DSmithImages

"Courtney and James are Married: 3/10/12"

The share of Do It Yourself/D.I.Y. weddings continues to grow each year. Brides and grooms have decided to really make their special day their own by handling all of the details and not turning it over to someone else. I had the pleasure of photographing one of these weddings on March 10th in Cottondale, Alabama, just outside of Tuscaloosa. It was the wedding of Courtney and James, and they couldn’t have asked for a better day.

The wedding and reception was held on a beautiful early spring day at the home of James’ family. Everyone from parents to siblings to aunts and uncles to friends pitched in to make the day for James and Courtney a memorable one. For example, James’ sister handled the wedding cake duties for the day. James and Courtney also did a lot of the legwork themselves, and I must commend James. He was one of the few grooms I’ve met that took a very active and involved role in his wedding planning. When both bride and groom do this, the level of stress is reduced across the board.

James and Courtney decided not to see each other before the wedding, but after the formals were completed, they had an idea. They wanted to do a photo with both of them in frame but not looking at each other. We put James on one part of his front porch and Courtney in a section right next to it. It was a great idea that still maintained the tradition of not seeing each other before the wedding march.

With the ceremony and all the formals done, it was time to celebrate at the reception. Little did I know that the caterer James and Courtney hired was a good friend of mine, Nancy Rhodes. Nancy, a school lunchroom manager, worked with James’ mother in the past, but I knew her from the time I worked for the Boy Scouts in Tuscaloosa. She was our dining hall manager at summer camp each year. It was great to be able to work a wedding with her and her team as they provided a lovely spread for the reception.

The reception was what a reception really should be: A party and a celebration. James and Courtney enjoyed the time with the friends and family gathered, and it made for a great conclusion to the day. From the cake cutting to the first dance to just general interactions with everyone, the couple was laid back, happy, and most importantly, enjoying themselves. I stress to all my couples that a wedding day is THEIR day and not anyone else’s day.

When the reception was coming to an end, everyone started to gather for James’ and Courtney’s grand exit. I’ve seen a lot of different “exit strategies” at the weddings I’ve covered, but this one provided a new visual. They decided to exit through a row of sparklers on each side of the path. It naturally made for a fantastic look with the sun completely set…

All in all, the wedding of James and Courtney was a fantastic event, and I’m very happy that they had me as their wedding photographer. I also want to thank their family and friends for making me feel very welcome and at home during the entire day. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to work with and photograph. If you would like to see more photos from this event, please check out http://www.dsmithimages.com/site/weddings/courtney-and-james-are-married-3-10-12/1/

Remember DSmithImages for any of your wedding photography needs!

Enjoy!

-David

DSmithImages

“Modern Photography for Modern Times”

http://www.dsmithimages.com

"Takeesha and Brian are Married: 3/03/12"

The story of Takeesha and Brian’s wedding is an interesting one with parts that could have been highly problematic but turned out to produce a fantastic day for the young couple. I traveled down to the Destin, Florida area to photograph their wedding, which was going to take place on the beach. Mother Nature, though, had different plans. A torrential downpour all day Saturday forced a change of plans, but it didn’t get anyone down about things.

I initially met with Takeesha on the Friday before the wedding, and because of the fact we live in different states, it was actually the first time we had met in person. I wanted to make sure all the details for the wedding were worked out, especially if there was contingency plan for heavy rain. We worked out all the details and specifics, and things were set for Saturday. Unfortunately, the rain forced us into the contingency plan. To her credit, though, Takeesha was on top of things and had arranged for the ceremony to take place in a conference room on the grounds of her accommodations for the weekend, 30A Suites.

The ceremony went off without a hitch, and it was a lovely affair held in front of a small gathering of friends and family. The event taught me a lot, but most importantly, it taught me again to be prepared for everything and not to panic. If the bride isn’t panicked, there isn’t any need for me to be panicked. It’s good words to live by as a wedding vendor.

When the wedding was complete, I took a little break to spend some time with my parents before heading to the after wedding dinner that also served as the reception. It was held at the very nice Mitchell’s Fish Market in the area, and the food was fantastic. The laid back atmosphere from earlier continued and just complimented the entire day. Where as I didn’t get to photograph my first beach wedding, I did get to experience a wedding I won’t forget. I learned a lot on this trip, and I will definitely use it all with future jobs.

To view the public gallery from this wedding, please visit http://www.dsmithimages.com/site/weddings/takeesha-and-brian-are-married-3-3-12/1/ and be sure to remember DSmithImages for any of your wedding photography needs.

-David

DSmithImages

“Modern Photography for Modern Times”

http://www.dsmithimages.com