A Historic Malbis Nursery Wedding

Spring wedding season is in full swing! I am just loving each of these couples I’m getting to work with! Kaileigh and Zack are two of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet. I wasn’t surprised one bit that their day was full of joy. Kaileigh was such an organized bride! When I walked into the getting ready room, I found all Kaileigh’s details waiting for me in a box. Kaileigh and her girls were all finished with hair and makeup, so they had some time to just relax and enjoy spending some time together. It was fabulous!

The first time I met Kaileigh, she shared with me that she and Zack had both lost their fathers. I can’t help but think that the glorious weather we had on Saturday was somehow their wedding gift to their children. The day couldn’t have been more perfect! I love shooting at the Historic Malbis Nursery because there are such beautiful spots for portraits, even on a sunny day! Plus, there is a beautiful lawn in front of the venue that is perfect for Golden Hour portraits!

Last year I photographed a wedding for a dear friend of mine who also lost her father far too young. I know it was so important to her to incorporate her dad into her wedding day and to have reminders that he was close in spirit. The same was true for Kaileigh and Zack. I love that Kaileigh carried her father’s portrait in a locket sized pendant on her bride bouquet and that Zack wore special cuff links with his father’s initials, etched from his handwriting.

One of my favorite parts of the day was the First Look that Kaileigh and Zack shared ahead of the ceremony. Zack was so excited to see Kaileigh! After soaking in the moment, they exchanged the vows they’d written to each other. That’s when the tears started flowing! It was such a sweet moment!

Kaileigh and Zack, thank you so much for choosing me to be your wedding photographer! Enjoy these highlights from your special day!

I love the bride’s room at Historic Malbis Nursery! The windows allow for plenty of natural light and the walls are a nice neutral color. Plus, it has plenty of air conditioning!

I love these monogrammed hangers that Kaileigh gave to her bridesmaids!

When the wind picks up at just the right time!!!

A seat was saved for each of their fathers, with items made from their father’s shirts.

Kaileigh asked one of her father’s best friends to officiate the wedding and another to share a dance with her at the reception. Mr. Mike gave Kaileigh this sweet gift, which he designed for her. The quote is from the song they danced to, which is the last song Kaileigh and her father danced to at her senior prom. There wasn’t a dry eye around during this moment.

Y’all I love bubble exits! This one was extra good because it wasn’t super windy, meaning the bubbles hovered for a bit!

VENDORS

Second Photographer | Jacob Bennett

Photographer’s Assistant | Megan Garofalo

Coordinator | Lori Hammonds

Venue | Historic Malbis Nursery, Spanish Fort, AL

Flowers | Wildflowers

Cake | Couture Cakes

Catering | LA BBQ

Rentals | Gulf Coast Events & Rentals

DJ + Photo Booth | Extravagant Productions

Bride’s Gown | The Bridal Loft

Bridesmaids Dresses | Bridesmaids Galore and More

Musicians | Zach Adamson

A Spring Hill College Spring Engagement

Libby and Hunter met in the Chick-Fil-A line one day at lunch at the University of South Alabama (USA) Student Center. A chance encounter led to exchanging numbers. These two have been an item pretty much ever since!

Ironically, I met Libby’s dad the same day she first contacted me about wedding photography while doing a shoot at USA’s Mitchell College of Business. I’ve been working with the college for a few years, but hadn’t previously been introduced to Dr. Turnipseed. Imagine my surprise when I meet up with Libby for a consultation and find out the professor I’d just met was her dad! It was such a funny coincidence!

Libby is also another one of my McGill-Toolen alum brides! I absolutely LOVE that we share a love for our alma mater. I feel like I need a hashtag for my McGill brides. If anyone has any fun suggestions, feel free to drop them in the comments!

Libby and Hunter are getting married next spring at one of my favorite Mobile Alabama venues, the Bragg-Mitchell Mansion! This beautiful, antebellum home has been a favorite of mine since I was a child. It always reminded me of Scarlett O’Hara’s “Tara” in Gone With the Wind. The massive oak trees that surround the house are so beautiful in wedding photos. It’s such a dream location. I get so excited every chance I have to shoot there.

Since Hunter is an avid golfer and Libby loves majestic oaks, she chose Spring Hill College for their engagement session. Now that school is out for summer the campus is relatively quiet, which means we had the place mostly to ourselves, with the exception of the sudden bursts of traffic that seemed to appear every time we tried taking photos on the avenue. It’s always an adventure trying to shoot on that oak-tree lined street, but it’s so worth the patience!!!

Towards the end of the session we made our way to the edge of the golf course and, oh my word, the light was INSANE! It was so perfectly glowy, dreamy and romantic. Talk about a DREAM!

Libby’s engagement ring and the promise ring Hunter gave her a couple years before!

Just look at this dreamy light!!!

View more engagements here!

Planning a 2020 wedding? Contact me for dates and availability!

A Spring Farm Wedding in Silverhill, AL

For a moment I thought we’d stepped through the wardrobe and stumbled into Narnia. The pine trees surrounded us like columns in a cathedral. The sunlight streamed into the woods, right onto the spot where Kate and Patrick were standing. It was magical. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis is a long-time favorite of mine. So when I picked up the ceremony program a few minutes before Kate walked down the aisle and saw a quote from the Narnia series inside, I smiled at how perfectly wonderful everything had turned out.

If you had told me the Monday before this wedding that we’d be seeing any sunlight at all, I wouldn’t have believed you. The forecast called for a 100 percent chance of rain. Seriously, two weeks in a row?! When we arrived at Kate’s family’s farm and saw only clouds, I did an internal happy dance. I’m pretty sure I was also holding my breath for most of the morning as I said prayers that the rain would stay away.

While Kate was getting ready, she told me she’d accepted the fact that it was likely to rain on her wedding day. I love that her attitude was one of total trust. It turned out that God answered all our prayers. The skies stayed rain free until the reception was over!

This was my fifth time shooting at Kate’s family’s farm – I photographed her sister’s wedding a couple years ago! This beautiful property has become dear to my heart and I just adore this sweet family. Every single time I work with them it’s so special. They are such joyful people and it is just a treat to spend time with them. On top of that, the farm is a photographers dream portrait location, with many beautiful spots to choose from!

Clear skies meant we were able to drive around the property as planned for bride and groom portraits. With Kate’s dad as our chauffeur, we were able to move between locations quickly. To say I have a lot of favorites from this wedding is a massive understatement! And, yes, this is my attempt at narrowing it down to my favorites! Enjoy!

This sweet mother-daughter moment nearly brought tears to my eyes!

The breeze picked up at just the right time for some floaty veil shots and I was in photographer heaven!!!

Such. A. Dream.

This GORGEOUS shot was taken by my second photographer, Jacob, while I was shooting from a different angle. I literally gasped when I saw it come up on my computer!

Kate’s mom and bridesmaids praying over her just before the ceremony was such a beautiful moment!

I’m so glad we drove out to this spot! This photo is definitely going on my list of all-time favorites!

VENDORS

Second Photographer | Jacob Bennett

Photographer’s Assistant | Zelda Peach

Planning | Jenna Laine Weddings

Venue | Private Property

Catering | Naman’s Catering

Florist | Belle Bouquet

Cakes | Cakes by Judi

Makeup + Hair | Makeup and Hair by Chaney

Band | Powerhouse

Rentals | SOHO Events and Rentals

Bride’s Gown | Bliss Bridal

Bridesmaids Dresses | Bella Bridesmaids

Groom + Groomsmen Attire | ASOS

Ceremony Strings | Jim Lichtenberger Duo

 

A Magnolia Springs Engagement

On their first date, Ginny and Michael talked for hours. He knew she was special. She didn’t want the date to end. There was just one problem. They were living in different states. Date two seemed like a long-shot. After Michael returned home to Mobile, he sent Ginny a text and, before they knew it, they were navigating the world of long-distance dating. It turns out that first date was just the beginning of their love story. After months of long-distance dating, Ginny found herself applying for and accepting a job in Mobile.

Not long after Ginny settled into her new life in Mobile, Michael surprised her with a super romantic proposal at one of their favorite places. With the help of their friends, he set up a path of rose petals, leading Ginny to the spot where he asked her to be his wife. Afterwards, they celebrated with their friends at one of their favorite restaurants in Fairhope. How sweet is that?!

The first time I met Ginny she told me that she wanted to do her engagement session in Magnolia Springs. I am familiar with this small town, but hadn’t actually done a session there before. This location was such a dream that I know this shoot definitely won’t be my last in this sweet town.

I love that Ginny and Michael selected a place that is special to them. One of their friends has a summer home on the street where we did most of the session. Ginny said she and Michael love visiting the area, especially during the warmer months when they can swim in the spring that is right down the street from their friend’s house.

Towards the end of the session, we were all getting hungry and our conversation soon turned to food. Jesse’s Restaurant in Magnolia Springs is one of my favorite restaurants and I’d planned to stop by for takeout after the shoot. It turned out that Ginny and Michael were planning to eat there as well. When they found out I was planning to order a meal to-go, they kindly invited me to join them for dinner. I agreed, but only after making double sure they truly didn’t mind me tagging along on their post-engagement session dinner. I had such a great time visiting with them and getting to know them better!

During dinner, Michael shared with me that his late grandfather used to make wedding cakes. I asked if he had been a baker and Michael said no. It turns out that his grandfather just liked to decorate cakes and did so well into his older years. I love when my clients share stories like that with me! I don’t know that I would have ever heard this one if we hadn’t all gone to dinner together. Getting to know my clients is one of my favorite parts of the pre-wedding day experience. I already feel like these two are old friends!

The gorgeous oak trees and golden light just make this place feel MAGICAL!

Ginny and Michael’s sweet puppy joined us for some photos! Ginny found this little guy stranded on the side of the street during Mardi Gras. He quickly stole their hearts and I can totally see why!

View more engagement sessions here!

I’m now booking 2020 dates! Contact me for availability!

A Downtown Mobile St. Joan of Arc Wedding

I arrived at The Ezell House about fifteen minutes before the tornado sirens started going off in downtown. My phone lit up with a warning message…both from my weather app and from my mom (who is practically like my personal meteorologist…she’s always in tune with what the weather is doing, especially on wedding days!). It was seriously scary for a few minutes with the dark skies, wind and sirens. It was looking like it was going to rain the whole day.

A few minutes after the sirens began sounding, Emily arrived on site. Weather is the one thing that can really cause stress on a wedding day, but Emily didn’t let it phase her one second. Her bubbly and outgoing personality had everyone’s spirits up. Amazingly, the skies cleared up just about the time Emily stepped into her dress. Our original plan had been to do all portraits at Washington Square park, but with the heavy rains we decided to change plans and stay at Ezell for all pre-ceremony portraits. Thankfully, the porches at The Ezell House provided a dry area for us to do outdoor portraits, which meant Emily’s beautiful gown stayed nice and clean before the ceremony.

Emily is another one of my fellow McGill-Toolen alum brides! Although we went to the same high school and were only one grad apart, Emily and I really didn’t know each other until I photographed her sister’s wedding a couple years ago. I absolutely adore this family and it was such a treat to work with them again! It was also fun to see how Emily’s sister’s family has grown over the past two years. Trust me, you don’t want to miss the photos of her sweet baby girl!

This spring wedding season I am crossing paths with so many of my past brides! It is so much fun to work with couples who are friends with my other brides and grooms. I also love when I get to work with the same family multiple times! You know you’ve been doing weddings for a while when you start doing weddings for siblings of your past brides and grooms!

How fun are these shoes?! I told Emily they match her personality and she agreed! I’m also obsessed with the gold edging on her wedding invitations!

I remember capturing Emily helping Katie get ready the day of her wedding. It was so special to get to photograph them with their mom once again for Emily’s wedding!

I photographed Katie and Steven’s wedding in January 2017. How precious is their baby girl?! Emily certainly knows how to make her niece smile!

Patrick’s precious niece was their flower girl! I adored her French heirloom dress!

View more recent weddings here!

VENDORS

Second Photographer | Evan Davis

Ceremony Venue | St. Joan of Arc

Reception Venue | The Ezell House

Catering | Naman’s Catering

Florist | Cleveland the Florist

Cake Artist | EllenJay

Band | Emerge

Makeup & Hair | Ashley West, Brushed and Blushed

Bride’s Gown | The White Room

Bridesmaids Dresses | Bella Bridesmaids

Invitations | Alan’s Invitations