A Downtown Mobile Alabama Wedding

I usually ask my brides about their bridal party at our first meeting. It’s helpful to know how many bridesmaids and groomsmen will be part of the day early on. Most of my weddings have an average of six to eight attendants. So when Kelly told me they were having 17 bridesmaids and 22 groomsmen in their bridal party, I nearly fell off of my chair. In fact, I was so surprised at the number that I’m pretty sure I laughed as I replied, “Girl, are you crazy?!” Kelly, being the sweet person she is went on to explain just why they were having so many friends be part of their day. I immediately understood and assured her we would put together a timeline that would accommodate that many people.

After this weekend, I can say without a doubt that I one hundred percent understand why Kelly and Philip wanted all these ladies and gentlemen standing beside them as they became husband and wife. I knew beforehand that one of my past brides was part of this bridal party, so I knew I was going to be working with a good group of people. But, yes, this is the largest bridal party I have EVER worked with on a wedding day!

When you add the flower girls and ring bearers into the mix, it was a total of 49 people. And you know what? They were some of the BEST people I have ever worked with on a wedding day! I got to meet many of them at the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding. As they took turns toasting Kelly and Philip that night, it was clear to me that they truly have deep friendships with this whole group. It was evident that their friends have love and admiration for them, both as a couple, and as individual people. Talk about a special bride and groom!

Like the bridal party, this blog post is massive! I kept trying to narrow it down more and more, but oh my goodness I have too many favorites. I considered breaking it up into two parts, but I’m not a fan of “to be continued” moments so I decided to write the post in two segments. Scroll down read the rest of the story from this day!

This one is a new favorite! I loved that Kelly’s two sisters were perfectly framing this scene of her mom zipping up the wedding gown.

Kelly’s father gave her mother this ring the day she was born. The morning of the wedding, Kelly’s parents passed that ring on to her. It served as her something old and something blue. I love this moment of her mom placing the ring on her finger!

These three sisters are the sweetest!!!

When Father Shields joked during the wedding Mass that it was “a shame they had such a hard time finding people to be part of their wedding,” the congregation couldn’t help but chuckle! When I say this bridal party was amazing, I mean it! We couldn’t have gotten all these portraits done within the timeframe allotted without their help!

Kelly made a pair of earrings for each of her bridesmaids. How sweet is that?! I don’t know where she found the time between being in residency and planning her wedding! She is one talented lady for sure!

A Reception With a Surprise!

A few weeks before Kelly and Philip’s wedding, I met up with Kelly’s mom for a walkthrough of the reception location. That’s when Kelly’s mom told me there was going to be a surprise fireworks show in the middle of the reception. Fireworks?! Seriously?! I could barely contain my excitement. I was anticipating that big moment the whole day.

Only a few people knew about the surprise beforehand, so when the band asked everyone to make their way down to the water, there was a buzz among the crowd. I’m pretty sure I held my breath for the entire fireworks show because getting shots of something like that is kind of hard to practice beforehand! With each click of the camera I thought of my dad’s advice to remember to drag my shutter to catch the trail of the fireworks sparkling in the sky. It is definitely one of my all-time favorite wedding day moments!

Kelly and Philip, I can’t thank you and your sweet families enough for having me be part of your wedding weekend! It was such a JOY to capture these moments for you! Congratulations!

Y’all, Kelly’s grandmother is the sweetest lady! When I met her at the rehearsal dinner, she quickly told me that she already knew who I was and then gave me a hug. I believe she said that Kelly is one of her 22 grandchildren and that she also has 11 great-grandchildren (or at least close to those numbers)! At 86 years young she was on the dance floor almost the entire night! Life goals, y’all. Life goals!

Three of my brides in one photo and it just happened by accident! I just love these ladies and am honored they each chose me to be their wedding photographer!

Seriously, the fireworks show was AMAZING!!!

Then they finished the night off with Taco Bell and tequila shots!

VENDORS

Second Photographer | Jacob Bennett

Third Photographer | Megan Garofalo

Photographer’s Assistant | Shelby Guidry

Planning | Jacquie Burkett, Chic Weddings by Jacqueline

Ceremony | The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception – Mobile, Ala.

Reception | Private Residence

Florals | Carl Clark, Southern Veranda

Additional Reception Florals | LeNae Denson, Cleveland the Florist

Catering | Bay Gourmet

Cakes | Cakes by Judi

Lighting | Willow Bridge

Rentals | Port City Rentals

Band | Michel Jons Band

Makeup Artist | James Edward

Hair Artist | Adelaide McAleer

Bride’s Gown | Something New

Bridesmaid Dresses | Bella Bridesmaids

Invitations | Reaves Engraving

 

 

Baby Makes Three!

A little over three years ago I received an email from a photographer looking for work as a second shooter. My good friend and fellow wedding photographer, Jennie Tewell, sent him my way. I had been looking for someone to work with me on a few weddings, so the email was quite timely. We arranged a meeting at Carpe Diem. I didn’t know what to expect. At the time I was an associate photographer with Jennie’s business and new to weddings. I wasn’t even sure how I should conduct the meeting. Was it an interview? That didn’t seem right. I finally decided to approach our meeting as I would if I were just grabbing a cup of coffee with a friend.

I walked into the crowded coffee shop in Springhill and found him sitting at a table by the front window. “Hi, I’m Jacob,” he said as he reached out his hand to shake mine. I don’t remember how long we met for, but I do remember that about five minutes into our conversation I found out Jacob is from Memphis. “I have family up that way,” was my reply. That led to Jacob asking me if I was related to a Michael Gelineau. I love small-world moments, but this one had me in disbelief. It turns out that Jacob grew up playing baseball and my uncle, who lives in Memphis, was one of his coaches. How in the world do our paths end up crossing out of all the other photographers in Mobile he could have contacted?! I took it as a sign that we were meant to work together.

Three years later, Jacob and I have photographed a slew of weddings together. In fact, I think I’ve worked more weddings with him than I have with any other photographer. At this point, he can practically read my mind. One thing I learned about Jacob at our first meeting, is how much he adores his sweet wife, Aubrey. He absolutely lights up every time he talks about her. I felt like I knew her long before we actually met. Last fall, Aubrey worked as my assistant on one of my weddings. It was so much fun working with both of them on the same day!

At the end of an insanely busy season last fall, I told Jacob that I wanted to do a portrait session for him and Aubrey as a thank you for all his hard work throughout the year. As it turns out, they had a special surprise to share by the time that session date arrived. On our first wedding together for this year, Jacob told me that Aubrey is expecting their first child! I am SO excited for these two and was so happy that we could incorporate some baby announcement photos into their portrait session! Talk about perfect timing!

Now that they have shared the news with their family and friends, I’m excited to share some of my favorites from their session. Fun fact, even though Jacob is a photographer, it’s been quite a while since he and Aubrey have had a formal portrait session! Jacob said it was definitely weird being on the other side of things and not having a camera in his hand. I absolutely LOVED getting to photograph them during this special season in their lives. I am so thankful to call them friends and can’t wait to meet their little one later this year!

Carpe Diem is one of Jacob and Aubrey’s favorite spots in town. They’re regular visitors to this little coffee shop, so of course we had to work it into some of their portraits. I still can’t believe that we were able to get a few shots in without anyone on the porch. This place is always so busy! These turned out to be some of my favorites too!

Aubrey’s Hair Styled by Mackenzie Smith at Cara & Company Salon

Bicentennial Park Bay Minette Alabama Wedding

It’s always special when a bride is escorted down the aisle by her father. It’s even more special (and emotional!) when she is also walked down the aisle by her son. Add to that a little white chapel, the most adorable flower girl and ring bearers, and the fact that the children of the bride and the groom served as the bridal party…it just doesn’t get any sweeter than that. Talk about the perfect way to kick off the spring wedding season!

Aimee is also a photographer and she had a clear vision for her wedding day. I knew it would be beautiful and it was everything I imagined! Bicentennial Park is such a lovely spot for a wedding. When I pulled into the drive, I could immediately see why Aimee chose the chapel for her ceremony. The park is a photographer’s dream!

A few days before the wedding, Aimee sent me a note saying that they had found the perfect vintage car to be their transportation for the wedding day. The car was originally made for the producer of the film Casablanca. And, get this, the producer of the film and Humphrey Bogart road in this very car to the Academy Awards in 1941! I am obsessed with old Hollywood films, so I of course squealed when I read that message. Jonathan knows the car’s current owner, who also volunteered to be their chauffeur for the day. Being able to incorporate this beauty into bride and groom portrait time was such a treat!

The reception was nearly over when I noticed the sunshine beginning to stream through the trees. The golden light caught the Spanish moss and made it glimmer. The reflection on the pond at Live Oak Landing made the scene look like a watercolor painting. This is the light that every photographer wants for her wedding day. This is the light that makes my heart skip a beat and makes me squeal with delight. We had already taken a lot of portraits throughout the day, but there’s no way I wasn’t going to ask Aimee if she wanted to take just a few more.

Thankfully, Aimee took one look at the golden light and she was game for some bonus portrait time. Such. A. Dream. I have a lot of favorites from this day, but you definitely want to scroll all the way through this post to see the magical portraits we took during golden hour. You can’t plan moments like this. They just happen. And when they do, you thank God for the gift of making it all possible. Congratulations Aimee and Jonathan!

Jonathan’s dad, who is a preacher, officiated the ceremony. During the vows, the light started streaming through the stained-glass windows, creating an ethereal glow around the couple. It was stunning!

At the reception, Jonathan asked everyone to gather for a toast. I cannot do justice to his eloquent words by paraphrasing what he said. But I can tell you there was not a dry eye to be found. Thankfully, Jonathan’s sister filmed the whole thing on her phone!

VENDORS

Ceremony | Bicentennial Park – Bay Minette, Ala.

Reception | Live Oak Landing

Caterer | Smokin’ Gringos

Florist | Rose Bud Flowers

Cake Artist | Victoria Gaston, Underground Custom Cakes

Hair Stylist | Vanna Uptgraft

Makeup Artist | Teddy Michaels

DJ | Eddie Burns

Bride’s Gown | Cassandra Grace

A Mardi Gras Gender Reveal Party

I only have one sibling, but I have a large extended family. There are a lot of cousins on both my mom’s and dad’s side. Growing up, we always spent a lot of time with family (and we still do!). My cousins were like a built-in friend group and a bunch of extra siblings all in one. I’m the oldest of the pack on one side and the second oldest on the other. That means that all my younger cousins have modeled for me at one point or another during my photography journey (they’re seriously the best for putting up with me while I honed my skills back in the day).

When my cousin, Alex, got married a few years ago, I got to be the second photographer at his wedding. Now, two years later, he and his wife, Taylor, are expecting their first baby! Yay for more cousins! I of course had to take my camera along to Alex and Taylor’s gender reveal party. Who doesn’t love a surprise reveal?! These two love Mardi Gras, so when the timing worked out for them to find out the gender of their baby during Mardi Gras season, they decided to plan a Mardi Gras themed gender reveal party on a parade Saturday in downtown Mobile. How cute is that?!

The big reveal happened via a cake cutting, but first guests had to pick whether they were team boy or team girl by choosing the appropriate color Mardi Gras beads. The moment Alex and Taylor cut into the cake and revealed the blue filling inside, everyone cheered! My other two littlest cousins were pretty excited that it was a boy because now they have another member they can add to their future soccer team. Now I get to plan another cousin modeling session…this time for maternity portraits!

Ollie was saying it was going to be a boy the whole party!

Charlie can’t talk much yet, but I think he voted team girl!

Taylor’s brother and sister are excited to be an aunt and uncle soon!

EllenJay designed these cookies to match the party invitation. How cute is that?!

Team BOY!

Team GIRL!

Y’all, this was the cutest! So much love to shower on this baby!

Congratulations Alex and Taylor! You two are going to be wonderful parents!

An Outdoor Spring Wedding

I love being a photographer in the Deep South. Our mild weather means that we don’t really have an off season. Sure, some months are busier than others, but there’s not a true off season. Some years my wedding season begins in January or February, but March is usually when things really start to get busy. My 2019 wedding season begins this Saturday and thinking of all the March weddings I’ll be sharing with y’all in the next few weeks has me thinking back on Charley and Ethan’s beautiful outdoor wedding from last March!

This week I spent some time creating a new album website for my clients that will help them with the decisions on cover color, material and personalization. As I was putting that together, I came across these photos I took of Charley and Ethan’s wedding album. I absolutely love a leather album. They just feel so luxurious and they look so timeless! I’ve got to admit that it was so very hard to part with this beautiful book. I’m always wishing that I could have a sample album of every album that I order for my clients. While that’s not feasible, it is possible for me to document the finished design with some flatlay photos.

Speaking of sample albums, after using the same sample album for over two years, I finally decided to order a new one. Why did it take me so long to order an updated sample album? One, I adore all my clients and am attached to all their weddings. Two, I’m still in love with the sample album that I’ve been taking along to consults for the past couple of years. After much debate, I finally decided to order not one, but two samples – one in leather and one in linen. These new samples will feature some new album options that I’m super excited to offer to my 2019 couples!

I am counting down the days until my new sample albums arrive in the mail. The wait seems to take forever, even though it’s only a few weeks. That’s probably how my brides feel as they wait for their finished albums to arrive. There’s nothing like opening that box and flipping through the pages for the first time. Wouldn’t it be fun if I could deliver albums to my brides at an album reveal party?! That sure would be a fun girl’s night!

I hope you enjoy this look at Charley and Ethan’s wedding album! This day was full of sweet moments, happy tears and deliciously golden light.

One of the sweetest daddy-daughter first looks I’ve ever photographed!

Family portraits are such an important part of the wedding day! Yes, it’s tempting to make the list crazy long, but this portion of the day will be less stressful if you limit the combinations to parents, siblings and grandparents of the bride and groom. Your family portraits are your legacy portraits. They’ll likely be framed and displayed in your home (and your parents’ homes) for years. Planning the list in advance is the key to making sure this portion of the day runs smoothly and doesn’t eat into your bride and groom portrait time.

An all black and white spread just makes me so happy! This is one of my favorite spreads in this album. Maybe it’s because I first learned photography on a film camera, using Ilford black and white film. To me, black and white images are so nostalgic and timeless.

Album Design by Andrea with Align Album Design