JE Hedges Photography

Patricia Adams & Carl Allen

2012-01-28T07:32:00.001-05:00

SHARE THE LOVE CONTEST

Bride-to-be: Patricia Adams
Groom-to-be: Carl Allen

Wedding Date: February 25, 2012

Patricia writes:
“Our story is one that was mapped by the hands of the lord. All the trials and tribulation that we both went through in our lives took us to where our two paths could cross at the right time in both of our lives. I have always dreamed of meeting the perfect man for me. I would pray to the lord and ask him what I was doing wrong in my life that I could not meet that right person. What I discovered was that he had the perfect man for me I just needed to be patient and wait for the timing in both of our lives to be right, so that when we did meet it would be forever. And on August 3, 2010 I met that man. Actually we did not meet in person at first, we meet on match.com. Can you believe that, the lord used a website to bring us together, since we lived only 5 miles from each other and never met? On the first date I knew in my heart he was the man for me. He is someone that treats everyone the way they want to be treated, with great respect and dignity. So for everyone out there still looking for love, it took me 46 years to find that perfect match, so be patient, trust in the lord, and he will guide you to your soul mate.”

Christi Smith & Jon Singleton

2012-01-28T07:28:00.003-05:00

SHARE THE LOVE CONTEST

Bride to be: Christi Smith
Groom to be: Jon Singleton

Wedding date: April 12, 2012

Christi writes:

“It sounds cliche' but it's true: Jon and I were each other's first loves and will be each other's last.

We met in elementary school and fell in love in the sixth grade. We were inseparable for two years and then I moved away. In the time before Internet and Facebook and e-mail and text messages (or "The Dark Ages," according to my kids), it wasn't so easy to stay in touch with your puppy love and we had to work hard at it. We wrote letters, long-hand, and mailed them -- via the post office!!! -- to each other; we called long distance and only talked for ten minutes so we didn't make our parents made with huge bills; and we spent a few fleeting moments together over the next several years when I was able to make it back to my home town to visit family. Those memories are the foundation of our life together.

Sadly, we lost touch, grew up, got married (to other people), had kids, moved on. But we never forgot one another. Luckily for us, the Internet did get invented and e-mail connected people who were miles and worlds apart in mere seconds rather than the days and weeks of regular mail. One fateful day, I typed Jon's mom's name into the oracle we all know as Google and got a hit, a hit that included an e-mail address. I contacted her and told her who I was, she passed that information along to her son, and well, the rest is history.

We've been reunited as friends for almost eight years and we've been together, in love, since May of 2009. Although it was always a foregone conclusion that we would get married one day, we never got around to making it official, calling it an engagement, liking and putting a ring on it, if you will. We've been busy, you know, working, raising our respective children, creating a home, living our life together. Then, two days after Christmas, tragedy touched our lives directly when the father of my two older children unexpectedly died, leaving my son and daughter heartbroken and the rest of us looking at our lives and realizing that we might not always have tomorrow to do the things which are important to us, to sanctify love, to honor commitments, to revisit the promises of childhood and make them the reality of our lives.

On New Year's Eve 2011, standing in our driveway, our family sleeping inside the house, my first and only true love wrapped his arms around me and began an unrehearsed preamble about exquisite plans and beautiful backdrops, perfect rings and sunny destinations, and how none of those things were coming together quickly enough for him, and with that, he asked me to be his wife and share the rest of our lives together. I paused for a moment, not even realizing that that's where he was going when he'd began to speak and needing a moment to catch up, and when it finally dawned on me what had just happened, I said the only thing I could in that moment: Of course I will marry you.

Being engaged is a whole new experience from simply living together and being a family. We've not yet decided how we will celebrate our impending nuptials or where, but we know it won't be a long engagement: Life is too short and we've already been in love for 25 years.”

Debbie Applebee & Joey Keyser

2012-01-28T07:21:00.004-05:00

SHARE THE LOVE – CONTEST

Bride-to-be: Debbie Applebee
Groom-to-be: Joey Keyser

Wedding date: December 22, 2012

Debbie writes: “I had absolutely no clue what was going on. I knew he had been acting a little silly when we went out places that sold rings, but I just over looked it. The closer that Christmas got the more excited I got about what "Santa" was going to bring me. So on Friday December 23, 2011 before I went to work I was begging Joey to let me open a present. He said no about a million times and when he dropped me off for work he was asking: “What’s your favorite dinner? What’s your favorite place to go? What would make your night complete?” All I could think of is “I don’t know, I don’t care, and whatever you do for me will be special enough babe". So when he picked me up the first thing he said was "Santa" left you a surprise on your Facebook page. So of course I got super excited and had to look and it was a picture of a wrapped Christmas present. Then again the questions started... “What is it? Where did it come from? Can I open it? Please, please, please.” :) All he could say is “Maybe after dinner”. So when I got home I immediately went to the Christmas tree and found it. I shook it and shook it and shook it. But nothing shook. So it made me wonder. We finally ate dinner and I had almost given up on the fact I could open it that night. Then he brought the box over to me and told me I could open it!!! So when I opened it was a keepsake box with a sweet saying on the outside, I opened it up to find lots of rose petals and a very sweet note that said he was extremely happy I gave him a chance and that I completed him and that he loved me with everything he had. Then he pulled the ring out of his pocket and asked me to marry him!! With my eyes full of tears all I could say "Are you serious"? And he looked at me with the most serious face and said “Yes Debbie, will you marry me?" and of course I said “YESS”!!!

Featured Vendor of the Day is Carty Harike with Tootsie’s Salon & Gifts

2012-01-26T16:48:00.001-05:00

For a quality and full service beauty salon, Tootsie's Salon & Gifts of Columbus, GA is the best in town. We have expert and friendly crew ready to serve you.

Contact: Carty Harike
Business: Tootsie’s Salon & Gifts
Offering: Precision Cuts, Expert Coloring & Highlighting, Professional Nail Care, Full Service Beauty Salon
Phone: (706) 507-5553
Email is: Tootsiessalon@gmail.com
Website: http://www.tootsiessalonandgifts.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tootsies-Salon-and-Gifts/100851293310507

Where are you located?
We are located at 1223 54th Street in Columbus, Georgia, 31904

How did you get started in your industry?
I began my career working as a receptionist at other local salons here in Columbus. I found the atmosphere very enjoyable and decided I would give a career in the industry a try. I attended Columbus Technical College, studying Cosmetology. I opened Tootsie’s in October 2010 and continue to learn each day in this ever-changing industry.

Tell us about your family:
My husband, George, and I just celebrated our one year anniversary. George has a been a huge support and very encouraging to me, my career, and business. My mother, Helen Posey, works as my Salon Manager and Client Coordinator. I have a wonderful team and loving family from both my and George’s family.

Do you have any certifications, awards, etc that you wish to share the details about?
I have a degree in Cosmetology as well as Personal Relations. I have taken advanced cutting classes with Scrupples along with many advanced color and highlighting techniques with Affinage Salon Professional.

What is it about your industry that holds your interest year after year?
I love my career because it's constantly changing. With all the new trends arising every day, my stylists and I are always learning! To be successful in this industry you must be willing to constantly evolve. My stylists and I are continually learning about new products, styles, trends, and fads. We all thoroughly enjoy meeting new people each day and the best part is making them feel beautiful! Everyone deserves to feel beautiful.

What sets you apart from others in the industry?
Tootsie's salon IS different from your normal salon. We not only provide hair services, we also carry gift items (perfect for bridesmaid gifts) and have a Professional Nail Technician on staff. Tootsie's LOVES weddings and caters to wedding parties! We host a party on the bride’s big day to include her bridesmaids, flower girls, moms and grandmothers getting pampered and primped to walk down the wedding aisle. What makes this party special? We close down the salon JUST FOR YOUR PARTY! It’s all about the Bride and we want to make her special in every way we can. Our entire team goes beyond just doing hair and makeup! We love to connect to our clients, their families, and wedding party. We become fully involved and we take pride in knowing we help to make the bride feel so beautiful on the most special day of her life!

What would you say is the latest trend in your industry?
In this industry, a trend can change from week to week so that’s a tough one! Ha ha. Feathers were very popular this past year. I believe “Pinterest” is gaining popularity and will continue to bring more ideas for new cuts and trendy updos into 2012. Additionally, as more individuals learn about the negative impact chemicals & unnaturally made products have on our environment & health, we are seeing an increase in the request for more “organic” and “natural” hair products to sustain the life and health of hair.

For photographs of special occasion & wedding updos, please visit our Facebook page! We are happy to schedule a “trial run” or to book your party for your wedding day. Call Carty Harike at (706) 507-5553.

Enter our SHARE the LOVE contest to get a free men's haircut and style for your special Valentine's date from Tootsie's Salon!!!
http://bitsy.me/SHARETHELOVE

Featured Vendor of the Day is Meghan Guenther with Fresh Press Invitations

2012-01-25T19:15:00.001-05:00

Fresh Press Invitations is a custom invitation shop, where we strive to create the PERFECT invitation for you and your event, yet keep it affordable. No job is too big or too small and we love to hear any ideas you may have, crazy or not.

Contact: Meghan Guenther
Business: Fresh Press Invitations
Offering: Custom Invitations
Phone: (706) 464-7343
Website: http://www.freshpressinvitations.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freshpressinvitations?sk=wall

How did you get started in your industry?
I was an art student at CSU and planning my own wedding. During the summer, I began to take my first printmaking class, silkscreen, and I fell in LOVE with the medium. I loved learning about papers and printing methods. When I went to pick out invitations for my wedding I quickly discovered that the options were limited and highly over priced, so I had the idea that I could take this new paper affair to another level while creating creative, inexpensive invitations for brides like me, who want something creative, but affordable.

How many years have you been in business?
2.5 years

Tell us about your family:
Married five wonderful years to my husband, Shannon. Two years ago, the greatest thing to ever happened, the birth of our son Tanner. Tanner is too young to understand my business at this time but he does enjoy all the supplies and equipment that I used.

Do you have any certifications, awards, etc that you wish to share the details about?
Bachelors in Fine Arts, where I was technically trained in printmaking and graphic design.

What is it about your industry that holds your interest year after year?
I love that even though our lives have become so digital that we still are so traditional when it comes to invitations. Even though the style of the invitation has evolved, I enjoy that we are still turning to snail mail to invite guest to celebrate with us.

What do you love about your industry?
I love how invitations set the tone for your whole wedding. I think people often over look this detail, but your guests can tell a lot about your wedding just by that little piece of paper that they receive in the mail.

What sets you apart from others in the industry?
I truly strive to offer creative, beautiful, yet affordable invitations. I also love to build relationships with my brides and grooms and get a good understanding of your style and wedding. My clients are never just another customer.

What would you say is the latest trend in your industry?
Letterpress is definitely a big trend at the moment and I hope it stays. Even though I no longer own my letterpress, the art of letterpress is truly beautiful and sacred.

What is the most unusual request you have ever been asked to do by a client?
I get a lot of request for unusual invitations, but honestly I love those jobs the most. Something that really makes me think about how I am going to create that is why I love what I do.

Has working in the wedding business for a living changed the way you feel about or perceive weddings now?
Yes, I think I enjoy them more now. Being in the wedding industry, I like to keep update on all trends, not just invitations, and I really love when people put their own personality to in their wedding. Instead of trying to convey someone else's ideas.

Enter our SHARE the LOVE contest to get two free Valentine's Day cards and more from Fresh Press Invitations!!!
http://bitsy.me/SHARETHELOVE

Featured Vendor of the Day is Debbie Blake-Knox with Moonstone Wellness

2012-01-24T16:44:00.000-05:00

Moonstone Wellness offers convenient daytime, evening and weekend appointment hours.

Contact: Debbie Blake-Knox

Business: Moonstone Wellness

Offering: Massage & Aromatherapy

Phone: (706) 566-8792

Email is: debbiebkmw@gmail.com

Website: http://www.moonstonecolumbus.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moonstonewellness?sk=wall

How did you get started in your industry?

Worked at Duke University as an Aquatic Therapist and Personal Trainer specializing in deconditioned and injured adults. My fascination with how the body heals and how the body breaks down became a curiosity – I worked backwards – from gym, to pool, to massage table…looking for where the most therapeutic work can be done. I absolutely love the potential for healing and relaxation that massage and bodywork offers us! I especially like the challenge of combing therapeutic modalities in a relaxing environment – gives the client more bang for the buck!

How many years have you been in business?

Massage and Bodywork Therapist since 1997

Tell us about your family:

Moved to Columbus in 2003 when my husband got a job at TSYS. Our two sons attended high school in Columbus. The oldest son is getting his Masters in Accounting and enjoys spending my money – Youngest is studying Computer Science at CSU and is asked to help with Moonstone Wellness business activities a lot! Massage therapists are not known to be very “high tech” and Debbie admits to being about as “low tech” as it gets! Now that both boys are in college – my massage schedule has opened up and become more flexible. I am now available to offer a good variety of evening, daytime and weekend sessions. Please note that during college basketball season – massage appointments are rarely offering if the Duke games are being televised in our area. Massage appointments during March Madness get very tricky!

Do you have any certifications, awards, etc that you wish to share the details about?

Nationally Certified in Massage and Bodywork with additional training in therapeutic and relaxation modalities. Certified Clinical Aroma therapist offering private consultations, personalized mixing and blending of products and Aromatherapy Classes. Reiki Master and Karuna Reiki offering private energy treatments and Reiki classes. I am available for public speaking, small group or workplace wellness presentations or speaking at your church event.

What do you love about your industry?

I have been passionate about my industry because it offers me many options – I have had the opportunity to take advantage of additional education and training – and more importantly – been in job placements that have offered me the work experience to match my training. Education is key… experience and learning from your clients is a blessing!

What sets you apart from others in the industry?

I have a genuine respect for each client and a genuine passion for massage therapy. I made a conscious decision years ago to charge for my time – instead of on a per service basis. I do not charge different prices for different modalities – or extra for special services such as hot steam towels, aromatherapy oils, hot stones etc. I am experienced in combing different modalities in one session and am happy to do so.

What would you say is the latest trend in your industry?

Spa therapies have been gaining in popularity the last ten years for sure – but because of the recession – I have found that clients are now expecting both a therapeutic and a relaxing benefit from their session. Value – it is all about value – they have invested their time and their money in my services. The upward trend in Mind, Body and Spirit modalities – reveals that the general public is increasingly willing to address their emotional health as much as their physical health – and place a high importance on both – supports my favorite quote: “Take time for yourself…you are the most important thing on the list.” By Maryanne Radmacher

Enter our SHARE the LOVE contest to get a free couples massage and more from Debbie!!!
http://bitsy.me/SHARETHELOVE

SHARE THE LOVE - CONTEST HAS BEGUN!

2012-01-22T04:04:00.003-05:00

Go to http://bitsy.me/SHARETHELOVE for more details!

JE Hedges Photo Booth at Mike Badger & Jessica Clifton’s Engagement Party!!!!

2012-01-19T18:53:00.001-05:00

JE Hedges Photo Booth had the wonderful opportunity to be there for Mike Badger and Jessica Clifton’s engagement party this past Saturday, January 14th. The RiverMill was breathtaking adorned in lights and feathers! Their engagement story is one comparable to those in the movies! The groom, Mike Badger, is a talented graphic artist. He wrote & illustrated a lovely book entitled “Badger the Bear” as a way of proposing to his bride-to-be, Jessica Clifton. One night, after Jessica arrived home, she found the book which had been left for her as a gift. At that moment, Jessica read all about a bear named “Badger” who flew a plane (named Jesse) through some dreadful weather. Jessica was thrilled to see the couple’s dogs appear as some of the characters in the book. In the story, Badger faces adversity, but overcomes it, just to make a special delivery! In order to find out the story’s ending, Jessica was instructed to open her front door. On the doorstep stood Mike, dressed as a human bear mascot, holding an engagement ring! The creativity and imagination inspired in this proposal / love story gives one goose bumps all over! JE Hedges Photography LOVES magical love stories like this one! The couple’s engagement party décor encompassed a human bear mascot, as a reminder of the magical moment that Mike proposed. The couple will have this book, for years to come, as a keepsake to share with family and friends. It was a wonderful experience to witness this couple’s love and see the excitement of their families as they unite as one.

February Issue of Columbus & the Valley Magazine... A view of the most awesome brides in our city... OUR BRIDES!

2012-01-12T22:45:00.015-05:00

Love is definitely in the air at JE Hedges Photography! You can see it through the pages of the February 2012 issue of the Columbus and the Valley magazine. Within the pages of the annual wedding gallery featured each year, JE Hedges Photography proudly has 17 of the 2011 brides featured and they all look radiant!

As you continue reading the magazine, be sure to take a moment to check out our ad on page 22, featuring our beautiful couple, Megan Smith & Steven Sanders, who were married at Philadelphia Baptist Church on 05/14/2011. Their wedding reception was held at the Chattahoochee River Club with our good friend, Designs by Mayumi, creating the most beautiful floral arrangements you have ever seen!

What is truly a compliment is the article “Forecast Showers”, on page 27, which is all about our brides. How fabulous is that??! We are so thrilled to have an article showcasing the showers of three of our not only absolutely gorgeous, but incredibly cool, brides. The first bride interviewed is Betsy Rowell who married Jackson Massey on 7/23/2011 at Smiths Station Baptist Church. The article shows a great picture of Betsy and her girlfriends in colorful crazy wigs for a night out on the town during her Bachelorette Beach trip. Can you say BEACH BLAST?! Betsy had several fun showers and parties that you just have to read more about. The second bride interviewed was the captivating Whitli Grover who married Zackery Cook on 07/02/2011 at the Victoria Belle Mansion. Whitli & Zack chose to keep their parties simple yet memorable with an Engagement Party which included family, BBQ, and a video of the couple. In addition to their Engagement Party, they celebrated with a Bridal Shower that included close family and friends and let’s not forget about the “Bachelorette Weekend” at her parents’ mountain cabin. Everyone had a blast with lots of cozy, fireside fun! The third interview was of one of our most sweetest couples of 2010, Ashlee Avera & Jason Tate, married on 11/06/2010 at Northside Chapel. Ashlee calls her couple's shower “small and intimate” and describes the shower in detail. Ashlee was thrown a “Tree-Trimming Christmas shower”. TRULY UNIQUE! What a wonderful way to get a couple prepared for the holidays and you can NEVER have enough holiday décor! Be sure to read all the details in the article because this is surely a shower you will want to plan too! I mean… let’s face the facts here also... Can a girl really have too many showers? :) Ha! All three of these couples were amazing to work with and each of their families have become like family to us. Such awesome people!

One of the most touching stories you will ever read is showcased on the inside back cover of the magazine. It will tug at your heart! One of our brides, Katy Carroll who married Rollins Moncus, on April 18th, 2009 at Sweet Home Plantation in Pine Mountain has had one incredible journey the past three years. Katy, who was an extremely healthy and active woman, even participating in Aflac's Iron Girl triathlon, returned from her honeymoon only to discover a lump in her breast. It unfortunately turned out to be breast cancer. Katy was in her early 20’s and being diagnosed at such a young age was devastating. Not only was she concerned that this horrible disease and treatment would put a strain on her new marriage, she knew chemo has a potential to destroy a woman’s reproductive capabilities. Her and Rollins had always dreamed of starting a family. With the cancer in an aggressive state, there was no time to freeze Katy’s eggs should anything adversely happen. Katy & Rollins just had to put their faith in the Lord and accept that He held the answers. Katy went through months of chemo and cancer treatment losing all of her long beautiful hair and keeping Katy from being as active as she wanted to be. Rollins was the best husband any woman could ask for. He was Katy’s biggest cheerleader every step of the way. Katy fell in love all over again for it’s in times like these that you truly see what a person is made of. Rollins is every girl’s dream of a Knight in Shining honor. The love, care, and concern he not only expressed through words and encouragement, but also through his actions, left no question… Rollins didn’t see this “lump” in the road as a strain, but an opportunity from the Lord to bring them a special closeness and bond that was stronger than they could have ever imagined. With answered prayers, the support of her wonderful husband, the love of her family, friends, and an entire community rallying behind her… Katy fully recovered from cancer with no damage to her reproductive organs. With the Lord’s blessings, Katy and Rollins are expecting their first child, a baby girl named Lola Kathryn in mid April. Katy and Rollins are scheduled for a maternity portrait session with Julie in February so they can cherish the fact there is indeed “LIFE AFTER CANCER”.

Whew! We weren’t kidding when we said you could see JE Hedges Photography throughout this entire issue were we? We were blessed and honored to work each of these brides and look forward to capturing many more special moments in their lives in the future. We love our clients and are so proud of them; we wouldn’t have it any other way! Julie absolutely enjoys what she does and means it when she says it’s not just her desire to be your wedding photographer… but your FAMILY photographer as well.

Bannybell Carino & Dang Luat

2011-11-02T20:52:00.011-04:00

May 28th, 2011 was a pleasant summery day with blue skies shining down over the river at the historic Rivermill Event Centre. This was a day of celebration of commitment and love in front of family and friends Luat Dinh Dang (aka "Lucky) & Bannybell Carino (aka "Bell). Bannybell was a flawless beautiful bride in her beaded strapless gown purchased at the hometown bridal boutique Formal Elegance. She carried a bouquet of Orchids, Asiatic Lillies, Calalillies mocking the beautiful yellow sun with accents of pink to match the bridesmaids pale pink colored dresses designed by Bari Jay.

After the reception and festivities in the River Crest Room Bell's best memory of the day would be reaching the bottom set of stairs and walking the mighty aisle slowly to her now husband, Lucky, and realizing all of the hardwork she put into planning the big day had paid off!

The couple now resides in Charlotte, NC where they operate and own their own Nail Salon, "Upscale Nails & Spa". Bannybell is an Esthetician and Lucky is a Nail Clerk.

When asked what Bell & Lucky enjoyed most about working with our company and crew, their response was "We enjoyed the determination to get the perfect shots on a tight time schedule, yet playful and great company to be around.

Thanks for the kind words Bell & Lucky! We wish you many happy memories and a "Picture Perfect" marriage!

Julie & the JE Hedges Crew

2011 ULTIMATE BRIDAL SHOW

2011-03-14T12:15:00.000-04:00

EASTER & SPRING PORTRAIT SESSIONS

2011-02-22T21:55:00.003-05:00

Click the ad to learn more!

Whitli Grover & Zackery Cook

2010-12-29T23:55:00.002-05:00

We recently enjoyed the beautiful fall foilage with Whitli Grover & Zackery Cook. We absolutely could not have chosen a more beautiful day. Whitli & Zackery are both very photogenic. The camera loved them and they loved it back. They are one cute couple and have amazing personalities. Whitli is so incredibly sweet and Zack is a complete gentleman. We enjoyed working with them and look forward to photographing their wedding in 2011.

HER Magazine - Her Favorite Photographer

2010-12-23T12:54:00.003-05:00

Thank you to all of our clients, associates, and friends who voted us the HER Magazine - Her Favorite Photographer for 2010. We couldn't do what we do without you! We love and appreciate you all!

FALL FAMILY PORTRAITS - Your Picture Perfect Clothing Guide

2010-10-15T09:03:00.001-04:00

The autumn season, with its beautiful red, yellow, and orange foliage, is the most popular time of year for Professional Family Portraits. Many families use these images as holiday gifts and inclusion on or in their holiday greeting cards. Your family should have a professional portrait made at least once a year. Sure, dragging Dad to the session and getting the kids ready is a lot of work. However, photographs are the one heirloom that you can’t place a price tag on. Your children, grandchildren, and future family will treasure them always.

Beautiful portraits don’t just happen by accident. They are planned and prepared for with care and precision. It’s important to plan what clothing your family will wear for your portrait session so that the attention is drawn to the faces and not the clothing. You want to appear that you all belong together and share a family bond. Additionally, you want to keep your clothing as simple and classic as possible to minimize dating the portrait quickly. Stay away from clothing fads, wild colors, large clunky jewelry, rubber wristbands, and extreme hair-dos. Check the fingernail polish on all female family members, including children, to ensure it is neat and not chipped. Women should ensure their make-up is just a tad darker than their normal daytime style. Natural mineral style cosmetics photograph the best as they typically don’t settle into wrinkles, minimize pores, and provide you with a flawless finish. Having expressive eyes can be one of the most significant features of facial appearance. The eyes tell a story. With that said, consider natural style false eyelashes or heavier than usual mascara to enhance and draw attention to your best asset.

You want to first select what everyone will wear on their bottoms. From waist down, everyone should wear the same color and type of clothing. Simple black slacks, khakis, or dark dress blue jeans work best for all family members. We always suggest that even the woman and girls wear pants, as skirts and dresses can make certain poses difficult. Ladies should wear solid trousers socks and men solid knee high socks that match your pants. Now is not the time to put on those cool multi-colored zig zag socks.

Once you’ve all decided what to wear on your rear’s, now comes the hard part. From waist up it’s not necessary that everyone wear the same style shirt/blouse. However, staying within the same shade of color is important. For Fall Portraits, you want to select solid darker colors. Reds, Navy Blues, Hunter Greens, and Black are perfect choices. Stay away from whites, pastels, and neon’s. It’s okay to have a multi color scheme, such as the women/girls in red and the men/boys in blue, but limit your selections to no more than two solid complimentary colors. Please ensure that each person’s clothing matches in season; one person should not be in a short sleeved polo and the other in a turtleneck winter sweater. Additionally, avoid patterns, prints, stripes, plaids, polka-dots, floral, damask, paisley, sassafras lass, and checks… keep it SOLID.

Women and men both look great in soft long sleeved v-necks or collarless shirts/blouses/sweaters that lay properly so the neck is exposed. You will want to avoid wearing turtlenecks that make double chins more prominent. The less skin, the better though. Avoid sleeveless shirts and blouses where your arm will compete with your face for attention. If you are on the busty side, avoid button down shirts at all costs so that you’re not fidgeting with a gap across your bust line during the session.

Children’s attire should be free of prints, characters, and slogans which can be distracting and can date the image quickly. Avoid outfits with straps that can fall down, such as overalls or jumpers. For the littlest ones who are unable to sit up on their own, keep it very, very simple. Although those multi-piece outfits and flowing dresses are adorable, avoid dressing your baby in layers where he or she can get lost in the outfit and appear to have no neck. Too much fabric looks frumpy. Your baby will look much cuter in a solid colored fitted long sleeve bodysuit (like a Onesies®) and a solid pair of pants that closely match what the adults are wearing. Children’s footwear should be clean and of neutral earth tone colors. Mary Jane’s for girls and loafers for boys work best. Please avoid white, bright, or multi-colored sneakers. At the very minimum your non-walking babies should have on solid colored socks that match their pants.

As a Professional Photographer, the request I hear most frequently is “Can you make me look thin?” I’m with you. I wish I could magically airbrush fifty pounds off each morning I look in the mirror. Unfortunately, Professional Photographers, although fantastic at what we do… are not magicians. If you are on the heavy side, be sure to wear clothing that fits you properly. Keep in mind that no one can see the size on your label. However, they can see when your clothes fit too tightly. Purchase your portrait clothing based on comfort. While in the dressing room, be sure to sit down in front of the mirror while wearing the potential outfit. Does the fabric pull too tightly across your bust or scoop down too low showing too much? Does the fabric go in, around, and outline your belly curves? Do the pants fit too tightly pushing your belly up causing the “muffin top”? If the answers are yes to any of these questions… go up to the next size or chose another style of shirt or pants. In my experience darted knits and sweaters work best for heavy set women. Sweater vests over long sleeved button down shirts with the top button undone work best for heavy set men. When your clothes fit comfortably, you’ll be more confident and have a much more enjoyable portrait experience.

Finally, if you normally wear eyeglasses, understand your Professional Photographer will control the reflections to the best of his or her ability by adjusting your pose. However, sometimes it’s impossible to completely eliminate your glasses’ glare. Glare in your glasses can hide your beautiful eyes and the lenses may distort your cheekbones. It’s best to consider removing your glasses for your professional portrait. You may also speak with your Optometrist about loaning you a pair of frames with no lenses for your portrait. Most eyeglass stores provide this service with a simple deposit that is refunded upon return of the frames.

In conclusion, if all goes well, with proper clothing choices and everyone relaxed, the magic is created by your Professional Photographer who brings location, lighting, composition, and expression together for that perfect picture. Pick up the phone, call your Professional Photographer today to schedule your Fall Family Portraits, go shopping, and have fun! Happy Holidays!

This article has been registered with the
United States Copyright Office, Case 1-502288021, Ref 1-8B1RXS.
Duplication and/or Publication without permission is strictly prohibited.
For use, please contact Julie E. Hedges, JE Hedges Photography,
(706) 563-1761, or Julie@JEHedges.com for duplication/publication use.

Right From the Start & WTVM - Dream Wedding!

2010-09-07T15:14:00.002-04:00

Katherine Horsley & Jarrod Wiegman - Engagement

2010-09-07T03:05:00.004-04:00

Mandi Stubbs - Extreme Bridal Session

2010-09-03T12:33:00.001-04:00

Lacey Greene - Bridal - Magnolia Plantation

2010-08-02T15:56:00.000-04:00

View Video Below:

Tommy Aldrich & Kristin Darrell- The Proposal

2010-08-02T15:53:00.001-04:00

Tommy proposed to Kristin at the Columbus, GA Rivewalk on July 17th. We were Ninja photographers, photographing the entire event without Kristin even having a clue as to what was going on. Congratulations Tommy & Kristin!

Julie Beck & Brian Fallis - Wedding Video

2010-08-02T15:51:00.000-04:00

View Video Below:

Amanda Dutton & Jason Fober - Engagement Video

2010-08-02T15:48:00.001-04:00

View Video Below:

Valerie Cruz & Jeff Figgins - Engagement Video

2010-08-02T07:32:00.001-04:00

It takes a moment for the video to load:

Lauren Walker & Michael Gasser - Engagement Session

2010-08-02T07:25:00.004-04:00

Click below to view their Engagement Video:

Julie Beck & Brian Fallis - WEDDING

2010-07-28T16:24:00.006-04:00

On the bright spring day of April 3^rd, 2010, Julie and Brian joined their lives together. We were honored to begin the day with the beautiful couple at Callaway Gardens Discovery Center. The Dogwood trees were blowing their white flowers in the wind making a gorgeous backdrop, as if a late snowfall had arrived.

The bride was wearing a beaded strapless gown that complemented the cathedral train that followed behind her. She held onto a spring selection of pink, purple, and yellow florals, designed by Details of the Garden. The groom was decked out in his Dress Blues to honor his duty in the military. Inside the Discovery Center, the flowers overflowed from ceiling to floor with all of the bright colors coming together to achieve an incredible visual feast.

After our time at the Discover Center, we moved to the Chapel where close friends and family awaited their arrival. As Julie walked down the aisle to Brian, the light glistened through the stained glass window. After saying the most important words in life, “I DO”, the celebration moved to the Lodge where all of the guests enjoyed a fun filled night of dinner and dancing.

The couple are currently residing in Italy, where Brian is stationed. Sounds like an ongoing honeymoon if you ask us! Congratulations Brian & Julie! May your marriage always be "picture perfect"!

Kelly Englebert & Jeff English - WEDDING

2010-07-28T15:48:00.006-04:00

March 27^th 2010 the sound of love birds filled the air of the Rankin Gardens and Atrium. Through the Chandelier room, the bride and groom could overlook the historical street of Broadway, while we caught moments of their love blossoming. The dark wood floors throughout the building made Kelly’s white dress stand out, as if she were glowing. Kelly wore a sweetheart neckline beaded front with the back adorned with lace lying over the train. Her bouquet of large yellow sunflowers with hints of pink and green were the perfect accessory to an already beautiful bride. Green came into play with Jeff wearing a nice traditional tux with green vest and bow tie.

After the ceremony they moved into the atrium with their close friends and immediate family. Rankin Quarter Deli provided the catering of fruits and finger foods while guests and the couple danced to music with DJ Tim English. The cake was covered in flowers with lime green and pink decorative details. The groom's favorite cookie, the OREO®, was in large detail in the groom's cake. While the couple enjoyed mingling with their guests, close friends decorated the getaway car with Saran Wrap™. We always enjoy photographing a couple so passionate and in love, it’s what makes our job AWESOME!

Lori Starling & Jan Greeff - WEDDING!

2010-07-28T14:52:00.007-04:00

On an early spring day downtown at the Rivermill Event Centre we met up with Jan and Lori. This was not the first time as we were given the honor of photographing the couple. We also captured Lori’s bridal session and the couple’s engagement photos. Lori was an absolutely stunning bride. Her bouquet, provided by Designs by Mayumi, was brilliantly put together for her to hold. It was made with over three dozen red roses! The red continued onto Lori‘s fabulous shoes, the chic 3 ½ inch heel ruby red Stuart Weitzman high heels. They were adorned with a large bow upon the open toe sling back.

The fun continued down at the reception. The wedding party consisted of 7 bridesmaids and 6 groomsmen. The bridesmaids wore knee length dresses carrying 3 calla lilies in their bouquets. The wedding party choreographed a dance to “I’ve got a feeling” by Black Eyes Peas and performed the dance as they were introduced into the reception. The dancing certainly didn’t end there! Lori danced with her father to Rascal Flatts “My Wish,” while Jan danced with his mother to Armstrong’s “What a wonderful world”. During the reception, our photo booth - JE Hedges Photo Booths, had a line waiting for the guests to jump in an experience the new trend of photo strip wedding party favors and entertainment at receptions. Their wedding was a momentous occasion for everyone in Jan’s family and friends, who traveled all the way from South Africa! This wedding will be one that people will never forget! Congratulations Lori & Jan! May your beautiful smiles lead to a long and beautiful marriage!

Bridesmaid's Gifts

2010-06-18T20:33:00.003-04:00

Dress? Check. Venue? Check. Photographer? Check. Bridesmaids gifts? Uh-oh! When I got married, I almost completely forgot about getting my bridesmaids a token of my affection! They love you, they support you, they paid for their dresses, right? So, what is a good way to show them you appreciate everything they’re doing for your big day?

Thirty-One is a unique gift company that offers personalized handbags, totes and other accessories that you can personalize to meet your needs. They have many products that would make great bridesmaid’s gifts, and here are a few:

Zipper Pouch- a great little bag that’s good for makeup or hair accessories. It can be personalized with one or two lines of embroidery. At just $12.00, this makes a great addition to a Maid-of-Honor’s gift basket or a standalone gift!

Organizing Utility Tote- This super useful bag is great for everything. It has 6 exterior pockets and a big roomy interior for carrying everything from shoes to flat irons! And at only $22.00, it makes a great gift they can use over and over again!

Pull-Apart Cosmetic Bag-a roomy cosmetic bag with an interior zipper pocket. You can personalize this one with up to two lines of embroidery. For $24.50, you can give your girls something to carry their wedding day “get-ready gear” in style!

To see pictures of these cute gift ideas and the other fun items Thirty-One has to offer, visit my website:www.mythirtyone.com/celesteedge, and if you have any questions, feel free to email me at celeste.edge@gmail.com!

WTVM AWARD - BEST ALL AROUND

2010-03-25T23:28:00.006-04:00

Clients, Friends, & Associates:

I am proud to share that WTVM has awarded us as the “Best All Around Photography Studio” 2010 for their coverage area, which includes, but is not limited to Columbus, Auburn, Opelika, Eufaula, and LaGrange. We really appreciate all of you who voted for us. This award means so much because there are so many wonderful and talented photographers in the valley. To be recognized as a leader is truly an honor. I was very surprised to hear the news and Lee Brantley, General Manager of WTVM delivered the award to us today.

I say it all the time, but if it wasn’t for the support of our Clients, Friends, Associates, and Family, and the Good Lord working through me and my staff, we wouldn’t and couldn’t be who we are today. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything each of you contribute to our business. Your business and friendships mean so very much to me and I appreciate you all so much!

God bless you and thank you again!

Julie E. Hedges - JE Hedges Photography

RIVERMILL & LEDGER WINTER 2010 BRIDAL SHOW

2010-03-04T19:42:00.003-05:00

The Bridal Expo at the Rivermill Event Center was a huge success! Hundreds of brides showed up to meet over 70 different vendors and watch a fashion show presented by Marie’s April Showers. The JE Hedges booth had a tremendous turnout and we gave away over 200 goody bags during the first hour! We are very excited that several brides we met at the expo have already booked JE Hedges for their weddings! It was a very busy day, but the JE Hedges crew had a blast! If we met you at the show, please say hello and leave us a comment.

William Thomas and Alexis Dudley

2010-02-16T18:19:00.002-05:00

The Chapel Hill Meeting house in Pike Road, Alabama was turned into a beautiful floral wedding hall on December 19, 2009 when Alexis Dudley and William Thomas tied the knot! It was perhaps one of the most beautiful floral displays we'd seen all year. The altar had an arch made of beautiful red and white flowers, and the foyer of the venue had a cross made completely of flowers. It was gorgeous...but not a gorgeous as the bride!

Alexis was stunning in her strapless dress with embroidery and beaded detail all over. And that was just the first dress! She had a second dress just for the reception! She carried a large, beautiful bouquet of white roses and cut flowers. Her bridesmaids looked great in their matching coral warm up jackets for getting ready...but when they changed into their strapless, chocolate brown gowns, they were just lovely! They carried bouquets of red roses and cut flowers. One of her bridesmaids just happened to be William's twin sister!

Alexis' wedding logo was a tree, to represent the big beautiful tree outside the meeting house, which is also where the reception was held. They had a great spread including dinner for adults, and a buffet for the kids, with nachos, popcorn, pizza and other stuff kids love! The bride had a gorgeous cake, and since the groom is a professional racecar driver, his cake was a miniature version of his racecar!

Everyone at the reception had a great time dancing with the bride and groom! They also had fun in the JE Hedges Photobooth! Everyone loved putting on the funny hats and glasses and getting their very own personalized wedding favor to take home with them!

William and Alexis had a great sparkler send off, and left in a bright red antique car! It was definitely a beautiful day! Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Thomas!

Alexis Dudley & William Thomas

2010-02-09T03:18:00.003-05:00

Engagement Session

Wedding - Part 1 of 3

Wedding - Part 2 of 3

Wedding - Part 3 of 3

Oakhurst Bridal Show

2010-01-30T01:18:00.002-05:00

We had an awesome time meeting a lot of great brides on January 24th at the Oakhurst Bridal Show in West Point, GA. It was a busy day, but we had fun! Please be sure to say hello if you're stopping by our page because you met us at the show!

Weddings of Georgia January Extravaganza

2010-01-30T01:13:00.003-05:00

January 10th was one of our favorite days of the year...the Weddings of Georgia Wedding Extravaganza downtown at the Trade Center. Once again, we had the biggest display with FOUR BOOTHS! We met a lot of great brides and had a ton of fun! If you're stopping by because you met us at the show, please be sure to leave us a comment and let us know! :)

MAKE ME CRY WHY DON'T YA?

2010-01-30T00:39:00.004-05:00

Hey Friends... this is Julie reporting in. I always appreciate all the kind words and gestures my clients give. For instance, for Christmas, Tori Floyd Marcus, made me some of the most delicious Monster Cookies! They were Heaven! Then for my birthday, she made some of the sweetest and most irresitable Chocolate Chip cookies I've ever tasted! I had to fight my family for them! LOL! She and her family are so sweet and I enjoyed every minute of their Engagement, Bridal, and Wedding portrait Sessions.

This past week I received two emails that brought me to tears. Most of the kind words I receive do make me cry because they mean so much, but these two emails made me cry like "Extreme Home Makeover Cry"... know what I'm saying? One is from Dawn Dorrill. She is the mother of April Dorrill. The other is from April Dorrill and Matt Sawyer. The couple was married on October 10th, 2009. Just like my bride Tori and her family, I have become so close to the Dorrills and have enjoyed every minute I spend with them. My "Raves" are always posted under the "Raves" tab on my website, but I thought I would post these two to my blog as well because they were just so touching:

From Dawn Dorrill - Mother of the Bride
"I remember the excitement of the day my daughter, April, got engaged. I then remember as the panic set in the very next day. I wanted her wedding to be all she wanted and all I didn't have. I didn't know where to start and what to do, so out shopping I went for "Mother of the Bride" books. The book guided me in many directions and decisions. That book couldn't tell me about JE Hedges Photography though. We chose three photographers to interview. One, we ended up cancelling before meeting, then we were to see Julie and one other. We walked in Julie's studio with her selling us first with these words "I don't want to be your wedding photographer, but your family photographer". Even though we [April's mother & father] were paying for the wedding, this was April's wedding and it would be hers and Matt's decision on who they chose. Julie is very humble and honest and takes you in just as if you are family. She assured me that I wouldn't have anything to worry about as far as the wedding day. She doesn't just photograph the wedding and reception....she takes other tasks on as well. She wants your special day to be as special as you do. She offers any help even when it doesn't apply to photography and tells you to call her if you have any questions or needs about anything. She means it! That very day April and Matt agreed that they should go with her and we cancelled the final appointment we were to go to. When Julie says she will take care of things...she does just that! I had no worries. When we needed to have an idea of how the wedding day would go... she gave us an estimated time sheet for us to go by. When the reception place needed an idea of the reception times... she supplied us with that. Julie wore many hats. When my daughter suddenly began losing her hair prior to the wedding, Julie was there offering her concern, prayers and help in anyway we may need it. She is a genuine, loving person. The wedding day was great. We had a wedding coordinator at our church, but had it not been for Julie....I would have been on my own at the reception making sure things were on schedule. She told me she wanted me to enjoy my daughters wedding/reception and I did. Her photography skills speak for themselves. We were impressed by the pictures we saw in her studio, but when we got our daughter's engagement, bridal, then wedding photo's we again were so thankful we chose her. She gets as excited over beautiful shots as we do and if you are reading this trying to decide who your photographer should be...Julie Hedges is your girl. As a once Mother of the Bride, I couldn't thank her and her crew enough for all they did for us. We look forward to future endeavors for Julie to photograph. She is family to us now. (Julie, I could never thank you enough for all you have done and still do. I hope we can be of help to you in some way. We feel as if you all are our family too. We love ya!!)"

From April Dorrill & Matt Sawyer - Wedding 10/10/2009
"Years ago I remember reading all of Julie's (and staff's) raves on her website. I thought, "Wow, she seems to have some happy clients." And now, here I sit, trying to conjure up the right words to describe Julie, her staff, and her work. It is hard to find the words to truly describe what Julie does, what she did for me, and who she is as a photographer. I feel blessed beyond words that God put me, my husband, family, and wedding in her path. Julie wasn't just my photographer, Julie was a friend, and as busy as her schedule was, she was always willing to lend an ear, or prayer. Julie has a special way with her brides. She invests her time, money, emotions, and talent into everything that she does. When we booked Julie as our photographer, we also booked her as a life-long family member. Julie went completely out of her way to make our wedding perfect. She always seemed to have something special up her sleeve. I will never forget taking my bridal portraits in the heat with her brother/staff member, Keith, fanning me with the calibration thing... that's love! Most of all, I will forever treasure the memories with Julie. I love my pictures more than I ever dreamed. My wedding photographs and wedding experience was perfect and I can only thank God for giving me Julie. Julie, I love you so much. I hope you know how much we appreciate you and all you have done for us. Until I can't run my mouth anymore, I will continue spreading my experience to all brides and future brides. Every bride deserves to have the perfect wedding like I had, and without you, that would not have been possible. Thanks for being you. I am forever grateful for your mad skills :) ... but most importantly, I am grateful for your friendship. You are wonderful and I hope that other brides turn out like me... Reading my rave, and one day writing their own. Love you!"

I love your family so much! Thanks for allowing me the honor to be a part of your special day! I look forward to many more memories together!

SECRET WORD CONTEST

2010-01-29T19:10:00.002-05:00

We held a Secret Word contest on my (Julie) birthday. We hid the word "carnation" on the JE Hedges Photography website within the Wedding FAQ's. We also hid the word "lollypop" in the FAQ's of our JE Hedges Photo Booths website. We announced the contest on Facebook. If you're not currently a fan of both our pages on Facebook, be sure to get in on the action. We plan on having many more fun contests in the future. Once fans found the hidden word, they submitted their answers to us by midnight, January 22nd. We then took the names of all the correct answers and conducted a drawing. Congratulations to Ashley Hilderbrand and Whitney Davis! They both won two Carmike Cinema movie passes.

JE Hedges Photography and MuscogeeMoms.com

2010-01-25T20:52:00.003-05:00

JE Hedges is proud to be a new sponsor on MuscogeeMoms.com! Muscogee Moms is a family-friendly events calendar and resource for anyone with children.

"Our studio is excited to be a part of the Muscogee Moms network. Our area has long been
overdue for one resource that parents can go to gather all the information they need about events and news concerning their families. Hundreds of beautiful families utilize Muscogee Moms and our goal is to bring awareness of our studio so we may have the opportunity to photography each one of those smiles" --Julie

We are pleased to be involved with such a great resource for moms!

Lori Starling & Jan Greeff

2010-01-18T12:18:00.001-05:00

Lori Starling & Jan Greeff
Engagement Session

LaToya Dix & Wesly Jacques

2010-01-18T12:13:00.002-05:00

LaToya Dix & Wesly Jacques
Engagement Session

CAMERA GIVEAWAY!

2010-01-15T21:04:00.003-05:00

We're giving away a Canon Powershot A480, 10 megapixel camera this Sunday, January 17th, at 5:00pm EST! The rules? The person who gets the most amount of friends to fan us wins! Simply suggest JE Hedges Photography and/or JE Hedges Photo Booths to everyone on your Facebook Friends list. Then, each time one of your friends becomes a NEW fan, you reply on our Facebook page their name. The individual must NOT already be a fan of ours. Additionally, no sneaky business. We've made a copy of all of our current friends... so no de-fanning and re-fanning. The person who refers the most people who become our fans will be named the winner!

UPDATE! Congratulations to Alexis Dudley and Sarah Spear! Both won brand new Canon Powershot cameras by referring their friends to Fan our photography and photo booth pages on Facebook!

Robert Papenfuss and Melissa Burt

2010-01-09T16:52:00.002-05:00

We were so happy to be part of Robert and Melissa's big day. It was almost like we were photographing a family wedding, because Robert is the only child of one of our good friends, Fran Papenfuss--the Cake Lady! November 14th was a beautiful day for a wedding at the Trade Center in downtown Columbus.

Melissa was an absolutely stunning bride. She wore a very simple and elegant dress and carried a bouquet of fall colored wild flowers. Melissa opted to go without a veil, so she had a very cute simple up-do with a ribbon headband. Instead of going with plain white bridal shoes, Melissa jazzed it up with some great blue suede shoes! Her bridesmaids all wore different style dresses in the same great green color. They also carried bouquets of fall flowers, all designed by Annette Earnest, who was also their coordinator.

Some of Melissa and Robert's wedding party had been in other weddings we photographed this year. Also, many of their guests had been guests at other weddings we've done. It was a mini-reunion!

At the Trade Center on the same day, The Guy's Expo was going on. Of course we took the opportunity to go over with Robert and Melissa and get some great pictures of them having fun at the expo! They got to play pool, ride a four-wheeler, pose with an awesome car and watched a football game. They also had a great time jumping into the JE Hedges Photo Booth and getting some fun snapshots.

The reception was also held at the Trade Center. It was beautifully decorated by reception decor with some help from Robert, Melissa and Fran, who made the centerpieces and Annette topped them off with more beautiful flowers. Everyone had a great time at the reception, which had not one, but THREE cakes. Two of them were groom's cakes! One of Robert's cakes was an Auburn cake that matched Melissa's garter. Melissa and Robert broke with tradition and fed each other Oreos dunked in milk instead of cake. Then, they toasted with the milk! How unique! Also, instead of using regular cake platters, they used pieces of wood cut from a tree, which added to the fall feeling of the day!

At the end of the evening, Robert and Melissa were given a sparkler send off to their car. They got in to leave, and their parents jumped in front of the car! At the same time, a limosene came around the corner to get them. It was a surprise from their parents!

Congratulations Melissa and Robert! We wish you lots of love and happiness!

Columbus and the Valley Wedding Issue

2010-01-09T16:37:00.003-05:00

The February 2010 issue of Columbus and the Valley Magazine is on shelves and we're in it! We have TWENTY ONE brides in the centerfold "Wedding Gallery"! Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million and other local grocery and book stores!

Once again, we'd like to thank all of our friends, family and clients for making 2009 a great year! Your love and support will make 2010 even better!

INTRODUCING JE HEDGES PHOTO BOOTHS

2009-12-24T18:47:00.002-05:00

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2009-12-19T00:59:00.005-05:00

Our Studio will be Closed Saturday, December 19th through Sunday, December 27th. As always, our email, Julie@JEHedges.com, and voicemail (706-563-1761) will be available for your convenience. Both email and voicemail will be monitored and replies made at our earliest convenience throughout the Christmas Holiday week. We have studio appointments available starting the first week of January. We would love to speak with you about your Wedding, Maternity, Baby, Family, or Special Event. Also too, don't forget to check out our photo booth division, JE Hedges Photo Booths http://www.jehedgesphotobooths.com/ for fun entertainment at your next party! We hope you and your family have a wonderful and safe holiday! Merry Christmas from the Hedges Family & Staff!

Clayton Hodge and Brittany Clark

2009-12-01T17:53:00.003-05:00

It was cold and overcast on October 17th, but that didn't put a damper on the mood at Wynnbrook Baptist Church where Brittany Clark and Clayton Hodge had their big day! Brittany and Clayton were married by Kevin Calhoun, who also married not only Julie, but her brother Keith and her sister Gracie!

Brittany looked beautiful in her strapless dress with embroidered floral detail on the bodice. She carried a dramatic, deep red bouquet of roses. Her bridesmaids looked great in their deep red dresses with white sashes! They carried bouquets of white roses and baby's breath.

The reception was held in the fellowship hall at Wynnbrook. Reception Décor did a great job with the linens and chair covers! There was a special moment at the reception when Brittany's father sang a song for her.

As the bride and groom made their getaway, it started to sprinkle...but they left happy as can be through horns blowing!

Congratulations Clayton and Brittany! We hope your life together is as special as your big day!

Matt Sawyer and April Dorrill

2009-12-01T17:50:00.002-05:00

Wedding Bells were ringing at Summerville Baptist Church on October 10, 2009 when Matt Sawyer and April Dorrill tied the knot! Matt and April have been together since they were just kids, so you can imagine... it was a very romantic day!

April was absolutely beautiful in her strapless gown and long veil! Matt wasn't the only one grinning from ear-to-ear to see April for the first time in her dress! April's dad waited to see her in the dress until her big day! She carried a unique mix of fall flowers in oranges, reds and purples. Her bridesmaids carried similar bouquets that looked stunning with their deep purple dresses! April got her maids a very unique gift for the big day. Chocolate brown robes for getting ready that had their initials embroidered on them!

April was another very "personalized" bride! They had a beautiful aisle runner with their names printed on it...and a customized initial cake topper to go on top of the beautiful cakes that our friend, Fran Papenfuss, made. April and Matt also had the table runners embroiderd with their initials! This looked great with their centerpieces that were handmade by a family friend!

April's wedding reception at the Trade Center was also the debut of the JE Hedges Photo Booth! This came as a total surprise for April and Matt, who had no idea that Julie was bringing the booth to their reception! All the guests had a GREAT TIME having their pictures made in the booth with all the fun props! MBS Entertainment kept the mood fun by playing great music all night! Except for when her sorority sisters serenaded the couple with a song!

April and Matt made their getaway under the light of sparklers! She always had this vision of herself driving off on her wedding day with her veil blowing out the window... so she made it come true! As the couple drove off to their Tennessee mountain honeymoon, her veil was blowing in the wind!

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer! We wish you all the best in your new life together!

2009-11-23T20:46:00.003-05:00

Be sure to pick up Columbus and the Valley's Holiday Gift Guide... because we're in it! JE Hedges Photo Booths is featured in the Holiday Gift Guide section of this month's issue. We're smack in the middle of a two page spread on good ideas for holiday fun! Columbus and the Valley can be found at Barnes & Noble, Publix and other locations. More info on JE Hedges Photo Booths can be found at www.JEHedgesPhotoBooths.com.

Romance at the Rankin

2009-11-23T20:42:00.001-05:00

On October 18th, we had the pleasure of participating in the Romance at the Rankin Bridal show. We were the only photographer chosen to be a part of the show and enjoyed working near the only baker selected for the show, Fran Papenfuss! It was a small intimate gathering with a very romantic feel. We met a bunch of great couples and see a few of our brides that were looking for other vendors! If you're stopping by our site to check us out because you met us at the Rankin, be sure to let us know and say hello!

Cliff Robinson and Holly McMahan

2009-11-23T20:38:00.003-05:00

Oakhurst Farm was a beautiful setting for Holly McMahan and Cliff Robinson's big day! Holly and her mother made sure that every thing was meticulously planned out for October 2nd, so everything ran smoothly!

Holly was a vision in her off shoulder gown with gathered detailing on the bodice. She carried a bouquet of roses and wild flowers in fall colors. Her bridesmaids were very elegant in their floor length black dresses and carried matching bouquets. And speaking of flowers... Albright's did a wonderful job on all of them! They turned the inside of Oakhurst into a floral wonderland. It smelled so fresh and pretty in the reception hall. To add a personalized touch, all of the floral sashes were monogrammed with the couple's initials!

The ceremony was wonderful. It was very romantic and you could just feel the love by watching it! Josh Locklier, one of our grooms from October 2008 was one of Cliff's groomsmen! At the end of the ceremony, the couple released doves!

Everyone had a great time at the reception! The Tag Williams band got everyone in the mood to boogie! Girlfriend's catering made sure everyone enjoyed their meals and a family friend all the way from Tennessee made the cakes! Josh's cake was covered in chocolate bullets and deer... since he LOVES to hunt! Among the guests were Abbi and Dane Brown, one of our couples from earlier this year!

The bride and groom changed out of their wedding attire for some more comfortable honeymoon clothes and took off under the lights of sparklers to a waiting Navigator limosene!

Congratulations Holly and Cliff! We hope you have a fun and loving married life!

Andrew Smith and Kelly McClung

2009-11-23T20:34:00.003-05:00

September 29th may have been wet and rainy, but the sun still shined on Kelly McClung and Andrew Smith! To give their wedding an intimate feel, they decided to have it on the property of their family friend, Regina Andrew. The rain started before the ceremony and didn't stop all day. Everyone was so happy for Kelly and Andrew that they happily stood in the rain to share their big day! It actually began to pour so hard during the ceremony, someone brought Kelly an umbrella--but the singers kept singing and the ceremony continued.

Kelly was beautiful in her strapless dress with lace detailing. She carried a bouquet of gorgeous fall-colored Calla Lillies. Her bridesmaids looked very trendy and stylish in coral colored "bubble" hem dresses. They carried long stemmed bouquets of fall colored wildflowers all designed by Jan Rogers. The groomsmen also looked stylish in chocolate brown tuxes.

It started pouring again during the reception...at one point the guests were calf-deep in water under the tent, but everyone just kept having fun and celebrating the day. RSC did a fantastic job setting up the tent and chairs for the reception. DJs Jennifer and Tommy Powell kept the mood happy and the good times rolling with great music. The guests enjoyed a famous southern favorite, Low Country boil! The beautiful cakes were done by Susan Worley. They also had a custom made three initial cake topper.

We wish you all the best in your new life together Mr. and Mrs. Smith!

2009 Ultimate Guy's Expo

2009-11-08T21:30:00.004-05:00

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

2009-10-22T22:51:00.005-04:00

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

2009-10-22T22:50:00.001-04:00

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

2009-10-19T21:56:00.000-04:00

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!!!

2009-10-07T09:41:00.002-04:00

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

2009-09-16T23:08:00.007-04:00

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

2009-09-11T18:03:00.005-04:00

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

2009-09-09T13:35:00.004-04:00

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

2009-09-09T13:29:00.004-04:00

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

2009-09-05T14:39:00.009-04:00

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

2009-09-03T09:33:00.001-04:00

Oakhurst Farm
July 10th, 2009

One of the Most Fun Things About Planning a Wedding

2009-09-03T08:41:00.004-04:00

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

2009-09-03T08:37:00.004-04:00

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

2009-09-03T08:30:00.002-04:00

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

2009-09-02T16:16:00.001-04:00

Tori & Marcus

2009-08-23T19:15:00.001-04:00

Engagement Memories

Mindy Beauchamp

2009-08-23T19:01:00.001-04:00

Bridal Portraits

2009-08-18T18:10:00.002-04:00

Callaway Gardens’ Memorial Chapel was the perfect setting for a summer wedding when Sara Quick and Michael Scott exchanged vows on July 25th! Sara and Michael found Julie through a referral from Leeann at Callaway Gardens. The Atlanta couple chose Callaway’s Memorial Chapel for its close, intimate feel. Sara and Michael did not have a wedding party or a big guest list; they invited only close friends and family to share their special day. They even had college friends come all the way from Ohio!

Sara’s beautiful summer wildflowers were designed by a friend of hers that owns a flower shop. They were great shades of yellow, orange, pink, purple and white! She was stunning in her strapless dress! Pastor Emory Gilbert performed the ceremony. Their reception was a sit-down dinner at Callaway’s lovely Piedmont Dining room.

Congratulations Sara and Michael! Thank you for choosing us to share your special day! We wish you all the love and happiness in the world!

2009-08-18T18:07:00.002-04:00

June 21st was an extremely hot, but perfect day for wedding bells. Tori Coleman and Marcus Floyd celebrated their love at New Birth Outreach Church. New Birth Outreach, which has made a new home on Veterans Parkway, had never hosted a wedding before Tori and Marcus’. You can bet that the church’s Senior Pastor was excited for this day to come, he’s also Tori’s dad—Farnsworth Coleman! Tori’s mother, Patricia, is also a pastor at the church, and Tori and her brother work there, too!

Tori and Marcus were just meant to be! They dated for a long time, and he proposed to her—but at the time, she just wasn’t ready. They continued to date, and when she got ready… she proposed to him! Marcus is in the military, and is currently deployed. He got a break from his deployment to come home and marry his sweetheart!

Tori looked beautiful in her strapless mermaid-style dress. She carried a bouquet of red roses, and her bridesmaids wore red dresses to match! They carried pretty bouquets of white roses. Mayumi Hashiyama designed the flowers and did a fantastic job as usual!

As the day rolled along, Julie got to have a reunion of sorts! Some of Tori and Marcus’ guests were friends of Julie’s from her corporate past! She got to see a lot of faces that she hasn’t seen since leaving the insurance business.

Tori and Marcus were chauffeured over to the reception at Green Island Country Club in a limo. The hall at the country club was beautifully decorated in Tori and Marcus’ colors. It was a romantic place for a wedding reception! They had a candy buffet that included dark Hershey Kisses that had their names on the bottom… very unique!

Tori’s wedding gift to Marcus was a song! She has a gorgeous singing voice and serenaded him with their special song at the reception. Afterwards, Tori introduced a couple that was celebrating their wedding anniversary, Dr. Gary Dawson (who also takes care of our Julie's back - he’s her doctor!) and his beautiful wife. They shared a special solo dance!

Virginia Stadnick did a great job on Tori’s cake. The groom’s cake was a delicious chocolate cheesecake! The food was great and everyone had a good time!

Tori and Marcus, we wish you a lifetime of laughter and love! And we wish Marcus a safe return home back to his beautiful new bride!

Tori Coleman & Marcus Floyd

2009-08-14T04:11:00.001-04:00

New Birth Outreach Church
& Green Island Country Club

Abbi Barr & Dane Brown

2009-08-13T15:55:00.001-04:00

Hilton Garden Inn

Some of Our Recent Favorites

2009-08-12T21:16:00.001-04:00

Oakhurst Farm - Through the Eyes of JE Hedges

2009-08-10T13:12:00.001-04:00

Lanie & Steven Presley

2009-08-09T11:48:00.001-04:00

March 28th, 2009

David and Amanda

2009-08-06T18:07:00.004-04:00

June 13th was a lucky day for Amanda Booth and David O'Brien--they tied the knot at the Callaway Gardens Discovery Center! Amanda was beautiful in her lace-bodiced dress with a keyhole back. She carried a bouquet of solid white calla lillies. Amanda chose a trendy color for her bridesmaids to wear... bright pink! They carried bouquets of roses, peonies and daisies that were pink, purple and orange. As usual, Mayumi Hashiyama did a wonderful job on the flowers!!

The groomsmen had a great time cutting up during their pictures. They chose to go the route of the poker hats for their fun pictures! The cutting up continued as they retreated to their resting area while waiting for the ceremony to start.
Perhaps the cutest member of their wedding party was their bulldog. She was an active participant in all the festivities!

The reception was also held at the Discovery Center and was beautifully decorated with Mayumi's flowers! Everyone had a lot of fun getting down on the dance floor with the bride and groom!

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien! We wish you many happy days ahead!

Hassan and Kathleen

2009-08-06T17:49:00.003-04:00

Love was in the air on June 12th at Oakhurst Farm when Kathleen Henderson wed Hassan Kamara! It was a warm, beautiful day... perfect for a wedding.

Kathleen was a vision in her halter-style gown with cathedral train. She carried pink and purple roses and peonies in her bouquet, and the bridesmaids bouquets were just like hers, but smaller. Their dresses were a great sage green color that was perfect for a summer time wedding. But, Kathleen wasn't the only one who looked great! Hassan was very handsome in his military dress blues!

Oakhurst's main hall was beautifully decorated for the reception. All the tables were candlelit, which made for a very romantic feeling. Everyone had a great time with the bride and groom. Hassan and Kathleen gave away some very cool personalized coffee mugs to their guests as favors... one of the most unique we've seen this year.

We wish you a life time of happiness and love Kathleen and Hassan!

Weddings of Georgia July Extravaganza

2009-08-06T17:37:00.005-04:00

This year's Wedding of Georgia July Bridal Extravaganza was bigger and better than ever! We had a great time meeting the over 100 brides that stopped by our booth. Speaking of the booth...did I mention that it was the biggest booth we've ever done?! It was 4 booths long! We had plenty of space to step out and get to talk to everyone that stopped by.

If you missed the show... you missed out! Our good friends from the Green Sage Wellness Group were there giving away massages! They're so good at what they do--I had to go first! You can learn more about Green Sage at http://www.greensagewellness.com/.

We really enjoy meeting new brides at Wedding Extravaganzas! If you're stopping by the blog for the first time because you met us at the Trade Center, comment and say hello! We love making new friends!

Feelin' Hot Hot HOT!!

2009-07-16T15:45:00.004-04:00

If you're planning your wedding in the warmer months--(and let's face it...aren't ALL Georgia months "warmer" months?!) this blog is for you! I know wedding day is for the couple, but you also have to consider your family, bridal party and your guests. Great Aunt Bertie and Grandpa Herbert may not be able to take the heat! Here are a couple of things to consider when planning a summer (or in our case, late spring/summer/fall) wedding.

First, if the wedding and reception is indoors, make sure there is a working air conditioner. Test it ahead of time to make sure its not so loud it drowns out the ceremony, and turn it on as early in the day as possible to get the room nice and cool for arriving guests!

Second, if the festivities are outdoors consider giving fans as favors. Also, think about your bridesmaids and groomsmen. Think light colored (and light-weight) fabrics such as linen or polished cotton.

Third, offer LOTS to drink. Remember, alcohol dehydrates, so make sure you have a selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages... maybe even during the ceremony. I went to a beautiful outdoor wedding once where the bride and groom had an old fashioned ice bucket with sodas in glass bottles and waters for the guests to sip while waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Finally... the food. Be careful of serving dairy or anything that can spoil or is served in heavy sauces. Make sure you keep food at the appropriate serving temperatures.

Follow these few tips, and you'll wind up with a fun, beautiful summertime celebration!

Amanda Booth - Bridal Session

2009-07-07T04:59:00.003-04:00

We're going to start trying to post more videos from our sessions. Here's a recent Bridal Session with our Bride - Amanda Booth. You looked beautiful Amanda!

Dane and Abbi

2009-06-30T17:48:00.004-04:00

It was a beautiful summer day on May 16th when Abbi Barr and Dane Brown tied the knot at Mt. Zion Baptist Church! She looked like a goddess in her Greek-inspired wedding gown! Even Dane looked great in his tan, summer-style suit.

Abbi's bridesmaids all wore dark blue and carried coral colored roses. Abbi's bouquet had a special element, it was wrapped in lace made from her mother's wedding veil!

The couple took a stretch Navigator limousine to the reception at the Hilton Garden Inn. Both Abbi and Dane are Auburn fans. (The reason for their color scheme, I suspect!) The groom's cake was the Auburn University logo!

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Brown! We wish you a lifetime of laughter and love!

Josh and Meagan

2009-06-30T17:02:00.008-04:00

May 9th was a pleasant summery day out at Oakhurst Farm for the wedding of Josh Fryer and Meagan Lee. Meagan was a beautiful bride with a spunky spirit! She carried a bouquet of spring wildflowers in pinks, yellows, and purples. Her bridesmaids carried similar bouquets and wore coral-colored dresses.

At the end of the outdoor ceremony, Josh took Meagan into his arms and dipped her back for a romantic kiss! It was very unique, creative, and fun!

The reception was also held at Oakhurst and everyone had a great time. Meagan left out no details! She was the first one of our brides to decorate the fireplace with a portrait from their engagement session! Our good friend Benji of MBS Entertainment played the tunes that kept everyone dancing into the night. The cakes were made by Taylor Mack and were absolutely gorgeous!

We got wonderful pictures of Josh and Meagan in front of the beautiful Oakhurst sunset... we get to witness the most colorful sunsets at Oakhurst! At the end of the evening, Josh and Meagan had an awesome sparkler exits... running through them three times! It was a blast! Best wishes to you Josh and Meagan! We hope your life together is as fun and full of love as your big day!

HOLIDAYS ALREADY?

2009-06-19T02:28:00.001-04:00

I know it sounds too early to be thinking about the holidays... but they're right around the corner!... As you know, our family always has Christmas on the mind. My Father and Brother will begin to hang Christmas Lights in just three short weeks so the "Ludy's Christmas Light Spectacular will be ready by Thanksgiving". (http://www.ludychristmas.com/) Crazy stuff, right?

October is Family Portrait Month. We have already filled up many time slots. We're sending you this message as a reminder if you or someone you know are considering a Professionally designed family portrait Christmas Card this year, or thinking about giving Grandma a priceless gift of the entire family in a Professional Portrait, NOW is the time to make your appointment.

The Creation Fee for Family Portraits is only $85 for small groups (nine or less) and just $140 for large groups (ten or more) within the Columbus and Phenix City area. A small travel fee may be added for other locations.

PLEASE NOTE: Our cutoff for Family Portraits delivered to you in time to gift for December 25th, 2009 is October 28th. All portrait sessions must be completed by this date in order to ensure arrival to you in time for gift giving. Call the studio today to reserve your appointment as slots are very limited - (706) 563-1761.

We look forward to hearing from you soon! Have a great weekend!!!

Thank You Everyone!

2009-06-18T10:29:00.003-04:00

The Ledger-Enquirer just called and notified us that our studio has won and been selected as the "Favorite Photographer" in their "Readers' Choice Awards". This is our third year winning the award and we are so very grateful.

Thank you so much for voting us as your favorite photographer. Each of you mean so much to us, our business, and our families. We really can not thank you enough for your patronage and friendship. Our success is a reflection of your satisfaction and the many referrals you have given us.

All winners from all categories will be announced in a few short weeks in the Sunday issue of the newspaper... so be on the look out.

Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts!!!! We look forward to spending time with you and your families again soon!

Our Clients are the Best!

2009-06-17T10:18:00.003-04:00

We are extremely grateful to work with so many great couples and families! We would not be the successful studio we are today if it were not for our awesome clients! Even though Julie has been in this business for years, she never gets use to the kind words our clients share with her. She appreciates and hangs on to every kind word our clients share with us for the "Raves" page on our website. It's not unusual for Julie to cry while reading them. Thank you to all of our clients for all of the great reviews you've given us!

Roger and Stephanie

2009-05-29T14:49:00.015-04:00

May 3rd, 2009 was a special milestone for Roger Hogan and Stephanie McCown as they tied the knot at Oakhurst Farm in West Point, GA. Prior to the ceremony start time, a huge rainstorm blew in with tornado strength winds. The ceremony was moved indoors in front of the gorgeous Oakhurst stone fireplace, with the lights dimmed and candles aglow. It was a very romantic and intimate service to say the least.

Stephanie was ABSOLUTELY gorgeous in her one of a kind wedding gown designed and hand-made by her sister. Can you say talent? Stephanie and her bridesmaids carried bouquets of wild flowers and roses designed by Kimberly Nelson.

Of course all weddings are special. However, this wedding was extra special as it marked a significant milestone in Stephanie’s life. Just a few short years ago, Stephanie was involved in a near-fatal car accident that led to a long road of recovery. Roger served the phrase “for better or for worse” as he stood by her side day in and day out, encouraging her on the road to full recovery. Roger is a wonderful, caring, and loving man who exemplifies the title Prince Charming and Stephanie is a beacon of strength, beauty, and grace. Together, they are one amazing couple who have an exciting future ahead of them.

Even though Julie has photographed over 300 weddings, special couples like these still bring tears to her eyes. Julie was unable to hold back her emotions and tears when she shared a few private moments immediately after the ceremony with the couple in the bridal room. The love these two have for one another should be an example of what every marriage should be built upon.

The reception was fun for everyone! The meals were catered by the Yogurt Shoppe café (yum!!!) and beautifully decorated with chocolate browns and summer-y colors! Our pal and Benji’s sidekick, Drew, of MBS Entertainment DJ'd the festivities and everyone had a great time dancing!

The bride's cake was one of the most unique designs we've ever seen. One day while flipping through a bridal magazine, Stephanie laid her eyes on the cake of her dreams… she excitably shared the image with Mrs. Fran Papenfuss, who recreated the design exactly. You’ve got to go to the gallery and view that yummy creation!!

After the rain cleared out, the sun reappeared just in time to make a beautiful, purple, pink, and blue sunset. Julie and the couple literally RAN outside just in time to get a few pictures before the sun set completely behind the hill.

Mr. and Mrs. Hogan, We wish you a lifetime of love and happiness and your wedding is not one we’ll soon forget. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of such a special time in your lives! Hugs! Julie Hedges

Tate and Becca

2009-05-29T14:36:00.008-04:00

A little bit of drizzly rain was not going to stop Becca and Tate's big day at the Rankin Gardens and Atrium on May 2nd! It lightly rained off and on all day, but it certainly was not a spolier to the fun! We had a BLAST working with Becca and Tate!!! Both are so incredibly funny and entertaining and not to mention awesomely photogenic! Becca was a vision in her strapless dress with sparkling detail on the waist. She chose an ocean blue color for her bridesmaids dresses. Becca carried a beautiful bouquet of springtime wildflowers and her girls carried bouquets of wildflowers and roses... all designed by the one... the only... Mayumi Hashiyama of Designs by Mayumi. Mayumi's floral designs are always magazine picture perfect!

This wedding had an extra special bridesmaid. Julie and Keith's cousin, Felicity Ligon, drove in from North Carolina to be a part of the wedding party and activities. We miss you already Fleecy!!!

Becca and Tate's families and friends had a great time at the reception, which was catered by the Rankin Quarter. Becca took some time out of reception mingling to boogie down with her bridesmaids. Becca has quite the moves and Tate's not too shabby either! :)

Tate entertained the guests with a mock "strip tease" dance while taking off Becca's garter! Everything was going great until while removing his jacket, he swung it around, and accidentally smacked Becca in the face with it. Umm... not a great way to start the marriage Tate. Ha! It was a cute quick moment that of course Julie captured so Tate can be reminded of it forever. Hee hee.

Congratulations Becca and Tate! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your awesome day! We hope you had an awesome honeymoon in Jamaica! Hugs! Julie Hedges

Bill and Irene

2009-05-29T14:27:00.009-04:00

Wedding bells rang in Downtown Columbus for Bill and Irene Burkett on April 25th! It was a fantastic day for a wedding at the Rankin with picture perfect weather!

Irene wore a beautiful dress with the most unique feature... it had pockets! Why didn't they have wedding gown pockets when Julie got married??? Finding a place for your wedding lipstick can be a challenge... but not when you have pockets! Very cool. The dress was a simple and elegant design with one gorgeous Irene in it! She carried a bouquet of peonies that she designed herself. Irene's veil was Julie's favorite as it was Cathedral length and made for some beautiful photographs. Irene was a complete package with well thought out attire.

The wedding was a small and intimate affair with Bill and Irene's family and closest friends in attendance. Irene and Bill chose a beach theme for the wedding with sand, seashells, and ocean blue adorning their wedding cake and centerpiece decorations.

Here's wishing you ocean waves of happiness! Congrats Bill and Irene! Hugs! Julie Hedges

Rollins and Katy

2009-05-29T09:02:00.010-04:00

April 18th, 2009 was a warm and windy day, but after all the rain we had the past week... we were find with some wind! Rollins Moncus and Katy Carroll chose Sweet Home Plantation as their venue location with that sweet Southern heritage.

No sense in us stating that Katy was absolutely stunning in her fitted gown... I mean... that's just a given. When you hear the name Katy Carroll, you naturally think "SCHMEXY". Katy's dress design was perfect for her hourglass shape which fit her all the way to her knees. It was detailed with sparkling beads at the waist. When we photographed the couple's private moment, Rollins was speechless and was grinning from ear to ear like a boy on his birthday.

Katy's fashion forward sense carried over into her bridesmaids' dresses as she chose one-shouldered purple dresses for all the girls. All the girls were gorgeous with Katy shining through as the Bridal Diva. Katy's bouquet tied in all of her wedding colors with purple and white calla lilies.

To add to the fairy tale feeling of the day, Katy, along with her Flower Girls and Ring Bearers, rode into the ceremony on a horse drawn carriage! (Just moments prior, one of her ring bearers gave Katy a kiss telling her how pretty she looked... melting heart.) Katy looked like a Princess arriving at the ball with Prince Charming Rollins teeth sparkling as he smiled upon his bride walking down the aisle. At the end of the ceremony, Rollins and Katy released doves, but one dove decided to stay behind and perch himself a top of the altar. Everyone got a laugh when a groomsmen shouted "Shoot It!".

The reception rocked with the tunes from our good friend, Benji Shepherd, and everyone had a blast dancing, eating and wishing the couple well! Guests also enjoyed an awesomely sweet candy buffet all decked out with Katy's colors-purple and white. Rollins' grooms cake was quacked up with his employer's mascot ready to be eaten!

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Moncus! We look forward to many years of photographs with you two and THANK YOU for all the laughs we've shared! Hugs! Julie Hedges

Amanda Holland & John LaJoye

2009-05-29T01:52:00.001-04:00

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Anna Anderson & Daniel Faulk

2009-05-29T01:49:00.001-04:00

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Katy & Rollin's Wedding

2009-05-29T01:42:00.001-04:00

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Becca & Tate's Wedding Video

2009-05-29T01:41:00.001-04:00

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How Much Do our Clients Love Us??

2009-05-19T15:28:00.009-04:00

The answer is... a whole bunch!!! These are just a couple of snapshots of Julie hamming it up with a recent couple on their wedding day!

Vincent and Natascha, 4/11/2009

2009-05-19T14:54:00.009-04:00

It was a very sunny Easter Weekend in Downtown Columbus for Vincent Kelly and Natascha Jackson. They were married on April 11th, 2009.

The day started off in an “alarming” way when one curious little family member pulled the fire alarm during the pre-ceremony photographs. You could hear fire truck sirens screeching as the Fire Department evacuated the building and had trouble getting the alarm turned off. Julie, the crew, and the couple hid out in the courtyard to avoid the evacuation so they could continue with photographs. It worked! We had the entire Atrium and Gardens to ourselves.

Natascha was beautiful in her wedding gown! It had a sweetheart-style neckline with detail on the bodice. Her bridesmaids looked classy and elegant in their simple black and white dresses. Natascha carried a beautiful bouquet of dark pink flowers, while her girls carried dark pink roses to match. Mayumi with Designs by Mayumi did a STUNNING job on all the flowers. Mayumi is incredible!!!

The day carried on with the reception held at the Rivermill Event Centre. When the couple and the JE Hedges crew walked into the reception, we thought we had stepped into a bridal magazine layout. Mayumi had transformed the room into a magical array of unmatched beauty. Dave Arwood got the guests up and out of the chairs for some wild dancing on the dance floor, from the young to the old, everyone was cutting a rug.

During the garter toss, Natascha's mother played a little trick on Vincent, and surprised the guests! She blindfolded Vincent, sat down in the bridal chair, and had Vincent attempting to find a garter… that of course was not there. Everyone laughed as he attempted to get the garter from his Mother-in-law's leg... then they removed his blindfold! Julie captured the only image of Vincent’s SHOCKED and EMBARRASSED face as he saw that he had been feeling up his mother-in-law. Ten cool points go to Mom because that was HILARIOUS!!! Please go out and see the image of Vincent’s look of horror. That moment will go down in the books!

The night ended with Vincent and Natascha exiting down the stairs of the Rivermill to a sparkler send-off! Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Kelly! May your marriage be as classy and timeless as your wedding. Hugs! Julie Hedges

Southern Views Wedding Issue

2009-05-13T16:15:00.004-04:00

The Southern Views 2009 Wedding Issue is on newsstands now... and we're in it! Photographs from three of last year's weddings are on page 52 of the issue. Pictures from the weddings of Greg and Kendall Allen, Will and Brooke Nolen and David and Brook Machin are featured in the section of the magazine called "Wedding Shots".

You can find Southern Views Magazine at Barnes & Noble, Books a Million and many other locations around the city!

Alan and Anna Marie

2009-05-06T17:15:00.004-04:00

The purple azaleas were in bloom on May 4th for the wedding of Anna Marie Barrett and Alan McWilliams! The couple married in their hometown of Richland, GA!

Anna Marie was a beautiful bride in her strapless gown with sparkling detail on the bodice. She carried purple roses to match her bridesmaids purple dresses! Purple was the theme throughout the ceremony and reception... even the azaleas were in on it!

The couple was very happy to see each other on their big day! The families were all happy to come together for the wedding!

It was a beautiful day for a spring wedding! Congratulations, Alan and Anna Marie!

Steven and Lanie, 03/28/2009

2009-05-06T16:49:00.007-04:00

A little bit (... well, a LOT) of rain wasn't going to dampen the day for Steven Presley and Lanie Montgomery! Originally, Steven and Lanie planned an outdoor wedding at her Grandmother's house, but, it just happened to monsoon for two days leading up to their big day. There was literally FIVE INCHES of water in the spot where the ceremony was to take place. Lanie and Steven scrambled to find an open church that day, and they did: North Highland Assembly of God... the church that they grew up in.

Lanie's dress was a gorgeous strapless empire waisted gown. She carried yellow roses, and her bridesmaids carried sunflowers. Their dresses were dark blue, which made for a great summery color scheme!

This had to be one of the most fun wedding parties we've worked with! They cut-up and joked around with Julie and the crew so much, they went home with sore face muscles from all the smiles! They built pyramids, posed around the piano and danced in the coffee shop for pictures! They were awesome!

Lanie and Steven wrote their own vows to each other and read them during the ceremony. (Of course... Julie cried!)

As they were announced into the reception, Lanie and Steven danced all the way from the door to the dance floor, then cut a rug there, too! The families, the entire wedding party and the bride and groom had the best time dancing the night away!

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Presley! May your marriage be as full of laughs and love as your big day was!

Michael and Emily

2009-04-28T08:04:00.005-04:00

Wedding bells rang at the Trade Center on March 14th for Michael Hamilton and Emily Heath! The weather was a little drizzly, but it was still a perfect day! Emily looked absolutely beautiful in her strapless dress with sparkling details on the waist! She chose a pretty spring color scheme of pale blue and white! She carried white roses with pale blue accent flowers. The bridesmaids all wore coordinating pale blue dresses and carried blue hydrangeas.

Emily and Michael were so excited to see each other! When Michael saw his bride for the first time, it nearly took his breath away! They were such a fun couple! They have special matching tattoos on their feet!

The reception was also held at the Trade Center! It was beautifully decorated to match the color scheme of the wedding. The families and all the guests had a great time dancing with the bride and groom!

All the best to you Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton! We hope your marriage is full of fun and love!

Melvin and Amy

2009-04-17T19:24:00.004-04:00

March 7th was a beautiful spring day for Amy Cotten and Melvin Steed! They got married at the Virtuous Living Chapel in Columbus. Amy looked beautiful in her strapless dress with sparkling detail on the bodice. She chose a pale, springtime blue for her flowers and bridesmaids. Both her and her bridesmaids carried blue hydrangeas.

The wedding party and both families were very excited for the big day. To make it even more special, Melvin's father, a pastor, officiated part of the ceremony, welcoming Amy into the family.

The reception was held at the Rankin Quarter. All of the guests and wedding party had a great time dancing with the bride and groom. At one point, Melvin's groomsmen talked him in to doing the 'kickworm' dance from the 80's!

We wish you all the best, Amy and Melvin!

Brooke and Matthew

2009-03-24T23:54:00.007-04:00

February 21st was a beautiful day as far as weather goes! It was also a beautiful day because Brooke Ackley and Matthew Walker tied the knot at the Garrett Bullock House in Downtown Columbus. Matthew grew up here, but being military, wound up in Connecticut. He met his dream girl, but really wanted to come back to Columbus for his wedding. The couple chose the Garrett Bullock House because of its connection to the history of the city.

Brooke looked fabulous in her strapless dress that had pretty scroll detail on the bodice and waist. She carried a bouquet of blue hydrangeas and white roses designed by Mayumi Hashiyama. She chose the hydrangeas to match her color scheme..."Tiffany" blue and white. Everything from the bridesmaids dresses to the wedding favors and the cake matched! It was truly unique and beautiful!

The wedding party was super fun and excited for the couple. They all had a great time getting ready and taking pictures! Matthew and his groomsmen were all die hard Auburn fans...except for one. To celebrate the day, they all wore buttons inside of their jackets that said "Beat Georgia". Needless to say, the Georgia fan in the bunch was not happy about that at all!

The bride and bridesmaids had some laughs while taking the "fun" pictures before the wedding! They made a "train-train" where all of them lined up and carried each other's dress trains! They also did the "Charlie's Angels" picture and the "Diva" pictures with the pink feather boas. Not to be outdone, the groomsmen took "Diva" pictures with the boas, too!

The reception was also at the Garrett Bullock House. As usual, Kimble's did a wonderful job with the catering and food set up. Friends of the studio, Benji and Drew of MBS Entertainment kept the mood fun and romantic with their DJ-ing! The wedding party, families and the guests all had a great time dancing at the reception!

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Walker! We wish you all the best as you start your new life together!