It’s that time of the year! We are INSANELY busy over here, editing, ordering, designing… every year when fall rolls around I’m reminded why we never get around to sending out Christmas cards! :)

Because we have so many fabulous couples waiting to see their photos, and because we can’t finish EVERYTHING before the holidays, we’re upping the number of 1st Picks to show 10 or more of our favorite from the wedding day. Jenn and Billy are the lucky couples to start this trend, with 13 shots that we LOVED at first site! These are only from the first half of the day — portraits and ceremony. The PARTY will come later!

Jenn and Billy, you guys are AWESOME, and we’re SOOOOOOOOOO happy for you two! We hope you love this little sneak peak of your photos!

To start, we pulled some of our favorite getting ready shots.  I LOVE Jenn’s face here and she messes with her hair.

Anne’s shot

Okay, so it’s HIS WEDDING DAY, and he’s WRITING HIS VOWS.  This man does stuff last-minute, but he does do it well!  He and Jenn spoke beautiful, heartfelt words to one another during their ceremony.

Dan’s shot

Jenn’s mom helping her get her veil in place.  (Yes, that’s her mom, not her sister!)

Anne’s shot

Billy checks his watch…

Dan’s shot

We had TONS of time with Jenn and Billy before their ceremony for portraits!  HOORAY!  Seriously, THE best way to get LOTS and lots of great portraits!

I especially love the next series: same location; two different points of view.

Anne’s shot

Dan’s shot

Anne’s shot

Dan’s shot

Hello, beautifuls!

Anne’s shot

Anne’s shot

I am IN LOVE with this picture.  Billy was hidden backstage before the ceremony, praying, worshipping, fighting nerves…

Dan’s shot

I also love this photo: just the tail end of Jenn’s looooooooooong, beautiful train as she walks down the stairs with her dad.

Dan’s shot

Last but not least… Jenn and Billy gave explicit orders that we not only could, but SHOULD go wherever we needed/wanted/felt like in order to get great ceremony photos.  We’re always scared to be too obtrusive, but we did our best to follow their instructions without stealing the show.  ;)  Thankfully the backstage area gave us lots of opportunities to sneak up for great shots.  This one of the unity candle is my favorite of my photos from their ceremony:

Anne’s shot

More to come!!!

**See Tera and Brett’s slideshow by CLICKING HERE!

You’ve already seen the details; now for the PEOPLE!

Tera and Brett’s wedding set a new standard for truly unique wedding celebrations.  Their entire day was centered around the love they share with one another, and the friends and family who have impacted them.  They threw out the wedding traditions that didn’t fit them, and embraced new ideas that allowed them to maximize their time with the people they love most.

Even their venue was one-of-a-kind.  With an open, airy rooftop for cocktails; a secluded, tree-lined courtyard for the ceremony; and a warm, homey dining room for dinner; JCT Kitchen was one of THE coolest venues for an all-in-one wedding day that we’ve ever seen!

To start the day, here’s Tera, working her feet into her red wedding shoes:

Brett came to Tera’s hotel room door to pick her up for portraits.  Tera’s mom got really excited as soon as she realized the groom had arrived!

Tera and Brett wanted to revisit all of the locations from their first date!

First up: playing frisbee at Freedom Park.

Next stop: our FAVORITE Atlanta bookstore, a little shop in an old house, packed full of books from floor to ceiling.  (Shh!  Picture-taking isn’t *technically* allowed!)

Last stop: a walk to Cafe di Sol for a bottle of wine and some yummy hummus!  With us were Brett’s brother, and Tera’s sister and her husband.  This made up their perfect little wedding party!

Favorite:

Tera and Brett held their cocktail hour BEFORE their ceremony, so they could spend some time mingling with their friends and family. The Atlanta skyline, reflected in the windows of JCT Kitchen’s bar.

Tera’s sister Katie was sympathizing with Brett over something.  Or maybe she was making fun of him.  I don’t know, I just love her expression!  :)

Tera’s grandfather:

Showing off their photobooth photo:

Tera’s brother-in-law rehearses the song he will perform during the ceremony.

Ceremony time!  The nerves hit as Tera and Brett wait to walk down the aisle together…

I love these little moments when someone looks right into the lens, but not because they’re cheesing for the camera.  Instead it feels like we’ve been invited into this special moment with the bride and groom.

Tera’s mom and step-dad:

Brett’s dad and mom:

Tera’s dad and step-mom:

Tera’s grandmother gets ready to take a picture of the newlyweds:

Everyone moved inside for dinner just in time for the rain to start!

Someone is getting sleeeeeeeeepy…

Night’s over…

Tera and Brett, THANK YOU for making us part of your wedding day!

Tera and Brett filled their wedding with so many wonderful, personal details that we had to give them their own blog post! They chose the very cool JCT Kitchen in Atlanta to host their celebration, and built the rest of their decor around the themes already present at JCT. (Smart, huh?)

Tera wore an AMAZING Lela Rose gown that she purchased at Candler Park’s Kelly’s Closet.

The local Candler Park Flower Market designed the bouquets and other flowery decorations.

Tera and Brett’s out-of-town guests were welcomed at their hotel with a little box of homemade sugar cookies!

In a complete twist on the usual cocktail hour, Tera and Brett hosted THEIR cocktail hour BEFORE the ceremony!  Guests joined them one hour before they were to marry, and everyone had the chance to eat, drink, and be merry before settling in for the ceremony.

The Majestic Photo Booth Company set up for guests to take photographs of themselves for a guestbook full of pictures and sweet notes!

MONTHS before Tera and Brett’s wedding, we found this bottle cap and knew we would use it for a ring shot. We saved it specifically for Tera and Brett.

In lieu of traditional place cards, little tags were pinned to this burlap board, directing each guest to his or her table.

YUM!

Tera and Brett stuck oversized silver house number into white pumpkins to create these fabulous table numbers!

Up next… THE WEDDING!

It was kind of surreal to photograph Angela, who graduates form high school in just a few months. Angela’s big sis is one of my very best friends from my own high school years, and seeing our little sisses grow up makes us all weepy and proud. Angela is smart — she’s headed into some sort of science field that’s way over my head — and athletic and TOTALLY beautiful!

When we stepped into this field, I looked down at a huge patch of clover.  I said, “Wouldn’t it be crazy if we found a 4-leaf clover in here?”  I have NEVER, EVER found a 4-leaf clover in my LIFE.  But as soon as I squatted down next to the little plants this GIANT 4-leafer was staring me straight in the face.  LUCKY DAY!

Amanda and Graham are just precious together! Amanda is teeny-tiny, and Graham is 6′5″, but they fit so perfectly with one another. They both laughed their way through our entire E-Shoot, and really just couldn’t get enough of one another. We’re SO excited to be their photographers!

This was part of an art installation downtown, and we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make Amanda and Graham part of it:

Initials?

THANKS, Amanda and Graham, for giving us your Sunday afternoon!  You two are WONDERFUL!

We were blessed to spend last weekend in Charleston, South Carolina celebrating Brooke and Jonathan’s wedding!  The weather was more perfect that perfect, and the love Brooke and Jonathan have for one another was completely contagious!

Here’s Brooke, about to walk down the aisle, tearing up as she looks at her husband-to-be, waiting for her at the other end.

They’re married!

The sun was setting as their ceremony came to a close…

Brooke and Jonathan were SO excited to find out that their white tent had been replaced with a clear-top tent.  Here they are, dancing their first dance under the stunning Charleston night sky.

We can’t wait to share more with you!

Nine months after Tyler and Will’s wedding, I was SO excited to photograph them all dressed up again in their wedding clothes! It was a chilly October day, but they were troopers — and since their wedding had taken place in January, I figured they were the perfect couple to brave the cold!

I have to send a HUGE shout-out to the amazingly talented hair and makeup artist Cayla Roberts, who created a phenomenal updo for Tyler AND gave me some of the most stunning makeup I’ve ever been privileged to photograph. THANK YOU, CAYLA! You can also find Cayla at Atlanta’s Bob Steele Salon.

Check out this hair.  LOVE. IT.  I picked up these flowers at Whole Foods the morning of the shoot, and Cayla knew exactly what to do with them!

Tyler and Will, you two are such beautiful and wonderful people! Thank you so much for letting me photograph you — again! :)

**CLICK HERE to enjoy Rebecca and Will’s slideshow!

Hello, yellow!

Rebecca and Will’s wedding day was FULL of sunshine!  The complete joy they felt was infectious, and EVERYONE walked around with huge smiles on their faces the entire day.  Their “Are You My Sunshine” theme was perfectly executed with tons of adorable details, all hand-crafted by none other than the bride and groom themselves.  The fabulous Regina Robinson from Art of Party brought everything together flawlessly, and scrumptious catering by Soiree kept the guests VERY well-fed!

#1: “You Are My Sunshine” centerpieces, 100% designed and created by Rebecca and Will!
#2: The “guestbook” – a painting Rebecca created of one of their engagement portraits. Guests signed the yellow sunshine with a white marker.
#3: Will’s tie and boutonniere. All the floral designs were created by DGL Designs.
#4: The bridesmaids’ necklaces, handmade by Rebecca and Will.
#5: Rebecca’s bouquet.
#6: The bridesmaids’ handbags, designed and stitched by Rebecca.
#7: Each guest took home a “record” of Rebecca and Will’s favorite songs.
#8: The wedding programs, designed by Rebecca.
#9: A tiny jar of lemonheads for each guest to take home from the reception.
#10: A groomsman’s boutonniere.
#11: A bridesmaid’s bouquet.
#12: Rebecca’s vibrant yellow Kate Spade flats.

Rock Spring Presbyterian Church

Will’s face lights up as he chats with Rebecca just an hour before he will see her for the first time in her wedding dress.

Rebecca.

Rebecca’s mom.

Rebecca and Will chose to see one another before their wedding ceremony, spending a full hour taking portraits together. The sheer joy they expressed upon seeing one another set the tone for the entire day!

Rebecca’s to-die-for vintage-inspired gown was designed by San Patrick. Her ponytail updo was created by Suzanne at Stewart + Co, and her makeup artist was Mimi Johnson.

Will’s mom.

Will surprised Rebecca with a necklace and earrings, which she opened just a few minutes before lining up for the ceremony.

Will and his groomsmen wait nervously for the ceremony to begin.

Rebecca and her dad share a moment just before walking down the aisle.

Rebecca and her bridesmaids.

Will and his groomsmen.

Will pours champagne in the back seat of the Rolls Royce that took the couple from the church to the reception.

Rebecca and Will’s reception was celebrated at Wimbish House in midtown Atlanta.

Rebecca and Will’s last name is spelled out in front of their cake.

Rebecca and Will share their first dance in Wimbish House’s huge ballroom in front of a giant cluster of bright balloons, reflecting their “You Are My Sunshine” theme.

Rebecca licks the cake off of Will’s face after a messy cake-cutting ceremony!

Alissa & Ben

Michelle & Tomi

Before their grand exit, Rebecca and Will changed into vintage outfits from Stefan’s in Little Five Points, Atlanta.

The rings on invitations designed by Rebecca.

Rebecca and Will kiss in the back of the Rolls Royce that will take them to their hotel.

Rebecca and Will, thank you SO MUCH for choosing us to photograph your wedding celebration!  We are truly honored – especially after hearing from your families about how picky you both are!  :)  You guys are completely wonderful together, and we know you have a lifetime of happiness ahead!  We wish you all the best…