Keith is Santa's Handy Elf!

Take a look at the beautiful set that Keith built for a recent Christmas party we photographed. It looks like a Winter Wonderland back there! Danny, Gracie, Julie and I all had a fun time with a little pre-Christmas work bonding!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

It is that time of year again! Everyone at JE Hedges Photography wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! To get into the spirit, we visited Santa at the Ludy's Christmas Light Spectacular. Located in Cottonwood, it is an absolutely STUNNING light display built by Julie's father, Jerry and her brother, Keith. Visit them anytime after dark! For information and directions visit Ludy's Christmas.

PHOTOS WITH SANTA!!!!

This coming Friday, December 5th, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm bring the family out to the "Ludy's Christmas Light Spectacular" to meet with Santa. JE Hedges Photography will be there making photos of your child or pet with Santa to raise money for the Georgia and Alabama chapter of the "Make-A-Wish" foundation. The "Make-A-Wish" foundation grants wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. (http://www.wish.org/). Over $1800 was raised in 2007 and we have an aggressive goal to meet $4000 this year.

My Dad, Jerry Ludy, and my brother, Keith Ludy, are the creators of this amazing light display. The Ludy's home consists of over 70,000 computerized lights which dance in sync with holiday music. When driving near the home, you can tune your car radio to 90.1 FM... listen to the music and watch the show! You can watch Santa toss presents off the roof, bounce them off a trampoline, and into the neighbor's chimney... then watch as three seven foot tall snowmen have a snowball fight over your car!!!

The home is located in the Cottonwood Plantation subdivision off of Flat Rock Road. The address is 5784 Ironstone Drive in Columbus. You can download directions from Mapquest or Google maps.

You may visit the Ludy's website at: http://www.ludychristmas.com/ for more information, photos, videos, and driving directions. Or you can email me, Santa's Eldest Elf, for questions.

Thanks in advance for your support and we look forward to seeing you this Friday!

Julie's in Another Magazine!!

Julie was interviewed for the November 2008 issue of Her Magazine! The article showcases three creative talented woman in the community. Julie was one of the three. The other two were Paula Rosenberg, owner of the Bead Cage and Jo Farris, an Impressionist Painter. The article begins on page 18 of the November 2008 issue. The interview included questions about how Julie got her start and why photography is her passion. The magazine can be picked up at numerous high end retail stores, gyms, and salons around Columbus including the pink boxes downtown by the Ledger-Enquirer.

Brooke and Will

It was a beautiful sunny October afternoon at the Columbus Botanical Gardens for Brooke and Will's big day. Brooke was beautiful in a strapless dress that had simple pretty beading. Her bridesmaids wore chocolate brown and carried peach and white flowers for a perfect fall color scheme.

During the ceremony, a member of Brooke's family sang a song perfect for the day! It was a sweet, easy-going ceremony that both sides of the family enjoyed. The reception music was the local band Whiskey Bent, and as usual...they rocked the house. Everyone danced, partied and just had a great time! During the reception, Brooke dedicated a song to her mom. It was a song that means a lot to her and her sister, so the three of them shared a special dance.

Brooke and Will gave out some very unique favor bags to their guests. The bags included recipes from both sides of the family and a pottery creation that was handmade by the bride.

We wish you all the best, Mr. and Mrs. Nolen! Congratulations to you both!

Natalie and James

October 11th was a fairytale day for Natalie and James. The wedding was held at Natalie's aunt's house in Fortson. It is a beautiful home overlooking the foothills in Fortson. It was misting or drizzling for nearly the whole time we took pictures, but that didn't spoil the mood! James lit up when he saw his beautiful bride cascading down the stairs to the outdoor fireplace. She looked like a princess in her strapless dress and tiara-style headpiece. To complete the fairytale feel of the day, the Country's Barbecue horse and carriage was there!

The bridesmaids wore chocolate brown dresses, and carried pretty bright pink roses. The groomsmen wore chocolate brown vests and ties. All of the decorations were pink and brown and had monogrammed initials! After the ceremony, the couple and both of their families released pink and white balloons into the air!

The wedding cakes were some of the most unique we'd ever seen! Instead of a bride's cake, Fran Papenfuss made a top tier that had an initial topper, but the bottom tiers were all cupcakes! And, instead of a groom's cake, the groom's Grandmother made several different cheesecakes!

Benji Shephard DJ'd the reception, and it was a party! Both sides of the family had a great time dancing into the night!

When it was time for the couple to leave, it took them a minute...because their wedding party wrapped their car with cellophane. It took them almost 3 minutes to get into the car! But...Natalie was prepared for the task in her comfy honeymoon track suit monogrammed to say "Mrs. Whitley" on the hood!

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Whitley!! We wish you both years of love!

Brittany and Josh

Like many of our clients, we had a connection with Brittany. Julie photographed Brittany's dad's wedding back in 2004. We were honored when she chose us for her big day!

It was another beautiful day at Oakhurst Farm. The sun was bright and there wasn't a cloud in the sky! Brittany was gorgeous in a stunning tiered, strapless dress. The look on Josh's face when he saw her for the first time says it all! They shared a quiet moment, and then it was on to the rest of the pictures. Brittany was a prepared bride! We combined our style with some poses and photos she liked from magazines to give her exactly what she wanted!

The couple chose a fall color scheme for the event. The flowers were a warm combination of oranges, yellows and peaches. The bridesmaids wore deep purple halter dresses. Fran Papenfuss incorporated the couple's colors into the bride's cake, and did a fantastic Auburn cake for the groom.

As usual, our DJ friend Benji did a fantastic job on the ceremony music. And local band Whiskey Bent rocked the reception. Everyone danced the night away and had a great time.

Congratulations to you both, Mr. and Mrs. Locklier! May your marriage be as fun as your wedding!

CONGRATULATIONS KEITH!!!

Congratulations to our Assistant Photographer, Keith Ludy (my brother)! I am so proud! Keith made this AWESOME image while vacationing in the North Georgia Mountains and has now won the Fall Foliage Photography contest put on by a local television station. We can now officially say that Keith is our "Award Winning Photographer's Assistant"!!! Way to go Keith! We are all so proud of you!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

We recently did a "Trash the Dress" session with Stephani Kimbrough-Gunderson at her property in Richland, GA. She has all kinds of neat areas on her property to photograph. Be sure to check out her images in our Wedding Gallery. From the main website http://www.jehedges.com/, click on View Images, then click on Weddings, then click on the link for the "Wedding Gallery". Scroll down until you find Stephani's name. We got lots of awesome images of her. She's so gorgeous and makes our job easy!

This is one of the images we took in her family cemetery. We think it makes an awesome Halloween greeting... enjoy! Happy Halloween and be safe!

Heather and Bret

We've known Heather for a while. In 2005, I introduced Heather's sister, Celeste, to Julie. Julie photographed Celeste's wedding in 2006. We were absolutely thrilled when Heather chose us for her big day!

Heather and Bret were married at Southside Baptist Church in Greenville, AL on October 4th. Southside Baptist is a very nice, classic looking church. Heather chose minimal floral decorations for the sanctuary, because it was pretty enough with out a bunch of fuss! It just so happened, that it was the hottest day of the week, but the weather was clear and sunny, and of course, Heather was beautiful! Her dress was intricate, yet simple--and perfect on her. The bridesmaids wore a pretty "fall" red color, and carried pale green and pink roses.

The bridal party and families were all excited for Heather and Bret. Even the littlest members of the wedding party! They were so excited, it was hard to even keep them still for the pictures! :) We tried, but they were more interested in the puzzles Julie brought for them then standing still! When it was time to walk down the aisle, they were ready, though!

Heather and Bret's reception was held in the Fellowship Hall of the church. Again, the decorations were pretty and simple, but perfect for the occasion! On a sentimental note, Heather and Bret displayed a beautiful picture of Heather's cousin Beth, whom they lost to cancer earlier this year. The family wanted to make sure that she was part of the day, even though she wasn't there physically.

Heather and Bret were headed out the very next morning at 4:00 A.M. for their honeymoon! They had to scoot out of their reception a little early to make sure they could wake up in time to make their flight!

It was a perfect day for a wedding, and I'm glad Heather chose us to be a part of it! Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Beasley! Here's to many years of happiness!

April and Blake

We photographed April Hall and Blake Durham's wedding out at Oakhurst on September 13th. April and Blake are a beautiful, fun couple that were a pleasure to work with! Even though it was one of the hottest days of the summer, it was a crystal clear sunny day and a pretty day for a wedding. Blake and April were so anxious to see each other, that when they finally did, it was a sweet emotional moment.

The wedding party and the families were very fun to work with. Everyone was energetic and ready to celebrate Blake and April's big day. Perhaps the most precious members of the wedding party were their flower girls, Emma and Britton. Two of the cutest little girls you've ever seen! To show you all how small the world is...we photographed April once already--in Lindsay Coker-Anderson's wedding last year. Lindsay just happened to be one of April's bridesmaids! AND...both April and Lindsay are friends with Shelly Butler, who we ALSO photographed in may this year. We're so lucky to be able to work with our clients multiple times!

Once again, the bride's fashion sense amazed us. She had a very cute color scheme, pink and black. Her flowers were bright pink roses and the bridesmaids dresses were very simple, elegant black dresses. April's dress was also simple and elegant, but she was absolutely stunning!

The reception was super fun! Everyone had a great time dancing to to tunes of our friend, DJ Benji Shephard. Also...at the reception, we witnessed the best garter-toss battle ever! Those boys were running each other over to get to that garter! The Durham's had the coolest wedding favors...pink and black match books AND koozies! Both items were a big hit with the guests!

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Durham! We wish you a future full of laughter and love!

You're BOOOOO-tiful!!!

On Sunday, October 12th the studio will be doing special Halloween sessions! Dress your little one up in their costume and come by the studio for a fun photo shoot! (Great for baby's first Halloween or first year trick-or-treating!)

Halloween Special includes your Creation Fee and a one pose package:
1 - 8x10
4 - 5x7's
8 - Wallets
Just $85!!! You save $130 off our normal session fees!

You can add additional units to the package if you'd like! You also have the option to purchase cute Halloween greeting cards. You will have three high quality 5x7 glossy cards to choose from! Twenty-five cards, bonus second side image, with envelopes for $55!

Your package prints and greeting cards will be ready in time for you to share them with your family and friends!!

We are limiting this special to six clients only. Don't delay as slots will fill fast! We must hear from you by Tuesday, October 7th at 5:00pm!

Featured Vendor on Brides.com

One of Julie's beautiful pictures is featured in an article about the Garrett Bullock House on Brides.com. The article gives a brief look at the house's history and mentions some of the details of their wedding packages.

You can see the complete article here.

A Household Divided

On September 6th, I photographed Leah Harris and Blake Potter's wedding. Leah and Blake are truly the sweetest, most loving couple. Blake proposed to Leah with a fortune cookie message! Leah broke open her fortune cookie at dinner, and inside read the message "Leah, will you marry me?". Blake had the fortune cookies specially made. You can see one of the cookies by viewing their images online. These two worked very hard to make their wedding dreams a reality. Everything was just beautiful! They were married at Mt. Zion Baptist on Double Churches Road and the reception was held at the Log Cabin in Phenix City.

Here's the thing though... Leah is a die hard Auburn fan... and Blake is a die hard Georgia fan and they mean business! Leah tortured Blake by wearing an Auburn garter that he removed and happily threw to the single men. Blake tortured Leah by feeding the guests a Georgia Bulldog groom's cake. Leah refused to help cut it... giving the 'old thumbs down. These two are quite funny! I can't wait until they have children... I can see it now... Blake Jr.... a die hard Bama fan!!!

We're In Print Again... Woo Hoo!

The new "Weddings Of Georgia" magazine is out circulating in the valley. You can find it at most of the wedding vendor locations, including our studio. The magazine is a spin-off of the WeddingsofGeorgia.com website and includes tips, articles, and vendor recommendations to make your wedding day the best it can be. JE Hedges Photography can be found all through out the magazine!

First, our bride Kristen Waites appears on the cover! The image is from a "Trash the Dress" session we did with Kristen a few weeks after her wedding. She looks stunning and we are excited that our image was chosen for the cover.


Second, when you first open the magazine... there we are! Our ad is the very first page you turn to in the magazine. Let us know what you think!


Third, on page 10 and 11, you'll find an article written about Heather Stripling & Clint Tranum who won the Q107.3 and Weddings of Georgia Great Wedding Giveaway. We had the honor of being a part of this spectacular event.


Fourth, on page 14 and 15 you'll find an article written about Brook Harris and Dave Machin who were married at the Rivermill. They truly had the "fairytale" wedding with lots of obstacles they overcame. A very interesting read so be sure to pick up a copy of the magazine!


Fifth, on page 23, our images appear in the Garrett-Bullock House ad... and sixth, our images appear on page 31, in the RSC ad.

The next Weddings of Georgia issue comes out in February 2009. We look forward to the many exciting articles and features that the magazine will bring to the community!

It's Official... She loves Initials!

I had the pleasure of photographing Marianne Jordan & Brandon Faison's wedding on July 19th. I actually use to work with Marianne's father at the "quack" corporation before I became 100% self-employed. Marianne's dress was absolutely awesome! It was white and black. She had quite an ordeal with that dress weeks before the wedding when the dry cleaners caused the black dye to run all down and through the white fabric. Can you imagine the horror she experienced? The day of the wedding though... there wasn't even a spot! She looked fantastic and I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the colors and theme of their wedding... seeing as my favorite colors are black and pink as well! Marianne is really into monograms and initials and that was very evident with the theme of the wedding. Any and everything you can imagine had her and Brandon's initials on it... even her bouquet! It was really cool. I also enjoyed their Sweets & Treats Dessert bar. Fran Papenfuss made the wedding cake and it looked like a cake right out of a magazine. It was so unique, creative, and fun. Wait a minute... I've heard that slogan somewhere before???? Hee hee. Marianne and Brandon... I wish the two of you many years of happiness!!!!

Greg and Kendall

Greg and Kendall are a super-fun couple we worked with earlier this month. The whole time we were working with them, they cracked us up...even Greg! Usually Julie has to keep reminding the groom to smile---but not this time! They were such an easy couple to work with!

In addition to being a beautiful bride, Kendall has a fabulous fashion sense. Her colors were pink and bright ocean blue. It was a color combination we'd never run across...but it was so perfect for Kendall and her bridesmaids.

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Allen! Best wishes for a long, happy marriage full of laughter and love!

No Pot of Gold...

Keith and I had the pleasure of photographing Natalie Floyd's Bridal Session this evening. The clouds were dark... the thunder was rolling... and the lightning was threatning... but we prayed and God came through. The lighting was pretty perfect and even the entire session and the cool breeze kept what would have been a sweltering evening of 90 degree weather actually pretty nice.

We arrived about ten minutes early to the session, so while we waited... right in front of us appeared the prettiest rainbow. We got a quick shot and no sooner than we captured the photograph... the beautiful rainbow slowly faded. We searched and searched... but alas... found no pot of gold. :(

Weddings...Entertainment? Yes!

Has anyone else noticed that there are a ton of new wedding shows on TV. Of course, everyone knows about Bridezillas and Platinum Weddings, but there are two new shows that are loads of fun! Every bride-to-be should check them out.

The first one is called "Say Yes to the Dress". It is part documentary, part soap opera and totally entertaining. The show follows the day-to-day operations of a premier wedding salon, Kleinfeld Bridal. It's kind of therapeutic to watch, because its nice to see that everyone goes through the stress of picking a dress out. "Say Yes to the Dress" follows brides and the employees at Kleinfeld Bridal as they work to find the perfect dress. You get to see the interaction between the brides and their families, too.

The second one is called "Rock the Reception". On this show, two choreographers teach a bride and groom an awesome dance routine to do as an alternative to a traditional first dance. The choreographers are Tabatha and Napoleon, who have choreographed for Missy Elliott, Beyonce and Timbaland. They work with the couple (and usually the Maid of Honor and Best Man) to create a very fun and unique routine for a memorable first dance.

Both shows come on TLC on Tuesday nights starting at 8 p.m. I suggest them to anyone who is getting married...or, is married for that matter!

Weddings of Georgia July Wedding Extravaganza

We were a part of the WeddingsofGeorgia.com July Wedding Extravaganza yesterday at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center. As always, it was a fantastic show with lots of awesome vendors showing off the great products and services they offer.

The JE Hedges booth was bigger and better than ever and we handed out our new stadium cups... which were a big hit! Hey... if you got one, be sure to hold on to it... it's sure to be a collector's item and will fetch a ton on Ebay! Ha!

Between the three of us (Julie, Keith, and Celeste), we met over 75 excited brides. We love the fact that brides are planning so far in advance too. Planning a wedding is no small feat and brides are starting early so they can lock in with the vendors of their choice.

The show was very exciting and non-stop from the minute the doors opened until the fashion show! We look forward to meeting with many of you again soon to discuss the details of your wedding day.

If you're stopping by our site because you met us at the show, be sure to comment and let us know your favorite part of the show. We love to make new friends!

Readers' Choice Awards 2008

For the second year in a row, JE Hedges Photography was voted 'Favorite Photographer' in the Ledger-Enquirer's Readers' Choice Awards. It is a blessing for this to happen once, but twice? That's AMAZING!

Thank you to all of our clients, friends, and associates that took the time to vote for us! We appreciate the positive support we receive from each of you. We look forward to working with you and your families again soon!

There she is...

London added a few more trophies to her collection on May 18th! She went to the Sunburst Pageant State level competition and RACKED UP! She is the new 2008 Georgia State Tiny Queen! There were 14 other girls in her age group. In August, Miss London moves on to represent Georgia in the International competition which will be held in August!

In addition to the state title, she also won Most Photogenic, Best Personality (we all knew that, though!), Super Model Search, Best Composite and Best Portfolio. She was the 2nd runner up in the School Wear, and 3rd runner up in the swimwear category.

Congratulations, AGAIN, beautiful girl! We'll be rooting you on in August!

A Real Life Love Story

We recently photographed the wedding of Brook Harris and David Machin. They were a fun couple to work with! You could totally see the love in their eyes when they looked at each other. What's awesome about this couple? Their SUPER long distance relationship leading up to their wedding:

Brook took a job teaching English in France. On a weekend visit to England with a friend, she met Dave. They developed a relationship while she was there that continued even after she got back to the States. A few months later, Brook went back to visit Dave in England and they realized it was meant to be. After nearly a year of traveling back and forth, Brook visited Dave and they took a vacation to Paris. While out sight-seeing on the bridges of the Seine River, Dave dropped to one knee and popped the question. Of course the answer was yes! After more traveling, their big day finally came...and now they're together all the time. Happily ever after, of course!

Oakhurst Bridal Show

We met a lot of new, beautiful faces at Oakhurst's Bridal Show on Sunday! We hope to see some of those new faces again! If you're reading this because you met us on Sunday, send us an email or add a comment to this post and say hello! We'd love to hear from you again!

How we managed to display so much of Julie's work in such a small space is completely amazing to me--but she and I pulled it off!

Thanks to all of the brides (and Mothers of Brides) that we met for helping make this show fun!

To All of Our Mothers...

That's me and my mom, Lynn, in 1980. We have the usual mother-daughter relationship...you know--she doesn't like my hair color, she offers her advice (even if I don't want it) and she loves me unconditionally.

And moms always do. No matter what, they're always there, and we wouldn't be who we are without them!

To all of our moms--Happy Mother's Day! Thank you for always being there and loving us.

A Nifty Update

Julie is always working and changing things behind the scenes that make her clients' lives easier...but are often not noticeable to the "untrained eye".

Well, now she's updated the website to make navigating easier! You'll notice that the entry page is gone, as well as the scrolling images. This makes getting on the site and getting around go a lot faster! Also, (and I think this is the COOLEST thing ever...) she has updated the galleries with a new way to view called Tilt Viewer! Now not only can you see all of Julie's beautiful wedding pictures, you can see baby, maternity and family pictures too!

If you haven't already...go over to the site and check out the galleries! I promise you, you'll be impressed. (And I'm not just saying that because I'm easily amused!) :)

Julie Interviewed in Southern Views Magazine

Our very own Julie Hedges was interviewed in the April/May issue of Southern Views magazine! The interview, called "Making Waves," can be found on page 22. In the interview, Julie weighs in on topics ranging from wedding planning to "bridezillas."

Our ad appears on page 67 and we were honored to have RSC Rentals and Garrett Bullock House use some of our images in their ads as well! Southern Views can be purchased at Barnes & Noble.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again now...none of this would be possible without the love and support we get from our friends, families and clients! Thank you for everything you do!

Just a big 'ole Cry-Fest

Kate & Jon were married on March 29th at St. Luke downtown. Now, I've done my fair share of crying at weddings. I'll cry every time a couple exchanges hand written vows to one another, I'll often cry when watching the bride dance with her father, I'll even cry at the sight of a chocolate fountain at your reception... But I must say... This was the first time I cried when I posed a bride & groom for their first picture. When I put them together (and I know this is going to sound corny) but it was just this magical moment. Seriously. I know... it sounds so cliche... but they were just meant for one another. They looked so beautiful together that I just started crying... which made them cry... so then we just all cried. Anywho... thank you Kate and Jon for allowing me to be a part of your special day. We had a blast and I look forward to working with your families in the future. Hugs, kisses, and tissues! Jules

London Hedges in Valley Parent!

Check out this month's issue of Valley Parent Magazine! My future boss, Miss London Hedges appears on page 25! It is a picture of her posing victoriously with her trophies after winning the Miss Sunburst pageant at Peachtree Mall.

Thank you, Nina!

It is very easy to take great images when the bride and groom are so beautiful!

"Julie,
The pictures are AWESOME!!!! They are just beautiful - THANK YOU!!! You did an incredible job!! I am just so excited! I cannot wait to show them to everyone else.

Thank you again!
Nina"

It was our pleasure, Nina!

She's a Star!

Our friend Kristen stopped by Reed's to check out her pretty picture!

Reed's Jewelers

For the entire month of April, Reed's is having a Bridal Jewelry promotion at the store in Peachtree Mall! They asked us if we would mind displaying some of our work the first weekend of April to help them kick off the promotion! Of course, we do not mind! They'll be giving out goody bags all month long, so if you're in the mall, stop by and see them!

Trash the Dress!

We did another fun Trash the Dress session with one of our favorite clients, Kristen Hartmann-Waites! Trash the Dress sessions are just a fun way to get one more use out of your most beautiful item of clothing...your wedding dress. As always, Kristen was fun to work with and her pictures turned out beautiful!

There's Nothing Better Than Mom's Approval!

Don't get me wrong, when the bride and groom approve, that's awesome, too! But when we do such a good job that the mother of the bride gives her seal of approval...we've done something great!

"Hey Julie,
I just wanted to tell you how wonderful it has been working with you. You are probably the easiest person in the world to work with. From the first minute me and Serena walked into your studio we felt like we had known you all our lives! Serena had found you online and saw your wedding pictures and she knew right away that she wanted you to photo her wedding. She would not even think of talking to anyone else and I'm so glad I went with her on this one. The bridal pictures and the wedding were both so much fun, just watching you, Keith and Serena was a blast. Also, Celeste is so sweet and we enjoyed her help at the wedding. I would recommend anyone to see you before they talked to anyone else for any pictures. From beginning to end this has been an awsome experience and you helped make Serena's day perfect. Thank you so much, we love you!!!" -Tammy Mills, mother of Serena Mills-Cobb

Thank you, Tammy! We had a lot of fun on Serena's big day! We're honored that you chose us to be a part of it!

What happens when you work for a photographer...

She always wants to keep up-to-date photos on her website! Check out the JE Hedges Photography crew's new pictures on the "About Us" page on the website. I have to say, I was sad that she didn't use the squawking rubber chicken prop to make me smile (she says it's only for the babies!) Even still, it was a fun quick fun shoot!

Chris and Serena, We Wish You Many Years of Happiness!

It was a pleasure to work with Chris and Serena! They were a very fun couple! She was an absolutely gorgeous bride! She is just so sweet and bubbly, it was hard to get her not to smile when Julie was trying to take those "serious" and "sexy" looking pictures! They had a beautiful ceremony!

The reception was at the Rankin Quarter, and the food was delicious! Columbus is such a small town, we ran into a few former clients and friends!

Congrats to Mr. And Mrs. Cobb! We hope your life together is full of laughter and love!

New Directions...

Many of you don't know this, but Julie is always on duty. If she's not shooting, she's putting albums together. If she's not doing that, she's doing something else to make sure she's the best for her clients. One of the things she does quite often is attend educational seminars. She is always learning new things, getting new ideas for products and getting guidance from the industry's best. These seminars help Julie to stay up to date on all the latest trends in the business. And now I get to learn too!

Julie and I attended a seminar on Monday. It was the first one I'd ever been to (and probably the millionth for Jules!) It was mostly about the business side of photography, so look for some new and exciting things from JE Hedges Photography in the coming months!

OH! And I have to tell you about this! If any of you have ever been to a Krystal restaurant in Columbus, you know that they are not known for their customer service. Well, Julie and I ran to Krystal during one of our breaks while we were at the seminar. We pulled up to order and the most pleasant voice comes through the speaker and says, "Good evening, welcome to Krystal! How can I help you?" We both did a double take. I know you should not be surprised to have someone be nice, but this was just crazy from a Krystal. When we get up to the window, we get the same kind of niceness. Our delicious cheese Krystals came quickly and we got a "You ladies have a nice evening. Thank you for choosing Krystal!" We were honestly shocked. If you're ever in Atlanta near the Holiday Inn off GA400, I suggest stopping by the Krystal that is right up the road!

Aw...Thank YOU Heather!

As I've said before, Julie is far too bashful to go boasting about her self, so I'll do it for her! We received some kind words today from Heather Tranum, winner of the Q1073 and Weddings of Georgia $25,000 Wedding Giveaway.

"Hi Julie, the pictures were awesome!! Thank you so much for being an awesome photographer!"

Thanks, Heather! You were a beautiful bride! We wish you and Clint a lifetime of happiness!

Congratulations Clint and Heather!

Julie had the honor of being the photographer for the first ever $25,000 Wedding Giveaway sponsored by Q1073 and Weddings of Georgia!

The lucky winners were Clint and Heather Tranum. Q1073 listeners and Weddings of Georgia planned out every last detail of their big day for them!




This is the happy couple outside of the beautiful Garrett-Bullock House, Columbus' newest special events facility.

It was a great night, and the wedding was wonderful! You can view the rest of the images from Clint and Heather's big day here.

Congratulations, London!

JE Hedges Photography's littlest team member racked up the awards at the Sunburst Beauty Pageant Today!

London is Julie and Cary's first and only (for now...) took home first place honors in the following categories:

Prettiest Eyes
Best Attire
Most Photogenic
Best Personality

Not to mention that she's the OVERALL winner of the pageant! London moves on to the state competition being held in Atlanta in May!

Congratulations, beautiful girl! We all knew you were the prettiest baby in Columbus, now you have the ribbons and trophies to back it up!

We All Love Julie!!

Julie makes taking wedding pictures so much fun...I know from experience! But I'm not the only one that thinks so!

Kristen was one of those brides Julie was destined to work with. She was a bridesmaid in two other weddings Julie photographed and was just fun to work with. Many of the bridesmaids and groomsmen in Kristen and Buster's wedding were also past clients of ours. Kristen was a beautiful bride and her and Buster had a perfect wedding!

Since Julie gets all embarrassed when people tell her how great she is, I thought I'd share this very sweet thank you from Kristen and Buster with everyone!

We Did it Again!!!

The January/February issue of Columbus and the Valley Magazine is out, and like last year...we're in it! The article, "What's New in I Do," features interviews with two of our 2007 brides: Kristen Ogletree and Lauren VanHouten.

Julie's images are throughout the magazine! You can find them in the table of contents and pages 4, 10, 11 and 12. And as if that wasn't enough, we have NINETEEN couples in the 2007 Columbus Weddings center section! You can find Columbus and the Valley at any local bookstore or grocery store (that sells magazines!)

As always, we could not succeed if we did not have the support of our families and our great clients! Thank you all for making 2007 a special year! We hope that 2008 is even better!

Who is Celeste...And Why is She Here?

Two very good questions, I think. Since I would be posting up a storm here on the blog, I thought I would just let my readers (all two of you…) know a little bit more about me. I was born on a stormy night in Fort Knox, KY…Just kidding, I won’t take you that far back.

Here is the brief version: I’m a past bride of Julie’s. We met in 2005 at my Bridal Consultation. Over the course of me planning my wedding, Julie and I became friends and now I’m her Marketing Manager. Taa-daa!! Seriously, after getting to know her and seeing how hard she works, I wanted to do whatever I could to help her business grow, and now I’m part of it!

Here are 10 random facts about me:

1. I have two dogs, Beau and Sammy.
2. I love potatoes.
3. I changed my major approximately 10 times in college before graduating with a degree in Communications.
4. I should have mentioned this in #1, but I also have a hamster, and his name is R. Kelly.
5. I love college football! (Go Dawgs!!)
6. My favorite song of all time is “Stay” by Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories.
7. My husband is my best friend in the whole world.
8. Sleeping=AWESOME!
9. I like to make random lists of things.
10. I like Star Trek. All of them. (Yeah, yeah. I’m a nerd. SO?)

(Julie and Keith don’t know it yet, but they’ll be treating you all to a random 10 later…shhh!)

I also thought since you were getting to know me, I’d show you two of my favorite pictures from my wedding!

This one is my most favorite. The colors are just so bright and it looks like we totally love each other. You can hardly even tell that this is smack dab in the middle of Columbus. It looks like its out on a farm in the country.


This is Joel’s favorite picture. I think it’s just because we’re in the car, and the wedding was over, so he could stop smiling. This is also one of Julie’s favorite images from the day, by the way!

Well, do you know me enough? If not, I can thrill you with the story about the time I sold the most cookies in my Brownie troop…oh, you don’t want to hear that one right now? Okay, fine. We’ll save it for later!

Welcome...

…to our new blog! Julie had an idea (scary thought, I know…) to start a blog to keep our friends and clients informed about what’s going on in the studio. But because she’s the hardest working photographer in the business, she just doesn’t have the time. So, as the JE Hedges Photography Marketing Manager and newest member of the studio's team, the blogging duties seemed like the job for me! I was worried that I couldn't be interesting enough to make people want to read our blog. But, then I remembered what Julie always tells me, "...you're good enough, you're smart enough, and doggone it, Celeste, people like you..." and I was all set!

I’ll be posting frequently, filling you all in on all the fun we have (while working, of course…) at weddings, events and trade shows. You’ll get to see some of our favorite images, and maybe even an image or two of us while we’re goofing off…I mean, while we’re working.

I hope you find the blog fun, entertaining and informative, because that’s what I’m after, here!