A Downtown Mobile Engagement

In Mobile, Alabama we typically roll right from the Christmas season into Mardi Gras. This year things are a little different. With no parades filling the downtown streets this year, it makes it possible to shoot in the middle of the city during the months that our downtown is usually overflowing with everyone enjoying all the festivities. Even though Mardi Gras can’t be celebrated in the traditional ways this year, the spirit of Mardi Gras is alive! Just do a quick search of “Mobile porch parade” and you’ll see what I mean!

Mardi Gras Park is one of my favorite spots in downtown Mobile. It’s hard to believe this place didn’t exist a few years ago! Ashley and Tyler were only in town for a short time and this was the only date we could align our schedules. I suggested shooting in downtown and Ashley was totally on board. It wasn’t until I arrived at the session that it occurred to me that it was nearly a year ago that I last shot an engagement session in downtown Mobile. How crazy is that?!

Ashley and Tyler are high school sweethearts. Even though they’d been together for seven years when Tyler proposed, he still managed to completely surprise Ashley and sweep her off her feet! He asked Ashley to be his wife in front of the fountain at Forsyth Park in Savannah. If you’ve ever been to Savannah, you know this park is a magical location for a proposal! Fortunately, Tyler also planned to have a photographer capture the moment!

These two now live in Savannah, but when it came time to plan their wedding day, Ashley knew she wanted to get married in the Mobile area. When she and Tyler toured Little Point Clear, they immediately knew it was the perfect spot for their special day! Ashley is so bubbly and cheerful. I just knew after the first few minutes we were on the phone together for her consultation that she was going to be fun to work with.

January Weather

On the Alabama Gulf Coast, you never know what the weather will be in January. Seriously, it could be freezing cold, or slightly warm and anywhere in between. We had the most perfect mild weather the day of this session. When we first arrived at the park, I noticed some golden glow streaming through the trees. I had noticed the clouds rolling in earlier in the afternoon, so I wasn’t sure we would even get any of that dreamy glow, but I’m so glad we did!

After spending some time soaking up that golden glow in Mardi Gras Park, we headed down to Cooper-Riverside Park. If there is one positive thing the pandemic is doing, it’s that it’s getting more people outside to enjoy our local parks. The park was a bit more crowded than usual, so I searched out a few spots I hadn’t used before. Thank goodness for the crowds, because I love these new spots that I used for some of these portraits!

Ashley and Tyler, thank you for such a fun session! I can’t wait to see you two in April for your wedding day!

Makeup Artist | Mackenzie Harrison

A Bragg-Mitchell Mansion Wedding

I kicked off the 2021 wedding season last Saturday at one of my favorite wedding venues in Mobile! I always say I never tire of photographing weddings at The Bragg-Mitchell Mansion and it really is the truth! This place is beautiful in every season, even in the middle of winter when it’s freezing cold outside like it was at Eden and Hunter’s wedding.

Despite the chilly temps, we had the most deliciously golden light for almost all of portrait time. Talk about a photographer’s dream! I am still so impressed with this bridal party for braving the cold weather for outdoor photos. It was definitely worth it considering we had perfect outdoor lighting conditions!

Eden had a stunning cathedral-length veil. I love that she chose to do some portraits with it and some without. This gives so much variety to the look of their bride and groom portraits. It also allowed us to get some portraits that really showcased the detail on the back of her beautiful wedding gown.

Shortly after Eden put on her wedding gown, she asked if I could take a picture of her mom putting lip gloss on her lips. The photo was a nod to a memory of Eden and her mom at her parents’ wedding. I love when clients share stories with me like this one! It was so special to recreate this moment that these two women treasure from when Eden was a little girl.

I have so many favorite moments from this wedding day, including Eden and Hunter’s first look, Eden’s first look with her dad and brothers, and Hunter’s dance with his grandmother. You can tell that these two are so loved by their family and friends. The whole day was full of joy!

Vendors

Second Photographer | Alexis Williams

Photographer’s Assistant | Regina Gomez-Guillen

Getting Ready + Reception Venue | Bragg-Mitchell Mansion

Ceremony | Springhill Avenue United Methodist

Caterer | Naman’s Catering

Florist | The Flora House

Bride’s Cake | Cakes by Judi

Groom’s Cake | Underground Custom Cakes

Hair Stylist | Becca Townley

Makeup Artist | Courtney Matthews

Band | Real Deal Band

Rentals | Port City Rentals

Bride’s Gown | Bliss Bridal

Bridesmaid Dresses | Bella Bridesmaids

Groom + Groomsmen Attire | Francia’s Formal Affair

Calligraphy | Southern Calligraphy

Lighting | Willow Bridge

Transportation | Old Shell Trolley

Cups + Huggers | Sally I Creations

 

Behind the Scenes Fun

We kicked off 2020 not knowing what was in store for the rest of the year. The first three weddings on my calendar went off without any concerns of a pandemic entering our minds. Those were the good ‘ole days, right?! Seriously, they were carefree times.

The world changed the week after Resi and Jacob’s wedding. It’s so crazy to look back on those photos now that we’ve made it to the end of 2020. I know I wasn’t anticipating things going the way they did for the rest of the year on that day. Fast forward to post-lockdown weddings – I added a mask to my wedding day packing checklist. My number one goal was to keep myself healthy so that I didn’t have to miss a wedding due to getting Covid.

With a summer-fall schedule that was stacked with back-to-back weekends of weddings, plus a double header weekend, I knew that if I caught the virus it would likely mean missing at least two weddings and possibly more. Yes, I still could have gotten sick even by taking these measures, but I could only have peace of mind knowing I’d taken all precautions possible.

I am so incredibly thankful to my friends who work as part of my team on wedding days! They helped me make it through this year without a panic attack by shifting their schedules to work on new dates. They put up with my OCD nature, my constant need for a cold Perrier, and my lack of selfie skills. I love that they serve my clients joyfully and with a smile…even when that smile is covered with a mask!

Enjoy this behind the scenes look at this year’s weddings! Cheers to 2021!

We started out the year carefree and excited for an awesome 2020…

Then this became our new normal…

But we carried on doing what we love…

Fluffing dresses…

Photographing pretty details…

Testing locations for good light is so important and my assistants are pros at this…

They are also the secret to a killer veil toss photo…

We are trained to make the most of a location, even when space is tight…

Even concerns about snakes won’t stop me from finding that perfect angle for a shot…

Don’t mind me, I’m just creeping in the bushes for the best shot of the bride and groom during toasts…

Sometimes my lack of height is a challenge…thank goodness for live view on my camera!

We loved working with so many videographers this year!

Storylive Productions filmed weddings for two of my 2020 couples!

This year was my first year to work with RL Films and Mondaini Films.

It was also my first time working with JD Cobb Productions and Milestones Studios.

And I was so EXCITED to work with my sweet friends Cheree and Bryan with The Wild Soul Films at Jill and Cooper’s wedding!

Seriously, I love these two!

We also worked with so many wonderful wedding planners! I wish I had photos of all of them, but they are always working so hard that we don’t always get them in a photo! Thank you to Events Detailed, Jenna Laine Weddings, Wed With Style, Bella Victoria Events, Ginny McElhaney- Simmons, Kendra Lee Events and All Affairs by Kayla for all you do to make wedding days run smoothly!

2020 was a bit stressful at times, but we still had a lot of fun…

Alexis and Regina worked more weddings with me than anyone else…they are a dynamic duo! I love wedding days with them!

They go the extra mile, including wiping humidity off windows so I could safely hang the dress for a detail photo…

They always know when I’m in need of an ice-cold Perrier…

And they are always so positive!

My dear friend Debby traveled down from Birmingham a few times to shoot with me this year! She definitely brings the humor to a wedding day…

She and Regina are also an awesome team! And, yes, with our masks on we are all often mistaken for each other!

She is one of the most dedicated and dependable people I know, even shooting with me on a weekend when her pup Elliot was in his final days of life. Thankfully, she made it home in time to be with him when he passed.

Like all of us, Debby is ready to say “peace out” to 2020!

My sweet friend Toni also helped me with several weddings this year! I couldn’t have survived my double header weekend without her and Alexis!

Toni is a ray of sunshine and so good at reading my mind! She knows what I’m going to say before the words leave my mouth most of the time!

Evan shot with me on a few weddings this year as well. She always brings so much energy to a wedding day!

That’s a wrap on the year here at Elizabeth Gelineau Photography! If you made it to the end of this crazy long post, thank you! Most importantly, thank you to my clients, my friends who worked all these weddings with me, and to the amazing vendors who brought these beautiful weddings to life! We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful community of wedding vendors here in the Mobile Bay Area. I can’t wait to see what 2021 has in store for us all! Here’s lookin’ at you 2020.

 

 

 

 

She Said Yes!

I LOVE taking engagement portraits for my couples! It’s often the first time that I’m meeting them in person and I love getting to know them ahead of the wedding day. I take a limited number of wedding bookings each year so that I can make sure each couple gets a personalized experience. Come wedding day, I want us to feel like old friends. After all, I’m with my couples more on the wedding day than almost anyone else! Crazy, but true!

While March, April and May are typically the most popular months for engagement sessions, the spring shut down meant that most of my couples who planned on spring sessions had to shift plans from spring to summer or fall. I did the majority of these sessions within the second half of the year, dodging two hurricanes in the midst of the pandemic. Whew!

Looking back on these sessions makes me so excited for upcoming engagement sessions with more of my 2021 couples, as well as wedding days! Enjoy my favorite engagement portraits from 2020! It was so very hard to stick to just one portrait per couple! These are my true favorites, the portraits that make me squeal with excitement. If you’d like to see more from each session, click the names below the photo for their full engagement session preview post! Enjoy!

Jessica + Quentin

Mary Catherine + Michael

Sarah + Wes

Katie + Kendrick

Bailey + Dave

Mary Catherine + Russell

Mary Emma + Clay

Grace + Connor

Eden + Hunter

Katie + Dylan

Sherish + Taylor

Katie + Casey

Mary Cameron + Eric

Bailey + Tony

Abby + Aaron

Ashley + Ryan

Lane + Jake

Hannah + Austin 

Stephanie + Tyler

Caitlin + Ryan

Rachel + William

Mackenzie + Will

My Favorite Bride + Groom Portraits

We made it to the end of 2020! Reaching the end of this year feels like a major accomplishment, more so than any other year. Yes, 2020 has been a roller-coaster ride, but, in the end, all of my couples made it down the aisle. There aren’t enough words for me to express how thankful I am for each of them for their loyalty and support during such a tough year! I know it wasn’t easy to be a 2020 bride!

While almost all of my 2020 couples had to alter plans in one way or another, it was still an amazing year of weddings! If anything, the pandemic made us all realize even more how special it is to get to celebrate these moments. It’s certainly made me realize even more how special it is to have the privilege of preserving these memories for my sweet clients and their families.

Cheers to all of my brides and grooms who officially became Mr. and Mrs. in 2020! It was an unforgettable year that we’ll always remember! Enjoy this look back at my favorite bride and groom portraits from this year!

Catherine + Thomas

Bailey + Tony

Resi + Jacob

Anna + Michael

Cassidy + Noah

Sally + Travis

Jill + John

Marlye + Peyton

Bailey + Dave

Sarah + Wes

Mary Catherine + Russell

Mary Catherine + Michael

Libby + Hunter

Michelle + David

Katie + Kendrick

Sherish + Taylor

Katie + Dylan

Jill + Cooper

Mary Emma + Clay

Ashley + Ryan

Stephanie + Tyler