What an awesome warm afternoon we spent in a nearby local city park with Amanda and Chance. The location chosen for their engagement session was Woodlands Garden just six miles from the city of Atlanta. A place we had never visited. Woodlands Garden is an eight acre mostly-wooded public garden located in Decatur, Georgia. The Garden’s mission is to preserve a woodland garden as an urban sanctuary to educate and engage the community in the natural world.
The afternoon quickly turned into early evening as the light was slowly disappearing. But we had to capture a few more. Amanda and Chance were having too much fun.
Thank you Amanda and Chance for a beautiful afternoon capturing your engagement photos and document this most special season of your lives. Looking forward to your wedding.
Many of you may remember Omar and Sam from their rocking engagement session at the Goat Farm. We had known Sam for several years but it was truly a blast getting to know Omar for the first time during that shoot. Fast forward several months and it was time for them to get married. If their e-session was any indication, their wedding was going to be a thriller. It surely didn’t disappoint!
Our coverage began very early in the day in two separate locations. Omar and his groomsmen chose to get ready at his apartment while Sam and the girls set up shop in one of the hidden rooms at their venue, Ambient+Studio in Atlanta
What is Ambient+Studio
For those not familiar with Ambient+Studio, it’s truly a unique space for a wedding. This building was first built in 1910 and created to function as a factory for transforming raw cotton into fire-retardant fabrics. For roughly 90 years it carried on this mission until the building was abandoned. In 2007 it got a rebirth as a daylight studio. A contemporary loft-type space, which is really one large blank canvas; capable of being transformed hundreds of ways. A transformation is exactly what happened. The couple’s wedding designer and planner Jaqueline (JAX) Vizcaino with Three Thirty Design Studio, brought their understated elegant vision to life. A romantic color palette and cohesive guest experiences throughout the evening made for a wonderful celebration of love.
Let’s get ready
The getting ready portions on either side mirrored the same fun, easy-going, laid back personalities this couple exudes. A lot of storytelling, a lot of jokes, a lot of fun. As soon as the guys were ready, they made their way towards the venue but not before making one very important stop. A few miles down the road, their local Krispy Kreme store had several boxes of hot doughnuts waiting for them. Seriously, what’s more interesting than having a groom all decked out, hauling dozens of doughnuts out of a Krispy Kreme store? Not something you see every day, but these glazed treats were headed for a huge doughnut wall at the venue for the guests.
Did they have a first look
It was time for the first look. We chose a specific portion of the space that had large, elegant and expansive drapes by Unique Event Elements. This allowed the couple some measure of privacy for the first look but it also offered an opportunity to shoot through the sheer drapes for some creative bokeh-like layers for the images. As soon as they had concluded their first look we began working through a series of wedding portraits. You really don’t have to go far for interesting locations; there’s plenty to use inside the venue. The large windows, rustic floors, industrial ceilings and stairs all provide simplicity and charm for these types of photos.
So the limo arrives and we all begin to pack into the car to make our way to the ceremony. Once we get there, it’s a fairly quick service with lovely heartfelt advice from the scriptures for the couple. Fast track through dozens of family photos and before you know it we are back at Ambient+Studio to begin the reception.
Let the party begin
Not that it hasn’t been like this since the beginning of the day; but once the reception begins, our coverage goes into heavy documentary mode. Just shooting all of the little moments between the couple and their guests. All the funny dance moves on the dance floor. All the silly photo booth moments.
This was truly a dream couple to work with. From the very start they made creative photography the focal point of their wedding journey. Carving out significant amounts of time within their wedding schedule to insure artistic imagery led the way. We can’t thank them enough for placing the emphasis on this. Thank you Omar+Sam for trusting us with one of the most important days of your life.
Sam had a custom-made wedding dress for her special day. She looked absolutely beautiful!
Xclusive DJ Group had the everyone on their feet.
I know you want to see more. Click on the link to our YouTube channel for more from Omar+Sam’s wedding.
The team that made this wedding the fabulous event it was:
It was a very muggy summer afternoon after the rain when we met up at Sope Creek Park along the Chattahoochee River in Marietta, GA. But, these two were troopers and never once complained. They were happy to be together, enjoying the afternoon and the beautiful scenery around us. Have I mentioned we’ve got the best couples. Our couples are always ready for adventure and accommodating every odd request we asked of them for the shot.
Jose and Jennifer met a few years back while doing some volunteer work. A year went by until they would see each other again. They briefly talked and once again lost contact. Jennifer was invited to attend a training school to help her better evangelize to those in the community and guess what?, there he was again. This would be the first time they actually had a conversation (Jennifer’s words). At that time, he was on his way to Bolivia for 5 months, but that didn’t stop that initial spark they had for each other from developing. They maintained communication while he was away and with time confessed his interest in Jennifer. They both agreed it was best to keep things open until his return. After his return from Bolivia, it was now her turn to leave the country and so she went to Colombia to volunteer for a few weeks. All this time he never stoped thinking about her and upon her return, they officially began dating. And in her words, the rest, well, is history…
If you know us or anyone who knows us, you’ll find out we love people, we love couples, and we love, love. We don’t get tired of it. It just makes us happy. We get to meet so many people, from our couples to their families and then their closest friends. Well, let me introduce you to Omar and Sam. We’ve known Sam for some time since we’ve hung out with mutual families from time to time. Talking about the small world again. It’s an ongoing theme. In any case, her wedding planner is a personal friend that I met when we first arrived to Atlanta, *ahem…*cough, cough* 20 some odd years ago. I can’t believe it’s been that long. Oh, focus Lissette, focus. Going back to our little story. I get an inquiry from our web site from our friend Samantha (although I know her by Sam so that threw me off). Well it so happens it wasn’t Sam emailing us, it was the planner letting us know our little Samantha is getting married. That caught me off guard again, I didn’t know she was dating anybody.
So, off to meet Omar and Sam for our consult. We had to find a convenient location for us to meet due to schedule conflicts and we end up at Starbucks. So what was my impression of Omar? Answer: a gentleman. While Sam and I were talking at our table, Omar excused himself for a minute and bought us all coffees. What a sweetheart! The planner Jaqueline had Sam so organized with a big binder with everything she needed to do for her wedding. Sam realized she didn’t need all that for us so we just talked and talked about the vision they all came up and all the vendors that were going to see this vision through. It sounded amazing and at a venue I hadn’t had the privilege to photograph. I was definitely looking forward to what Jaqueline and her team were going to create for their amazing wedding at Ambient+Studio.
Back to the engagement session. Omar and Sam wanted something rustic, abandoned, an urban vibe and we had that light bulb moment immediately….The Goat Farm. That’s it. They both LOVED the idea and were excited to work with us there. At first they were a little apprehensive when we started, they’ve never been in front of a professional camera before. But within a few minutes they were well into getting a modeling career going.
Talk about forgetting we were even there.
They are so much fun together. And literally forgot we were there. Just the way I like it.
We were having so much fun, I almost forgot to take a ring shot. I like taking these type of shots with a human element. It brings it to life. What do you think?
Sam’s getting the hang of this. That look, girl!
As the night was winding down, we decided to go by and grab a cup off coffee at the Warhorse Coffee Shop
Here’s a little more from their engagement session at The Goat Farm Atlanta.
It’s a small town or better yet, a small world. I first met Michael through where we usually meet our couples, through our online contact form. It so happens we have a mutual friend in common and I hadn’t seen our friend in a while. It’s so refreshing to have connections between people. There’s not enough of that in the world right now. In any case, we set up a time to invite them over and talk about their upcoming wedding. Elisabeth came first after work that evening and asked how her drive was. I was surprised to hear that it wasn’t so bad. She actually works right outside our community at a local dentist office. Talk about small world. A few minutes later, and Michael arrived. Well let me tell you, she lit up as soon as he entered. It was beautiful to see these two together. They are so kind and genuine. We talked and talked about their plans and the venue and how they envisioned the beginning of their new lives together. So much talk that we lost track of the time. We’re so happy to have been a part of your day!
So Michael and Elisabeth decided they wanted to have their engagement session in downtown Roswell. It fit just right for them since they’re familiar with the area and their wedding was being held at Primrose Cottage.
They just light each other up. Adorable.
We walked around a bit and ended up at Primrose Cottage and decided to take some photos here. Although it was a cold and cloudy day, they seem to bring out the warmth within each other.
Continuing our walk through downtown Roswell, we took a break and stopped by Provisions.
Can’t help but get excited with a solid blank wall. And they were having a ball being goofy with each other.
We’re so happy for you. Your wedding did not disappoint. Want to see their engagement slideshow. Well, wait no more.
From the very start Michael and Tyler always wanted something different for their engagement session. While they appreciate images of couples on a beautiful countryside or next to a glimmering lake, they were looking for something that could offer a unique visual experience. Something with rustic character, able to offer a wide array of scenes with varying textures and uncommon colors. In the past the Goat Farm Arts Center always fit the bill for similar requests with other couples. However this time around that venue was not available and we wanted to try something new all together. So where to go? Thankfully we came across Joe Silva and the Lindale Mill!
Is it a Mill or is it a movie studio?
Dating back to 1896 this structure served as a textile mill providing hundreds of jobs for Floyd County for roughly 105 years until the mill closed in 2001. During the next 9 years these buildings slowly began falling apart until a family from Seattle moved across the country to give this special place a brand new start in 2010. Currently the Lindale Mill is quite relevant again but with a brand new purpose. Providing spacious industrial locations, the mill is now used for wedding celebrations, stylized photography shoots and film projects including music videos and motion pictures. Most recently the Mill was used to film several scenes of the The Divergent Series: Allegiant
In particular the Mill provides cavernous rooms filled with rusted scaffolding and machinery, endless walls of original brick, a creek that can double as a moat and over 100 years of paint textures in vibrant shades yellow and teal.
This was the perfect spot to give Michael and Tyler the look they were envisioning. Talk about searching for that industrial vibe and hitting a home run!
Just as wonderful as the location, this couple was an absolute thrill to work with. Michael is smooth and easy going and Tyler is energetic and adventurous. Together they share a love for volunteer work and good food. They also share a love for cars. How can you not like a couple that love to race drift cars!
In any case our photo session was filled with so many options it almost went beyond 3 hours. Every time we turned a corner at the mill a new spot would appear with at least 5 different shot options. We are so thankful for the opportunity of working with Michael and Tyler on this engagement session. We also look forward to returning to the Lindale Mill with another couple sometime in the near future, as we’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible at this fantastic location.
Need to see more? Take a look at their video slideshow.
We love when our previous couples refer us to their friends. Eddy was a best man at Alex and Yaqui’s wedding we photographed back in 2015. When it was time for him to take the leap into marriage he remembered us and how great we were with his best friend that he had to quickly find out if we were available. We’re so happy to hear that. We want every one of our couples to feel like we are friends and always have their best interest in mind. Thank you Eddy and Diandra for trusting us. Can’t wait for your wedding in April. In the meantime, enjoy their engagement session taking place at Stone Mountain Park.
Aren’t they just adorable? They loved playing with each other. No complaints here.
They look adorable and felt so comfortable with each other.
A lovely end to a beautiful fall afternoon at Stone Mountain.
We are so very fortunate to work with amazing couples and Alex and Mattie are definitely one of the most easy-going, fun-loving couples around. We decided to mix things up a bit for our blog and interview them to help future couples as they plan their wedding day. To garner a different perspective, our groom Alex offered a lot of insight for this blog post.
In the beginning…
How did you two meet?
As Jehovah’s Witness’s, we are very involved in our ministry. I had started visiting a sign language congregation to start learning sign language. I officially joined after visiting for 7 months. At that point, Madeline [Mattie] had been serving in Nicaragua where the need for sign language speakers was greater. She returned and shortly after attended the 2016 International Convention In Zimbabwe. It was after she came back that we went out in the ministry for the first time, and we ended up sitting together at Chipotle come lunch time. We didn’t really talk much, I think she was having a rough day, and I had just joined sign language, so I was trying to make friends, but it seemed as though she and I probably weren’t going to be friends at all. Anyways, later in the day she had gotten her car stuck on a curb. She called one of her friends for help, and it turns out I happened to be with a group of people that showed up to help. I helped her dad get the car off the curb, and I guess I’m really fortunate that I happened to be there, otherwise we probably wouldn’t have become such great friends. How did he pop the question?
I had invited Mattie to a “movie party”. I left most of the details out, but I told her we needed to dress up fancy as it was meant to be a party from the 60’s where you dressed up fancy to go watch a “broadway show”. I had rented out a room in the local community center. I called her last minute and told her my parents had car trouble and if she could please meet us there. My brother led her into the room and we played the proposal video I had made for her. After the video finished, I entered the room and told her some private romantic words that I don’t fully remember, and then I walked her out to a fountain where a group of our closest friends were waiting with roses. It was there that I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me in Spanish, English, and Sign Language. Afterwards, we went back to the room to have dinner that had been prepared.
The Wedding
What was your favorite moment(s) from the wedding? Bride: Saying “I DO” to my best friend and dancing my first song.
Groom: Dancing with my wife, and carrying her out to the limo.
How long have you been together? We knew each other for 7 months, we dated for 7 months, engaged for 7 months and were married on April 17, 2016.
How would you describe your overall wedding experience? It was unforgettable! We wanted time to stand still so we could enjoy it longer. For the most part, everyone was fantastic, and it was definitely our night, it was like we were the Prince & Princess for the night!
Any Advice?
What advice would you offer to other couples planning a wedding? Start planning immediately after he pops the question! And ultimately, don’t stress, have fun with it! Most people stress about everything being perfect, but it’s when things don’t go exactly as planned that some of the best moments happen.
What photography-related advice would you offer to a couple? Research a few poses and try to learn where they placed their hands and how they positioned their bodies. That will help posed and unposed pictures have better composition. Also pick only a small handful of pictures you really, really want. If you try and cram too many, you wont get them all. It’s better to have a few amazing pictures, than a ton of okay shots.
The Dress, where did you get it?
Tell me about your dress. Where did you find it, how did you choose it, how did you know it was the one? It was from Adore Bridal Boutique, a fitted style with lace flowers that were hand sewn in. There was no real science behind picking it, instinct just led me to it, and just like I knew my husband was the one, I knew that dress was “the one” the moment I laid eyes on it.
How was your experience taking photos/working with me on your wedding day? You both were very easy to work with. You managed to keep a good eye on the schedule, and managed to get all, the photos that we requested. Most importantly of all, you oriented us into making the pictures amazing. That was the best part of the photo experience, you were very interactive and that helped us get everything else that we wanted done at the wedding.
First Look?
Did you see each other before the wedding? If not, did you like waiting or would you have rather done it differently? Tell me why or why not! Nope. Alex wanted to be surprised, because it adds anticipation, and it did, when Alex saw his future wife Mattie walk down the aisle, he almost nearly fell over.
Mattie wasn’t to concerned about being seen or not, but she preferred to follow tradition. It made it harder to take pictures, but it also made both of us really want to see each other.
How About Wedding Photography?
Any tips on how to prepare for the wedding photos? Start early, prepare the family and all those involved so that they know what pictures will be taken, and when. Make sure they know this before the wedding and not minutes before it’s about to start. Also, make sure they have the props they are going to need! That’s really important. If the photographers give you tips on how to stand and the words they will use to pose you, make sure the bridal party and family know them. It will make things so much smoother.
Any tips that you have about preparing your wedding party for the photos? What did you tell them, how did you get them to cooperate, what did you do or what would you have done differently?
Make sure they know how they will be paired in the bridal party photos. That seemed to be the hardest part, getting the crowds to get in the correct groups. As for what we did to prepare them was simply giving them a typed up timeline of how everything would take place. We didn’t tell them what pictures would be taken, but our photographer did a fantastic job putting the couples together! Its vital that they know which pictures they are needed in, otherwise they will wander off, making the pictures take longer.
Any tips on what to bring? For the girls, back up hair supplies is essential. Also, bring snacks! The bridal party should eat right before the wedding because they will not be eating for a while! A little alcohol doesn’t hurt either, just make sure not to over do it.
Vendor Love
We love to hear about vendors you love. List any vendors here and feel free to share your experience. Be sure to include the name of the vendor, their profession, city/state, site or Facebook page and how your experience was!
Everything was all inclusive, we really everything that Bullock Springs Manor did for us. They practically catered to every single one of our desires. Bullock Springs catered the event, provided all the decorations and cleanup, as well as the alcohol. They were really easy to work with, and they allowed us to include other things we wanted without charging more, making it an amazing experience. Bulloch Springs has a beautiful Bridal Suite ready for the bride and her lovely ladies. It’s time for Alex to get ready to marry his bride. The groomsmen were so much fun, especially the one on the right. You can tell right? Three generation of country. Here we have grandpa, bride and dad strutting their cowboy boots for the wedding. The bouquets were so beautiful. Renee Saar did an amazing job with the “country girl” theme Mattie wanted for her wedding. We’re so glad Alex and Mattie had a few extra minutes before running off to create the shot below. This was actually the first shot and we nailed it.
Check out the video slideshow to see more from Alex and Mattie’s wedding.
A mutual friend set Jeff and Annette up to meet. This person must know them well to think they would hit it off. And did they ever! We first introduced you to them a few months back highlighting their Centennial Olympic Park engagement session. They are such a cute couple and their kids, amazing. Annette has two dapper boys while Jeff has a beautiful and slightly bashful little girl.
These two were so nervous before their wedding ceremony but as soon as they saw each other while Annette was walking down the aisle with her two boys giving her away, the nerves appeared to have drowned away. One deep breath and they were fine as long as they have each other. Once the ceremony concluded we went off to take their portraits on the grounds of theCountry Club of the South and the weather couldn’t have cooperated more for a late afternoon in February.
After a few weeks and a sneak peek here and there and experiencing their amazing engagement session in Savannah, we show you all the full blog post for Jimmy + Michelle and their Hilton Head wedding. Although we touched on a bit about how their story unfolded, there’s nothing like hearing it directly from them and how each of them experienced their lives during from their dating days through engagement and on to this very special day.
The Couple: Brides Point of View
Jimmy and I met at our Kingdom Hall when he moved down from Connecticut. He was very shy and barely talked and I just crushed from far away until one weekend he went up to visit my cousins and she insisted he get to know me. The following day, October 17th he contacted me and since then we have grown to be best friends. He made it very easy to let my guard down (since I was the type who claimed I would never get married… people even recorded me for proof!). We were friends for a while before we started dating officially. The following year on July 26, 2014 a very hot summer day my best friends and I planned a weekend to do things off of our bucket list (a list we need to finish before one of us gets married) and part of it was a scavenger hunt.
We went all over downtown Savannah finishing this scavenger hunt (which I did not notice had an engagement theme) and ended up at Forsyth Park. This was to be the location of our best friend photoshoot but to my huge surprise this was the spot I was to be engaged. A complete surprise to see him there. He was so nervous but it was so adorable and I was so happy it was finally happening.
The Couple: Grooms Point of View
It alI started when I came down alone for vacation to visit some family. On July 10th I visited the Kingdom Hall and to my surprise I met Michelle. She was completely stunning. I still remember what she was wearing that day. We briefly said hello and she told me Welcome to Ridgeland and then gave me her gorgeous smile. From that day on I was in love. Of course I was very shy as I wasn’t comfortable in such a new environment. A few months later we had went to visit in Atlanta. Mellissa her cousin talked to me more about Michelle and next thing you know I was talking to her the whole way back from Atlanta. It was amazing she has such a great personality. March 9th I grabbed the courage to speak to her parents and ask for their permission to date her. After that my life took a change for the better. A year and a half later I sat with her friends in Starbucks. We planned the whole engagement out and on July 26th 2014 it took place. I was so nervous when I arrived to the park as we had friends and family around. So I hopped out of a bush, walked up to her and proposed. Really don’t remember what I said as I was about to faint from the nerves haha. So here we are now and I can’t wait till October 10th to be with my amazing woman for eternity.
The Venue: Callawassie Island Club
Michelle’s great grandmother was there to witness the wedding and attend the reception. How amazing is that! We always look out for these cherished memories with loved ones while they’re still with us.
Congratulations Jimmy + Michelle. I’m sure you enjoyed your honeymoon in Paris.
Bulloch Springs has a beautiful Bridal Suite ready for the bride and her lovely ladies.
It’s time for Alex to get ready to marry his bride.
The groomsmen were so much fun, especially the one on the right. You can tell right?
Three generation of country. Here we have grandpa, bride and dad strutting their cowboy boots for the wedding.
The bouquets were so beautiful. Renee Saar did an amazing job with the “country girl” theme Mattie wanted for her wedding.
We’re so glad Alex and Mattie had a few extra minutes before running off to create the shot below. This was actually the first shot and we nailed it.
