Bridal Ball

Back in September I signed on to be a vendor at the January, Bridal Ball Atlanta show at the Marriott in Buckhead. I finally made the decision to do so after months of just talking about it. Once I sent the deposit in, I was excited and honestly thankful for having  finalized that decision as it really gave me that extra push I needed to make preparations. I went into the show with an 'if a book some clients, great!' attitude but also would have just been happy to make some networking connections. Just over two weeks later, I'm happy to say I've made great vendor contacts to add to my growing list of wonderful professionals in the Atlanta area and have been very busy meeting with potential clients.

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I had such a fun time designing my booth, as well as a table for the pre-function inspiration room! (which I will share with you all on a later date)

My favorite part of my booth was the moss covered drawer of this pie crust table!

With the help of my dad, I made my own pipe and drape and lace curtains for the backdrop. My wonderful fiancé painted both my 'Like the Dazzling' and 'Planning and Coordination' signs because he is wonderful and a perfectionist when it comes to some things: in this case, straight lines!

Thank you to my mom who served as my assistant for one long day as well.

xoxo

Did you do a first look?

As I continue to help others plan their special day I tend to encourage a 'first look' before the ceremony for the bride and groom for a number of reasons.

1. You can knock out a ton of photos before the ceremony, including bridal party portraits and bride and groom portraits, leaving you to enjoy the cocktail hour with family and friends.
2. A number of brides that I've worked with do say it helps calm their nerves having that special moment before their walk down the aisle, allowing them to be more relaxed the remainder of the day/evening.
3. The photos are always priceless!
4. Your hair and makeup are as fresh as can be for the most beautiful photos.

That being said... Joe and I are not doing a first look. When we first talked about it, I wanted to and he was actually against it. After much discussion and revisiting the subject, we've flip flopped and he'd now prefer to and I've changed my mind and no longer want to. While our wedding may not be the most traditional of weddings, there are some things I'd like to take a more traditional route with- and this is one of them!

The 'first look' has becoming increasingly popular over the past few years and like so many aspects of a wedding is such a personal preference whether to partake or not. My favorite photos of the wedding days tend to be of the 'first-look' or those faux first looks where the bride and groom share a special moment alone before the ceremony while still staying true to the tradition of not seeing each other before the ceremony. Have a look for yourself!

Hannah & Joe: Engagement Session (yup, that's me!)

Joe and I had our engagement photos taken back in April and I am just now getting around to sharing some of my favorites from our session with Kelsey Barbour Photography. We used a photo of us sitting in front of our home to send out announcements when we bought our first home and are so excited to have some of these bad boys printed for our save the dates and we've already had one transferred to canvas for our home! Kelsey not only excelled in helping us preserve this special occasion, but in making Joe and I feel so comfortable in a situation that neither of us are used to being in. We went to a highly trafficked park in Atlanta and hardly noticed anyone else around us! Kelsey did a fantastic job at directing us in exactly what she wanted us to do and was very open to our own suggestions and opinions.

The weekend we chose was very ominous in Atlanta and when we planned to take photos on Saturday, the chance of rain was HIGH! We took the chance of going out and it didn't rain on us a single drop all day! We were able to finish our photos on the helicopter pad on the rooftop of Ventanas, thanks to a dear friend who allowed us access. Such a cool experience!