Southern Weddings

OK, I may have skipped a month on this feature.  I promise the imagery you are about to drink in will make up for it.  Congrats to the last feature‘s top voter’s pick, Fer Juaristi.

VOTE for your favorite photograph by leaving a comment here and (combining our office votes with yours) we’ll award the top image of the month.  All 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).

Fred Egan has, as of late, been rocking the fashion world.  So, it comes as no surprise that this gem of a photograph would haunt me… taunting me to forgo my Target shopping ways and become a Vuitton convert.  OK, maybe not now.  If I win the shoe lottery.

My dream dress used to be this Vera that I just couldn’t help myself from trying on pre-shoot in Vegas.  Well, that all changed when I laid eyes on this Romona Keveza frock photographed by InContrast.  Oh. My. Hold me back or Ari and I will be renewing our vows.  Again.  Gorgeous bridals.

Oh, Fer.  Yes, I put you in here again.  Confession: I have a whole folder of your images on my desktop.  I just can’t help myself with these.  Hello, doesn’t this just take your breath away?  What a moment!  … and captured so artfully.

I am not a shoe person, I swear. I am a Walmart/Target shopper through and through, but these Badgley Mischka’s shot by Vero Suh via Style Me Pretty are making me blush, they are so beautiful! Oh goodness.  Hide my AMEX.  Stacking these lovelies on prose just makes them all-the-more romantic.  They are whispering sweet nothings to me…

These guys still reign as my favorite Southern gentlemen.  Just like everything else the A Bryan guys do, this Miami wedding shot by Caleb at A Bryan Photo is top notch.  This frame is just the beginning.  You have to see the bride and her to-die-for bouquet.

Y’all know I love to travel.  This engagement shoot from Luna Photo is right up my alley… or aisle, I should say.  Pass the peanuts, stewardess, these shots are first class all the way!

It’s a little warm here in the South as spring turns to Cat-on-a-HOT-Tin-Roof-summer.  This simple, sparkling, snowy ring shot from Stephanie at Ardent Photography is like a tall glass of cool ice tea.  (PS congrats to Stephanie on announcing her pregnancy this week!  So much to celebrate!)

1. This wedding kills me.  Like… if you were in the office when I first saw it… and you were a guy…  you’d roll your eyes at my girly, squealing, ohmyWOW!!! reaction.  2. The bride is Hollywood-starlet stunning.  Just drop dead gorgeous. This portrait could be a painting in the Louvre for all I know… look at her eyes!  3. Did, I mention this wedding kills me!?  Brava, Simply Bloom.  Way to nail every image.  See the entire wedding on Style Me Pretty.  Gorgeous feature.

OK, y’all know I am a relatively busy (ahem. understatement.) woman.  I rarely have time to stop and really read blog posts.  I scan for images.  I am very very fast at it now.  Well, this one I read.  I have chills thinking about the incredible story behind this photograph from Meghan McSweeney.  It really does take on an entirely different weight.  View the rest of the wedding images here.

No lie, I saw this image, leapt up from my desk and all I could do was jump up and down and say YES! YES! YES! and laugh hysterically.  Ahahahahahaha! This is pure wedding WIN.  High fives, F8.

I spent the better part of this month in Hawaii.  Mmmmm just saying that sentence makes me very happy… and wish I could go back.  I did several consults with some amazing photographers while I was there, including Marina Miller.  I don’t usually like trash the dress, water on my dress, couple in the water, bride on fire or anything of the sort, but this image works.  Her dress looks like it’s floating and this moment looks perfectly calm and blissful.  Who wouldn’t want to paddle out into the azure waters with their love and steal away a kiss? (hand raised)  How escapist-romantic of me.

Side note: you have to see this other wedding of hers! You will thank me.

Thank you Jeremy Gilliam for nominating this epic image from Jason Huang.  Wait for it…. wait for it….

I must be thirsty.  Or just in love with mint.  Or Susan Stripling makes even the simplest details look epic.  Yes, the latter.  I love these frames together. Crisp, clean, perfectly modern Charleston.  Admittedly, I am rather drawn to the greens and blues in these shots.  We may have just done a spectacular shoot with Jose Villa and Joy Thigpen here in North Carolina using said greens and blues.  It was lovely.  Sneak peek here.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall during this moment!  Just a brilliant photograph.  What do you think they are laughing about?  Go vote for this image from Next Exit Photography while you think on that.

I am a Smilebooth fan through and through.  Max and Margaux got married last weekend.  Max is good friends with my good friends, Whit and Jesse.  Margaux grew up with my cousin Ali in Laguna Beach.  Too small of a world.  I was so happy to finally meet them both at WPPI in 2009.  Gorgeous, talented, lovely couple.  Congrats M + M!  And the SW ladies are very excited to have Ashley bringing us a custom Smilebooth to play in this weekend!  Woooo!

Jeff Newsom is the Southerntron of Awesomeness.  Yeah, I made that one up.  I tried, Jeff, I tried.  This entire post is jaw-dropping. UNREAL.

Mamiya C330. Perfection. This photograph from Kitty Clark Fitz leaves me speechless.  OK ok, I have to say that I want this on my wall.  There are few images I know I would love forever.  This one wins.  Timeless.

Yes, it’s a mint-adorned drink again.  (Note to self: quench this craving stat for risk of future minty-drink-laden blog posts.)  This image needs no introduction.  I’d like a cold one right now.  Cold one as in… crisp, cold, brilliantly photographed mint julep from Tracey Turpen.

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!

xo

Lara

P.S. In case you missed it Monday, I announced the top 20 finalists for the SW V3 Cover. And while you’re there, leave a comment to win a FujiFilm Instax Mini!

Written with love by Lara Casey