Monday, June 30, 2008

Ashley & Sean

Olyn and I spent the weekend at Wakulla Springs for Ashley and Sean's vintage-themed wedding. What more perfect way to personalize the wedding of two history-buffs than focus on a specific moment of Florida history? All of the details from the cake to the flowers and music absolutely transported you back to the way the Wakulla Springs Lodge must have felt in the 1940's.

Taking their theme as inspiration, I spent weeks before the wedding thinking of 1940's imagery and what that meant in my mind. I loved having this challenge as it really forced my creativity into images that I adore and I might not have thought of without the push.

Blossom's did a stunning job with the bouquets and the centerpieces. Ashley had them string beads into the flowers, as it was common for bride's in the Great Depression to carry bouquets of buttons and string.Olyn and I split up to spend time with both the girls and the guys while they were getting ready. No offense to Olyn or the guys... but they just didn't have the drama that Ashley did with that dress! The silhouette was an immediate inspiration for me and sent my mind into a thousand different directions.
I love having two photographers to cover a ceremony. Olyn stayed at the back and covered mostly wide angles, while I snuck up to the front for the close-ups. From this one spot, I captured Ashley crying, her mother crying, her grandmother crying, and her bridesmaids crying.Olyn got a few different angles of the back of the service.
The fireplace makes such an elegant backdrop for the ceremony.Probably my favorite shot of the day-- taken in the elevator of the lodge. It embraces the vintage feel, but adds a healthy dose of sex-appeal. If forced to choose one type of image as my signature style, this would have to be it. I love dark moody shadows and dramatic lighting. Of course, thanks to Olyn, I spent the entire day after this with "Love in an Elevator" stuck in my head!
Ashley and Sean were amazingly generous with the amount of time they gave us for portraits, so we literally went all over the lodge.The ceiling was the first thing Ashley fell in love with and had mentioned at our first meeting how she would like to have it included in an image. I don't think she realized this meant me laying on the dirty floor as people literally moved chairs and swept around me. :)The architecture of the lodge adds instant drama to any image, so I used it every chance I could!Tiki's Tasties created another amazing cake-- each layer had part of a latin phrase piped on it, but I never did get a translation!
Ashley and Sean do not hide their emotions, so photographing their toasts was a photographer's dream!
This was actually a first for me-- I have photographed countless bubble, birdseed and sparkler farewells, but this time they threw dried lavender. Not only pretty, but it smells yummy too!
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Vendors:
Ceremony and Reception Location: Wakulla Springs Lodge
Florist: Blossoms Flowers
Cake: Tiki's Tasties
Wedding Planner: Kenya Washington, Imagine Brides

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Sunday, June 22, 2008

Betty & Paul

Olyn photographed Betty and Paul's intimate wedding this Saturday at the Women's Club. From the personalized vows, to the flair added to the first dance, to the great entertainment, Paul and Betty's day was truly unique!

I love Paul's expression here as he sees his bride for the first time-- you can actually see the tears welling up in his eyes.
Betty was all smiles as she was escorted down the aisle by her daughters. Paul and Betty wrote their own vows for each other. I love how it adds so much intimacy to the ceremony...
...Although some of us may have been more moved than others - Betty's granddaughter couldn't help yawning towards the end of the ceremony!
Paul and Betty added their own personal touches everywhere. They even danced up the aisle!
Betty smile didn't even fade outside in the heat-- from start to finish, she really enjoyed every moment of her day!
Black tuxes and 90 degree heat just don't go well together for some reason. We just can't figure out why! :) So, Paul's portraits were done mostly indoors to keep him from melting!
It is undeniable how much Paul loves Betty. At times during the family portraits, he could not help sharing a little romantic moment with her!
There were touches of calla lilies everywhere-- really adding to the theme of the day!
Paul and Betty put on quite a show for their first dance! Paul went down on one knee and then picked up Betty and twirled her around!
And their dance ended to a huge round of applause!
You can tell Paul and Betty are really loved, as they were toasted by their friends and family.
Tiki's Tasties really embraced the green and white calla lily theme and took it to the next leve with the cake.
You can really see the pride in Paul's mom's eyes as she watches the events of the day.
Believe it or not, Betty forgot to do the bouquet toss! Paul and Betty were all but gone and they ran back in, threw the bouquet and ran right back out!
www.LongsPhotography.com
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Vendors:
Ceremony and Reception Location: Los Robles Tallahassee Women's Club
Cake: Tiki's Tasties

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Monday, April 14, 2008

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

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http://www.LongsPhotography.com