Alabama Weddings

Up next is a little glimpse of outdoor wedding perfection. It’s understated elegance defined with gorgeous details that just seem to belong in the warm Alabama countryside. Perfectly imperfect florals that couldn’t be a better fit for this fête were bundled by Buffy Hargett Studios, and the entire affair was captured perfectly by W+E Photographie, which makes for one downright darling full gallery!

From W+E Photographie… Crystal and Drew were married at Swann Lake Stables in Birmingham, Alabama. They are very much in love with the outdoors, their families and their sweet dog, Rocco, so they incorporated all three! Crystal has a creative eye, so the majority of the wedding details were DIY creations of her own. They exchanged vows on the property’s jaw-dropping stone patio that extends over the Cahaba River. They danced the night away surrounded by their friends, family and Rocco, on the patio attached to the stables, complete with a cozy outdoor fireplace and live band.

Wedding Photography: W+E Photographie / Wedding Venue: Swann Lake Stables in Birmingham, Alabama / Event Design: Crystal Tucker (The Bride) / Event Planning: M. Elizabeth Events / Floral Design: Buffy Hargett Studios / Wedding Cinematography: Holloway Productions / Catering: Jim ‘N Nicks Bar-B-Q / Dessert: Dreamcakes Bakery / Wedding Invitations: Anna.Michelle Cards / Wedding Dress: Allure Bridals via Bella Couture

Are you in the mood for a marathon? No running shoes involved, we promise! Just a little time and a comfy seat (now that is my kind of marathon). It is mini-feature Wednesday today and we are jam-packed with TEN awesome weddings that run the gamut in style, venues, dresses. You name it and you’ll probably see it today. Maybe you love all things vintage or ballroom weddings might be your cup of tea. Whatever your flavor, SMP is delivering.

And we are headed out of the gates with a vibrant soirée that is sure to wake you up. Sent to us by White Rabbit Studios, this day is full of fun, fun, fun. Cute details, lively couple…we love. Love it too? Check out the gallery for more from this wedding.

{click here for the FULL vibrant affaire}

Mary Lee and Steven were married on April 17, 2010, at Aldridge Gardens in Birmingham, Alabama. These two poured their heart and SOULS into this wedding, as is evidenced by the details.

A locket holding photos of the bride’s grandmothers was wrapped around her bouquet. Mary Lee was named for her grandmothers Marion and Leona. The couple loves to shop on Etsy for anything vintage or handmade. They bought the wooden printing blocks (seen on the groom’s cake table), the guestbook, and earrings for the bridesmaids from Etsy vendors. The get away car was a 1952 Ford Customline which was provided by George Brasher, a long-time friend of the bride’s family. The signpost was made by the couple and the bride’s parents the weekend before the wedding. Steven and Mary Lee salvaged wood for the signs from an old abandoned property. Most of the pieces came from an old fence and the “Welcome” sign was part of a drawer. Steven cut the wood to point at one end and painted them with a lime whitewash. Steven, Mary Lee, and her mother painted the different signs with black oil paint.

Photography: White Rabbit Studios / Venue: Aldridge Gardens, Birmingham, Alabama / Wedding Cake: Sweet Magnolia / Gown: David’s Bridal / Tuxedo: Mr. Burch Formal Wear / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: handmade by the mother of the bride / Hair: Debbie Hertzfeldt of The Hair Saloon / Floral Design: Andy Hopper, of Kathy G and Company / Catering: Natalie Andrews of Kathy G and Company / DJ: Chris “Fuzzy” Peters

If you’re just joining us today, we’re featuring the gorgeous wedding of Kate and Wes, sent to us by the ultra-talented team at A Bryan Photo.

Kate and Wes were married in November in Birmingham at Mountain Brook Community Church. If you haven’t already seen the first post {click here}. Kate is an absolutely stunning bride.

Now, we’re continuing with the breathtaking reception at Kate’s father’s home in Mountain Brook. She had always had a fond appreciation for her dad’s house and wanted to create more memories in a place she treasured. According to Bryan, “The day had many fabulous touches, but most of all it was a true party that went long into the night!”

Steve Tyrell, a Grammy award winning vocalist whose performances were featured in the Father of the Bride movies, was flown in from New York and sang for the first dances. Right On, the country’s #1 Seventies show band, kept the celebration going strong.

Crab claws were flown in by Joe’s Stone Crab from Miami and Birmingham’s finest, Chris Hastings from Hot and Hot Fish Club provided catering for the event. The beautiful cake was made by Evelyn Crisswell, Criswell Catering.

The exceptionally beautiful floral design was by Carole Sullivan from Lagniappe Designs.

And again, the amazing day was captured by Bryan Johnson and his fantastic team at A Bryan Photo.

Photographers are constantly challenged to be right there … in the thick of it … without being intrusive or invasive. They must be everywhere, with everyone and try to see and capture everything.  That’s a pretty tall order. We read something very profound on Bryan’s website that we want you to think about.

“…we will be near, moving with your emotions, walking the thin line of spontaneity.”

“Walking the thin line of spontaneity.” That is what separates a good photographer from a great photographer. The A Bryan Photo team concentrates on being there for the spontaneous moments that fill your day!

Bryan Johnson’s studio is located in Birmingham Alabama, but he and his team travel widely. For more evidence of their fantastic work, take a look at their website and blog. This is a link to more images from Kate & Wes’ wedding. Thanks, guys for another great feature … and a huge congratulations to Wes and Kate!

We have an exquisite bride and an equally stunning wedding to share with you today … sent to us by the awesome Bryan Johnson at A Bryan Photo.

From Bryan  … “I’m so honored to present the wedding of Kate and Wes! They got married on November 8th in Birmingham, Alabama. Of all the weddings I’ve ever done in this town, this is the most spectacular. Kate wanted a wedding that was classic and elegant, while portraying the characteristics of old Hollywood glamour.”

Kate seems to be positively glowing …

Kate’s gorgeous gown is by Selia Yang. The Maids dresses are from the fabulous (Little Black Book member) Jenny Yoo.

LOVE these shots!

The wedding featured world-renowned vocal artist, Wintley Phipps who has performed for every President since Jimmy Carter.

Stay with us! We’ll be back with more fabulous photos of Kate & Wes’ wedding from Little Black Book member A Bryan Photo …

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Bridesmaid

Jenny Yoo

View Portfolio

I am super excited for today’s post! Not only do we have some truly gorgeous photos for you to feast your eyes upon, but in the process, we’re going to learn the difference between digital photography and film photography. Our friend Rob Culpepper, of A Bryan Photo in Birmingham Alabama, was kind enough to step in and write a lovely and super educational guide to photography style and how digital and classic film can play a part in that. So without any further ado, I will let Rob do the talking!

“When Theresa asked us to write a blog on Film vs. Digital photography, we couldn’t have been more excited. Shooting film is one of our loves and it sets A Bryan Photo apart as a wedding photography studio.

First off, I should acknowledge that we’re actually a hybrid company, meaning that we shoot film and digital on any given wedding day. Generally speaking, we use digital (because of the extensive control it gives us with adjusting color) when shooting with a flash or under artificial light. Take these preparation shots, for example:

We would have a hard time getting these looks with film. In fact, digital is an important part of the look we aim for with receptions because it allows us to create a juxtaposition between images without changing cameras.

However, we love film for its romance, texture and feel. Check out this shot of one of our grooms, Geordie. There’s no way we could get an image this classic from a digital camera:

And look at these shots of his bride, Darby. One is film, one is digital. See the difference? (film is on the top):

Shooting film also affects how we approach a wedding day. When you can’t see the image in the back of a camera, you’re forced to visualize it before you take it, adjust the camera accordingly, and make the shot. Then you have to wait a couple of weeks to get the film back to see how it came out. While it may seem like this would be a weakness of film, we’ve found that not being able to see the image right after it’s taken helps us engage with the subject rather than with the back of the camera. Film teaches us to see better and to be more intentional. And because every shot costs something (processing and scanning), it forces us to make better decisions about which shots we take. And better decisions lead to better photographs.

Film also gives us the benefit of using different cameras, which can totally change the mood of a shoot. The Rollei, which is probably our favorite camera, looks like an old camera (it is!) and it feels like it’s taking classic pictures. It’s an instant connection to the 1950s, to black and white movies, to Richard Avedon’s work. The Mamiya RZ67, on the other hand, is a fashion and editorial camera (a lot of pictures you see in Vanity Fair, Vogue, GQ, Bazaar, etc, are shot with a camera like this one). It has this great “cuh-chunk” sound that it makes when the shutter snaps, and it elicits a completely different response from the Rollei. Then we have the T4, the Holga, and Bryan’s favorite, the Lomo–all of which have their own idiosyncrasies.

Also with film, the need to reload keeps us from constantly shooting, so we have more time for conversation and interaction. Again, it may seem counter-intuitive, but this approach actually leads to more natural pictures, less stress, and more fun. We never want our brides and grooms to feel rushed or pressured, and the pace created by shooting film helps achieve that.

Lastly, we like film better than digital because, well, it’s just more fun. We get film in every Wednesday and it’s like Christmas. Seriously. We spend around $500 per wedding for processing and scanning (that’s for about 20 rolls), and it’s worth it every time. Our friend Jose Villa, a wedding photographer in California and a film shooter, said that digital is the best thing that ever happened to his business because it allowed him to create a niche in the wedding market. We’ve found the same. For us as photographers and for brides and grooms who want the look of film, it’s a great fit.

Ultimately, the film vs. digital debate is about comfort and style of shooting. While we see the value of both based on the situation, we love film!“

Thank you so much, Rob!

To see more images from Darby & Geordie’s wedding, click here.