ely and art

One of the neatest aspects of being a wedding photographer is getting to know the bride and groom and their families ~ not just on their wedding day but from the first phone call conversation to the last goodbye wave of their wedding day departure. We have the special honor of stepping behind the camera and catching all the love and emotion of one of the most important and joyous days in a family’s life ~ a wedding ~ wow! And, each wedding is so unique ~ no two are ever the same. So, let me introduce you to one of the most special brides we’ve had the privilege of shooting (and, of course, her fabulous groom!)… meet Ely and Art ~ our wedding day ‘Couple of the Year’ ~ yes, keep reading…

Ely’s first phone call came almost one year out from her wedding date and we knew immediately that we were going to love them and everything about their wedding and reception ~ they’re just those kind of folks! :D The details – ceremony in front of the Atlanta History Center’s gorgeous Swan House and reception across the walkway in the Grand Ballroom – fabulous!

The weather that morning was perfect. A bit overcast but that’s always a real PLUS for us! It gives us just the right amount of light without the harsh glare of afternoon sun. Ely and her bridesmaids looked beautiful and Art and the groomsmen were doing what the guys do best – whatever we needed to get the shots. (guys sometimes get a bad rap ~ they were super!)

So, all was set. The exquisite Boxwood Gardens on the side lawn was beautifully decorated and ready for the post-ceremony cocktail hour. Guests had arrived and were seated on the expansive front lawn. Lisanne and Brittany of Watermark Weddings had triple-checked every detail ~ perfection!…Let the ceremony begin! Ely and her Dad made their grand entrance out the front doors of the Swan House and down the long staircase to her waiting groom …and it began to sprinkle…just a few light drops…okay….

…and then a bit harder …and harder …and HARDER! You could see people looking at each other, trying to decide the best moves to make in an ever-growing crazy situation. Ely’s sister grabbed an umbrella to help shield Ely from the increasing downpour. Guests created make-shift umbrellas from anything they could get their hands on… I dropped my camera into one of our bags and grabbed the umbrella we had brought (just in case ~ whew!) and ran to hold it over Frank’s head as he continued to shoot… the rain wasn’t letting up…it was raining harder… But Ely smiled. Art smiled. Their wedding party never budged. It kept raining. The officiant couldn’t see his papers because his glasses were soaking wet and fogging faster than he could wipe them off. Oh my. Could this be happening? Ely and Art clutched hands and kept smiling. This was their wedding day…

And so you can just imagine…they hurried through their vows – ‘We do, we DO!’ and everyone made a run for cover! Everyone was soaked. (Have you ever taken a shower and dried off with a cloth dinner napkin? It can be done…) :-D As we huddled on the side porch of the Swan House, Ely and Art tried their best to get composed – they were GREAT ~ we were AMAZED. You know, your best and worst comes out under pressure and these two were nothing short of wonderful! A side note – remember OUR bags that we left as we continued to shoot? Well, an amazing, sweet lady offered to shield them with her tiny umbrella, but after the ceremony, they were nowhere to be found. I’m talking about ALL of our equipment – lenses, camera bodies, etc. As the rain had continued, guests ran for cover. We found out later that some kind guests had whisked our bags away to protect them from the pouring rain – and these were HEAVY bags. We finally found them at the reception, securely watched over by another guest. We were (and still are) forever grateful – thank you again kind friends!

As guests, family, and wedding party dried off as best they could, the reception at the Grand Ballroom Overlook got under way – everything looked beautiful!