Katie and Kevin | Ivy Hall Wedding

 Ivy Hall | Roswell, GA | April 28, 2018

I met Katie and Kevin through a referral from my awesome couple, Karley and Reid. It’s funny because Katie wasn’t able to go to their wedding, but Kevin went. He told me at our consultation to meet up for the first time that he saw me at the wedding working; and I told him he should have come by and said hello (we were in the works of setting up the consultation on the calendar at the time of Karley and Reid’s wedding) and he told me he was checking out how I worked! HA! I laughed so hard. I asked him if I passed the test; and I guess I did because they hired me for their wedding! I got to know a lot about Kevin’s fun personality just in that comment alone.

I met with Katie and Kevin for their engagement session and their pre-wedding timeline the same day. Originally, Katie and Kevin didn’t want to do a First Look. They both wanted that traditional moment of Katie walking down the aisle to Kevin and not see each other beforehand. While we were creating their timeline, they realized that unless they saw each other, they would not be able to get pictures together with Elizabeth, Katie and Kevin’s niece. They really wanted this special picture with her, so they opted to do a First Look in order to get their picture with Elizabeth. I laughed so hard that THIS was reason they did a First Look! I told them I would have to thank Elizabeth later! The day of the wedding, Katie and Kevin both told me they were so happy they did a First Look.

Due to the fact that we couldn’t get into Ivy Hall until an hour and a half before the ceremony and that the mill is crowded on any nice spring/summer/fall day, we opted to do their First Look at a more private location. I gave Katie and Kevin a few options near Ivy Hall and they chose Barrington Hall. I contacted Barrington Hall for permission to shoot there and we were all set! I am so glad Katie and Kevin chose here. We got so many amazing pictures before the ceremony and had time after their First Look to take pictures all over the Roswell Mill area that we wouldn’t have had time for afterwards.

As a Roswell wedding photographer, I shoot here in Roswell all of the time, and especially at the Roswell Mill for engagement and family pictures. My team did a wedding at Roswell Mill Club a couple of years ago, but we had not had the opportunity to shoot at Ivy Hall yet. These two venues, Roswell Mill Club and Ivy Hall, are owned by the same company and are next door to each other at the Roswell Mill. Both venues are gorgeous and allow for some great pictures at the Roswell Mill.

I had such a fun day with Katie and Kevin and their wedding party! Their wedding is definitely one to go down in the books! Thanks so much for having me at your wedding, Katie and Kevin. And special thanks to Ben who joined me at their wedding to help shoot!

 I absolutely loved the lobby of Hotel Avalon! It provided an amazing background for dress pictures! I told Katie to wear comfortable shoes because we would do a lot of walking around the mill and it’s not conducive for heals, so she opted for these awesome shoes from Kenneth Cole! This worn out quarter you see twice is a family heirloom used in many weddings of the Smith family. Katie taped it in her shoe to wear and Kevin got a newer one for himself to do the same! See what I’m talking about? Stunning backdrop options at Hotel Avalon!  Bridesmaids get a First Look as well! I love their reactions! Sweet moments with Daddy  The lobby of Hotel Avalon was awesome, so I had Kevin and Katie both take a few portraits before going to their First Look  What a sweet and emotional First Look! Kevin jokingly said the wedding was off because he cried and Katie didn’t!  Y’all, these two were full of so much laughter and smiles. I couldn’t help but smile myself while taking their pictures!  The great thing about Ivy Hall is that it is next to downtown Roswell where there are a ton of beautiful locations to take pictures beyond just the mill- Barrington Hall included!  This is seriously one of my favorite ones of the day. I love their laughter!  See? Comfortable shoes needed for pictures!   A fun photographer trick: there are a TON of people behind them on the bridge. I sat down instead of stood up to get this shot since we were on an incline. That way, all of the people behind them on the bridge would be hidden out of view!  The epic pictures with Miss Elizabeth! I made sure these turned out awesome seeing as she was the whole reason we did a First Look!  One of the sweetest pictures (captured by Ben) of Katie and her mom moments before walking down the aisle!  For those of you on the fence about a First Look, Kevin will tell you that seeing Katie didn’t ruin this moment of her walking down the aisle. See his smile and tears all at the same time? I LOVE this picture!  Epic grooms cake by my good friend, Mandy Hart, of The Cake Haven. Kevin sent Mandy a picture of the cake he wanted and she did even better than anyone expected! I love it when my vendor referrals knock it out of the park for my couples!  Lots of laughter and fun during the speeches and toasts!  Lots of fun and dancing at the reception!