Amanda & Damon

I had such a great day yesterday at Amanda and Damon's wedding-- what more could you ask for?? An awesome couple with the sweetest families, a good friend as a second shooter and my absolute favorite vendors to work with. I hardly ever cry at weddings-- usually one per year-- but I teared up twice yesterday. The first time was during the super emotional mother-son dance and the second time was out of laughter during the toasts!

Amanda had really sexy heels, but I just loved her reception shoes-- they really showed her sassy personality!
The couple's baby, Riley, showed his true colors--- garnet and gold instead of orange and blue!Whenever I am asked about flowers-- I only have two words to say- Missy Gunnels. She is phenomenal each and every time I work with her and yesterday was definitely no exception!There was a bit of a disappointment yesterday as the priest informed me at the last minute that he would not allow any photographs of the ceremony. We were allowed to photograph the processional and recessional, but nothing else. All I can say is that it greatly saddened me that the couple would have no images of their ceremony for their album...
The church had absolutely beautiful pockets of light that we used every opportunity we could for portraits.After the formal portraits at the church, we saved a few minutes for portraits at Golden Eagle-- one of my favorite places to shoot. You just can't beat the great light and awesome backdrops of the Country Club!
I love sentimental touches with wedding details-- the bride and groom used the same cake knife that her parents used and had it engraved with their names and date next to that of her parents.This could definitely be called a grand entrance!

The couple was so incredibly into each other-- I don't think they noticed the hundreds of guests watching them!Damon is a musician and as part of the reception, he performed acoustically a song he wrote for Amanda.The man... the legend... the one and only Greg Tish. :) No, he didn't pay me to say that! Greg is beyond awesome-- he is the key to any great party in town. Even look at the background of the image... the window is reflecting a packed dance floor. And he kept the party rolling until 1:30 in the morning! And my super groovy second shooter, Monica. Who totally kept me sane and in giggles with her weird posing, facebook shots and general nuttiness! Thanks again for helping me out!www.LongsPhotography.com
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Vendors:
Ceremony Location: Holy Cross Anglican Church
Reception Location: Golden Eagle Country Club
Florist: Missy Gunnels
DJ: Greg Tish
Dress: The Studio Bridal

Eva and Jace

I woke up yesterday with butterflies in my tummy. We do engagement sessions for 99% of our couples so that we are all old friends by the wedding day. Since Eva and Jace live in Tampa, we weren't able to do the shoot before the wedding, so I was a bit nervous about the day. It only took me about 10 minutes to calm down, as Eva and Jace are two of the friendliest, most down to Earth people you could ever meet! Olyn and I had an absolutely amazing day!

Eva and Jace had adorable (and yummy) favors-- m&ms in their wedding colors!Missy Gunnels did another fantastic job with all the flowers!
We had a few minutes for portraits with Eva before the ceremony and I found beautiful light everywhere I looked!The girls were up for some fun portraits, so we tried a variation on the "bridesmaids formal".Jace and the guys also gave us a few minutes for portraits before the ceremony. I love the tan tuxes with black shirts-- we have seen more untraditional tuxes this year than ever and its so cool to see fashion trends for the guys as well as the girls!
Eva beamed all the way down the aisle.I loved all the stained glass and the high ceilings of St. Thomas More.
After the ceremony, Eva asked me if I saw "when Jace picked up my arm like we won a sports competition and showed off my bingo arms!" I laughed for a solid five minutes at her description, so I had to show the image.
I didn't think it was possible, but Eva's smile was even bigger on the way out than on the way in!We had lots of time for portraits after the ceremony, so we did portraits in the church and on the grounds outside.This is probably my favorite image of Eva and Jace-- its so true to their love and their personalities!Eva had found a spot underneath one of the large oak trees and it was an ideal spot for some romantic portraits.
They were so excited to join their friends and family, they came running into the reception.
And immediately had their first dance! I hadn't been to Capital City Country Club since I was in college and I was so excited to shoot a reception with so much natural light coming in the windows! It was beautiful!Once the party was underway, we snuck out at sunset to do a few more portraits on the grounds of the country club. The light was absolutely perfect and we had a great time doing some casual portraits.Missy did a great job adding simple floral accents to the cake.

Eva didn't even try to feed Jace a piece of cake before she smushed it all over his face. He got his revenge in the end!After the formal toasts, Eva decided to say a few words. She spoke about how much she loved Jace, that "even at his BEST , like right now when he is hungry and hot and tired..." Isn't it funny how misspeaking one word has such and impact? I love Eva's face as she realizes her mistake.Eva's reactions all day were absolutely hilarious! I love her face as Jace takes off the garter!While Olyn is the master of the action shot, I finally beat him with this one!After the formalities, they definitely heated things up a bit!www.LongsPhotography.com
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Vendors:
Ceremony Location: Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More
Reception Location: Capital City Country Club www.capitalcitycc.com
Florist: Missy Gunnels Flowers www.Missygunnelsflowers.com
Cake: Publix
Makeup: Randi Buchanan
Band: Key Creek Band

Laura & Clint

Sometimes Spring dates are really popular, and this year May 3rd was definitely a popular date! When Laura and Clint first contacted us, two other couples were also inquiring about the date. Laura loved our work so much that she dropped everything to race over with her contract! She literally jumped up and down when we told her the date was hers. Its hard not to have a special place in your heart for someone who loves what you do so much!

Laura and Clint could not have chosen a better location. It is like a little plot of peacefulness in the middle of bustling downtown. Olyn really captured one of the unique architectural elements of the church... along with a few of the girlier details!
I swear Missy Gunnels is the Michaelango of flowers. I love each and every one of her arrangements. While Olyn isn't the biggest flower enthusiast, I love to ooh and ahh at what he had to work with!Laura and Clint had the perfect ceremony. The lights up at front of the church make for great photographs!And here are a few of my favorites from the formal portraits.
Laura and Clint were in quite a hurry to get to their reception. Once I saw how much fun everyone was having, I can understand why!
Olyn definitely has an advantage with his height... I thought this was the coolest shot looking down at the centerpieces!
The first dance was a little untraditional... no slow dances for these party animals!
I can spot one of Katie's cakes a mile away-- her style is so distinct-- simple, elegant and yummy on the inside!
A few moments after the cake feeding went awry...There was so much fun energy from all the guests at the reception, folks are probably still dancing!
At Laura's bridal portrait session, she realized that it wasn't so easy to move around in her gown, so she went out and bought a party dress for the reception!

www.LongsPhotography.com
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Vendors:
Ceremony Location: Trinity Methodist Church
Reception: Los Robles Women's Club
Florist: Missy Gunnels Flowers
Cake: Katie's Cakes and Catering
DJ: Pro Disc Jockey
Catering: Magenta Catering

Dani and Dan

Olyn had a blast at Dan and Dani's wedding this weekend. Everything from the setting of the ceremony, the reception music, food, and and the hospitality of all the guests made this an evening to remember. Dan and Danielle, as well as their friends and family, just have a way of making you feel like you have known them for years. I love moments like this. Even though they are in front of dozens of people, they might as well be the only two people in the world....
It was great watching the wide range of emotions shared by these two during their ceremony. At one moment, they would be on the verge of tears, and in the next, barely containing their laughter!The bridal party was a real blast as well. They were up for almost anything...
Including tossing Dan up over their heads!

After Olyn finished the formal portraits, he took Dan and Dani for a short walk. After the all the hurried preparations and the rush of the ceremony its great for them to have a few minutes alone! "Simple Elegance" best describes the reception. Everyone complimented the centerpieces. When word got out that guests could take the centerpieces home, it looked like a riot might break out as so many folks tried to get one!

We always try to experiment with something new each time we work. I think this shot of Dani and her bridesmaids dancing is cool!

www.LongsPhotography.com
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Vendors:
Ceremony and Reception Location: The Retreat at Bradley's Pond
Catering: Klassic Katering
Florist: Missy Gunnels Flowers
Cake: Katie's Cakes and Catering
DJ: Space Age Sound
Rentals: In Tents Events

Mary Katherine & Chris

I had such a wonderful time Saturday at Mary Katherine and Chris' wedding here in Tallahassee! It was such a fun day, that I didn't even realize how exhausted I was until two hours after I left! They are such an amazing couple-- MK makes me laugh so hard and Chris is her perfect compliment!Sometimes, even in what may look like a plain location, you can find a spot that is so dramatic and tells a beautiful story.Missy Gunnels always does an amazing job, but I was absolutely blown away by MK's bouquet-- it was absolutely stunning!It isn't that often that our couples choose to see one another before the ceremony, but when they do we can get some really moving shots of that initial interaction.MK and Chris chose to have a really laid back schedule and gave me lots of time for portraits-- both at the church before the ceremony and afterwards at the Alumni Center.I just love the image of the bride before the doors open for her big walk. I love having bonus portrait time! We had a quick 10 minute session once we got to the Alumni Center and the light was so pretty!
It isn't often that I have a reception at the Alumni Center when there is light streaming in all the windows, but the entire reception seemed to be bathed in light.Tiki's Tasties makes some of the best cakes in town and I really loved how colorful this cake was!

www.LongsPhotography.com
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Vendors:
Ceremony Location: Covenant Presbyterian Church
Reception Location: FSU Alumni Center
Flowers: Missy Gunnels Flowers www.MissyGunnelsFlowers.com
Catering: Klassic Katering www.KlassicKatering.com
Cake: Tiki's Tasties www.TikisTasties.com
DJ: Pro Disc Jockey

Andrea & Brian

It was like de ja vu on Saturday as I was back at Trinity Reformed and Bradley's Pond-- this time for Andrea and Brian's wedding. Its always funny to me how locations can look so different from one wedding to the next! It always cracks me up that arms seem to come out of nowhere in all the getting ready photos.Totally real moment as Andrea watches her bridesmaids fight with her crinoline.

Quick portraits in the getting ready room as the coordinator hides Brian. The incredible Missy Gunnels did the flowers-- I swear she is a genius!
Everyone is probably sick of me raving about Trinity Reformed Church, but I absolutely love working there!A little fun with the "formals".

The weather was less than nice, so we were pretty limited in our locations for outside portraits, but I love this spot at the church!The very sweet first dance...
with a bit of drama...
I love how Missy jazzed up the cake with flowers.

Ok... this is one of the funniest things I have ever photographed. Admittedly, I fell in love with this flowergirl (how can you not, she is one of the cutest kids on Earth!) The next three images read together as she attempts to lick the back of the plate to get every bit of icing.

Vendors:

Ceremony: Trinity Reformed Church

Reception: The Retreat at Bradley's Pond

Flowers: Missy Gunnels Flowers

Cake: Publix

www.LongsPhotography.com

Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Vanessa and Matt

Olyn and I spent yesterday in Thomasville at Pebble Hill Plantation photographing Vanessa and Matt's wedding. Vanessa works as a catering manager at Andrews 228, so it was such an honor that a fellow vendor selected us for her wedding! Through our professional ties and through the wedding planning, I look at Vanessa as more of a friend than a client.

We had such an amazing time with Vanessa, Matt and their families yesterday. The weather was perfect, the location ideal, the food delicious, and the emotions intoxicating. All this combined resulted in images that were just too hard to narrow down! I know I say this a lot, but I just couldn't choose, so bear with me as I give you a novel of an entry!

Missy Gunnels outdid herself once again with the bouquets. Seriously, this woman never ceases to amaze me.
Vanessa's lace dress not only fit like a glove, but it really embraced her 1940's vintage feel.The ceremony site underneath the large oak provided shade from the setting sun.Vanessa and her dad are so close, I am surprised he was able to give her away!The entire ceremony ran high with emotion-- I think most of the bridal party and the guests pulled out their tissues. Vanessa and Matt are such troopers-- they were up for any ideas that I had. Starting with a simple stroll...To going down into the "dungeon".I learned a very important lesson on the power of candy corn and posing children...The sun set just as the reception got underway, adding the slightest fall chill to the air.Vanessa and Matt are one of those couples that just make sense together. Its hard to even imagine them apart!The cake cutting had a not-s0-neat ending...This has to be the funniest image of the entire day. As Vanessa tossed her bouquet, she THOUGHT she had a wardrobe malfunction!At the very end of the night, the newlyweds snuck off for a few final shots.

Vendors:

Ceremony and Reception Location: Pebble Hill Plantation www.pebblehill.com

Catering: Andrews 228 www.andrewsdowntown.com

Florist: Missy Gunnels www.missygunnels.com

Cake: Katie's Cakes and Catering www.katiescakesandcatering.com

DJ: Nate, GT Entertainment www.gregtish.com

www.LongsPhotography.com

Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding & portrait photographers

Tallahassee Wedding and Reception Services Magazine

Hey-- we've been published! :) I finally got to see a copy of the current issue of Tallahassee Wedding and Reception Services magazine, which has Allison and Scott's wedding as one of the feature stories. You can check out the magazine, or see their gallery in the wedding section of our website.

The wedding was held at Trinity Methodist Church, with the reception at the nearby Governor's Club. Missy Gunnels did an amazing job with the flowers and decor, while Sandy Stone created an adorable and yummy cake.

www.LongsPhotography.com

Tallahassee & Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Sarah and Rob

I joined Sarah and Rob yesterday at Melhana Plantation (now Coalson Plantation) for their low-key wedding. Everyone was so relaxed and joyful-- it really set the mood for the whole day!


Lately, my bride's have had the best shoes, and Sarah was no exception!

Sarah's pearl bracelet is a family heirloom passed down from her Great Grandmother from Italy.
The word of the day? CHEESE!

Sarah and Rob got cards for each other and sent them via the maid of honor. Call it kizmet or fate, but they bought each other the EXACT same card!!
There are times when you look through the viewfinder and what you see takes your breath away...
And a little love for the groom...

It was so funny as I posed the bride and groom for their portaits... they already knew what I was going to say, as we did their engagement portraits in the same spot! It really challenged me to do completely different things with the same location.

You can tell that the background is just a bit hazy in this shot. As we were finishing the portraits, the smoke from the wildfires really started to roll in.

Doesn't Sarah have the cutest dimple? This shot is ALL Rob-- I won't take credit for it at all. What else would a PE teacher want to do than a human pyramid?
Myra Jean's once again did an amazing job with the cake! We did a few quick farewell shots before sunset...
...but I don't think Sarah and Rob will get too far with this kind of horsepower!

Vendors:

Ceremony and Reception Location: Melhana Plantation/Coalson Plantation www.CoalsonPlantation.com

Florist: Missy Gunnels www.MissyGunnelsflowers.com

DJ: Greg Tish www.gregtish.com

Cake: Myra Jean's www.myrajeanscakes.com

Tuxes: Sacinos www.sacino.com

www.LongsPhotography.com

Amber and Nick

Amber and Nick chose a Friday for their spring wedding, so Olyn and I headed over to Bradley's Pond for their celebration. I think they may be the most photographed wedding couple ever! I swear there were more cameras than people at their wedding!! I am sure the paparazzi have some favorites, but these are our favs!

Amber had a beautiful corset backed dress, so we had to show it off, along with the stunning bouquet Missy Gunnels did for her!
Amber and Nick had a beautiful setting, near perfect light and a really moving ceremony. Normally, I don't blog a lot of the ceremony shots, but I really love these!

From laughter....
To tears...While the youth choir sang, Amber and Nick bowed their heads together for a really intimate moment.After we finished all the family and bridal party portraits, we took a few moments to do some of the more "formal" type portraits. This is about as formal as I get!The light was just perfect out by the road, but we kept having to stop for cars to go by. I really think someday I am just going to get run over while trying to get a great shot!The Retreat at Bradley's Pond is a great place for a reception. It has such southern charm with its large wrap-around porches! It is one of my favorite places to shoot as it always lends itself to a great party!I think Amber was a bit excited to be married...At the very end of the night we ran out to the porch for a few romantic shots. Its funny where you find the coolest light!What better way to wish a couple well than to pelt them with birdseed? :) At least most of the guests were loving enough to unwrap it first!

Vendors:

Ceremony and Reception Location: The Retreat at Bradley's Pond http://www.bradleyspond.com/

Florist: Missy Gunnels www.missygunnelsflowers.com

Cake: Heidi's Cakes http://www.heidisbakeryonline.com/

Dress: SG Bridal http://www.sgbridal.com/

Tuxes: Tails and Tweeds

www.LongsPhotography.com

Lauren & Krayton

Olyn and I photographed Lauren and Krayton's wedding yesterday at Melhana Plantation. I really thought these guys cracked me up at their engagement session-- but it was no comparison to their wedding day! I think they have to be the funniest couple I have ever photographed!

Whether it was Lauren's fly-away veil....

or trying to figure out which hand the ring went on...

or a little impromptu karaoke and a midnight swim!

Here is one of Lauren's few serious moments.

I was lucky enough to photograph Missy Gunnels' gorgeous floral creations two weeks in a row!

Tiki's Tasties amazed me with the cake! I couldn't believe the bow was actually made of fondant! In fact, it took forever for Olyn to believe me that it was edible!!

Vendors:

Ceremony and Reception Site: Melhana Plantation www.Melhana.com

Catering: Melhana Plantation www.Melhana.com

Florist: Missy Gunnels www.MissyGunnelsFlowers.com

DJ: Shaun Wilson

Tuxes: After Hours www.AfterHours.com

Hair and Makeup: Jamie Hampton, Green Peridot salon www.GreenPeridot.com

www.LongsPhotography.com

Serena and Tim

I really don't cry at weddings... whether it is because I have done so many or because I am concentrating so much on my work... I don't know why, I just don't cry. Yesterday, while photographing Serena and Tim's wedding, I teared up not once, but TWICE! They had an incredibly moving ceremony and then Tim's dad gave an incredibly moving toast to the newlyweds.

Serena's beautiful champagne colored gown:

Although it had rained all morning, the skies cleared and there was a beautiful sunset for their outdoor ceremony.

During the ceremony, it really struck me how Serena and Tim entertwined their hands. Throughout the ceremony, they both looked so serene and at peace. I see so many couples who are completely stressed out, it was really nice to see Serena and Tim enjoy their ceremony.
Everyone kept hugging Serena and yanking on her veil, so she kept telling everyone to put their arms, "under my veil, UNDER my veil!" So... I decided to take her literally... Missy Gunnels did an absolutely amazing job with all of the flowers! From the chuppa to the bouquets and centerpieces, everything was so gorgeous!At the reception, Serena and Tim not only shared a first dance, but they each danced with Gabi and Averie as a new family. Towards the end of the night, Serena commented on how much she was enjoying her wedding. I think it shows through all of the dancing and party photos!Teaking a break from tradition, instead of tossing the bouquet and garter, Serena's idea of a teddy bear toss was a huge hit with all the kids! Vendors:
Ceremony and Reception: Golden Eagle Country Club www.goldeneaglecc.org
Florist: Missy Gunnels www.MissyGunnelsFlowers.com
Cake: Katie's Cakes http://www.katiescakesandcatering.com/
DJ: Greg Tish www.gtentertainment.com
Limo: Classic Limos http://www.classic-limos.com/

www.LongsPhotography.com

Allison and Scott

Allison and Scott's wedding in downtown Tallahassee was one of the most elegant that I have photographed. The couple exchanged vows at Trinity Methodist Church and celebrated at the Governor's Club. With an army of energetic bridesmaids and groomsmen, the event was very personal and heart warming.

Vendors:
Ceremony: Trinity Methodist Church
Reception: Governor's Club
Wedding Planner: Libby Smith, Enchanted Evenings
Florist: Missy Gunnels
DJ: John Summers, Music Machine

www.LongsPhotography.com