Southern Weddings

Since so much careful prep and hard work goes into producing each editorial feature, one of my very favorite things is giving y’all a peek behind the scenes at how they come together! I hope it offers a taste of why we feel so much satisfaction and joy when we see the final images from shoots, and when we finally hold a magazine in our hands. Today’s peek is especially fun, because it involves CHICKENS! Huge thanks to Blue Ribbon Vendor Anna K. Photography for capturing the day for us!

We had a particularly beautiful day at Serenbe for this shoot, so I can’t complain that it was a little hot. Hair up and (hot pink) sneakers on are always two musts for me on shoot days! Thankfully, our photographer, Ali Harper, lives at Serenbe, so we were able to use her home as a base. It’s always fun to make final wardrobe picks with Molly K. Webb!

Ali’s sweet pup was under foot all day. I fell in love with her :)

Meanwhile, floral prep was also underway at the house!

And across the way, Krista and team were unloading the amazing collection of treasures she had brought for the day.

The table usually comes together slowly, as pieces are held up and considered, then traded out to find the perfect mix…

One of the last things to be done: filling the water and wine glasses! It makes the table look much more authentic :) Once that was out of the way, Ali and our videographer, Teejay, stepped in to document!

Now, get ready for one of the most amazing parts of the shoot, in my opinion. Alison from Sun In My Belly prepared all of the food we were shooting from the back of her car! And it was SO GOOD!! It was mind-blowing to me, and I am eagerly looking forward to the first chance I get to taste her food in her restaurant!

We try to wait for the last minute to bring the models out so their hair, makeup, and outfits stay fresh, but when we do, it sure gets crowded fast!

And then… the chickens arrived!! Or really, just one chicken… and she was NOT happy to be there. But her stay was brief, and then she was quickly returned to her happy home :)

Honestly? I was almost dying of laughter at this point. The whole situation was just so absurd, in the best way possible. Really, though, we were all laughing all day — this was such a great crew to work with! Our last shot of the day was so beautiful — in an open field, at sunset.

Check back in a few hours to see the final result of all this hard work! And BIG thanks again to Anna K. for capturing all of these fabulous images for us!

Ali Harper, Blue Eyed Yonder, and Anna K are delightful members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Written with love by Emily