I just love a beach wedding!! And this past fall, I got to shoot two beach weddings in a row.  This time we headed down to St. Simons Island to celebrate Laura Beth and Jamie’s big day.  Their love story began on St. Simons when they were both living there.  So it was the perfect place  for them to get married.  They are just such a classic all American couple, and their wedding was a perfect reflection of that.  They really focused on the things that are most important to them and that is their families.  I just love both of these families.  It was such an honor to photograph their sweet day!

This day began at the Sea Island Lodge, where everyone got ready.  Laura Beth’s beautiful gown was designed by Adele Wechsler.Family and tradition are very important to Laura Beth and Jamie.  Laura Beth wore jewelry that she borrowed from her mother.  The gorgeous pearl bracelet was a gift from her dad to her mom, and her sister, Ashley, also wore the bracelet on her wedding day.  (I had the honor of photographing this family heirloom for the second time!)All of Laura Beth’s bridal details were so classic and beautiful.  I loved her Kate Spade shoes! I just loved Laura Beth’s elegant updo by the fabulous Ashley Edenfield of The Back Porch.  You might remember Ashley because I shot her wedding a few years ago.  I love working with my former brides!   She is a fabulous hair artist as well!   

I am obsessed with the leafy lace detail!

Laura Beth’s silhouette in this dress is simply stunning!

In some more beautiful window light!

While the girls were getting ready, the guys were enjoying a drink at the Lodge’s bar.  Then it was time for Jamie to see his bride for the first time.  They chose this beautiful spot overlooking the water underneath the live oaks.  One of Laura Beth and Jamie’s favorite things about the island are all the beautiful live oaks.  So this was the perfect spot for a first look!

I just love Jamie’s expression and how he is holding her hand here!

I love this shot with the bridge in the background!Such a gorgeous couple!

This might be my fav.  That light is just perfect!

A few more of the beautiful bride!

We wanted to get a few shots on the golf course too. 

Check out that beautiful sky… just perfect!

I just had to get the flag in the background.  It also reminded me of the flag in their engagement shoot. Jamie, the handsome groomThis wedding was all about family!  Jamie and Laura Beth’s wedding party was all family.  Here, Jamie, his dad and his brothers  relax before the ceremony. All the lovely florals were created by The Sea Island Resort florist.Laura Beth, her sisters, and sister-in-law.  All the men.  I love how Jamie is surrounded by both dads.  So much love in this family!!The whole familyJamie and Laura Beth are going to make such great parents some day.  They’ve had lots of practice!  Here are their sweet nephews and the little girls that Laura Beth used to nanny for when she lived on the island.  Jamie and Laura Beth in the row of oaks.

And…. Stunning!

One of Jamie and Laura Beth’s favorite things about the Lodge is the bagpiper who plays every night at sunset on the 18th hole of the golf course.  I also love this shot of Jamie’s dad, the best man, holding both the rings.  Laura Beth and Jamie used the live oak tree as the symbol of their day.  Not only did they see each other for the first time under the live oaks, but they also included live oaks on their invitation and wedding program.The beautiful ringsThe couple exchanged vows at the Lovely Lane Chapel at Epworth by the Sea.  This quaint little chapel is the oldest standing building on St. Simon’s Island.  Jamie is beaming as he awaits his beautiful bride.Laura Beth’s daddy walked her down the aisle. 

I loved shooting through the doors at the front of the chapel!

Saying “I do.” Sealed with a kissMr. and Mrs. Jamie DickeyAfter the ceremony, the whole family gathered outside the chapel to hug the bride and groom.  This was such a sweet moment and so perfect for this couple, who is so close to their family.Love this shot!Jamie wanted to practice their first dance in the chapel before they went to the reception.  So cute!The reception was held at The Retreat Clubhouse on Sea Island.  The sweet first dance.  I guess that practice really paid off!Jamie and Laura Beth served some island favorites to their guests, oysters and shrimp.  All the yummy food was by the caterers at the Clubhouse.Laura Beth’s elegant wedding cake by The Sea Island Resort pastry chef.  How cute is Jamie’s groom’s cake?  His grandfather owned a chain of Wendy’s, and it has always been one of Jamie’s favorite treats.  So for his groom’s cake, the pastry chef recreated some of his favorites:  a Jr. bacon cheeseburger, chicken nuggets, and a Frosty.  Yum!  I had to include this shot of Laura Beth’s sister and brother-in-law, Ashley and Patrick.  You may remember that I shot their wedding a couple of years ago, and they just welcomed a beautiful new baby, Hodges. 

Back to the dancing… She is reeling him in!!!

Laura Beth and Jamie’s band, Atlanta Rhythm and Groove, were soo fun!!Nice moves, Patrick!The band played The Backstreet Boys, “I Want it That Way,” and everyone sang along!  Haha!! Even Jamie knew all the words!  I am pretty sure it’s Laura Beth’s song!  Laura Beth got a little teary in the last dance.  Such a sweet end to a sweet day!Before saying goodbye, guests were treated to a little bag of kettle corn as a favor.Instead of tossing her bouquet, Laura Beth gave it to her childhood best friend, Georgia Brogdon.  So sweet!Jamie and Laura Beth rode away in a vintage Cadillac.  The fireworks went off as they rode away!  The perfect end to the perfect day!Laura Beth and Jamie, thank you for sharing this beautiful day with me! And letting me be part of your sweet family!

Jenny Evelyn

Yesterday was a rainy winter day, but surprisingly warm for January.  We were watching the hour by hour all day and with a few breaks in the weather ended up with some beautiful pics of Lindsay and Steven!  They are such a sweet couple and it was so fun spending the day with their friends and family!  Here is just a quick sneak peek of the sweet couple!

Lindsay the beautiful bride!

The Scarpellios!

Thanks so much Steven and Lindsay for having me as part of your day!  I cannot wait to share more with you!

Jenny Evelyn

Katie and Cory’s beautiful beach wedding at Jekyll Island was truly a day to celebrate!  Not only was this day a celebration of Katie and Cory’s love, it was also a day to create a new family!  It was so cool that Cory’s sons were a part of the ceremony, and now Katie is a wife and a stepmom!  They have been though so much together.  Cory has been battling melanoma throughout their relationship, and he found out right before the wedding that he’d have to have brain surgery eleven days after the wedding.  Thank the Lord the surgery was successful and Cory is on the road to recovery, but the hardships they’ve had in their relationship have made them a stronger couple and it made their wedding day even sweeter!   It was a wonderful weekend of celebration that I was honored to be a part of.  I have known Katie since she was a little 7th grader and she has grown into quite a beautiful lady.  So onto the day!

I love Katie’s beautiful dress!  And how cool is this dress form Katie got to display her lovely gown?

All that lace is to die for!

Katie had the monogram from one of her dad’s shirts cut in the shape of a heart and sewn in her dress.  So sweet!I love Katie’s vintage ring, and her beautiful pearl earrings were bought in Alaska and were a gift from her aunt and uncle.  She wore two garters:  one UGA garter and one that her mom made for her. 

Inscribed inside both the wedding rings was ” all my love, all my life”

Katie is such a knock out.  She looks like a pinup girl with that ruby red pout!Katie’s lovely bridal bouquet and all the other gorgeous flowers were by Love Knotts Florist.In this light, Katie looks like an angel!It was a gorgeous day!  The beautiful blue sky and the ocean was the perfect backdrop for the couple’s first look on the beach.  Some sweet kissesLove those red shoes!They are a beautiful couple!Cory, looking debonairI love these!  So romantic!Katie is such a striking bride!The handsome groomsmenKatie and her ladies, striking a pose.Cory and his boysThe new familyKatie and Cory’s ceremony was held at The Jekyll Island Club Hotel at Crane Cottage.  It was such a gorgeous venue.  And their ceremony was so sweet!  My favorite part was when everyone rang tiny bells to celebrate the couple’s first kiss.  Especially since the couple’s new last name is Bell!  They also had a white rose in honor of their loved ones that could not be with them.

Katie’s childhood friend, Anslee Connell sang for the ceremony…she has a voice like an angel.

Cory, anxiously awaiting his bride.

I love this shot of Katie’s sweet mama looking for the grand entrance.

Katie’s uncle Grover gave her away in honor of her daddy.

VowsRing those bells!!Mr. and Mrs. Cory BellBefore the reception, we just had to get a few romantic shots while the sun set over the water. 

I still can not believe how amazing this sunset was.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh, opera singer!

I had to get a shot with the beautiful live oaks!

The reception was also held at The Jekyll Island Club Hotel.  The dinner was catered by the hotel as well.  An emotional first dance

For Katie’s father/ daughter dance she danced with all the men in her life, both of her brothers and her uncles!

All the food was delish… and I loved the set up for this intimate reception.

After dinner, the couple and their guests got down!! They danced all night to The Grapevine Band!  The lovely bride’s cake was also made by the Jekyll Island Club Hotel.  To go along with their red and black theme and to celebrate their love of the GA Bulldawgs, Cory’s grooms cake was a UGA football helmet.  And I loved their favor, wedding bell cookies in honor of the Bells.  So cute!Then it was off through the rose petals. . . To a horse-drawn carriage, just like a fairy tale.  Katie and Cory, thanks for sharing your beautiful day with me!  It was so fun celebrating your new family!

I promised you some more fall goodness, and Jenn and John-John’s sweet fall themed wedding won’t disappoint!  They are such a sweet couple, and I had a great time photographing their special day.  They tied the knot at the First Baptist Church in downtown Vienna, GA, a quaint little southern town.  They had many friends and family to witness and celebrate their day.  Jenn is a Texas girl and met John John when she was growing up and she would come to Vienna to visit family. Who knew she would be meeting her future husband?  So onto the preview of their day!

Jenn’s lovely gown

Love her belt of flowers!

Jenn had some sweet and sentimental details from her family’s and from John-John’s.  Her “something old” was the beautiful handkerchief that belonged to John-John’s great grandmother, MaMa.  Her “something new” was her beautiful gown.  Her “something borrowed” was her mom’s diamond bracelet.  Her “something blue” was her garter.  And you’ve gotta love Jenn’s blinged out heels!When Jenn finally moved from Texas to Georgia, her mom stuck a $50 bill in the ashtray, just like in the Carrie Underwood song, “Don’t Forget to Remember Me.”  Jenn kept the $50 as a way to remember how special her relationship with her mom is and how much she loves her.  Of course, Jenn carried the $50 with her bouquet on her wedding day. 

Jenn’s MOH helped her with her jewelry!

Jenn and John-John had a sweet first look at square right across from the church on Church Street.  Love the street sign. John-John checking out his bride.

A few romantics in the beautiful sunlight!

Jenn is such a gorgeous bride!Jenn’s beautiful fall themed bouquet was created by Debbie and Christie Williams at Vienna Flower Shop. Check out the heart mom wrote on the $50.The handsome groom, John-John

The pines were perfect for this shot!

Lovin’ all the bright colors!

What a great group of friends!

Who’s excited to get married??Jenn and the ladies, aren’t they adorable?The groomsmen, so smooth in their shades.

I love this series in front of the church doors!

Such an elegant bride!

Jenn is just stunning.  I kept finding beautiful light for more bridals!

The couple’s signature color was cobalt blue, and the ceremony was decorated with blue bonnets, the state flower of Texas.How cute is this little ring bearer??  He carried a Holy Bible that is special to the couple!  They also gave all their parents and grandparents custom handkerchiefs for the ceremony that were monogrammed with the couple’s name and wedding date in cobalt blue.  Jenn’s dad and step dad walked her down the aisle.The vows

I just love how expressive Jenn is.

RingsThe new Mr. and Mrs. John-John Averill

Jenn’s daddy got her cherry red ”69 Camaro running just in time for the new couple to ride to the reception in on their day.

We had to stop on the way to the reception and snag a few shots in the beautiful golden light!

The reception was held at Reedy Branch Lodge. 

I loved the Mason jars with sunflowers and mums and pumpkins everywhere!  The shade of the old Georgia pines was the perfect spot for this outdoor reception.

Perfect for this October wedding.Jenn and John-John’s delicious food was by Donna Stripling.  And of course, they gave their guests UGA coozies with their name and wedding date.  These two are big GA fans, so even though they chose to get married during football season, they made sure it was on GA’s off weekend.  First Dance

I love when the wedding party gets all teary!

The delicious cake was by Heather Barlett of Heather’s Cakes and Confections.  The Cole Taylor Band were a lot of fun, and perfect for the laid back vibe of Jenn and John-John’s outdoor reception.  Then it was off through the sparklers.  Jenn and John-John, thanks for letting me be a part of your big day!  I feel very blessed that I got to be a small part of telling your sweet story!

Jenny Evelyn

I’m so excited to share this beautiful wedding with you!  Elizabeth and James are such a sweet couple with such an awesome family.  And they chose such sweet and sentimental details to honor their parents and grandparents.  They are both so blessed to have both their parents giving them an amazing example of what marriage is.  I just love working with couples like them!  On top of all that they chose to get married on Elizabeth’s parents’ anniversary in the very same church where they exchanged vows nearly 30 years before.  What a  sweet tribute to her parents and their legacy of love!  I think that is pretty amazing so I had a good time making some new memories and recreating some really old poses!

So of course I wanted to get a shot of their invitations side by side.

Another Amazing story as we start their day…. Elizabeth enjoys journalling and had a special journal that she would write her thoughts and prayers in.  It originally belonged to her mother.  When she and James started dating, he happened to glance at the first page of the journal.  He recognized the handwriting and realized that the note in the front was from HIS mom!  Elizabeth’s mom and James’ mom were sorority sisters.  James’ mom gave Elizabeth’s mom the journal while they were in college, and they lost touch afterwards.  It wasn’t until James saw the journal that he realized their moms knew each other in college!  It’s amazing to see how God’s plan brings people together.

Elizabeth started her day by getting a Signature ‘do by the always fabulous Nichole Mitchell of Signature Salon. 

Next we headed back to Elizabeth’s house where the girls got ready. I had to get some shots of Elizabeth’s gorgeous Melissa Sweet gown against this beautiful blue sky! 

I am obsessed with Elizabeth’s dress by Melissa Sweet.  I can honestly say that I would have wanted this dress had it been around when I got married!

At the house, Jennifer of Merle Norman did an awesome job with Elizabeth’s makeup!

The rings!  I love that James will be wearing his grandfather’s wedding band.  If you look closely you can see the wedding date of his grandparents engraved inside the ring, 10.10.53.  This was just one of the ways that Elizabeth and James celebrated the legacy of love in both their families.    The pearls she wore were from her grandmother; every year she got a pearl to add to the stand.  I love it! These shoes. . . I die for these shoes!!  Thank you Vera Wang! Elizabeth’s mom and sisters helped her get into her dress.  I loved the moment when her daddy saw her for the first time!  So sweet!I love the opportunity to shoot some day-of bridals at the bride’s childhood home.

Elizabeth, the beautiful bride!

This light was AMAZING!

Elizabeth is so cute!These beautiful and fresh green bridesmaid bouquets and all the other lovely flowers were created by Carmen Johnston of Nectar and Co.  We had to shoot a few more bridals at the church. 

Elizabeth and her mother posing for their bridal portraits in the same sanctuary of Martha Bowman United Methodist Church exactly 28 years apart.  Elizabeth and her gorgeous girls

Such Sweet Sisters!

I love all the beautiful textures in her bouquet!  Great job Carmen!

The rosemary gave the bridesmaids bouquets that extra pop!  I love it!

I just love the fresh, woodland vibe of the flowers!. . .  And here are the gentlemen!  These guys were so fun and such good sports!  Having a Ricky Bobby moment. . . .They don’t know what to do with their hands! James, the handsome groomJames’ mom gave him a small cross designed to fit in the palm of your hand.  It originally belonged to James’ grandfather.  Another piece of family history for James to carry with him into his marriage.Beautiful! Love this veil!I just loved this moment!  Elizabeth’s brother, George delivered a letter and a gift from James before the ceremony.  Elizabeth read the letter and was really emotional and excited to open her present.  But when she opened the present, she was confused.  Apparently her brother accidentally gave her his groomsman gift instead of the real gift.  haha!!

All the flower girl wants for Christmas is…

her two front teeth!  Adorable!

Elizabeth got to share a sweet moment with her grandmother before the ceremony, where she told some old family stories.  Elizabeth wore her pinkie ring during the ceremony. 

For the ceremony the church was decked out with greens and candle light!

Here comes the bride!Elizabeth’s daddy, giving her away.Elizabeth’s friend, Kimberly, did a very special reading at the ceremony.  When Elizabeth was in high school, she marked Romans 12: 9-13 because she wanted it read at her wedding.  Kissing the bride!The new Mr. and Mrs. James McGeevte28 years later and these two are still in love and looking fantastic!We just had to recreate the traditional bridal party photo.  I just love the lace collars!  Love this one!After the beautiful ceremony, we headed to The Terminal Station in downtown Macon to celebrate!  And of course there was plenty of delicious food by Charlotte Bickley of Two’s Company. 

I love how laid back and comfortable the seating is for guests in the Terminal Station!

The delicious cakes were created by Kenya Brooks of B. Sweet Cake Boutique.  Kenya is also a friend of Elizabeth’s from design school. 

She had a vintage travel theme and used old suitcases and hat boxes for the cake stands!  LOVE!

After they ate, the crowd danced the night away to The Grapevine Band.  They are soo much fun!

Nothing like some guys in tuxes shaking what their mama gave them!

Jame and Elizabeth were so cute dancing with all the kiddies!

Do your thang Tambourine Man!

We had to sneak off for a few fun shots… there are some many interesting nooks in the Terminal Station!  I can’t wait to shoot there again!

Instead of tossing the bouquet, Elizabeth gave it to her mom in honor of her parents’ wedding anniversary. In keeping with the travel themed reception, they had suitcases full of sparklers for the big leave.  When it was time to leave, Elizabeth and James hopped into his dad’s vintage MG convertible.  James had to learn to drive manual really quickly, and I think he was more nervous about this leave than anything the entire day! 

He only had one little stall out…and everyone cheered!

Thanks for sharing this special day with me!  I love to be a part of such a sweet celebration of love!

It was such a privilege to photograph Maggie and Myles’ wedding.  They are such a beautiful couple, and so sweet!  And what a huge group of family and friends that just love them and were such a big a part of their day!  I got to work with some of my fav vendors that all worked perfectly together to make their day perfect!  It was truly a blessing to see them make their vows in marriage before God and then celebrate the night away!  What a spectacular event this family put on!

After getting gorgeous at Amanda Jane Salon in downtown Macon, the girls headed to the church to get dressed. 

I love that both Maggie and Myles’ rings engraved with their wedding date!

October…the…

eighth!

Maggie had lots of sentimental details.  I loved the garter made from lace from her mother’s wedding dress, monogrammed with her parents’ wedding date and Maggie and Myles’ wedding date.  Maggie also used an Auburn garter to toss, since she is a tiger.   Her “Something New” was her gorgeous gown.  Her “Something Borrowed” was a sash she borrowed from her sister-in-law, Betsy, and a pearl bracelet she borrowed from her mom.  Her “Something Blue” was the blue hankie used by Betsy at her wedding.  She also has adorable Kate Spade shoes and a beautiful clutch that her sweet mama gave her.

Her gorgeous dress in the beautiful autumn leaves.

How cute is Maggie’s coat hanger?!  Love it!

I just love the lace trim on her veil!

Maggie was a beautiful bride!  I love Maggie’s fluffy white bouquet.  All of the lovely flowers are by Allison Lucas and Carmen Johnston of Nectar and Co.

I love this shot of her getting cracked up!

How cute are these flower girls?  Maggie and her lovely ladies.  I love her color combination! 

Maggie had a sweet moment with her daddy before the ceremony.  Even Myles had some great details to show off.  I loved the cufflinks that Maggie gave him as a wedding gift.  And the monogrammed handkerchief was a gift from Maggie’s dad.  So sweet!

Maggie’s brother Josh made sure Myles has the perfect bow tied!

Myles and his men!

Even though Maggie and Myles didn’t see each other before the ceremony, they couldn’t resist having a little moment together to exchange letters before the ceremony.  Such a sweet emotional moment in the day!The ceremony was held in the beautiful chapel at Ingleside Baptist Church.VowsFirst kiss as husband and wife.  Love this picture! You can see all the joy and love in that look they exchange when they’re walking back down the aisle.Another sweet kiss.Maggie and Myles had to get a picture with the honorary flower girl, Ada, Maggie’s niece.

Love this series… so romantic!

They are sooo blessed with two amazing sets of parents that give them such an awesome example of marriage!

They look at each other like there’s no one else in the room!  After their beautiful ceremony, the reception was held at the bride’s home.  The backyard was transformed into a reception venue with the help of a tent and some fantastic lighting from DKH Entertainment.

The beautiful cakes were made by Lisa Shepley of Lisa Mae Cakes.  Maggie’s cake was the perfect elegant wedding cake to match this elegant bride.  And Myles’ cake was made to look like a pair of hiking boots. 

More beautiful florals by Nectar and Co!

Maggie and Myles’ reception was so much fun.  They had great music, great food, and games!  Check out their custom-made cornhole game.  We just had to capture a few romantics at sunset.And who could forget Sampson, their adorable dog?  Remember him from their engagement session?  Here he is, dressed in his wedding day best.  Check out that bow tie!  Maggie and Myles served their guests some fabulous Southern treats, like fried okra and sweet tea, made by Charlotte Vickery of Two’s Company.  Maggie and Myles had a special guest to perform for their first dance, Mike Kinnebrew.  After their romantic first dance, The Answer Band got the crowd on their feet.

How romantic is the set up for the cake?

And what a beautiful feast for the guests!

How cute is this homemade cookie buffet with shots of milk!And then the ultimate late night snack, Krystals and Krispy Kreme doughnuts.  Yum!I had a blast at their wedding too!  After running through a sea of sparklers, Maggie and Myles headed off on their honeymoon in a 1957 Thunderbird.Maggie and Myles, I had so much fun at your wedding!  Thanks for sharing this special day with me.  Can’t wait to show you more!

Jenny Evelyn

This past weekend I had the honor of photographing Laura Beth & Jamie’s wedding!  Koutsunis and I headed down to beautiful Saint Simon’s Island for the weekend and had a lovely time capturing this sweet couple’s day!  It was filled with two sweet families coming together to celebrate God’s goodness to them both.  It was such a joy to be a part of such sweet celebration and joy.  Here are just a couple of my favs!

Laura Beth was a stunning bride!

Under the live oaks on the water front.

Love this shot I snagged right after they saw each other for the first time!

We could not have had a prettier day!

Thanks so much Laura Beth and Jamie and also to both the Cantrell and Dickey families for making me feel like part of your family too!  I cannot wait to share more with you.

Jenny Evelyn