Haley + Dylan // A Modern Gadsden Wedding

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that you got some much-needed quality time with your loved ones! I’m writing this from Texas, where Jamie and I have been visiting his family for the past week. And while I’ve very much enjoyed getting plenty of R&R, I’m also itching to share some more of my 2013 weddings with you guys. So before my MIL and I head out to check out the Target after-Christmas sales, I wanted to take some time to tell you guys about one of my favorite weddings this year.

Haley is one of my fellow photographers here in Alabama, and when she initially sent me an email asking if I’d be interested in shooting her wedding (and sent me a link to her Pinterest board!), I couldn’t type my response quickly enough. (I’ve had the honor of shooting THREE weddings of photographer friends this year and it has been so much fun! A huge honor, and a little nerve-wracking if we’re being real, but mostly such a blast.) She told me about her fiancé Dylan, and how they actually got engaged a few years ago, but then a little surprise in the form of an adorable pint-sized son named Fox came along, and they decided to wait until he was a little older to officially tie the knot. I love that they did, because it was so special to have him there. Dylan carried him down the aisle and held him as Haley walked down with her dad, and they all stood and held hands together. It was wonderful.

I adore Haley and Dylan’s fun, modern style. Haley and I share a love for black and white stripes and gold sparkles and all things vintage-modern, so I was squealing like a little girl as I walked around the venue and checked out all her fabulous DIY projects and details. The blessing and curse of being a wedding photographer is that you’re exposed to the whole spectrum of trends and color palettes and vendors on a pretty regular basis, so I’m not sure whether that made it easier or harder for Haley to narrow down exactly what she wanted. (I’m pretty sure if I had been a photographer back when I was planning my own wedding, and if blogs and Pinterest were around, my brain would’ve exploded. ha.) Either way, she and Dylan did a great job of prioritizing what was most important to them and making it happen, and the result was definitely one of the most fun weddings I’ve been to.

I’ll get to more details soon enough, but for now I’ll start showing the goods. A HUGE thank you to my second shooter (and intern this fall!) Elizabeth Bacon for coming along and helping out and having (as always) such a positive and encouraging attitude on wedding days. She captured some of the gorgeous shots you’ll see below!

Onward…

How great are those DIY invites Haley designed and assembled? Love the gold-on-black addressing too.

There’s that sweet little Fox!

Here might be a good place to tell you that Dylan was a United Colors of Benetton model as a child when his family lived in Italy. So yeah…

Super sweet first look. Lots of tears. :)

Haley, you’re a knockout. Yep.

I feel I should also mention that Dylan is hilarious. Below is a behind-the-scenes shot of the above photograph being taken. ;)

Wedding party in black and white? Yes please!

It was a fun group, no doubt about it.

Elizabeth and I were dying over their venue, Events on Court. The exterior reminded us a lot of New Orleans-style courtyards, and the interior had a very industrial, open, loft kind of feel. It’s great to know that spaces like this exist in Gadsden (which is not that far from Birmingham, brides… ;)).

Fox was munching on a banana for most of the ceremony. It was so stinkin’ adorable.

Love this sweet shot of Haley and her father that Elizabeth captured right before they walked down the aisle.

Fun fact: the officiant, Drew, is one of Haley and Dylan’s clients-turned-friends. They shot his and Danielle’s wedding earlier this year (and it was also adorable!), and they’ve become close friends since. Haley and Dylan asked him to become ordained just to do their ceremony. How special is that?

Just can’t handle the cuteness.

This reception? Yeah, it was ridiculously fun.

You know it’s a good party if the centerpieces wind up in the guacamole, am I right?

Haley and Dylan, thank you so so much for having me along to capture this gorgeous day! We had an insanely fun time and wish you and your precious little family all the best!