Our last wedding of ‘09 was an incredible holiday celebration. The wedding of Claire & Steve was especially special (LOL) to me because I had met Claire while teaching photography at the Atlanta Scrapbook Connection. While I haven’t had time to scrapbook in a million years (it seems), I enjoyed teaching there so much because I got to share my love of taking photos with people who were our next generation of historians! Claire called me when she & Steve were engaged and I was so honored to be their photographer!
Here are some of the “little” details of Claire’s accessories I love so much. My friend, Marlene Hawthrone-Thomas did such a nice simple shot of her adorable ballet flats! This rhinestone tie was on the back of Claire’s custom made “belt” of her dress. Just a little bit ‘o sparkle to wink at you from behind. 
I love this one of Claire as they were helping her dress. This room in her parents’ house had some beautiful light! We also were able to shoot all the pre-ceremony photos on their property which is pretty amazing.
Their grand formal room for some formal portraits of Claire and the garden path (love the gate!) made for some excellent backdrops! We also had just the right amount of light that day and the temperature was perfect!
And Steve let me capture a few of him, too. My favorites though are with the guys bellied up to the bar in the “man cave”!
Then, we got really emotional. I love it when couples do a first look because I get to capture their expressions in a more intimate way than during a ceremony. I always allow them to chose whether to see each other or not but if we are going to have full darkness after their ceremony (which is often the case in the winter time), then a first look is a good idea also if you want day-light images together. I usually allow the groom to give his bride his bouquet, which is actually the original tradition!
After pre-ceremony formals, we headed over to their venue, 103 West! This is another favorite location and wonderfully appointed for a red-black-white color scheme! Claire and Steve spent just a few more minutes with me capturing some romantic images so they could enjoy as much of their cocktail hour after the ceremony with their guests. Despite the beautiful red couch, I still like these in sepia as something about the curtains gives this a retro feel (20’s?).
Then, we were off to marry this fun couple. This was my first wedding ceremony at 103 West so it was so nice seeing the ballroom in perspective for ceremony seating. It’s perfect for an indoor, winter wedding!
With my good friend, Reverend Rick Prigmore, at the helm, I knew we were in for a special treat. (He is actually going to be marrying me & Steven this fall, too!). There was emotion, tears, and laughter – my kind of ceremony!
After the ceremony, the guests were invited downstairs to the ballroom for the reception portion of our event. The Rupert’s Orchestra was really incredible at providing the entertainment. 
When it came time for cake cutting, I learned that Steve’s groom’s cake was a surprise. It was a surprise to me, TOO! I’ve never seen a “sushi” cake! Apparently Steve is a huge sushi fan (so am I!) and Claire had a cake made for him that had bits of “sushi” to eat on top of it! Complete with chopsticks -adorable!
Of course, we love our new Photobooth we bring for every wedding now! I think our clients really love this and we think it’s da bomb!
Tons of fun and a wonderful atmosphere. Being at Claire & Steve’s wedding was so emotional for me. It was my first wedding to shoot after being newly engaged. I’ve always gotten emotional at weddings but this one was so special. I could really feel the love of all the guests and family and it just made me anticipate what is was going to be like for me and Steven in the next year at our wedding. For a wonderful ending to the night, Claire and Steve had a last dance - with bubbles and love coming from their friends! Another great shot by Marlene, catching the colors with available light.
Thank you guys so much and congratulations!!!!!
See the entire beautiful day in the slideshow below!