something new has bloomed in the blog world and i am super excited to share the news with you! if you’re a twitter or facebook friend of ours you may have already heard us mention this lovely news but we still decided to give it a post. we’re that pumped!
last may (2008) we officially shot our first string of weddings as altmix photography. those brides that trusted us early on hold a very special place in our hearts and we still keep up with many of them even today! one such couple is bonnie & david. remember them? the wedding with herb and twig and feather bouquets? and a stunning handmade wedding dress and veil? yes, that was bonnie & david:
when we first met them we realized we had a lot in common and we’ve been excited to watch them get married and start their own business(s!)- we’re always so impressed by their creativity and ingenuity! for a long time now bonnie has played with the idea of starting a blog about their life- they are so interesting and full of ideas and ready to jump into anything- perfect blog material in my opinion! so i am ecstatic to share with you that she’s begun! and with all things bonnie does- she’s doing it RIGHT.
from bonnie: going home to roost is dedicated to a simpler way of life and focuses on handmade style and design. it features talented artisans, designers & eco indieprenuers. it also includes handmade how-to’s, recipes and whole-living tips to boot. its purpose is to provide daily inspiration and to allow its readers to feed their creative minds!
so check her out! you will NOT be disappointed, promise! leave her a sweet comment and be sure to check out her two etsysites! i leave you with the eggs she sent home with us last time we visited her- their little backyard chicken coop is quite idyllic and it produces wonderfully creamy, organic eggs that are almost too pretty to eat…almost! :)
when i was younger there was a house that we passed every day on the way to school with a front yard FULL of wildflowers. as we drove by i dreamed of one day planting my own yard full of flowers instead of grass. life went on and i learned about neighborhood regulations- that dream was put on the back burner…until we showed up at chane’ & tom’s wedding! there were wildflowers EVERYWHERE! they stopped only for the occasional unpaved road and their color and vibrancy set the stage for their dream wedding. there were tall fields of sunflowers all around us and small bright poppies, daises and what looked like blue flax adorned every inch of natural space around the ceremony and reception sites. it was tom’s family’s property and chane’ was given free reign with the seeds- the sight could not have been more beautiful!
really everything about this wedding was a dream- the weather, the colors, the setting but most of all, the people. huge grins accompanied every event of the day, which was actually very helpful for me as chane’ and her family are from south africa and all day wove in an out of speaking english and the exotic sounding, afrikaans. the vibrant culture that accompanies this language was evident in chane’s wedding, and blended seamlessly with the southern hospitality of tom’s upbringing.
i could really talk all day about the unique and loving families who came together at this wedding, but really, i think the pictures can say much more. we’ll start with the beginning of the day, with the girls chatting in the kitchen lazily munching watermelon- while the dress was hanging quietly in a bedroom down the hall.
while i hung out with the ladies and watch chane’s little sister work absolute MAGIC on her hair, matt met the guys at tom’s grandparent’s old home. tom’s aunt lives there now and was so kind to allow us to wander the property and take portraits in the very same places tom used to play in as a kid! the nostalgia of the barn, especially, worked wonderfully for images- it was just so rich with old tools and dusty light!
probably one of my favorite images we’ve ever taken- the light is just so brilliant and dramatic and emphasizes the details on chane’s dress perfectly!
because i was so in love with the decor there was no way around us making a detail board for this wedding! chane’- your brilliance and creativity came together so perfectly! this is just amazing:
the sun came and went during the ceremony so we have a huge variety of images! i love that matt grabbed this one as the sun was just about to break through. he actually grabbed two shots so he could do a little composite- we rarely do anything HDR but the sky was too stunning not to!
just as matt grabbed the previous shot and started walking back to the ceremony, the sun peeked out and shined straight into my lens. usually i’d immediately angle the lens for a more balanced shot but the moment when it came out was so beautiful i wanted to capture exactly what their guests were seeing- the resulting capture brings a little thrill to my heart:
as does this look:
the sunflowers i mentioned before were tipped with golden light as we strolled down this little road for portraits. the next few moments are some of the best i’ve experienced as a photographer. the light was beyond words, the sunflowers were brilliantly golden and the green was glowing with the sunset- and chane’ & tom were celebrating being married, totally ignoring us, grinning and laughing and embracing and kissing- we couldn’t shoot quickly enough.
when the sun finally dropped it happened quickly- replacing the striking gold with a cool blue hue. i love how matt captured the reception, the dusky sky and the wildflowers in the foreground all in this shot:
chane’ & tom had their guests cheering and tearing up the dance floor from the moment they were introduced! tom even grabbed the mic and shocked us all (well, at least me! i guess his friends knew) by belting out mustang sally in a way i’m sure i’ll never hear again! the energy level stayed at rave status most of the evening and i’m sure matt and i had as much fun as the guests! seriously, i could go to their wedding again every weekend and enjoy it each time!
this next shot was taken as tom was reaching for the garter to toss it. chane’s mom’s expression cracks me up- it seems to be a mixture of disbelief and joy- really, all of the expressions are priceless- it’s a winner:
a robust cover of don’t stop believin’ brought down the house as the last song and we’ve never had a harder time picking out just one image of a series to share with you!
chane’ & tom, you guys, i don’t have words for you! everything about your wedding was as enjoyable for the guests as it was for you, and i don’t think i’ve ever smiled as much as i did (and laughed!) at your reception. thank you so so much for including us in your wedding, best wishes to you! oh and THANK YOU for introducing me to boiled peanuts, now everytime we pass a sign for them on the road i get all excited and make matt stop! ;)
let’s start with when we met them- at a walk through of their venue with their coordinator. they were OVERFLOWING with energy, creativity, ideas, energy, excitement and energy…and that was just lexi. adam was more reserved, but still witty, confident and engaging. together they were a power couple- you know one when you see one- they define that.
on their wedding day i walked in to find lexi and her ladies more than ready to get the party started! everything had been organized and planned and scheduled to a T and nothing was left but to enjoy it all; that’s what they were doing. i grabbed a few pics of lexi before we headed outside to take a few with her best friends and they ended up being some of my favorite shots of the day. ladies & gentlemen, i present to you the rockstar of the hour:
the image above and the image below are taken in the exact same location- i guess i thought it would be interesting to shoot against and with this beautiful light. i just shot from one side and then the other- not sure which look i like best in the end- they are so different! but really, lexi is so stunning, i could have shot her anywhere and been in love with the results!
while i spent time with the ladies matt rounded up the gents and grabbed a few portraits behind the venue. i love how matt uses space in his images- he’s the best ;)
matt took some time before the guests arrived to grab images of all of lexi’s beautiful details. while he was shooting he noticed this guy just chillin and made one of his favorite shots of the day:
i love each and every person’s expression in this next image- a beautiful mixture of pride and happiness:
adam & lexi wrote their own vows and had us all cracking up with their honesty and unique promises. :) it was a really personal and relaxed ceremony with a few extra impromptu ‘first kisses’ and lots of laughter:
lexi comes across as a person with a vision- and putting her wedding together compleatly proved that little feeling we got when we met her! all of the details were so perfect that we decided to put together a detail board to better display her brilliance:
there is something about this next image of their entrance into their reception that really just represents adam & lexi’s personalities, i love it!
there were totally adorable glam-ed out cameras on all of the tables for the guests to fill up and i have never seen them so utilized! even the bride grabbed one for a few seconds! from what i saw, i think there will be LOTS of laughs when those pictures are all developed. ;)
toasts were really emotional- full of hard laughing and even a little hard crying. i guess when you’re as passionate as lexi & adam, you have passionate families and attract passionate friends. it was really sweet to witness:
shortly after dinner the party really fell into full swing- here are a few of our faves from the rest of what was an incredible evening:
lexi is a natural rockstar and as such, is always in need of a mic. even during slow songs… i LOVE her!
lexi & adam, we had a blast at your wedding. everyone did. you created a day that was unique and fun and for that you are amazing. :) seriously, thank you so so much for having us there to capture all of the awesomeness that went down- there was a LOT. best wishes to you both!
