Maria & Ryan
I had an awesome day today with Maria and Ryan! Their Tallahassee wedding focused on family, tradition and fun, making it a great wedding to photograph! Its been a long day, but I just couldn't wait to get the images on the blog-- just in time as I am racing out of town for another wedding tomorrow!
It was a typical Tallahassee summer day-- not a cloud in the sky and nothing to break the heat!
I adored Maria's dress. I love seeing dresses and styles that are a bit unusual, and this dress was the absolute perfect dress for her!
Vince really did a great job with the flowers-- her words to him were "simple and elegant"-- I don't think you could do better than this!
The getting ready is always a bit chaotic, but with Maria's long veil she literally needed an entourage to keep it from snagging on everything!
After countless weddings, it still cracks me up to see how many women it takes to get one bride ready! 
I love this moment as Maria's dad sees her for the first time-- literally 30 seconds before they walked down the aisle!
Big churches can be tough-- especially when their rules force us to the back of the church. Bradfordville Baptist is definitely large...
But you can still get the close shots. :)
I loved this moment right after they walked out of the sanctuary... Ryan looks at Maria and says, "Hey, we're really married!"
After all the family portraits, we had some quiet time in the church...
I don't normally post full length bridal portraits on the blog, as they tend to not be the most exciting images of the day... but I could not resist this portrait of Maria. I just love her dress and the light streaming in behind her.
We decided to do some untraditional portraits...
The evening reception at the University Center Club was amazing! Vince really went all out with the floral decor-- there were arrangements everywhere you looked!
The couple had a really sweet first dance... both times. :)
Myra Jean always makes beautiful cakes, but I especially loved the simplicity of this one.
Ryan comes from a large family and I swear everytime I turned around, they were laughing together. So it came as no surprise that he and his mom laughed through the mother/son dance. 
Finally, after a very long day, they ended the night with a rose petal farewell.
Vendors:
Ceremony Location: Bradfordville Baptist Church
Reception Location: FSU University Center Club
Florist: Flowers By Vince
Cake: Myra Jean's Cakes
Band: Acme Rhythm and Blues
It was a typical Tallahassee summer day-- not a cloud in the sky and nothing to break the heat!
I adored Maria's dress. I love seeing dresses and styles that are a bit unusual, and this dress was the absolute perfect dress for her!
Vince really did a great job with the flowers-- her words to him were "simple and elegant"-- I don't think you could do better than this!
The getting ready is always a bit chaotic, but with Maria's long veil she literally needed an entourage to keep it from snagging on everything!
After countless weddings, it still cracks me up to see how many women it takes to get one bride ready! 
I love this moment as Maria's dad sees her for the first time-- literally 30 seconds before they walked down the aisle!
Big churches can be tough-- especially when their rules force us to the back of the church. Bradfordville Baptist is definitely large...
But you can still get the close shots. :)
I loved this moment right after they walked out of the sanctuary... Ryan looks at Maria and says, "Hey, we're really married!"
After all the family portraits, we had some quiet time in the church...
I don't normally post full length bridal portraits on the blog, as they tend to not be the most exciting images of the day... but I could not resist this portrait of Maria. I just love her dress and the light streaming in behind her.
We decided to do some untraditional portraits...
The evening reception at the University Center Club was amazing! Vince really went all out with the floral decor-- there were arrangements everywhere you looked!
The couple had a really sweet first dance... both times. :)
Myra Jean always makes beautiful cakes, but I especially loved the simplicity of this one.
Ryan comes from a large family and I swear everytime I turned around, they were laughing together. So it came as no surprise that he and his mom laughed through the mother/son dance. 
Finally, after a very long day, they ended the night with a rose petal farewell.
Vendors:
Ceremony Location: Bradfordville Baptist Church
Reception Location: FSU University Center Club
Florist: Flowers By Vince
Cake: Myra Jean's Cakes
Band: Acme Rhythm and Blues
Labels: Bradfordville Baptist Church, flowers by vince, FSU University Center Club, Myra Jean's
posted by Linda Long www.LongsPhotography.com at 9:45 PM
0 comments
The groom alone before the ceremony.
With the days so short this time of year, it was completely dark when we got to the couple's portrait time. So, we did the mandatory "formal" portraits inside and then went outside for a very different look.
Casi and Rob had an awesome sparkler farewell! To those thinking of doing sparklers, let me encourage you to use the same ones they did. The long sparklers really burn for awhile, while the short ones go out within 20-30 seconds. The guests were still playing with the sparklers, even after the couple had left!
The Bride's room was pretty much a total frenzy. The dress arrived a bit later than the bride, so the girls kicked it into high gear to get her ready on time!
Yesterday was really the first wedding this season that felt like fall! I swear this is the first year I have lived in Tallahassee where the leaves have really changed.
Olyn shot this series of Jerry as he stood at the alter during the processional. I absolutely love how his expression changes to the bottom shot once he sees his stunning bride!
Melissa's processional was a bit unconventional- in an incredibly personal way. She had each of her three brothers walk her down the aisle. Each brother was given about 15 yards before passing her off to the next.
With the ceremony scheduled at sunset, we had to race to get the last of the light for portraits. Thankfully, we managed to fit everything in!
My absolute favorite shot of Melisa-- her eyes look amazing!
Her amazing bridesmaids pitched in again to bustle her dress... an eight point french bustle!
First dance.
Myra Jean's did an amazing job as always, but I absolutely loved the groom' s cake!
Steve kept the dance floor packed all night-- it was an absolute blast!
There are so many details that go into telling the story of the wedding-- its not just the cake or the flowers, but the small details of the way a hand is held that really completes the story.
I don't think Justin took his eyes off Rachel all day!
Rachel and Justin's ceremony was really personal and tailored to suit them. They took communion from the same goblet that Rachel's parents had used at their wedding.
Throughout the day, Rachel grinned from ear to ear!
I think this is my favorite portrait of Justin, but I think it was the least comfortable pose!
Just when Justin thought we weren't looking, he gave his new bride a kiss.
The whole theme really came together with the lemon and lime centerpieces.
Justin and Rachel had the sweetest first dance to Etta James' "At Last".
The father-daughter dance was so emotional! I don't think there was a dry eye in the house!
Another beautiful (and yummy!) creation by Myra Jeans!
Of all the portraits we did of Rachel and Justin, this is my absolute favorite. We ran outside for a few shots during the reception and this really stands out to me as loving, relaxed and natural.
A wedding this close to the 4th of July has to have fireworks!
And a little love for the groom...
It was so funny as I posed the bride and groom for their 
Myra Jean's once again did an amazing job with the cake!
...but I don't think Sarah and Rob will get too far with this kind of horsepower!