A quick trip out of town this weekend allowed Rebekah (my wife) & I to photograph a wedding for some friends of ours in Mississippi.  Darryl was Rebekah’s partner on the Mississippi College cheerleading squad for several years of competition, so when we heard Darryl was engaged, Mississippi was definitely on the August schedule.  As many of you know, Rebekah is great at wedding cake design, so not only did we photograph the wedding, but Rebekah also came up with some custom cake designs that we transported with us from Tennessee to the wedding in Mississippi.  We had a great time with everyone and Rebekah got to catch up with some former team members during the celebration.  Congratulations, Darryl & Kim!

Above: Rebekah designed and produced the bride’s cake for the wedding.

Above: Thanks for letting us run you around campus, Kim!  You were GREAT!

Above: Jewel (mom) and Darryl during a mother/son dance.

Above: Darryl and his groomsmen wore Tommy Bahama shirts with sand-colored slacks for a tropical and casual look which was awesome and fit perfectly for the reception theme.

Above: Ceremony location was Provine Chapel on the Mississippi College campus.

Above: Rebekah designed and produced the groom’s cake especially for Darryl.

I’ve seen this on several occasions and it’s probably one of the most stressful accidents due to the timing.  It’s quite common for a bride to make that one last visit to the ladies’ room very close to the ceremony time.  Well… as we know, with what is usually a large dress, it’s usually a team effort with the bridesmaids… and that means several people are holding - and moving - the bridal gown.  On several occaions at weddings we’ve worked, the bridesmaids are being so helpful to the bride, they forgot about where their other hand is…. the one holding the gown.  One slight movement in the wrong direction, and the gown taps the brides lips and the result is a nice lipstick print on the very front of the gown.  I’ve seen this several times and of course it’s only minutes away from aisle time which creates an unbelievable panic.  So, the tip is to make sure that all those helping you with your gown and veil are aware of where they’re moving that gown.

If you ever want to know how to have an “outside” wedding in August and escape the heat, then having it in one of Opryland’s conservatories is the answer!  Debbie & Mark couldn’t have had better conditions for their August wedding in Opryland’s Delta Pavilion.  With the plush gardens and waterscapes, guests were treated to an awesome location for the ceremony.  From the Delta Pavilion, guests continued their celebration in a very lively reception in the Magnolia Ballroom where the decor helped bring things to life.  International music and dancing (I believe Mark said Persian) definitely offered us plenty of opportunities for great images - especially with the high level of participation by guests.  Mark’s brother flew in from Germany and headed directly to the wedding and was flying right back out the following day which made for a marathon trip for him.  I hope everyone who traveled made it home safely.  Please feel free to let us know how you like the images by using the comments link below the bottom photo.  Congratulations to Debbie & Mark!

Cheekwood is one our favorite places to produce wedding images simply because of the vast opportunities that it allows an artist and the organization is great.  I’m proud to be a preferred photographer of Cheekwood, so recently we produced this gallery print to display in their offices to help brides see their awesome garden.