Southern Weddings

Happy March, y’all!  No, we didn’t forget about this feature.  I’ve just been a little bit busy with a few small things.  So, we’re revamping this feature to be monthly, rather than weekly.

The last IT LIST feature was killer!  Such great feedback and I had a slew of fantastic submissions.  Thanks to everyone who submitted via our special Twitter-only system.  If you didn’t get a message back from me, don’t fret.  I have all of the images on file for possible future use.

VOTE for your favorite by leaving a comment here and (combining our office votes with yours) we’ll award the top image of the month.  All twelve of those images will then be in the running for Image of the Year at the end of 2010.  The best part?  If your image makes the cut, there’s a strong possibility it will make our print edition (of course, with the photographer’s permission).  On that note, the overwhelming choice from the last feature’s votes was Otto Schultz‘s beautiful image.  Congrats, Otto, on winning the IT LIST Image Pick!  This week, I have some gems for you, too, so get your vote on and tell us what you love!

This image from Jenna Walker just sweeps me off my feet.  White doves signify peace, movement, and hearts taking flight.  SO lovely.  It has an epic movie scene feel to it.  I’d blow this up to about 6’x6′ for a whole wall in my house.

This shoot in Nashville from Jose Villa, styled by Joy Thigpen for Once Wed, is divine.  Black wedding dress?  Yes please!  Her dress reminds me of Charlotte’s black gown in Sex and the City: The Movie… dramatic, sultry and stunning!

This classic image from Riccis Valladares captures one of those rare relaxed moment before the bride gets gussied up.  And how gorgeous is this mother of the bride?!  They look like screen sirens from the sixties.  I love the scene here: half-open computer, the remnants of breakfast and pure joy on their faces.

This wedding shot by Punam Bean just caught me.  And then I saw these little tykes — oh my CUTENESS! (Sandi makes fun of me for saying that a lot, but I’m pretty sure I’m allowed to here.)  You can just barely see the little gentleman in front holding a top in his left hand.  I love the contrast that creates with their ultra-formal clothing.

And I just couldn’t resist these lovely details from the same wedding.  The dress shot in the center needs a stage all by itself.  Those layers of tulle are so romantic, especially when coupled with the bride’s pale blush shoes.

Sarah Rhoads’ deranged housewife shoot is such a fun take on domestic glamour.  You just want to stop and savor each image, all the while wondering what is running through this woman’s mind.  She’ll either kill her husband with cookies or smother him with chocolate — definitely one of the two.

The most amazing Indian wedding ever. Period.  OK, I’m biased.  I may have designed it.  Maybe.  I was revisiting this link to send to a client last week and somehow forgot how unreal these images from Whitney and Jesse at Our Labor of Love are.  How could I forget?  Incredible couple, so much joy in that family and the details were nothing short of awesomesauce.     … Picking jaw up off floor …

Lovely lovely details from Lisa Lefkowitz.  I couldn’t pick a favorite out of these three frames….  the color combination is as fresh as fresh can be, soft, and purposeful.  Lisa captured these details so perfectly, as she so often does.

A new discovery… Fer Juaristi.  Wow.  This wedding knocks my socks off and made me want to jump out of my seat!  This was definitely not my only favorite shot from this wedding.  I could not pick a favorite.  Seriously… you try to pick just one favorite from his site.

This shot from Catherine and Ben’s wedding has stayed with me since we started the magazine.  It still ranks as my favorite wedding image of all time (so far).  The glow of the table illuminating the newlyweds, the lighting, the towering tulips… oh my!

This image from our Watercolor shoot this past August won’t leave me.  Jory Cordy captured Lauren so perfectly.  I love the grainy texture of the film and the sunset catching her back as she quietly paddles through the still waters.

This shot from Brooke Courtney Photography is straight out of the 1950’s.  We like to joke that Emily was born in the wrong decade (to which Katharine says “send her back!”  Kidding!), but we agree this scenario would fit her nicely.  Gorgeous fashion, dashing gents, a wide open wood parquet floor — yep, that’s totally Emily.

It can be hard to imagine feeling so comfortable in front of your photographer that you’d let them document such an intimate moment, but let’s consider that the goal in the W-Day photographer search, shall we?  It’s sure worth it, as evinced by Tanja Lippert’s shot from Jessica + Ryan’s engagement session.  I’m in love with this couple’s expressions, the positions of their hands and the line across the frame created by their bodies.  This is an image they’ll treasure for the rest of their lives.

The light in this image from Michael Norwood is almost propelling the bride forward.  It’s a different sort of composition, but I like the juxtaposition of the soft layers of skirt with the hard flooring.  Gives new meaning to “the art of the shoe shot,” doesn’t it?

Oh, this wedding…  *sigh*.  This is my kind of wedding. Shot by my friend, Paul C. Johnson, the bride’s veil almost looks like a stream of flowing water.  I also like that this image almost seems to respect the sacredness of the moment being shared.  We get the couple’s hands, and part of their torsos, but we don’t see their faces.  Somehow that just seems right.  I would step into this wedding and make it my own in a heartbeat.  I’m kind of in love with the location, as some of you may know.

And on a completely different note, Jeff Newsom never ceases to make my eyes happy.  Love this shot from this fun wedding.  It’s almost hard to tell whether the couple is underwater or encased in a giant piece of saran wrap — and that’s what a killer photographer can do for you!

Well, I am pretty much in love with this wedding from head to toe.  The ladies at Erin Hearts Court shootthe most interesting couples, don’t they?  After you give your ‘maids free reign to wear the frock of their choosing, you’d want that fabulosity documented, and this shot is the perfect way to do that.

Almost everything the Chesters’ images has an otherwordly quality to it, whether it’s a bride’s reflection captured in silver bowl or a mason jar filled with sweet liquid held up like an extremely-Southern trophy.  This wedding is equally divine.

What is it about the South and beverages in Mason jars that just makes me smile?  Rounding out this set of top images… nothing gets more Southern than this image from – yet again – Jenna Walker, y’all!

Congrats to this month’s IT LIST picks and thank you for inspiring me!

Have an image you’d like to submit?  Here are the rules:

1. You can only submit one image per week, and…

2. …only via Twitpic (or the Twitter image service of your choice).  Follow and tweet your images to @LaraCasey with the hashtag #itlist to be considered. If your image is chosen, you’ll get a direct message requesting the shot.  This is a Twitter-only submissions system.  No email submissions or links to blog posts accepted.  Don’t have a Twitter account?  Sign up or have someone submit the image for you! If you need help learning Twitter or how to post an image, just leave a comment here and we’ll be glad to help : )

Images can come from anywhere in the world.  What I’m looking for: details, portraits, engagements, proposals, anything that makes you stop to take the image in.  I’m looking for that Mona Lisa factor… something that captures you!

Which one is your favorite?

Vote!

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Written with love by Lara Casey