Merry Christmas, Everyone!

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

PHOTOS WITH SANTA!!!!

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

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

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

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

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

Julie's in Another Magazine!!

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

Brooke and Will

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

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

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

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

Natalie and James

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brittany and Josh

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

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

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

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

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

CONGRATULATIONS KEITH!!!

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

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

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

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

Heather and Bret

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

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

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

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

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

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

April and Blake

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

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

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

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

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

You're BOOOOO-tiful!!!

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

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

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

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

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

Featured Vendor on Brides.com

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

You can see the complete article here.

A Household Divided

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

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

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

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

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


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


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


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


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

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

It's Official... She loves Initials!

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