Brooke and Matthew

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!

A Learning Experience

Last Tuesday, Julie and I attended the Tots 2 Teens seminar with Sandy Puc'. Sandy is a successful photographer and studio owner from Colorado. The seminar covered everything from marketing to posing. Julie regularly attends seminars like this so she can stay on top of all the newest photography trends. This was only the second seminar I've been to and by far, it was the most informative. Sandy gave us tips on how to pose kids from toddlers to tweens. She also talked about lighting and working out marketing calendars.

After the seminar, Julie and I played with her new 5D Mark IIs and she gave me an impromptu photography lesson. (She always says she's a bad teacher, but I learn so much from her. Not just about photography, but about running a business and professionalism. Don't tell her, but she's a role model for me. That sort of thing would make her all embarrassed:) She taught me about shutter speed, ISO and aperture. I learned about how cameras work and how to take scary ghost pictures by slowing down your shutter.

We wrapped up the night with cold french fries from McDonald's and watching Jimmy Fallon. Julie and I have a slight problem with chit chatting, and we stayed up too late talking about random stuff. I shared a silly story about jumping on the bed at a hotel and taking pictures of it while I was on a trip. It was like a light clicked on in Julie's brain. What's the best way to break in her brand new cameras? Pictures of us jumping on a bed at 1 a.m.! We're grown ups, you know?! You can check those pictures out on our page on Facebook! Here they are!

Holy Snow!!

What a crazy weekend in Columbus! On Saturday, severe weather and 70 degrees; on Sunday...SNOW! And not just snow, but SIX inches of snow! The staff of JE Hedges Photography all took a well deserved day off to play in the snow!

Our resident model and snow bunny, Miss London, dragged Mommy out in the snow to play and take pictures! Cute, don't you think? :)

We're on Facebook!

Please be sure to stop by our brand new page on Facebook, and while you're there, become a fan! We'll be updating it frequently with images, videos and what's going on in the studio! It's a great way to keep in touch and stay connected.

Click on the Facebook button below to visit the page and become a fan!

Bret And Rebecca

On a cool sunny day in early February, Bret and Rebecca wed on the sixth at the Memorial Chapel at Callaway Gardens. The weather was perfect for a Callaway Gardens Wedding!

Rebecca looked like a natural beauty in her elegantly designed dress with pretty beaded detailing on the bodice. Her bouquet was multi-colored sunflowers, which matched the sunny yellow dresses of her bridesmaids. Rebecca chose the color, but left it up to her girls to pick the style of dress they wore. This is a great way to let your bridesmaids showcase their individuality! Each of them carried a small bouquet of seasonal wildflowers.

Brett and his guys looked very handsome in their tuxes with black shirts! They were a fun bunch to work with, getting out their golf clubs at one point to take some fun getting ready shots!

We wish you all the best Mr. and Mrs. Goldsmith! Best wishes for your new life together!

February Photographers Lunch

We met again with the our friends in the Columbus Georgia Photographers Group on Wednesday at El Vaquero. We always meet and talk about our businesses and share thoughts and ideas, but this time we had a great discussion. We had a question and answer period after we ate that covered topics from software to pricing. It is great to get to know everyone and get some great ideas to take back to our own businesses!

Brushes With Greatness

While Julie was in Phoenix for the PPA convention, she got to attend a seminar given by Anne Geddes. For those of you who are not up on the photography world, Anne Geddes is a very famous photographer known for her images of babies. If you've never heard of her, chances are you've seen her work.

After the seminar, Julie, Cary and London got to spend a few minutes with Anne and get their picture made with her. Also, she signed a copy of her book for London! It was an experience Julie, Cary and London are sure to remember always!

MY New Toy!

As Marketing Manager, I am on call 24-7. :) There is only one way to be 100% productive 100% of the time...a laptop. Sometimes these blogs come to me in the middle of the night, and poof! They're gone by morning because I'm to comfy in bed to get up and go to my office and blog. This is a problem no more!

With a lot of help from Julie and Technical Director Cary, I now have a laptop! When ever or where ever I get the notion to write a blog, look something up or check my email, I can! Maximum productivity! It is AWESOME, too!

For those of you who are interested, its an HP dv6t. It is super fast and really pretty!

Valentine's Day Heart Ball

Please join us on Saturday, February 14th for the American Heart Association's Heart Ball at the Rivermill Event Center. We'll be taking Valentine's Day Portraits and donating a portion of our package sales to the American Heart Association.

Tickets to the event are $200 each and proceeds benefit the American Heart Association. Please contact Gale Webster with the American Heart Association at (706) 596-2365 for more information and to purchase tickets!

New Toys!

Christmas came in early February for Julie this year! In order to stay on the cutting edge of the business, Julie invested in some new equipment! Warning: Technical camera jargon ahead!!

She got two new Canon 5D Mark II cameras with battery grips and a 50mm 1.2 lens. Keith and I (mostly Keith) have been complaining that the cameras are too heavy on the tripods, so she got two new Manfrotto Carbon Fiber Magnesium tripods that I swear weigh less than half of what her old ones weighed.

In order to accommodate her new 21 mega pixel bad-boy cameras, Julie had to upgrade her computer and some of the software she uses! It was a big deal to do all this upgrading, but she does it so she can offer the best to her clients! Look forward to new exciting things!

Michelle and Scott

The first weekend of the New Year brought wedding bells for Michelle Bayura and Scott Poley. The couple was married at St. Anne's Catholic Church on January 3rd. The couple is from California, so they chose St. Anne's as a substitute for their home church.

Michelle was beautiful in a simple strapless dress with a sweep train. Instead of a veil, she wore small red and white flowers in her hair, to match her bouquet. The maid of honor also wore red and carried a red and white bouquet.

The reception was held downtown at the Garrett Bullock House. The house was decorated beautifully with flowers by Mayumi Hashiyama. Also on display was a handmade gift, created with a poem and coins, dedicated to the couple by the bride's sister. Both families had a great time at the reception, which was DJ'd by our friend, Benji Shepherd.

It was a cloudy day, but the sun shined on the happy newlyweds! Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Poley!

Scott and Maria

As the holidays were coming to an end, Maria Perales and Scott Taft were starting their new life together as husband and wife! December 27th was a pleasant and warm but very windy day for the couple and their families!

The bride wore a pretty strapless dress with sparkling detail on the bodice. She carried a beautiful bouquet of red roses and greenery. Her maid of honor's dress was red like the flowers and carried a bouquet like the bride's, but smaller. However, the cutest member of the wedding party was the couple's little boy, who was dressed in a tuxedo to match his daddy's!

Friend of the studio (and Julie's cousin), Wes Carroll, played a dual role in the Taft's big day. He officiated the ceremony and DJ'd the reception. Held at the Goetchius House downtown, the reception was very intimate and romantic. As the evening moved along, everyone had a great time dancing with the bride and groom. Scott and Maria had one of the best cake smashing fights we've seen lately! They both had more cake on their faces then they actually ate as they were feeding each other.

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Taft! Best Wishes for a Happy Marriage!

Wedding Vow Magazine

The premier issue of Wedding Vow magazine it out...and we're in it! The semi-annual Ledger-Enquirer publication has two of our couples from last year: Greg and Kendall Allen and Brandon and Marianne Faison. Their photos can be found on pages 12 and 13 of the magazine in the section called "I Do-Meet the Latest Newlyweds in Your Area."

Celeste's Top Ten Wedding Songs

Being a former band geek, I am a music lover. My life has a soundtrack! I have compiled a list of my most favorite wedding songs. Feel free to adopt them into your soundtrack for your big day. Some are oldies, some are new--some you may have never heard of. They all fit the bill for a big romantic day! I've included my personal favorite lyrics from each, just in case you're in the market for a wedding song!

10. "From This Moment" by Shania Twain and Bryan Adams. I know...it is a little over used. The lyrics are so perfect, though!

I give my hand to you with all my heart,

can't wait to live my life with you,

can't wait to start...

9. "On The Side of Angels" by LeAnn Rimes. This one is from way back when my husband and I started dating almost 11 years ago.

After all the might-have-beens

the close and instant calls,

After all the try-agains, don't be afraid to fall

We're on the side of angels after all

8. "Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts. Again, another one that is over used. But...most of us have been through a few duds before finding our soul mate. This song is so perfect for that!

Every long lost dream led me to where you are

Others who broke my heart, they were like Northern stars

pointing me on my way into your loving arms...

7. "I Wanna Love You Forever" by Jessica Simpson. Okay...so it didn't work out with the guy she wrote this one about. It is still a beautiful wedding song.

I wanna love you forever

And this is all I'm asking of you

10,000 lifetimes together...

6. "We've Only Just Begun" by The Carpenters. This is the first oldie on my list. It is THE ultimate wedding song.

We've only just begun to live

White lace and promises

A kiss for luck and we're on our way

5. "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Wings. I just love this song. My mom loved the Beatles and Paul McCartney, so this one was drilled into me. The live version is great, because you can really hear the emotion in his voice.

Maybe I'm amazed at the way

you love me all the time

Maybe I'm afraid of the way I love you

4. "I Do (Cherish You)" by 98 Degrees. Poor Nick Lachey! I'm sure he's better off. This was another song that was popular around the time Joel and I started dating. I knew back then that he was the one...that's why this one is so special!

I do cherish you

For the rest of my life,

you don't have to think twice

3. "You're My Best Friend" by Queen. As cheesy as it sounds, I can honestly say that my husband is my best friend. This song is just so fun!

You're the best friend that I've ever had

I've been with you such a long time

You're my sunshine

I want you to know my feelings are true

I really love you

2. "Lucky" by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat. This is the newest song on my list. This is from the album 'We sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.' that just came out last summer. I have always loved Jason Mraz, then he went and wrote a song about me and Joel.

Lucky I'm in love with my best friend

Lucky to have been where I have been

Lucky to be comin' home again

1. "Livin' My Love" by Sam Fisher. You may have never heard this one. Back when Joel and I were dating, we frequented the Loft downtown and discovered Sam Fisher. He is fantastic. His style is like John Mayer, John Legend, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye all rolled into one awesome guy. This song is my number one because it is the song Joel and I danced our first dance to as husband and wife. You can hear it at http://www.samsongs.com/.

I'm livin' my love

giving you all that matters most

I'm livin' my love

Livin' a love I've never known

Here is another lyric...because I love this song sooooo much!

You will never know how you inspire me

I bet you didn't know

I'm never going to leave

I hope you find some of this useful. Here at JE Hedges Photography...we like to help out in any way we can!

Some Favorites of 2008