When I arrived at Melissa and Mathieu’s apartment, I couldn’t help but smile as I listened to them speak French to each other in the back while they finished getting ready. Mathieu is French, but met Melissa in North Carolina. They fell in love, and have since moved to Birmingham for Mathieu’s job, and Melissa told me she’s been working on perfecting her fluency in the language. She spent several months living with his sister and mother for a French-language intensive, which really helped, but she told me she likes to speak it as much as possible around the house because it’s so easy to lose. I have to say, I was a little envious… I haven’t taken a French class since my freshman year of college and kind of wish I hadn’t given it up.
Melissa and Mathieu actually got married in France back in February (I saw their album while I was at their apartment, and it was such a beautiful, romantic wintry wedding!), but Melissa contacted me several months ago about doing a bridal session since it was so cold during the wedding and they weren’t able to do as many portraits as they wanted. She said she still very much wanted a vintage-y European feel, and had loved my post about being obsessed with anything French, so she felt like we would have a similar vision. Luckily, their apartment was perfect for the shoot, with Melissa’s coral-colored velvet antique sofa and the gardens with fountains right outside their back door in the Highlands neighborhood of Birmingham. So… Alabama or France? You be the judge. ;)
Melissa also wanted to pay tribute to her mother by recreating this portrait of her. I thought this was an amazing idea, especially since even the colors were so perfect. (p.s. Doesn’t Melissa remind you of Maggie Gyllenhaal? So gorgeous! Thanks to Alexandra Ledbetter for the lovely hair and makeup.)
Ummm…. SUPER adorable! Are you kidding me?
Mathieu is actually thinking of pursuing a modeling career on the side… If this doesn’t scream G.Q., I don’t know what does! :)
Thank you both so much for such a fun session! You guys are too dang cute. :)
.JPG)
Serena - Oh my goodness, Morgan… these two are Darling! Gorgeous work, as always! <3
Amanda - Oh my, those first two shots look so “twilight”……love them!! I love the pictures with the umbrella and quilt. Who says it has to be a perfectly sunny day to get gorgeous pictures?