Whenever I’m hired to photograph a wedding, I always try to shoot some film alongside my primary digital camera. For Emily and Ethan’s wedding in May, I chose to use my Pentax ZX-7 loaded with my fave black and white film. Today I’m finally able to share those bonus shots from the Ashbys’ wedding day!
Pentax ZX-7 • Kodak BW400CN • Como, Mississippi
Today I have for you the photos from Emily and Ethan’s wedding day: May 11, 2013 • Como, Mississippi. Hooray!
You may have seen Emily and Ethan on the SWP blog a few months ago, when I took their engagement photos in Memphis. I was also asked to do their wedding photography, which I was thrilled about! They told me that it would be at Ethan’s parents’ home in Como, Mississippi and that it would be a very intimate ceremony, with only a handful of family members in attendance. Because I’m quite familiar with Como – it’s only about 15 miles from the town where my family lives – I had gotten it into my head that this wedding was taking place on a farm. I was thinking cows, bales of hay, a pasture…I could not have been more wrong! Ethan’s parents’ home is a 100 year old “rambling” house. It was gorgeous and a perfect setting for this wedding.
Wedding cake & cupcakes: Lady Bugg Bakery • Groom’s cake: pecan pie from Muddy’s Bake Shop
Emily’s bouquet
A quote from Emily “Our ceremony stand featured photos of all of our grandparents who couldn’t be with us in person, but they certainly were in spirit” ♥
I loved the wallpaper in this section of the house, and the pretty lavendar and green accents around the windows. This was the stairway leading upstairs, where Emily was getting ready for the ceremony
Getting help from her sister Jaime
Getting some love from her sister Amy
Emily’s headband was BEAUTIFUL – a laurel leaf design, I believe
Here comes the bride! Escorted by her mom and dad.
Sooooooooo excited!!!
Super stoked to be pronounced “man and wife”
“You may kiss the bride!”
A celebratory recessional
Stealing their first moment alone as husband and wife
For me, this gentleman stole the show: Ethan’s grandfather, Gus. He was amazing!
The precious Olivia, Ethan’s niece. She was hilarious!
After the ceremony was over, everyone just hung out around the lovely front porch. Such a relaxing wedding!
Time for cake!!!
Requisite: cutting the cake photo
Soooooo cute!!!
Next came the group photos. As you’ll see, I was dealing with a real cast of characters!
At this point, I’d said it was time for Emily’s sisters Amy and Jaime to join us for the next set of photos. I sang “Sisters, sisters” from the a song that was in the movie White Christmas. Little did I know that the Bell sisters knew ALL the lyrics to this song and proceeded to sing it and do a little dance number. Apparently it was something they’d done before 😉
The Bell sisters were having a BALL together
Ethan’s side of the fam!
A few portraits of the bride and groom!
This is Emily with their friend Kimberly, who was the mischievous one who suggested we climb up to the railroad tracks for a few photos
Then there was more porch sittin’ and a whole slew of toasts from friends and family. And there were, of course, lots of tears and laughs during the toasts.
Once the most of the guests were gone, the bridal party just spent the rest of the night visiting with each other and having impromptu dance parties
Family portrait: Mr. and Mrs. Ashby and their dogs Murray and Penny ♥
I want to thank Emily and Ethan for inviting me to document their wedding. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and hope their life together will be filled with much joy as they clearly felt that night.
Back in August, I was asked by my friend Daniel to assist him in shooting a wedding for a sweet couple named Lauren and Ben. This essentially meant that I acted as the “second shooter” and occasionally helped lug around Daniel’s equipment throughout the wedding day.
I’d never met Lauren or Ben before arriving at the house where they and their wedding attendants were getting ready, but I jumped right in and started snapping away! There were 13 attendants on each side, so the house was a flurry of sisters and friends and moms. And. of course, the dudes just casually hanging out while the ladies got all gussied up 🙂 It was a really fun day with a bride who was sooooo excited to get hitched to her groom. Literally, she was bouncing up and down with excitement as she stood on stage during their ceremony!
Here are a selection of my favorite photos from Lauren and Ben’s wedding day, which I captured as secondary photographer!
Where to begin?!
Firstly, I’ll begin by warning you that there will be about a zillion photos in this post. I just couldn’t help myself from posting lots from this wedding!
After two engagement sessions with Nathalie and Brandon in 2012, I was thrilled to bits to be asked to do their wedding photos. I knew these two would have an AWESOME wedding. I knew Nathalie had a beautiful dress that was just perfect for her. I knew Brandon was completely stoked to be making Nathalie his wife. But I really didn’t realize just how amazing their wedding would be*!
The wedding ceremony took place off the beaten path in Moscow/LaGrange, Tennessee. The date of the wedding was December 1, and it was planned as an outdoor wedding. You never know what weather in the Mid South is going to do, but we were blessed with an incredible day! The sun was out, the sky was clear, and the temperature was very pleasant. Can’t ask for much more than that when you’re getting married outside!
If the weather hadn’t been nice, the ceremony would have been moved into reception hall, which is the pièce de résistance at Pinecrest. HOW BEAUTIFUL IS THIS?!
Speaking of the reception hall, here are some of the details of the reception decor. SO perfect for this bride and groom!
Photos I took of Nathalie and Brandon at our two engagement sessions
As I usually do, I arrived on Nathalie and Brandon’s wedding day early enough that I could hang out and take pictures while they were getting ready for the ceremony. Nathalie just had one bridal attendant: her bestie, Lydia. I’ve known Lydia for years, too. So basically, getting ready for the wedding and hanging out all afternoon was just like hanging out with two old friends – because that’s what it was!
Dress and shoes!!!
(Hair and make-up by Stephanie Brick of Brickology!)
Nathalie and Brandon were another one of my wedding couples who agreed it would be best if they saw each other pre-ceremony in order to get photos taken care of. This worked out wonderfully. We actually got 100% of the photo groupings completed prior to the ceremony! That’s a big relief when you’ve got a reception hall full of guests waiting after the ceremony!
Almost time for the cermony…
This was the part where passersby drove by once, then drove by again to tell us that they’d driven past the second time because they wanted to get a second look at Nathalie. Because she looked so good. TRUTH.
Behind the scenes: And this was the part where your humble wedding photographer had the only mode of transport available to the bride to ride from the bridal cabin to the ceremony, so she had to stuff the bride into the passenger’s side of her minivan!
Here comes the bride…
Husband and wife! Ahhhh! How cute is Nathalie’s expression?!
Reception…
All-vegan wedding buffet by Fuel Cafe
Toasts from the maid of honor and best man
Brandon and the wedding officiant, our old friend JoelG
As I’ve said, I’ve known the Nathalie and Brandon for many years. I even lived in the apartment above their house for a couple of those years! I was truly happy and honored that I was allowed be the photographer for their wedding day. It was a perfect day, and I wish them all the best as they continue their lives together, now as Mr. and Mrs. Pearce.