Masthead header

Michelle + Ed // A Classic Country Club Brunch Wedding

10.12.11 4 comments

I just can’t get over how glorious this fall weather has been here in Alabama, and I’m even more thankful than usual because I’ve gotten to see how it’s provided the most gorgeous backdrop for all my October weddings this year. Michelle and Ed’s wedding this past Saturday was no different- the sun was shining, the leaves were beginning to reach their peak, there was a crisp feel to the air… absolute perfection.

And these two are just so sweet that their love would’ve lit up the yuckiest of days if it had come down to that. They met at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church here in Birmingham (which is also where their ceremony was held), and while Michelle took the playing hard to get approach when they first met, Ed pursued her until she decided it was okay to open up and be nice to him. :) They saw each other through some tough times, not the least of which was a cancer diagnosis, but they made it through stronger than ever. What I also love about their relationship is how easily they meshed their families together. To see Michelle interact with Ed’s three children on the day of the wedding was truly one of the most touching things ever. It’s so clear that they’re genuinely happy to be in each other’s lives.

I’m honored that they chose me to document their day, and I hope you enjoy the photos! Major thanks to my friend Carmen Michael for second shooting and capturing some of the shots you see below. She’s prettttty awesome. :)

This vintage Porsche? Yep, it was their getaway car. JEALOUS!

Michelle also wore her grandmother’s engagement ring, which was kept in its ORIGINAL box from a jewelry company here in Birmingham. How amazing is that?

DYING over here. So, so sweet.

Adore these two shots of Michelle and her father that Carmen captured just before the ceremony. Oh my goodness.

This is what I’m talking about with the amazing relationship Michelle has with Ed’s kids. They were all SO excited!

We then headed to the Birmingham Country Club for a lovely jazz brunch reception.

Some of the happiest send off photos EVER.

Congratulations Michelle and Ed!

sharetweetpinemail
add a comment

Kelly Cummings - this is taking me back! (as you know, Garrett & I got blessed/married at St. Luke’s!) I love the woman laughing through the glass and the detail of the TP trailing behind the car. And the B&W of Michelle with her veil. Lovely as always, dear friend! :)

Angela - Great job! I love the leaves in the pool!

Gail - You had me at vintage Porsche! LOVE those send-off photos!

Jamie + Spencer // A Lovely Spring Wedding… With Snow » Morgan Trinker Photography | Birmingham, AL - […] may recognize Michelle and Ed in the photo below… I shot their wedding back in October of 2011! Turns out Ed and Spencer are cousins… what a small world! […]

Amanda + Andreas // An Autumn Germany-meets-Alabama Wedding

10.06.11 9 comments

The first time I met Amanda and she began telling me about her wedding plans, all I could think in my head was MUST. BOOK. THIS. WEDDING. Ha. But really… this wedding had some of my very favorite wedding elements: an at-home backyard reception, a marrying of not only two people but two cultures (she’s from Alabama and her now-husband Andreas is German), really good Southern cooking (thank you Savoie!), some offbeat details, and the most glorious, crisp fall weather you could imagine.

But their story is just as beautiful. They met when Amanda was studying abroad in Germany. In her words, she was the “desperate foreigner looking for English-speaking friends, and he was the local scoping out the cute foreigners.” Before Amanda left the country, she got up the nerve to tell Andreas she had a crush on him, and next thing you know they were rendez-vous-ing in NYC and then moving to California. But their relationship wasn’t all jet-setting and storybook romance. Shortly after they moved to California, Amanda’s grandfather suddenly passed away and they faced some other difficult times. After years of going up against all sorts of challenges, they discovered that only one thing mattered to them: being together. Last Saturday, all their friends and family were able to witness them promising each other to do just that for the rest of their lives.

Hope you guys enjoy the continuation of their story in the images we captured on their wedding day. HUGE thanks to my lovely second shooter Rylee Hitchner for being the calm to my storm of craziness and shooting several of the gorgeous photos you see below. (I kid you not- the girl’s only in her freshman year of college and is already kicking butt in this industry.)

Enjoy!

Yay first looks!

These two? Practically models.

How much do you love this fall bouquet?

Looooved the mismatched green bridesmaids dresses.

I loved the shots of the ceremony that Rylee grabbed from inside the house.

I am in LOVE with fall, and all these gorgeous fall colors and flowers.

You should just know that if you plan on getting married on a Saturday in fall in the South, you better have some TVs around so no one misses the big games. (Or else they might not show up at all…. And I’m only exaggerating a little. Ha.) This day was a double whammy, as there were both Auburn AND Alabama fans among the wedding guests. Talk about a football extravaganza! :)

There is a German wedding tradition in which the bride and groom, as soon as they exit the ceremony, saw a log in half. From what I discovered on my brief Google search just now, it’s supposed to symbolize the first tough tasks they will encounter and overcome together as a married couple. Rather than literally saw a log, Amanda and Andreas had a cake made in the shape of a log and cut that instead. A lot easier and a lot more tasty. :)

After leaving the wedding, I went with Amanda and Andreas to the Redmont Hotel, where they were staying that night. We did some last fun end-of-the-night shots. Love it!

Congratulations Amanda and Andreas! I had SO much fun shooting your wedding, and I wish you the best of luck in your marriage!
sharetweetpinemail
add a comment

Jenn Valluzzo - Absolutely love Morgan. So well done!

carly - Loving your processing, lady… You killed it here.

Michele K. - Please tell me you thought of me at least once during this wedding with German things in it! Yum, bratwurst and sauerkraut. Stupendous pictures, as always.

Angela Leisure - Woop-WHOOP!

melissa m - i am in love with those hotel shots! beautiful, as always!

Lurenda Avery - Morgan these are absolutely amazing!! You didn’t miss a thing and you made my parents’ home look even more beautiful than it is in person. You are one talented lady! I so enjoyed meeting you Saturday.

Aunt Heather - Seriously Morgan……I will have to say that this wedding is probably in my top 3 favorites. I ABSOLUTELY love the shots of them in the field with the trees (one he is holding her up and the other he is kneeling). The lighting is gorgeous!!! I would probably be spending a gozillion dollars on pictures if I were them or their families!! Love to you and Jamie.

Amanda Prestridge - Morgan, I still get chills all over my body each time I look at the pictures (which is at least 10 times a day!) Thank you again! You are such a fun loving, talented lady and have completely exceed my expectations!

Amanda Prestridge - **exceeded