Chanterelle Photography

Wedding: Jessica & Tyler – Montgomery, Alabama

Julie — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:40:55 +0000

A lot of life lessons can be learned from weddings. Every day should start with fabulous shoes. If they’re hot pink Kate Spade, it’s gonna be a REALLY good day!Tyler told me he loves Jessica’s eyes, which are an enchanting shade of blue:I think this little flowergirl agreed. Jessica (in a Jasmine Bridal Couture gown) has such a regal look about her, don’t you think?During the ceremony at Taylor Road Baptist Church, Jessica and Tyler’s parents were invited up to say a prayer with them – it was a really sweet touch that I hadn’t seen before.Tyler surprised Jessica with a getaway car – a vintage Bentley courtesy of Touch of Class was waiting outside the church to whisk them away to the reception. But first, they made a pit stop with me for pictures. Two cakes from Liger’s Bakery took center stage at the reception – I knew Tyler was a Vineyard Vines fan based on his wardrobe for their engagement session, so it was easy to tell where the inspiration came from for the groom’s cake. As if that wasn’t cute enough, there was a table full of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and shots of milk, along with the buffet. Love that!A colorful candy table allowed guests to make their own favors, and I was happy to see one of my personal favorites – peach rings!We decided to take advantage of the view of the Capitol from the terrace and the setting sun:Jessica’s sorority sisters gathered around to sing a song……before Tyler whisked her away on a surprise honeymoon (destination: Jamaica!).Thanks Jessica and Tyler for letting me spend the day with you and witness the record breaking massacre of your wedding cake! (It was completely eaten – and I mean down to the cake stand, not a piece left. That never happens!)

Portrait: Tison, Caroline, & Brooke – Pike Road, Alabama

Julie — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:44:25 +0000

When I first moved to Alabama, I was warned about the heat and humidity. Over the years, I’ve gotten a little more used to it, but every now and then, you get a reminder of how extreme it can be. That day happened to be the day of Tison, Caroline, and Brooke’s session. We actually had to stop mid-session several times just so these sisters could grab towels and de-sweat! They toughed it out so they could get a great picture to give to their dad for his birthday – give them a big hug, Dad, they endured it just for you!

Wedding: Lisa & Hunter – Opelika, Alabama

Julie — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:30:52 +0000

Just as I arrived at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church, the bottom fell out. I’m not talking sprinkles. I’m talking total downpour. But I didn’t freak out. Because if you know Lisa and Hunter, then you know the great thing about them is that they don’t take life too seriously. I figured nothing was going to keep them from having a great time, and let’s just say I was not disappointed. There was tulle being ripped out of bridesmaids’ dresses and toes escaping shoes (you had to be there), and that was before the ceremony even started! But first, Lisa had to get into her beautiful Casablanca gown:As I got them in their places to see each other for the first time, Lisa kept looking up at the ceiling, trying to keep the tears from coming out. But when Hunter turned around, she couldn’t hold them in any longer.I had to have a little fun with the Costa Del Mar sunglasses that Hunter gave Lisa as a wedding gift:There’s always one rebel in every bunch:Another rainstorm threatened the reception at The Brownfield House, but it never came. The caterers, A Little Taste of Home, did a great job of moving the food outside quickly once the coast was clear, and the look came together with the help of Julie Bunkley of Invision Events, and flowers by The New Blossom Shop:The cakes were designed by Sonshine Wedding Cakes……and resulted in one of the most epic cake fights I have ever seen (and don’t let this picture fool you – it looks like Lisa’s getting the brunt of it, but if you look closely, Hunter already has chocolate smeared on the side of his face):The cake fight was just the opening act. The main event was one hell of a party, headlined by The Weston Burt Band. This picture pretty much sums it up:Lisa and Hunter, thank you so much for letting me be there with you – I hope the rest of your lives together is always this much fun!

Portrait: Isabella – Montgomery, Alabama

Julie — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:28:24 +0000

Isabella is one of those babies that just oozes sweetness. She smiles a lot, laughs a lot, and is just generally happy. I seriously have concentrate on the camera to keep myself from just picking her up and squeezing her. Seriously.She loves her monkey. But she will share him with you if you ask. This picture puts a ridiculously stupid grin on my face:You can’t have a first birthday without making a mess with cake (we did make sure to clean up before we left)!

Wedding: Amy & Brandon – Pleasant Hill, Alabama

Julie — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:37:28 +0000

Amy and Brandon’s wedding was what I would call “contemporary country”. They mixed rustic charm with modern flair – a lodge atmosphere combined with a modern lemon yellow color scheme (including floral design by Albritton’s Flowers):The lace on Amy’s Casablanca dress went perfectly with the wedding’s theme:Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church was built in 1852 – Amy and Brandon and their families did quite a bit of repair work and sprucing up to the church in order to have their ceremony there. Their wedding was the first wedding held in the church in over 80 years!More touches of yellow were found at the ceremony – including wedding program fans created by Amy herself. She can make some for you too, just visit her Etsy store, Too Cute Stationery & Gifts! The inside of the chuch was delightfully quaint. I loved how the lemon yellow Watters & Watters bridesmaids dresses popped against the simple white backdrop.More rustic touches greeted guests on their way to the reception at Cedar Creek Lodge – lots of wood, natural and yellow burlap, haybales, and even buckets of roasted peanuts were there to tantalize their tastebuds before enjoying Southern food from Magnolia House Catering.As the evening grew dark, white lights and torches illuminated the lodge so they could dance under the lights and stars to the sounds of Jimmy Allen and The Reminder Band:Thanks Amy and Brandon for sticking it out during the crazy heat we had that day – I hope your honeymoon in the Dominican was fantastic and you didn’t run into any gigantic bugs like the one that was flying around during your reception!

Bridal Portrait: Jennifer – Wetumpka, Alabama

Julie — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:46:52 +0000

When you’re in Alabama in the summer, it’s inevitable that you’ll have to deal with one thing: humidity. The good thing is, doing a bridal portrait before the wedding gives you a chance to test out your hair to see how much it wilts, and you can take pics with your camera phone to show your stylist (came in handy when Jennifer was deciding what to do with her hair on the day of the wedding). She opted for two hairstyles for her wedding, but until those pics are ready, here are a few of her bridal portraits to tide you over!

Engagement: Brooke & Brandon – Georgiana, Alabama

Julie — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 04:13:50 +0000

I started Brooke and Brandon’s session in a very special spot – on the balcony just outside Brooke’s bedroom, where once upon a time, Brandon asked her to marry him. The stairs leading up to the balcony reminded me of something out of Romeo & Juliet (yes, I am a romantic – don’t tell anyone).These two also like to try their luck together, so we threw some cards in mix just for fun:I was totally digging Brooke’s shoes. I don’t think Brandon noticed them at all.

Senior Portrait: Danielle – Montgomery, Alabama

Julie — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 03:58:14 +0000

Meet Danielle. Teeny tiny. And fabulously gorgeous. The day of her session, it looked like rain, so Danielle, her mom, and I hopped in the car and headed downtown, hoping the weather would hold out. It did start to sprinkle – but not until the end of shooting at our last location.

Wedding: Blair & Alan – Montgomery, Alabama

Julie — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 04:43:18 +0000

The morning of Blair & Alan’s wedding, I logged into Facebook for a few minutes to surf around a bit before going into “photographer mode”. I checked Blair’s page to see if she had changed her status, just curious if she was anxious, excited, or in need of a Xanax, lol. She hadn’t updated her status, but I noticed one line at the top of her wall. Alan had simply posted: “Best day of my life today.” (insert big girly sigh here)

Blair looked fabulous of course, from the top of her head (styled by Ty Eiland at Doug’s 2), to the tips of her toes (courtesy of Calvin Klein):The groom was endearingly nervous……to the point that he didn’t quite know what to do when he first saw Blair – but I think he figured it out. I love how this picture diva can go from classic to couture in two seconds flat!To me, Alan looks like he could be either a surfer or a soap opera actor. This picture reminds me of the tv show “Dallas”!On the rooftop terrace of Alley Station, Blair made her way down the aisle to the sound of a cello and violin, played by Clay McKinney and Beth Hoener.The reception was held in the Alley Station’s ballroom, complete with cakes by Cake Designs, and food by Jennie Weller Catering.Just before their first dance. Blair, you do realize that most girls wait their entire lives for a guy who looks at them like THIS:Guests were treated to a pink and purple themed candy table to make their own favors:The table also provided me with a ring shot (using the labels that were intended to seal the favor bags)……and a fun shot of the ladies:I think the sugar got Blair going – although I’m pretty sure she would have danced the entire night with or without the sugar!After dancing the night away to the tunes of the band Meteorite, they left in a shower of bubbles under the lights of downtown Montgomery……and with one last wave from the elevator, they lived happily ever after. Blair and Alan – thank you so much for letting me be a part of your picture taking awesomeness! I hope Jamaica was everything you hoped for and you aren’t swarmed by paparazzi when you’re wandering around town.

Wedding: Emily & Adam – Wadley, Alabama

Julie — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 05:47:39 +0000

I had one word constantly running through my head the day of Emily & Adam’s wedding: lovely. The setting couldn’t have been more perfect – a gorgeous rustic home in Wadley, built by Emily’s dad. Emily put a personal and vintage twist on every last detail. She made her own bouquet and the cameo that was pinned to it was given by her dad to her mom on their wedding day. She wore the same veil her mother wore. And her dress? She bought the lace bodice on Etsy before she bought the dress – and just happened to find a dress later that the bodice fit over perfectly. Serendipity at its best!Adam arrived at the house all ready to go, just in time to see his bride before the ceremony:When they first saw each other, they hugged, then started spontaneously singing and dancing to the music that was playing over the speakers nearby:Ceremony time: harpists played the entrance music, including some Irish tunes in honor of Emily’s time spent living there. Earlier in the day, Emily asked if we could take some time after the ceremony for more pictures since she was changing from her mom’s veil to a birdcage veil for the reception. Uh, more time for pictures??? Can you say “photographer happy dance”???Did I mention she made the birdcage veil headband herself? The flower was originally attached to the top of her dress – she took it off to overlay the lace bodice, and then repurposed the flower for the new headpiece. Genius!One side of the tent was decorated with vintage handkerchiefs, pinned on a lace clothesline:Pieces of Emily’s grandmother’s wedding dress hung in the tent as well – and family wedding pictures hung on distressed shutters nearby:Remember when I said Emily made her own bouquet? Well that creative little bugger also DIY’d her centerpieces – using tea canisters, Mason jars, old bottles, and a teapot as containers:Their cake table had not one, not two, but five cakes, courtesy of Teresa’s Catering, so guests could choose what they wanted. The mini cake buffet featured traditional flavors like white cream cake and yellow cake, and Southern favorites like red velvet and caramel cake.I was (and still am) madly in love with their cake topper. If you look closely you can see that their outfits are painted to match the bride and groom’s clothes, down to the swirly lace on the top of Emily’s dress. (Edited to add: since I originally posted Emily & Adam’s wedding here, this picture has been mentioned on the vintage inspiration section of the Austin Wedding Blog!) They left for their honeymoon in a shower of Rice Krispies. When I asked, “Why Rice Krispies?”, the answer was simple: “Because it hurts less than regular rice!” Future brides, take note!Thank you Emily and Adam for being the perfect clients – I couldn’t have asked for more time to shoot, and more awesome things to shoot! I’m sure if you ever want some work as a florist I can get you some, Emily! And I still think your folks could make some money as a wedding venue!