A Downtown Mobile, AL Cathedral Wedding

Rachel and Joseph. Where do I even begin with these two? Their day was one of the dreamiest wedding days I have ever photographed. Not because of the great venues, beautiful flowers and gorgeous gown (although all those things were fabulous!), but because of the people. Rachel and Joseph are two of the loveliest people I’ve ever had the privilege to work with. On top of that, their families and friends are amazing as well! I got to know Rachel’s mom throughout the planning process and it was so wonderful to arrive on wedding day and see her enjoying this moment that she and Rachel planned together for the last several months. Everyone was so JOYFUL! I knew from the moment I entered the bridal suite that this was going to be an amazing day and it was!

I love a classic downtown Mobile Alabama wedding and those are exactly the words I would use to describe Rachel and Joseph’s day. We started the day at The Admiral Hotel for getting ready and First Look photos. This was my first time to shoot at this location. It was a wonderful spot for outdoor and indoor photos. Since it’s August and Mobile being Mobile, I knew we needed a rain plan and heat plan for the day. The Admiral provided us with both! Although we were lucky and had blue skies all day, we still opted to do a few portraits indoors since it was a bit warm outside. Amazingly, it wasn’t as hot or humid as it usually is this time of year. I’m still pinching myself that we didn’t encounter any afternoon thunderstorms!!!

Rachel and Joseph are the perfect example of planning accordingly as far as timing. When you try to cram everything into a tight timeline you can’t live in the moment and soak everything in. These two wanted to enjoy their wedding day and not be stressed out rushing to get everything done. So we added additional time to their timeline and built in buffers in case of delays. They also decided to share a First Look, which allowed us to get all formal portraits completed before the ceremony. The result was a wedding day that flowed smoothly!

After a beautiful Catholic Nuptial Mass at The Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, a Second Line led guests to the reception at The Mobile Carnival Museum. I absolutely LOVE the Second Line tradition! If you’re not familiar with it, scroll down to see what I’m talking about! The jubilant music always makes me think of my grandfathers (both of them loved this type of music!). You can also see a behind the scenes video of the Second Line procession from this wedding on my Facebook page!

Guests danced their way into the night and, before we knew it, the day was coming to an end. It was an August dream considering the lower humidity levels and lack of summer rainstorms. Rachel got her open-air reception and the sweet summer air made it feel like an early June evening instead of Hurricane Summer. As Rachel and Joseph rode away in a vintage car owned by her uncle, I looked over and saw her sweet mom waving them goodbye. Seeing her joy brought tears to my eyes. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Rachel was radiant! This is definitely one of my favorite portraits of the day!

Isn’t her dress gorgeous?!

I love a First Look! Documenting moments like this never gets old!

My second shooter Jacob took this next shot. I LOVE his perspective and how different it is from mine!

Rachel also shared a First Look with her dad. So sweet!

Probably one of my favorite portraits of the year!

I am so glad that Rachel liked the idea of doing some portraits inside as much as me!

This is another new favorite for me! I was obsessed with this Cathedral-length veil!

Another shot of Jacob’s that I love is on the left, while the shot I took at the same time is on the right!

Let the celebration begin! This is a Second Line and, yes, they closed the street for us!

Are you recently engaged and looking for Mobile Alabama Wedding Photographers? I’d love to chat with you about wedding photography! Contact me for packages and availability!

 

VENDORS

Second Shooter | Jacob Bennett

Photographer’s Assistant | Allyson DeMouy

Getting Ready Venue | The Admiral Hotel

Ceremony Venue | The Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception

Reception Venue | The Mobile Carnival Museum

Catering | Chef Rob & Co.

Entertainment | The Excelsior Band & The Tommy Morse Band

Florals | Elizabeth’s Garden

Cake |Pollman’s

Bride’s Gown |Bliss Bridal

Groom’s Tuxedos | Francia’s

Bridesmaid Dresses | Vera Wang

Makeup & Hair |Jessica Price

Invitations |Paper Jubilee

Rentals | Port City Rentals

Lighting | Fairhope Lighting

Rings | Lou’s Jewelry