I’m off to celebrate our wedding anniversary at an undisclosed (to me) location! This will be my longest separation from VC, but thankfully my big sis is here to watch the girls so I’m not worried. That, and I’m pretty sure we’re going somewhere within a short drive.

Photographing weddings and celebrating this milestone has me thinking about my own wedding day. My favorite part was definitely the ceremony. Our priest gave such a personal and loving homily and while I don’t remember the exact words he used, I do recall how honored we felt to hear them spoken to us and our families. Ironically, we have only a few pictures taken from way back in the church because I insisted on NO PICTURES during the ceremony! I wanted that moment to be sacred and I didn’t want cameras in my face and especially no flashes popping…

I try to remember this when I’m lurking around during other people’s magic moment, to get the picture but not get in the way.

I’m so looking forward to some alone time with my husband! Our wedding rings are inscribed with the words, “We Are One” because we promised each other that whatever distractions came our way – children included – our bond comes first. So far, so good! And a little alone time sure helps.

This doesn’t mean we don’t adore our girls, but we say, “Happy Marriage = Happy Kids.” And that seems like a good equation to me.

The last of the bibi + yoyo trilogy. This is a long one, but I could show you dozens more!

After the dinner was over, I leaned over to Abbey, who was photographing B&J’s Magnolia Hall wedding with me and said, “Oh, I should have told you, these people are going party!” Between the great band, the fun collection of guests and the wonderful occasion, I knew this was sure to be a lively night.

First, some of the beautiful details from the day. The couple had assistance on the day of the wedding from planner Courtney Surber Paz.

The bride’s uncle played the bagpipes for the procession and recession, as well as to invite the guests back into the hall for dinner.

And a few of the “informals”. These are the portraits that I love to get, where they aren’t thinking about the camera, the shoulders relax and you get to see an authentic expression of emotion…in this case, joy!

The very happy mother of the bride. 

The groom and his baby sister.

Finally, the party! Starting with cocktail/kisses/hugs/congratulations hour…

Dinner and toasts…

Dancing, dancing, dancing…amazing music provided by the Bradley Cole Smith Band…

Seriously, I could keep going and going. When the house lights came up, I caught this moment with the bride and some of her best girlfriends who came from near and far.

The newlyweds! Thanks, B&J, for letting me a be a part of your day in this way. I’m looking forward to lots of little “photo ops” in the future!!

More pictures from this event can be found here and here, or with other weddings in the Weddings category.

Check out Abbey’s pics here.

It has been raining here for days and days. The other day, it had paused for a bit. I was out with the girls on the porch complaining about the rain and CM said, “You know what the good thing about rain is?” I thought she’d say flowers or rainbows. Nope. “Puddles!”

Yesterday when there actually was some blue visible above, we made a break for the beach. I thought that at best we’d make sand castles and go for a walk so we didn’t even have swim suits…not that a little thing like that would stop CM…

And today, the sun is OUT! Unfortunately, though, our “basement” is under water!

Some overdue pictures from the week of Mother’s Day, beginning with our “Ladies’ Day.”

The waitress brought CM a surprise dessert…it was a hit!

My dad loves hearing that VC looks like him. What do you think?

I LOVE our downtown library. And I love these signs that say “Start here. Go anywhere.” with T and the girls underneath. This would be a great spot for an engagement pic, too.

Here was my fortune from my Mother’s Day dinner.

It reads, “This is a good time for you to take a risk. You will succeed.” It has been four months now since I attended Me Ra’s workshop and decided to take on this new photography adventure.  In many ways I jumped in prematurely. I still have so much to learn and figure out, including what “success” will look like. But I’m so enjoying the ride. Thanks to everyone who has encouraged, advised and worked with me so far.

I so enjoyed photographing M&L’s rehearsal dinner at the beautiful Roswell Mill Club, in Roswell, Georgia. This facility is adjacent to Ivy Hall, both of which have been restored from a Civil War era cotton mill. Overlooking Vickery Creek and a park that includes a picturesque covered bridge (unfortunately not easily accessible in the heels all the ladies were wearing!), this is a part of town that I had not been to in ages and plan to return to with the family on one of our next trips up. 

They say you can judge how a man will treat his wife by how he treats his mother. Judging by how sweet this groom is with his mom and grandmother (below), I’d say L is in good hands.

The bride got comfortable so she could go mingle with her friends and family.

The RMC is a beautiful venue both indoors and out, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the elegant room and porch.

There was a nostalgic slideshow at the end of the night with pictures of the couple from childhood up to their courtship. This is the mom and sister of the bride watching and reminiscing from the back of the room.

Thanks and best wishes to the newlyweds. It was a pleasure to spend the evening with your family and be a part of this special night on the cusp between your old life and your new one.

No, this is not a toothless toddler. This is just a BIG ten month old boy! He shares the exact same birthday as my VC but is about twice her size! Not only is he big, but Mr. H is blessed to be the newest member of a family whose generosity knows no bounds…T and I know first hand, being the beneficiaries of their kindness in a big way years ago. I was thrilled to finally meet H and photograph him, and hope to continue to for years to come!

Hats and babies… they look so cute in them for that half a second that you can trick them into wearing one.

Thanks, T and M, for letting me into your GORGEOUS home! Next time let’s do a family portrait, dogs and all! Oh, and if I can work that stove into a shot…

I was with the bride the day and morning prior to the wedding. Here are photos from a shower, the rehearsal, and getting ready on the day of the wedding.

Magnolia lawn, where the ceremony was originally slated to take place. Check out Abbey’s blog  to see how beautifully Plan B turned out inside. I’ll have some pics from the ceremony and reception here next week.

The father of the bride with his lovely wife…and daughter.

The ladies got ready and were treated like royalty at G Salon.

Whether at a dress fitting or for the  main event, putting on the veil is always one of my favorite moments. I don’t know what it is, but it makes it all come together and feel real. It was then that B’s sister and “MOH” (maid of honor) said, “this is really happening!” and a few tears were shed by all. Those are the mothers of the bride and groom in the background.

Last few moments of prep and anticipation…

You can find more “bibi+ yoyo” posts under the Weddings category.

While the jury is still out as to whether our family is finished growing, it continues to be very unlikely that we’ll be adding any four-legged members to the household. I’m not naming names, but a certain blue eyed, blond haired, Y chromosome carrying person is the primary obstacle. And he may be right. But these might make him think twice…two cute little girls and their happy lovable dog…

The original plan with this Atlanta family was to get outside but the weather was not cooperating. It actually worked out great for me because I got to do my favorite thing which is to follow them around the house, starting with breakfast…

Just a few more…don’t they have incredible eyes?!

Thanks K and C for letting me in on your family time. Your girls are beautiful and I enjoyed spending the morning with you.

I had the honor of photographing B&J’s wedding at Magnolia Hall in Piedmont Park in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago. Despite the rain (and wind and lightning) that threw a wrench in their plan for an outdoor wedding, they managed to pull off a beautiful celebration. I have been to a lot of weddings, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a couple that was any happier than these two clearly are. I am going to break this event up into a few different posts. This one will focus on the bride…

and groom.

I love to look for the little telling moments of interaction. These two did not let me down. Lots of hand holding, kissing, and…ahhhh…the way they look at each other.

A spontaneous kiss for her new husband while on the dance floor.

Did I mention there was a lot of kissing going on between the happy couple? And every time that I saw them, whether I had my camera pointed at them or not, he would break into a smile mid-kiss.

Congratulations, bibi and yoyo!! More to come here in the coming days and, I promise, you’ll have all of them just as soon as Abbey and I can get them edited!

 

I’m busy playing catch up from our recent trips to Atlanta. Did I mention that I generally travel with the whole family in tow?? We are exhausted but also grateful to have a second home where we find friends, family and work to engage us! There will be individual posts from these shoots and more, but here are just a few of my favorites in the meantime, from some of the events and portrait sessions I did in ATL.

Just for fun: I don’t usually take portraits of dogs solo, but this is my good friend’s baby. They don’t call her Midori for nothing.

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