When a professional photographer ties the knot you KNOW it’s going to be a breathtaking day. Take this Groom and his beautiful Bride’s classic affair masterly crafted by Simply Charming Socials. From the Bride’s emotional first look with her father to the joyous ceremony that followed Rachel Red Photography has it all waiting for you in the gallery!
From Rachel Red Photography… Rob is a photographer from New York. He is marrying the sweet and saucy Rachel, who is originally from Atlanta. They were married in Summerour Studios, a unique venue in the heart of the city that features a gorgeous terrace. This wedding had the sweetest first look, but not with Rachel and Rob. It was with Rachel and her dad! So sweet!
From the handsome Groom… Rachel decided that we weren’t going to see each other until she walked down the aisle for the first time. She set the scene for my favorite memory of the day – the way she made me feel when I saw her for the first time as a bride. I knew nothing about her dress, her makeup or how she was going to wear her hair – it was all going to be a surprise. When I caught the first glimpse of her as she approached the top of the staircase – she was lit with the sun at her back and I could just begin to make out her face behind her veil.
We wanted to keep our wedding simple and classic. We are not big on trends, and really wanted to be able to look back 40 years from now and appreciate all of the design elements on our wedding day. We could not decide on a wedding color, so we thought choosing black for the bridesmaids would keep the look simple and chic. We also had the same thinking of simplicity with flowers, so we chose white, ivory and hints of blush for the color scheme. We also threw in hints of gold with our table signs, cake server set and invitation suite.
From the beautiful Bride… Rob and I are based in New York City and decided to have the wedding in my hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. We met while I was working in Brooklyn at a youth center. Rob is a portrait photographer and donated his time and came to the center to take portraits of the kids. It was a busy afternoon that day at the center, lots of kids, parents and staff members buzzing with excitement that they were getting their very own photo shoot, just in time for the Christmas holiday. I was really impressed with how engaged the children were during the photo shoot, it was incredible! Before the photo shoot began, Rob picked me out and asked if he could do a ‘test shoot’ using me as the model. I was shy, and felt a little nervous, but I agreed. I remember looking into his eyes for the first time, and there was something about it that made me feel special. However, we did not exchange phone numbers on this day. Fast forward, four months or so, Rob came back to the youth center for another project. From there on, we became friends and eventually (about a year later), we began dating. The rest, as they say, is history.
I wanted to honor both of my parents during the wedding celebration. My mother’s birthday was a week before the wedding. She worked so hard to make our wedding day perfect, and I really wanted to acknowledge how much this meant to us. Just after Rob and I cut our cake, my mom’s birthday cake was presented with candles, she was so surprised! We all gathered and sang happy birthday. It was one of my favorite parts of the whole evening!
For my father, I wanted to celebrate his mother Ruth, who was very dear to me. I resemble my grandmother, and as a child, family members would call me “Baby Ruth”. Mama Ruth, as we called her, made fresh pound cake and lemonade every weekend when I would go to visit her. I presented my father with a pound cake and photo of Mama Ruth. I could feel her presence in that moment and I know he could to.
My wedding gown was inspired by the styles of Betty Draper and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, thus the illusion necklines on both of my gowns. My second gown served as my “pre and post” gown, I wore it from the bed and breakfast where I was getting ready and then later during the reception. Rob has such great taste and I knew that he would pull together a suit that was perfect. When I saw him as I walked down the aisle, I was thrilled with his tux selection. Rob even got a new pair of frames for our special day. All of the groomsmen looked awesome too, I have really enjoyed our bridal party photos!
The days leading up to our wedding day were filled with many family gatherings. It was wonderful to have so many out of town guests from Rob’s side of the family, our New York City friends, and my Atlanta family and friends all in one place. We also had a special evening for our parents. On our wedding day, Rob and I had a moment to ourselves upstairs looking down on everyone in the courtyard. It was such a beautiful sight with all of friends and family gathered together. It was wonderful to see so many different people in our lives coming together for our celebration. We truly had the most joyous occasion!
Photography: Rachel Red Photography | Event Planning: Simply Charming Socials | Floral Design: Bold American Events | Catering: Bold American Events | Makeup: Dominique Doyle | Hair: Juliese Davis | DJ: DJ Dre 1800 | Officiant: Pastor Donald Earl Bryant, Friendship Community Church | Transportation: Atlanta Car Service | Accomodations: Sugar Magnolia Bed & Breakfast | Ceremony & Reception Venue: Summerour Studio | Harpist + Violinist: Alyssa Lowe