Kristen's Amazing Details!

Part II of Kristen & David's wedding focuses solely on Kristen's fantastic details and shows off her sense of style. I L-O-V-E how she incorporated even the smallest of details that brought their personalities into each and every part of the wedding and reception...from the "something blue" signatures from Kristen's elementary students right down to the special surprise at the end of the night; yummy chocolate eggs filled with fun prizes for all the guests- a favorite German treat of David's while stationed over seas :)

I hope your eyes enjoy all the creative thoughts and details as much as mine did, here we go!


Vendors:
Wedding & Groom's Cake: Simply Cake

Jennifer & Michael's Amelia Island Wedding

From the moment we first met Jennifer and Michael had me laughing and I completely fell in love with their personality. It does not take long to figure out that Michael is a jokester (and a quite good one I might add). There was no question that the overall theme for their wedding celebration at the beautiful Golf Club of Amelia was Relax, Celebrate, and have F-U-N!!!

To kick of the day (and to take advantage of the beautiful setting) we met on the beach of their family beach house at Summer Beach). Right away their energy was infectious and everyone was having a fabulous time! Not even an hour into shooting I could already feel the muscles in my face from smiling so much- ha!

As more and more brides and grooms take on new traditions of the first look (meeting prior to the ceremony) I love seeing how each couple puts their own special touch on it. In Jennifer and Michaels case, their first look was on the beach followed by formals with their family- then... a pre-ceremony reception!!! Ahhh, guests just loved it and it really set the tone for the rest of the evening.

To say the ceremony was gorgeous would be a tremendous understatement- set beneath century old oaks whose limbs provided a lovely winding frame around Jennifer and Michael. Guests were shaded by branches that seemed to never end and the soft breezes came right on cue as the bagpipes began to play.

Perhaps I saved the best for last (and definitely the most memorable). When it came time to "kiss the bride" Jennifer had planned what she thought was the perfect moment to beat Michael at his own game. As he leaned in for the kiss, she held up her hand to pause and take out some breathe spray for him from the bust of her dress...Ahhh ha, she finally had him...for a brief second at least!

Michael is as quick as he is funny and quickly pulled his own breath spray from his coat pocket for Jennifer- Oh, we were all rolling with side splitting laughter! What a way to end a ceremony! And it did not stop there- from that moment on the celebration was in full party mode and let me just say, AMAZING!

In honor of Michael and Jennifer's love for fun and devotion to ensure their friends and family had an unforgettable evening I put together a few images to highlight the reception extravaganza (and believe me this is really just the tip of the iceberg).

I am the first to say that I am blessed to be able to do what I absolutely love, but the couples and families that I meet along the way just continue to blow me away- Jennifer and Michael are no exception!!! Congratulations to you both and thank you for choosing me to be such a special part of your big day together and for treating me as family- love you both very much!!!! xoxo :)

More about The Golf Club of Amelia:

Located right next door to The Ritz on Ameila Island, I really like the simple natural setting and the canopy of trees that surrounds the club. It's perfect for the flexibility of an indoor or outdoor event. The size of event space is perfect for small and medium sized events and the staff is super friendly and extremely helpful. When we needed a golf ball for the bride and groom the wait staff was quick to hand us a couple of balls right away! The food is always delicious and elegantly displayed. Definitely one of my favorite venues to work with- the client is clearly their number one focus and that's how we like it!

Sneak Peek {Kali & Brandon}

I'll just go ahead and admit it- this is an extended sneak peek, but I am sure you won't mind the extra images to enjoy from Kali and Brandon's big day :)There were just too many sweet moments and little details to choose from so I did my best but the sneak peek turned into a mini real weddings post, ha!It was as every bride dreams- picture perfect late afternoon with beautiful warm buttery light (swoon!)

Kali and Brandon were all smiles and even some giggles from time to time. She was soooo excited to walk down the aisle :)
I love, LOVE this image of their sweet little daughter looking on as they said their vows and shared their first kiss together...Following the ceremony the new Mr. and Mrs. led their guests down to the shore to toss blessing stones into the ocean with well wishes and celebration (more on that coming soon!)

But until then, here is one more from after the ceremony with the lovebirds :)

...and love the shoes!

Happy Friday and Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

xoxo

Real Weddings: Bethany + Matt {continued}

Now to pick up where we left off...

Matt had met the lovely Bethany at the end of the boardwalk to escort her down the aisle. The day was perfect; crisp blue sky, cool ocean breeze...the setting was absolutely stunning as they exchanged vows and rings surrounded by friends, family and a few onlookers that got an added bonus along with their day at the beach...The Kiss...probably everyone's favorite part of every ceremony- the commitments have been made, the stress is over and the couple now begins their lives together with a sweet gentle kiss (awwwww...so romantic!)After the ceremony the wedding party and guests headed up to One Ocean Resortwhere Bethany and Matt greeted family and friends- plenty of hugs, kisses and admirers of Bethany's beautiful ring to go around.After traditional formals, we took the time to take some fun shots that really represented everyone's personality and joy of the day.Once in the ballroom for the reception, guests where greeted with personalized starfish placecards at their seats. I was so excited- There was one for me, too (Thank you Bethany + Matt, Hudson LOVES the starfish!).I was also excited to be sitting with Matt's parents, sister and this little cutie pie :)Bethany did such a great job with all the beautiful details surrounding their wedding...And perhaps my favorite detail of all was the cake topper- I honestly had to look at it a few seconds and really process it and then just rolled in laughter- How cute is that!!!

Bethany and Matt, thank you so very much for inviting me to be part of all your special details and most of all for being such a great couple- your love for one another is precious and reflects the love and support you have all around you from family and friends. Congratulations and we wish you all the best! XOXO

Real Weddings: Bethany & Matt Sneak Peek

Ok, so for the first time in a long time this really is just a quick sneak peek (well, more like an extended sneak peek- ha!). I know, it pains me to not pour out all the wonderful details of Bethany and Matt's wonderful day, but there's too much to share in one post:)

So today, will just be a little appetizer of what is to come and help hold everyone over until the full post.. until then, enjoy just some of the little details!Bethany's dress was absolutely gorgeous! I could not believe that she saw it online, fell in love, ordered it and when it arrived it fit perfectly! Wow- talk about meant to be :)Ahhhh....the purple shoes- lovely deep purple! I love it when brides really express their style and personality with their shoes. Because she was getting married on the beach, these where her reception shoes- fun and flirty...and it does not stop there- the bouquet continued with the pops of purple and greens and her hair was swept back so elegantly to one side accented with soft feathers and a crystal clip that complemented the crystal clasp on the side of her dress.She was without a doubt beautiful and glowing, and even more so when Matt met her at the bottom of the board walk for them to share the walk down the aisle together...

More of the ceremony and reception at One Ocean to come later this weekend...

Engagement: Bethany + Matt

Do you remember the feeling you got when your first crush glanced your way??? The butterflies in your stomach, the struggle of hiding a huge smile and maintaining composure so you didn't just jump for joy and scream...yeah- that kind of feeling!Well, as many of us know that feeling only multiplies and intensifies when we have found our true love- except now you don't have to hold back the smiles or giggles anymore!Bethany and Matt have that kind of love- the kind that is clear from the moment you meet them! It is not only wonderful to see and experience in person but for it to also be present in every image...now that's when you know you have something special!Bethany and Matt will be getting married at One Ocean Resort on the Beach, so naturally that was the perfect location for their engagement session. But...before hitting the beach, we had a great time around town and even stopped to get take this fun image in front of Matt's favorite bar :)At first, Matt was a little shy about having his picture taken (I know- I was shocked, too!...he and Bethany are just gorgeous!!!). We could not help but laugh because with every click of the shutter Matt would have little sighs- lol! He was a trooper and before we knew it the little sighs had vanished completely and we where walking all over Atlantic Beach :)

As the afternoon began to fade we headed to the pier to wrap up on the beach- strolling through the water, writing in the sand, sneaking some kisses under the pier...and simply enjoying being together! The perfect ending to a wonderful day and a great way to begin the weekend...and as an added bonus Matt's birthday (Happy Birthday!!!)Bethany and Matt, Thank you both for such a wonderful time and for being soooo in love! It's always great to see how much couples love and adore each other and the two of you are no exception!