wedding photographer athens — Beauty & Beard PhotographyBlog

We just recently shared their engagement session and mentioned having met with them a while ago at Starbucks and getting to meet the bride’s parents there as well. If you’d like to see their engagement session, click here.

We started their wedding day with saying hey and photographing some of the getting ready with the girls. It was our first wedding working with Taylor even though we already knew her a little and her salon but it was great to capture their work. The Bridesmaids all had a lot of fun and you could hear the laughter throughout venue and with the walls for the guys dressing room and the girls room being shared, they had some hilarious moments with each other. Later once the guys were dressed and had received their groomsmen gifts, we hopped on the golf cart to go down by the water and pinned the boutonniere’s on them all just before doing the group photos. Once we finished their group photos, the groom and his brother shared a moment to take it all in before heading back up to their room so the bride could come out. Once Cara got in her dress with the held from her mom, we then loaded them all onto the golf cart as well to go back down so there was some uniformity to the group photos. It seemed to be a theme that everyone had a great sense of humor and was having a great time throughout the day and the girls group photos was no exception. Once we finished those, we took a few bridal portraits as well and headed back up the hill to get ready for the ceremony. Everyone was making their way in and JJ (the in house coordinator for the venue) started taking grandparents over on the golf cart from the reception venue where most of the attendees were congregating. They formed the lineup just behind the big white curtain once everyone had made their way into the somewhat newly built ceremony venue on the grounds. Everyone made their way in on their que but we really wanted to highlight the groom’s sister and that she clearly loves her brother and shed some tears on her way down the aisle just after him, it was such a great moment. Fast forward just a little bit and the bride makes her entrance and as soon as Jordan (the groom) saw her, he was smiling from ear to ear and you could tell this was the happiest day of their lives. The ceremony went perfectly and they chose pink and black sand for the unity sand ceremony. Once they kissed to seal the deal, they shared an adorable hug and walked back up the aisle as husband and wife with pure joy on their faces.

They quickly signed the marriage certificate with the officiant and we did family photos just behind the ceremony site by this beautiful arch way they have built out of wood from the property. Once we made sure we got everything on the family photo check list, we took the entire wedding party down to the water and got the full group photos and a few silly ones as well. We then sent the bridal party back up and just took a few moments to take some of the newlyweds together with the stunning fall colors and large pond as an amazing backdrop.

Once they were announced into the reception, they went into the dances and after their beautiful dance, the father daughter and mother son dances, they actually all shared one slow dance as couples which doesn’t happen often but we think is such a beautiful thing to do. Fast forward through all of the fun events of the night like the cake cutting and bouquet toss and the kids were making the best of the smores station and bonfire outside while a lot of the rest were inside dancing. They actually did a fake exit and went back into dancing and smores after which gave them probably the longest sparkler exit line we have had the honor of being a part of which was so perfect with the streamed lights that the venue have outside making for even more beautiful and warm light into the joy filled exit. We left shortly after a little bit more dancing and saying bye to the family and newlyweds and are super excited for their future as Mr. and Mrs. Spinks!

Vendors List

Photography - Beauty & Beard Photography @beautyandbeardphoto

Venue - Padgett’s Farm

Ceremony Director - Tracy Yahn Events

Flowers - Yvonne’s Flowers and Gifts

Dress - Elegant Bridal

Bridesmaids Outfits - David’s Bridal

Hair & Makeup - Taylor Prince/ Undertone Salon

Officiant - Chris Lotz

Men’s Vests - Men’s Wearhouse

Bride’s Ring - Kay Jewelers

Cake - Publix

Catering - Fine Seasoning Catering

DJ - Mario Chavez

We have had the honor of capturing all three of these wonderful sister’s weddings now and feel as if we can call their whole family friends at this point. We originally didn’t have their date available until they moved it and the photographer they had hired wasn’t available for the new date so they checked in to see if we happened to be and it worked out perfectly! Each wedding day was so different and this one was full of meaningful heirlooms and locations which felt fitting.

The day started off in their family home in Lavonia, GA with getting to say hey to them all again and the girls all getting ready while we started details downstairs. Once C’Lee was ready and hopped in her dress, we had her sisters help her down the stairs for their mom Martha to button up the dress in a spot that had a little more space and light available which turned out beautifully. Just after that, we got their dad to come out also and do their first look just before heading through the woods to their grandparents house so we could use their gorgeous driveway for a few photos. Once we finished that up, the girls hopped back on the golf cart and we headed off to the church to meet up with the guys just down the road and get a feel for the ceremony space. All we can say is that we probably have 50 or so images of the guys just laughing together and doing funny poses and it was a great time with them just before getting ready for the ceremony. We were also doing a highlight film and were limited on space so I setup a third camera upstairs on the balcony to pick up audio and another angle for the video before they started heading down the aisle. Once they said their hand written (and might we add adorable) vows and the officiant declared them husband and wife, they gave each other a big high five and then kissed before making their way back up the aisle as husband and wife with the bride’s sister Haley-Sue playing acoustic guitar behind them.

We then got to hop into family formals just outside of this church that the bride’s family has been apart of for many years (her grandparents got married here as well and we recreated a photo for them, it’s the black and white one in front of the stained glass window). It was very long before it started to get dark and they also needed to lock up the church so we quickly went inside to get some photos with the full bridal party and the recreation photos by the window. We then headed out front to quickly get a few couples photos and then head off to the reception site which it was dark once we arrived and they very quickly got ready to be announced in by the dj (who also dj’d Haley-Sue’s wedding reception). Everyone cheered as they made their way in the front doors and they headed straight to their sweetheart table to get food and everyone enjoyed dinner before the cake cutting. Once they fed each other some cake, they sat down again to have her twin sister and his best man give the toasts and recall some of their favorite moments together. They then had a fun twist where the first dance is near the end and then mingled for a little before it was time to do the sparkler exit. The sparklers sadly died quickly but everyone was still shouting and the happy couple was laughing and smiling the entire way to the their car surrounded by people that they absolutely adore. Once they hopped in, they waved out of the window and drove off into the night as newlyweds! It was amazing getting to be a part of so many beautiful days and moments in this families lives and this last one was just full of all of the warm hearted people and moments that we have grown very fond of over these past few years. We say this a lot but we sincerely cannot wait to see what the future holds for the newlyweds and the rest of their family!