Wedding Bridal Photography at Aloft Hotel in Homewood, Ala.

We spent last Saturday collaborating on an inspiration bridal session we created with a few of our wedding vendor friends at the super-cool Aloft hotel in Homewood, Ala., across the street SOHO Square. It was an idea I had been discussing for months with floral artist Mandy Majerik of Hothouse Design Studio.  Mandy is always up for a creative project and she showed up with three rockin’ bridal florals for us to incorporate.

We also enlisted with our new friend Keeley Patterson, who is an incredible wedding hair and make-up artist, a wonderful model, and, oh yeah — Miss Mississippi USA for this year! The wonderful Ellen Morgan of Rosewood Hall (a fantastic wedding and reception venue) made an inquiry for us at Aloft, and we were welcome to come for the morning.

Aloft is a terrific place that several of our 2010 brides chose for their wedding guests and the bridal party, or even a honeymoon night. It’s an industrial-chic,  pet-friendly hotel within walking distance of all the shops and restaurants in Homewood–perfect for something unexpected like we had in mind. How can you not love a hotel with a pool table in the lobby?

Saturday also marked the professional debut my youngest basset, Scarlett, in the bridal photo session. Scarlett LOVES having her photo made, and has frequented hotels since she was a puppy. Mandy, a fellow dog lover, outfitted Scarlett with two exquisite wedding dog collar ensembles to match Keeley’s bouquets. With Mandy, you never get what everyone else is doing. Her creations and event design are unique to the client and the occasion, and draw on her national expertise as a floral designer, speaker and award-winner.

And Catherine Bres, owner of Generation Dog, an adorable specialty pet store, dog wash and pet spa a block down from Aloft, loaned us the perfect fuschia collar, leash and rhinestone accents that topped off this crazy fun photo session.

Keeley was a total pro and such a delight to work with during our inspiration wedding/bridal photo session at Aloft Hotel in Birmingham. When she finally decides to settle down one day, Keeley is going to be one fabulous bride. Isn’t she just amazing in these photographs? And how laid-back is she to endure Scarlett sneezing on her leg and licking her in the face? We had an absolute blast.

Brides often ask why they should have a bridal session. On the practical side, it’s a way to test-drive your hair, make-up, shoes, and other wedding details so you make any needed adjustments before your wedding day. Many families also like to capture formal bridal portraits at their family homes or gardens to display at the reception or in the home.

On the indulgent side, it’s an incredibly fun way to document your bridal experience without the pressure or time constraints you’ll have on your wedding day. Can you imagine having photos like this of your mom or grandmother from her wedding? And after the realities of grown-up married life set in, it’s a wonderful memory to have had your own fashion photo session as a bride-to-be.

A HUGE thank you to everyone involved in our session! We hope you love the results as much as we do!

And here are a few great candids caught by  Mandy Majerik of Hothouse Design Studio during our Aloft photo session! You can also read Mandy’s post on the day here.