We had such a blast photographing Shawna and Darrell’s wedding at Huckleberry Farm in Jasper! The weather was perfect and the details were just fantastic. Shawna and Darrell are such a fun couple. Their family and friends cheered them on as they danced their way down the aisle after the ceremony. And everyone loved the special touches of plenty of family photos on the tables at the reception.  Thanks, guys, for letting us photograph your amazing wedding!

The thing every bride can glean from a royal wedding is the sense of timelessness. There’s very little that’s trendy in a royal wedding, though it may set trends afterward, such as the Par Engsheden bridal gown. Sticking with unusual styles that aren’t faddish, and clean, sleek, classic hairdos will ensure that your children aren’t loaded with ammunition to make fun of your photos 10-15 years from now.

Check out Victoria’s smile, just beautiful. You’d be surprised how many brides are so preoccupied and stressed on their wedding days that their smiles are hard to come by. Take a cue from the heir-to-the-throne, ladies!

Getty Images

Getty Images

Getty Images

Reuters

Getty Images

Jessica and Shane had a gorgeous wedding affair, with the ceremony at Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Vestavia Hills and the chic reception at The White Loft downtown. Jessica’s fab gown came from Bella Couture in Mt Laurel and the bouquets were by the amazing Vince at Flower Stems. The couple were surrounded by the love of tons of family and friends, including sorority and fraternity members who serenaded the bride and groom. We had so much fun getting to know everyone. Thanks, guys, for letting us document your special day!

Here are a few of the Wileys’ beautiful wedding previews:

If it’s one thing I’m a sucker for, it’s Indian weddings. The colors, the ceremonies and the emotions are highlights for any photographer. Barkha and Sumit are having their long-awaited  two-day Indian wedding on July 23 and 24 at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala. Barkha has flown home for her bridal session is this weekend and we’re getting everything ready for the big shoot tomorrow at her family home. Barkha’s mom, Vandana,  and sisters Kanika and Rhadika, make us feel like family and we’re so thrilled to share this experience with the whole Manne gang. I can’t convey to you what an honor it is, for us as non-Indians, to be selected to capture an Indian wedding.

This weekend’s photo session will include multiple outfits from India that are to die for. I’m getting together our ideas for traditional Indian bridal poses, which are so elegant!  I can already promise gorgeous photos, and here’s why I’m so confident. Take a look at highlights of their e-session at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens (a great spot for weddings, btw) and Sibyl Temple in Vestavia Hills. I love how Barkha is as chic in traditional Indian attire as she is in American clothes. And what fun for photographers to have such a variety! Stay tuned for pictures of MY Indian outfits in the works for the wedding!

Congratulations to John and Monica Guanche Brogdon, who celebrated their first anniversary on Sunday, June 13. We loved getting to know Monica and John and their families through their fabulous engagement session, bridal session, shower and wedding. Monica and her mom, Maria, left no details forgotten for this gorgeous event.

Take a look back at some of their beautiful photos!

We wish you many, many years of happiness!

]]> http://www.danieltaylorphotoblog.com/brogdons-1st-anniversary/feed/ 0 http://www.danieltaylorphotoblog.com/mr-and-mrs-armstrong/ http://www.danieltaylorphotoblog.com/mr-and-mrs-armstrong/#comments Mon, 07 Jun 2010 22:15:54 +0000 Kelli Hewett Taylor http://www.danieltaylorphotoblog.com/?p=569

Jennifer's Grecian-style gown.

Jennifer and James were married Saturday Saturday at the incredible Holy Trinity-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Cathedral downtown. It was a beautiful Greek ceremony with plenty of Greek touches, from Jen’s Grecian-style dress to the ceremony to plenty of Greek dancing at the reception. Love from family and friends just filled the sanctuary and spilled over to the reception. And what a fun group! I should have known it was going to be fun when, during the formal portraits, little Catherine, Jen’s niece, decided to, uh, dig for gold. James never missed a beat and did a fake “dig for gold” himself. It cracked up the entire group and will probably haunt Catherine to her own wedding day!

Ken Kiester of Norton’s florist did one of his final weddings in Birmingham before moving out of state. We’re so sorry to see him go. James and Jen’s floral design was stunning in dramatic blues and cool greens. We also met Norton’s new event coordinator, Ross Railey, who has moved to the ‘Ham from Decatur. Can’t wait to work with him!

The beautiful and yummy cakes were from our friend Jan Moon of Dreamcakes Bakery in Homewood. Catering was by the Gourmet Pantry in Vestavia. Two of my favorites were the Asian chicken and the meatballs!

James and Jennifer are such an adorable couple! We wish them many, many years of happiness together. Can’t wait for our next photo shoot together!

First moments together.

James and Catherine lighten things up during the formal family portraits.

Jen and her dad, Andrew Collins.

Cakes by Dreamcakes.

Florals by Norton's.

Her sister's first dance brings Leah, in blue, to tears.

Congratulations to Philip and Cassie Benson Pitts, who celebrated there first year of marriage over the weekend!

Cassie has been one of our most-talked about brides this year. Most everyone who has seen her photos on our web site, in our sample albums and in portraits at bridal shows has stopped to say “wow.” People have asked us for the name of her beautiful wedding venue (her parents’ home in Birmingham) and people have lingered over the images to take in every detail.

Cassie and Philip were so much fun to work with. Believe it or not, Cassie and her family say she hates having her picture made and they were all stunned by how much she embraced the camera on her wedding day. We’d like to think it had something to do with great photographers, lol!

My favorite thing about this couple was that they created a personal wedding that perfectly reflected their personalities. They didn’t load up on dozens upon dozens of posed family photos. Instead, they opted for more candids. Cassie walked down the aisle to rat packer Dean Martin’s “Fly Me to the Moon.” And Philip, his dad and a long-time family friend requested a photo of their long-standing tradition of drinking milk at special events.

Jill Sampson of Weddings by Jill, based in Montgomery, did a phenomenal job on the flowers, planning and overall event design. Jill has a sense of calm that relaxes her brides and an approach to planning that makes all the vendors certain that everything is under control. Plus, Jill is tons of fun!

All the best, Philip and Cassie. We wish you many more years of happiness beyond your wildest dreams!

Here are a few highlights from Cassie and Philip’s gorgeous wedding on May 30, 2009:

This has never happened–the previous record  for popular photos was three from the same event. Check out what all the buzz is about. For Mr. and Mrs. Wilson’s full wedding photo preview, click here. For Friday’s original blog post on Brian and Rachel, click here.

Check out a few of the top  images:

We were also tickled to go back to the always beautiful Altadena Valley Presbyterian Church. Wedding director Sue Ann Oakes, of AVPC, always takes good care of us and makes sure everything runs smoothly. Having a team of wedding professionals who know each other is an added bonus on such a special day. Videographer/filmmaker Paul Bryant of Kinora Films manned the Super 8 film camera. We’ve gotten to know Paul, one of Brian’s good friends, in the last few months and it was really fun to be part of a team together. And the stunning orange and green florals were by Carolyn Crowe of The Pink Pear.

The gorgeous, yummy cakes were from Edgar’s Bakery and the wonderful food was from Creative Catering by Shirlee. The mini wheat pita sandwiches with grilled chicken and sprouts and the quesadillas were my favorites!

After the reception, Rachel, Brian, Paul, Daniel and I all headed to a nearby field for an after-session. Paul had the idea to go up on the hill and the results speak for themselves. Just gorgeous.

We wish Brian and Rachel a lifetime of happiness. Thanks so much for entrusting your memories to us!

A little of the back story: Brian and Daniel became friends at Daniel’s second home, Primavera coffee, in Cahaba Heights, where Brian is an amazing roaster and latte maker. If my husband goes missing, that’s where he is.

Brian and Rachel’s reception featured an art gallery theme with a very popular espresso bar. Brian even took a few minutes to make Rachel her first coffee as a married woman, complete with a foam heart!