2009 Ultimate Guy's Expo

Come down to the Trade Center next, Saturday and Sunday, November 14th and 15th for the Ultimate Guy's Expo! We'll be down there with the photo booth, and there are plenty of other things to see and do! Our good friend Chef Jamie Keating of the Rivermill Event Center will be there doing a demo! If you haven't had some fun in our photo booth yet, this is your chance!

Admission is $6 and we'll be there from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. We'd love to see you!

Josh Weathers and Amanda Boatner

August 28th was a warm and beautiful day, perfect for "I dos" out at Oakhurst Farms in West Point, Georgia! Amanda Boatner and Josh Weathers could not have picked a better day!

Amanda looked lovely in her cathedral veil and a gorgeous v-neck gown. Her bridesmaids looked sophisticated and classy in their floor length black gowns. The bride and her maids carried beautiful bouquets of white flowers and greenery. Josh was a very happy man to see his beautiful new wife for the first time!

Julie has a family connection to Amanda! Amanda's Aunt Nita has been friends with Julie's family for 21 years. Also, Aunt Nita is part of Julie's sister's family by marriage! It is always nice when we are connected to the families we photograph.

To make her getaway, Amanda changed into a polo shirt monogrammed with her new initials, 'ABW'. The bride and Groom got a spectacular sparkler send off to start their new married life together!

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Weathers! We hope your marriage is as fun and loving as your big day!

WTVM "Wedding of Your Dreams" Contest

JE Hedges Photography and JE Hedges Photo Booths has been selected as the official photographer and photo booth of the WTVM "Wedding of Your Dreams" wedding giveaway contest. Right from the Start and WTVM are giving one lucky couple the wedding of their dreams where each element of the wedding will be voted on by the community. Registration begins November 2 and goes through January 15, 2010. The "dream wedding" will be broadcast live on WTVM.

For more information, visit http://www.wtvm.com/Global/category.asp?C=176521 .

Wedding Trends: Personalization

Looking for another fun way to express your personal style at your wedding? Consider a personalized aisle runner! Our friend (and client!) April Dorrill Sawyer had one at her wedding, and we fell in love! You can have them personalized with your initials, a monogram, a phase ("...and they lived happily ever after"), a bible verse or a custom logo. You can get a ribbon border sewn onto the runner to match your color scheme. You can even get custom table runners and unity candles to match! Check out www.signatureweddingaislerunners.com for all the fun!

JE Hedges Photography's New Division!!!

We are excited to introduce you to the newest division of JE Hedges Photography………. JE Hedges Photo Booths!!!!

Photo Booths are the perfect complement to any and all events!

From Wedding Receptions, Family Reunions, Corporate Parties, Trade Shows, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, Fund-Raisers, Church Events, Grand Openings, Team Building, Birthdays, Sweet Sixteen, Proms, Homecomings, Slumber Parties, Engagement Parties, Graduations, Class Reunions…. YOU NAME IT!!!!

Photo Booths are perfect for any event in which the goal is FUN!

Your Guests will have the opportunity to get in and out of our booth all night long… making unlimited photos and having loads of fun! We have over 35 different props guests can choose from to make their Photo Booth experience even more enjoyable.

Each Photo Strip contains six poses with a customizable strip down the middle! Photo Strips are the one Souvenir your Guests will NEVER throw away!!!

Check out the new website: www.JEHedgesPhotoBooths.com

Sweet Planes, Pretty Girls, & Fast Cars

Members of the Columbus Georgia Photographers Group organized a “Shoot-out” at the Columbus Airport on September 1st, 2009. Several very generous (and brave) individuals allowed us use of their private planes and well polished cars to photograph! Throw in a couple of gorgeous models with some of the zaniest photographers in Columbus... and you’ve got yourself one crazy, super hot, and awesome photo shoot!

A special shout-out to John Helms who organized the event. A special thanks to all those who were brave enough to lend their vehicles, (air or land-based!), to Marco’s for the tasty pizza, to Stephanie Kelly, the very talented make-up artist for the evening, and our models who allowed us to abuse them! Great job everyone! Keith and Julie are looking forward to the next event! Side note: We are slowly processing the hundreds of images we made that evening. As we complete them, we will be uploading them to the JE Hedges Facebook page. You can view the images and become a fan of ours on Facebook by clicking here: http://www.fbook.me/jehedges

Jason Bagget and Leslie Thigpen

It was a typical warm and muggy August 1st in central Georgia, but that didn’t melt the mood at Oakhurst Farm in West Point! Leslie Thigpen and Jason Baggett were as cool as ever on their wedding day! Julie and Keith even brought along another set of hands to help capture Leslie and Jason’s day—studio friend and professional photographer, John Helms.

Check out Leslie’s pictures to see her great idea for a bridesmaid’s present! She got all of her girls yellow terry cloth wraps with their initials monogrammed in pink. She even got the flower girls tiny pink wraps, complete with their initials! They all wore them while they were getting ready so they’d stay cool and comfortable!

Leslie was beautiful in her halter-style dress with a beaded bodice. Her bridesmaids wore tea-length, chocolate brown, strapless dresses with white sashes. (Tea-length is definitely the way to go for your girls in the summer time, ladies!) All of these beautiful women carried bright-colored bouquets of daisies designed by Kimberly Nelson. Jason’s groomsmen looked (and stayed) cool in tan linen suits. (Another good summer time alternative to traditional wedding wear!)

The reception was a fun one! All of the guests had a great time dancing with the bride and groom to the tunes of the band, Mindblender! Jason even got up and entertained the crowd with a song! Burt’s Butcher Shop catered a delicious reception dinner for everyone! No one can say that Jason isn’t ready for football season! Fran Papenfuss made him a great chocolate groom’s cake, complete with an Aubie the tiger cake topper! Fran also did a beautiful job (as usual) on the wedding cake!

The evening concluded with a sparkling send off! Guests used “Morning Glory” sparklers. They give off great colors! (We recommend those for anyone thinking about using sparklers, they make for great pictures!)

We had the best time spending your special day with you, Jason and Leslie! Your wedding party and families were so much fun! Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Baggett!

Rivermill Bridal Show

What a fantastic day we had on August 31st at the Rivermill Bridal Show! We talked to Almost 100 brides that day!

Heather Williams of the Ledger-Enquirer, Jamie Keating and Mary Luby of the Rivermill Event Centre did a fantastic job on the show, and Judy Wilkinson of Formal Elegance put on a fun and energetic fashion show full of great gals and great gowns!

If you're stopping by our website to say hello because you met us at the show, be sure to drop us a line! We love making new friends!

A Fun Wedding Keepsake

Most likely, if you invite your favorite actress or the President to your wedding, they won’t attend. However, they may send an official letter of congratulations! Wouldn’t it be great to read the letter at your 50th wedding anniversary?! Julie and Cary did it when they got married and they have a fun keepsake to treasure!

You can get addresses for your favorite celebrities from their official websites. The President’s invitation should be sent to:

The Honorable Barack Obama and Mrs. Michelle Obama

The White House

Greetings Office Room 39

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington, DC 20500

Be sure to send the invite to the President at least six weeks in advance, as they handle as many as they possibly can on time!

YOUR PRAYERS ARE NEEDED

Friends,

I ask for your prayers and well wishes at this time for two our past brides:

Serena Mills became severely ill right after her wedding in February of 2008. She was in and out of the hospital, leaving doctors baffled, as her symptoms did not fall into a clear cut catagory.

After many doctor visits and tests, she was diagnosed with Chron's Disease. Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines, which results in many serious symptoms and pain. Unfortunatley, Crohn's can be managed but not cured. Serena was placed on heavy hitter antibiotics, and over time, developed Clostridium difficile Colitis (aka C. diff).

Serena was just released from the hospital last week after a lengthy stay. After speaking with her mother, it looks as though she may be on the road to recovery. Serena did receive some partially good news, although she is still waiting for confirmation. It appears that she may not have Chron's afterall, but Ulcerticultis (sp?)... which is an improvement. Of course, we wish Serena didn't have to have either.

Katy Carroll-Moncus was recently married, April 18th, 2009. Shortly after returning from her honeymoon, she discovered a lump in her breast. Her worst fears were confirmed on July 13th. Katy has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Katy is one of the most physically fit women I know. She is active "Aflac Iron Girl", participating in triatholons - Swimming, Biking, and Running. Katy is currently undergoing chemotherapy, but no doubt, Katy's iron-tough body will fight and win this battle. Please visit Katy's website: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/katycarrollmoncus

Serena and Katy, we will continue to pray for your healing and send you loving wishes on your road to recovery. Big hugs! Jules

Mindy & Jamie Turnbull

Oakhurst Farm
July 10th, 2009

One of the Most Fun Things About Planning a Wedding

Part of the fun of planning a wedding is getting to register for gifts! It actually wound up being a fun bonding experience for Joel and me. He thought for sure he wouldn’t have any fun, but as soon as they handed him the scanner, it was like the Wild West. He was shooting at EVERYTHING with it!

One of the things to remember about registering is to give the guests a lot to choose from. You should have a variety of items in different price ranges. That way, Great Aunt Zelda can get your china and your little cousin Sallie and get your salad tongs!

Also remember, wedding etiquette dictates that the information about where you’re registered goes out with SHOWER invitations, not the wedding invitation.

Columbus is growing and changing! There are lots more places to register now then ever before! Here are some ideas about where to register and what to register for:

Wal-mart: if you and the fiancée are just starting out, Wal-mart is the place. You can register for everything from cleaning supplies to big screen TVs there! Wal-mart is great because you can have a wide array of gifts and price ranges to choose from.

Target: Another great place for the basics. Target also has really stylish small furniture items like bar stools and ottomans!

Bed, Bath & Beyond: Good for “everyday” china, cookware and other kitchen supplies. Also, they have home décor and awesome fluffy towels!

Kohl’s: (my personal favorite!) Kohl’s is great for the Food Network lover and kitchen geek. They carry the entire line of Food Network dishes, cookware and accessories, as well as Kitchenaid mixers! It is also a good place for décor, towels and bedding.

Dillard’s and Macy’s: both great for your special occasion china, sliver and crystal. You know… the more traditional gifts.

The Sample Shop: Located in the Landings, the Sample Shop is great for china, silver, crystal and unique home décor. It’s the best kept secret in town.

One other option you have is to register with us! That’s right! Do you want a beautiful museum-quality canvas gallery wrap of your favorite wedding image? You can register with us, and friends and family can purchase gift cards that can go toward a purchase of a large wall portrait!

For more information about our Wall Portrait Wedding Registry, email Julie (Julie@JEHedges.com) or call the studio at (706) 563-1761.

Tom and Typre

A busy schedule didn’t put a damper on the day for Tom Beasley and Typre Murphy when they tied the knot on June 27th! They had their ceremony at the Infantry Chapel on Ft. Benning. When we are contracted for an Infantry Chapel wedding, we must use a separate location as the Chapel does not permit us enough time for creative images before the wedding. By utilizing a separate location, Julie is able to spend plenty of time with the couple capturing their formal and fun images. Tom and Typre chose the Marriott in Downtown Columbus for their photos. The historic hotel is a beautiful place for photography and provides the bride a comfortable room to prepare for her wedding day.

Typre was lovely in her strapless gown. Her bridesmaids wore deep purple and pewter dresses, and all of the girls carried pale purple flowers designed by florist/wedding planner and director, Annette Earnest.

Annette also did a wonderful job decorating the Officer’s Club for the reception. Everyone had fun getting to spend time with the bride and groom after the ceremony! The groom’s cake was a spectacular masterpiece of chocolate and strawberries, and the wedding cake was beautiful and echoed the design of Typre’s dress. Of course, our good friend of the studio, Fran Papenfuss, made them—so you know they tasted good, too!!

We wish you all the best Mr. and Mrs. Beasley!

Joseph and Kristina

You could feel the love in the air at the Rivermill Event Center on June 28th, 2009 when Kristina Fehlings and Joseph Hein exchanged vows. The weather was pretty up until the time of the ceremony… then the sky opened up and we had severe thunderstorms. That was okay though ‘cause rain on a wedding day is good luck!

Kristina was absolutely beautiful in her strapless dress with simple detailing on the bodice. Her bridesmaids wore tea-length dresses in a great summery blue. All of the gorgeous ladies carried bouquets of light blue hydrangeas with green, white purple, dark blue, and white wild flowers. The bouquets and all of the wedding arrangements were designed by Kimberly Nelson. The floral arrangements throughout the Rivermill were all summery blues and greens! It was a beautiful sight!

As usual, Jamie Keating and the Rivermill staff did a great job on the reception catering. The reception had a very nice romantic feel. Our buddy, Benji Shepherd, of MBS Entertainment provided the tunes for the evening.

The groom’s cake was a delicious chocolate creation with strawberries on top. The wedding cake was beautifully designed by Pat-A-Cakes bakery to match the colors of the flowers and dresses.

It was an elegant celebration of Kristina and Joseph’s love! We were glad we got to share it with you! Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Hein!

Heather & Dave - July 18th, 2009