Katie + Dylan | Married - Elizabeth Gelineau Photography

A St. Francis at the Point Wedding

I first talked to Katie and Dylan on the phone over a year ago, way before we knew 2020 was going to be the craziest year ever! During that first call, Katie and Dylan both sounded so excited about planning a bayside wedding. Katie is from Fairhope and dreamed of a night dancing under the stars at her parents bay house after a ceremony at St. Francis at the Point church. I loved listening to Katie and Dylan share their wedding day vision. I knew I was going to love working with them both!

What I remember most about that first call is listening to Katie and Dylan share their proposal story. I always love these stories, but there is something extra special about a couple telling it together. It’s really fun to hear each side of the story. Dylan was making his first visit to Fairhope and planned to propose to Katie at one of her favorite places. It was July 4th weekend and about 100 degrees outside. Between the heat and his nerves, it was just about unbearable to be outside. Before meeting up with Katie’s parents for drinks at Lakewood, Katie noticed something bulging from Dylan’s pocket.

Katie said she was immediately suspicious that something was going on when Dylan asked her to go for a walk right after they’d just met up with her parents. After carrying around the ring box and waiting for just the right moment, Dylan proposed down by the water. Katie’s dad was able to capture the moment on camera and afterwards her sister surprised them with an engagement party, with all their family present. How special is that?!

We originally planned Katie and Dylan’s engagement session for April 2020, but that obviously did not happen. So we planned a backup date – and Hurricane Sally canceled those plans. Finally, I got to meet these two in person at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear just a few weeks ago! After knowing them so long only from the phone and email, I was so happy to put faces to their names! They are just as genuine in person as they sounded on the phone. I knew I was going to love photographing them as a bride and groom!

A Bayside Wedding Reception

The morning of Katie and Dylan’s wedding, a storm rolled through the Mobile Bay area. I woke up to gray skies and a gloomy, drizzling rain. But the sun was out by the time I arrived at Baytreat for getting ready photos with Katie and her bridesmaids. I was so excited when I saw Katie’s dress because it was the same style my sister chose for her wedding day! I was excited to get to photograph Katie in this gorgeous gown. She got hers from Bliss Bridal just like my sister did! Katie paired her gown with a beautiful cathedral-length veil borrowed from her sister, which I also loved!

Katie is very close with her family and this day was so full of joyful emotion. Tears were flowing throughout the day and I even ran out of the supply of tissues I carry with me on wedding days. One of my favorite memories of the day has to be when Katie presented Dylan with his wedding gift. Throughout their years of dating she journaled about their relationship. When she gave the journal to Dylan, she said, “I wrote about all of it” and I could see on Dylan’s face how special this gift was to him. Then the tears really started flowing! What a privilege it was to document this moment for the two of them! I’m also pretty sure that my team and I were fighting back tears also. We just love these two and their beautiful love story!

At the end of the night, a fireworks show capped off the celebration. I LOVE photographing fireworks and this was my second time to get to do so on a wedding day! Everyone cheered as the first one lit up the night sky over the bay. Katie turned back to look at her dad with a big smile on her face. After all the uncertainty about if this day could happen as they envisioned it, Katie’s wedding day dream came true and it was absolutely magical!

I love the perspective on this shot that my second photographer, Alexis, took just after Katie gave Dylan the journal!

These large floral arrangements by Jubilee Flowers were absolutely stunning! I love that we were able to photograph most of the reception details while we still had ample natural light so these beauties could really shine!