be the sincerity and genuine all out adoration the two of you have for each other that you hope can be photographed. Whatever is true to you both as couple is really what an engagement session is about. Communicate with your photographer the kind of people you are, what you love to do together, and give him or her an idea of what it is that you hope is reflected in the images that are created.

We took pictures throughout downtown Athens because they are both from here and have grown up in some ways even together in this town. But even then it was less about the building or special restaurants and more about them as a couple.

We walked over to North Campus (they are both UGA students!) mostly just to have some pretty trees and green grass, and it turned out well because it was the perfect place to run around in hopes of not freezing and getting some good laughs. I loved seeing how comfortable and fun their relationship is, and it's just a reminder to me of how glad I am to be married to my best friend <quick little husband shout out in case he reads this:>.

Last few thoughts- I'm so glad to post these not because they look like the next big trend on Pinterest (no offense Pinterest- I am so grateful for all your good ideas!) but because as a photographer I feel like my biggest gift to give a couple is some sort of visual reminder of good things in their lives. I look at pictures my friends have taken of my family and they are so good for my soul because they remind me that God has given me 2 beautiful little boys to love even when they wear me out. What's most precious to me in a picture is a genuine smile or laugh or interaction that once caught on camera is something I can hold on to and enjoy for years to come, and even become a more grateful person through. Thanks Sallie and Brad for reminding me of what I really value in photography and for letting me in on the good thing you guys have had going for 7 years now- so glad you are getting married!!!!

ps- I had to include this shot below of Brad tipping Sallie over just because it's funny:) they are just really fun people.

Mr. + Mrs. Turner//Southern Charm Wedding

November 26, 2012

Imagine taking a big piece of land near Macon, Georgia and creating an entire wedding venue from scratch. And not just putting up some folding chairs and round tables but chandeliers, couches, monogrammed hand-dyed burlap, and real "church-like" doors for the bride to enter in through. I have to say I don't even think these pictures will do it full justice because of what a beautiful occasion it was for Brad and Ginny Rae's wedding. Thanks to the talented Molly McKinley of Chancey Charm weddings this day was filled with the most amazing details, and it really was incredible to see how a venue was created from the ground up. The reception food was a dream come true for most southern guests with one buffet dedicated to starch foods like macaroni and cheese and cornbread, and a taco bar and soup bar with bags of Fritos. And to top it off- an elegant wedding cake and a GREEN EGG groom's cake! This was the first I had ever seen, and anyone familiar with the Green Egg knows what a following that smoker has. Ginny Rae and Brad might have had the most fun of any bride or groom in history at their reception, and it was so fun to photograph all the dance moves and happy faces. I'm sure their wedding video is going to be amazing with the talent of Hampton Road Studios (check out their videography work here, including a little trailer for this lovely wedding). I felt honored to be a part of this wedding!!

quick note about this next picture... Ginny Rae had seen a fun shot on Pinterest with the groomsmen jumping over the bridesmaids. She really wanted to get that picture so I gathered the wedding party to attempt it. BUT after consulting with the bridesmaids who were going to have to be on the ground with guys potentially falling on their head we decided to spread out a little and stagger everyone. And then we did some practice rounds, which turned out to be pretty funny. It really was just a big wedding party leap frog- and the bridesmaids kept saying, "Only Ginny Rae would want this!" and "This is how much we love Ginny Rae!" The picture didn't turn out quite like the Pinterest one but nonetheless it made for a memorable wedding moment!!