Dan & Anne

Venues: Forest Baptist Church and Erica’s family home
Coordinator: Kendall Poole Events
Floral Design: Mapp’s Florist
Bakery: That Special Touch
Videography: BrideFilm
Catering and Event Design: Pretty Presentation
Band: Block Party

Forest, Mississippi may not be close to anything (including a Starbucks!), but it is BEAUTIFUL countryside! Dan and I were so lucky to get to celebrate with Erica and Matthew in May, spending two perfect rain-free days with their amazing family and friends.  These are just a few of my favorite images from our shoot in a tiny town in the middle of the Bienville National Forest…

Erica and Matt, thank you guys so much for bringing us out to Forest to celebrate with you!  More photos coming SOON!

Photos by Anne Almasy

Catherine and Michael never planned to get married — to anyone.  Which made their wedding day just that…much…more…AWESOME!  I started my day with them riding MARTA with Michael and the guys…

Catherine and Michael’s entire celebration took place at one of my FAVORITE Decatur restaurants, Wahoo! It’s seriously the PERFECT date spot, especially when the weather is nice and you can enjoy the outdoor dining!  They even had this lovely little light-filled room where Catherine could get ready…

Catherine and her dad…

Amanda Sanderfer designed the flowers, and Catherine designed the programs and menus!

The dads with their kiddos…

Family!

Melanie Sundquist created the yummy cakes…

Catherine and Michael have a loooooong history of cupcake adventures together, so each guest got their very own cupcake and a menu detailing the different flavors…

The longest-married couple at C&M’s wedding shares a bit of (serious and silly) advice…

Maybe it’s just me, but this picture still has me laughing.  It’s just so… them.  HA!

Catherine and Michael’s friends DJ Shane V and Barry Brandon DJ’s and MC’d their wedding.  Barry also worked with Michael to tweak the lyrics to one of Barry’s song…and they sang it to Catherine during the reception!

Last dance of the night…

Catherine and Michael, I had SO MUCH FUN celebrating with you guys!  I hope you’re having a fantabulous cruise, and I’m looking forward to more dinners when you’re back home!  Oh, and… HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MICHAEL!

Photos by Anne Almasy

Monica and Michael are both educators, writers, and creatives.  Monica is a minister.  Michael is a meditator.  Family and community are everything to them.  (She’s also hooked on Bravo reality TV, and I hear he has a killer jump shot!)  Their ceremony reflected their personalities and values through a beautifully-crafted blend of KMT, Yoruba, and progressive Christian traditions.

I was excited when I learned that they had chosen the Atlanta Friends Meeting House as their ceremony location, a light-filled Quaker worship center just around the corner from where Dan and I live.

A Blooming Earth provided Monica’s bouquet of roses, and Therez Fleetwood designed Monica’s gown.

Michael arrived at the Meeting House ready to go, so he relaxed in one of the classrooms, talking religion and politics until wedding time.  They were all so engrossed in conversation they didn’t pay any attention to me!

Monica’s friend and hair stylist Chakayah, slipping small shells onto the hair pins for Monica’s hair…

Ashley Morton did a beautiful job on Monica’s makeup…

Monica and her mom…

One of the ministers puts the finishing touches on her sermon while friends sign the guest book…

Michael played the djembe as Monica danced down the aisle toward him…

They remembered and honored their ancestors with a libation…

Their guests were invited to participate in a Meal of Freedom, which Monica and Michael shared with each person in turn.

The clergy…

Monica and Michael with their matchmaker!

Instead of numbering the dinner tables, Monica and Michael identified each table with a portrait of one of their favorite authors.  Since they initially bonded over their love of “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” James Baldwin’s photograph was front and center at their table.

A prayer before the meal…

Monica and Michael signed a traditional Quaker marriage contract, and their guests added their names as witnesses and supporters of their partnership.  Since many of their friends and family were unable to be at their Atlanta celebration, they will take the contract with them around the country as they celebrate with their loved ones, adding signatures along the way.  Monica’s talented cousins Cynithea and Jared designed their logo.

A vegan meal was prepared and served family-style by Healthful Essence.

Monica’s father passed several years ago, so she shared the traditional father-daughter dance with her uncle…

Monica and Michael, thank you for honoring me by including me in your celebration of marriage!  I was so blessed to experience the day with you!

Photographs by Anne Almasy

I have to thank our friend and gifted videographer Paul Wages for sending Daisy and Matt my way.  They celebrated their marriage ceremony with a small gathering of friends and family and the beautiful, historic Rhodes Hall here in Atlanta.  I was so honored to be a part of this evening with them!

Daisy and Matt, thank you so much for everything — in particular the DELICIOUS dish of food that Bold American send home for me!  YUM YUM YUM!

In nearly 7 years of shooting weddings, this was our first-ever New Year’s Eve wedding!  You wouldn’t have believed it was December 31st, though; the weather out at Lake Oconee was nearly 70F, the sun was shining, and there was only a soft breeze.  It was just another reminder of why we love living in the south!

We were lucky enough to not only get to photograph Danielle and Chris’s wedding at the beautiful Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Plantation — we got to stay there, too!  (Happy New Year to us, right?)

The guys were hanging out at the lakeside restaurant and watching football (what else?)…

…while the ladies enjoyed massages and salon services at the Ritz’s luxurious spa!

Danielle and Chris had rented cottages on the Plantation property, which gave the whole affair a homey vibe…

Chris finally headed back to his cottage to get ready…

Danielle’s mom and sister help her into her Priscilla of Boston gown.  Danielle told me that her mom, grandmother, and sister had all worn Priscilla gowns!

A little liquid courage…

Earrings and jackets…

Danielle checks herself one last time in a mirror…

Danielle’s grandmother was unable to travel for the wedding, but she sent a necklace for Danielle to wrap around her bouquet…

I was SO glad when Danielle and Chris decided to see each other before their ceremony and take some photographs.  We got some beautiful daylight images before their sunset ceremony!  Here’s a shot of Chris seeing Danielle in her gown for the very first time…

Love.

The living room of one of the cottages was cleared out for Danielle and Chris’s intimate ceremony to take place.  Chris’s dad passed away a couple of years ago, but he was remembered with this shadow box, containing his photograph and his war medals.

The guests gathered in front of the fireplace to see Danielle and Chris say “I do.”

Married!

Right away everyone was popping champagne and toasting the newlyweds!

All 20 of the wedding guests with the bride and groom…

It may not have FELT like Christmas was just a few days past, but the twinkly lights in the trees were a reminder that the holidays were still in full swing!

Everyone enjoyed a long dinner in one of the Ritz’s dining rooms…

Just before midnight, Danielle and Chris and their guests walked down to the lake to count down to the New Year…

Happy New Year!

Danielle and Chris, THANK YOU both for including Dan and I in such a beautiful celebration!  You guys are completely perfect for each other, and we are so happy to have gotten to know you!

Photos by Dan and Anne Almasy

In the south, you never really know what you’re going to get in November.  It could be 40 degrees outside; it could be pouring rain; it could be dark and dreary.  But Laura and Daniel’s wedding day was sunny and 65 — the PERFECT fall day to get married!

We got started at Kairos, a Grant Park congregation who has taken over a beautiful old church building just a few blocks from the park.  Before Laura and Daniel moved to California, this was their church home.

Tony Brewer and Company designed the floral arrangements…

Daniel got some bow-tie help from his groomsmen…

So, I really can’t blog about Laura and Daniel’s wedding without also mentioning the near-chaos that ensued when the zipper on Laura’s wedding dress broke!  By “broke” I mean “fell apart completely”!  AH!  There wasn’t time to take the dress all the way back to the bridal salon for repair, so I called my sweet friend Morgan of Natural Bridals, who lives just around the corner from the church.  She rushed over to save the day for a bride she’d never met, wearing a dress she didn’t make.  Morgan was the HERO!

Laura’s sister helped the dress-repair process by taking charge of Laura’s veil…

I about died when I saw this shot of Dan’s!  What is more appropriate to a southern wedding than a Chick-fil-A car?

Laura and Daniel decided to see each other before the ceremony, so we were able to get some great photos of their first moments together!

Then everyone headed over to Grant Park for photos…

The groomsmen…

The bridesmaids…

Bouquets and boutonnieres…

I LOVED Laura’s loose, natural hair style; and her makeup was perfect!  Nikole at Van Michael Salon did an amazing job!

Laura’s niece, the little flower girl…

Ceremony time!  Daniel’s face as Laura walked in with her dad…

The parents all look on…

The whole (new) fam!

Another kick-a$$ wedding sign from Chocolate Butterbean greeted guests who arrived at Park Tavern for the reception…

The first dance…

Event design was also managed by Tony Brewer and Company…

Another fanta-bulous wedding cake by Publix!

Toasting…

Daniel’s parents…

You must immediately to over to Funk Sandwich‘s website and get a taste of their awesomeness!  They had EVERYONE on the dance floor until the very end of the night!

About half-way through the night, Laura and Daniel broke out the props!  Every single guest was playing blow-up guitars, wearing sunglasses, sporting fake mustaches, or distributing glitter over everything with what appeared to be fake microphones!  It was AWESOME.

Laura and her dad…

The grand exit!

HUGE thanks to Sunny Bowles for coordinating the day, and making everything run so smoothly!

Laura and Daniel, we had a BLAST at your wedding!  (Thank you so much for trusting two people you’d never met to be there capturing it all!)  Congratulations!