mountaintop marriage

I just LOVE introducing you to some of my new favorite vendors! This next installment of VENDOR LOVIN features a photographer whose job I would love to have for a weekend {or maybe she can just find someone who will hire me and take me with them!} Claire Elyse Photography is a locally owned photog studio that specializes in destination weddings- and no, not the kind that come here to New Orleans- but the opposite kind! 
Talk about DREAM JOB! 
I asked Claire to tell you a little bit about why she loves what she does, then we will get to show you the goodness of Kristen and Jonathan's mountain wedding! So here goes:


"Destination wedding photography is where my passion is, so Kristen and Jonathan’s wedding was quite an opportunity for me.  I love to see how my absolute love of photography and giddy enjoyment of traveling can merge. I’ve been fascinated by cameras and where they can take me since I was a little girl. Never could I have dreamed that my goals for photography and a business that strives to tell the unique love story of every bride and groom would take me as far as they have. With every wedding, it is my goal to try something new and more importantly to know my brides and what makes their future husband their other half. The most important and enjoyable aspect of my job is watching clients become friends in the months prior to and after their wedding. There are countless stories out there and I can’t wait to tell them!"

How amazing are these colors! So eye catching- just makes me smile :)

Feel free to stop and stare at this backdrop for a few. Then carry on to enjoy the rest of the beauty :)

"Kristen and Jonathan’s wedding was one of those where I found myself counting down the days ‘til show time! It may have been because the wedding took place in the mountains of North Carolina, or perhaps because the bride and groom brought all the best of Louisiana to meet those mountains. It was all that and more. The details of this wedding were stunning, and even the vendors were the perfect mix of fun-loving South Louisiana meets breath taking North Carolina mountain highs. Jonathan proposed to Kristen in Andrews, North Carolina, so it was only appropriate to pack up the dress, cake, family, and bar and make a vacation out of it. The Hawkesdene House was one of my favorite venues to work with.  The owners matched elegance with comfort. From the flowers, to one of Zoe’s Bakery’s masterpieces, to Abita Blues playing the requests of the bride and groom mixed with their own style. Kristen dreamt an amazing day into reality."

Don't you just want to eat every single one of these dishes! Yummy southern food!

This cake. I die. Me gutsa mucho el pastel de ZOE'S {in Covington}

AHH now someone hire me to plan their destination wedding! I just LOVE it :)

Vendors:

 Bridal Gown, Bridesmaids & MOB: Southern Bridal (Mandeville, LA)

Band: Abita Blues Band

Photographer: Claire Elyse Photography

Bakery: Zoe's

Hair: Barber's and Bombshell's

Venue: Hawkesdene House

friendly photography

Luckily, I have many friends in the wedding industry! Last week, I introduced you to one of my sorority sisters who opened Southern Flash Photobooth! Now I want to introduce you to another sorority sister of mine, Kaela Rodehorst, who has taken her love for photography and turned it into a career! 

I just had to test her skills for myself- and it doesn't hurt that I get these gorgeous pictures out of it too! I didn't want these pictures to be too formal since this wasn't a true engagement session, so I told Kaela I wanted some fun and unique pictures- in front of graffiti! She knew just the spot with a few colorful wall! Not only did she know the perfect spot, but she made us feel completely comfortable- and we needed it since neither of us are in any way models nor had we taken formal pictures! He is going to hate me for saying this, but my boyfriend was pretty nervous about this little shoot! Kaela's instruction put us right at ease and made us feel like professionals- the sign of a great photographer :) 

We walked away with such a great experience, gorgeous pictures, and Jack's new love for modeling! He was the groom for my photo shoot last week- pictures that you will see very soon! Enjoy!

I asked Kaela to send me a little blurb about her passion for photography and how it brought her to open Kaela Rodehorst Photography:

"My passion for photography began once upon a time with an incredibly outdated, seemingly ancient Polaroid-One Step camera. Innocently enough, my grandmother let me use this nifty little piece at age 3, but had no idea what kind of artistic monster she was creating. 

My love for photography has grown exponentially through the years, but not until recently did I realize the true impact a photograph can have.  While rummaging through an old box of family photos, I stumbled across a two-decade old picture of my cousins and I in my grandparents’ inflatable swimming pool that turned us into prunes every summer.  Immediately, memories of my carefree life as a child rushed in, sending me on a speeding roller coaster down memory lane, all because of a slightly yellowed canvas. The picture had endured countless moves, three hurricanes, and only God knows what else, but the image captivated my imagination nonetheless.  It was at this moment I truly understood what significance a photograph could have, capturing all the feelings that make up a great moment in time, and hurling every single one of them at you with a simple glance.  This is what drives my passion for photography.   

As a natural light and landscape photographer, I live by this quote:  "Delight in the beauty that surrounds you." In my life, I hope to always appreciate the land I walk on, the people with whom I share a smile, and most importantly, the people that I love. 

My goal as photographer is to capture everything about that one split second that will never repeat itself- the colors, the emotions- so that they can be savored again another day.  I am thankful for the photographs I have, because as time ticks away, it’s humbling, and beautiful, to be reminded of who you are and where you come from."

To hire Kaela, or simply to see some more of her amazing work, visit her site http://www.kaelarodehorst.com/

I hope you do, she's worth it :)

southern flashing

Here is the first installment of Vendor Lovin'! It means a lot to me to be able to work with vendors that I can trust and who I enjoy working with! There will be many more great vendors to come since I would scream their praise form the top of a mountain {if I could find one in Nola}! Instead, I will just blog about em'!


Southern Flash Photo Booth is owned by two of my very good friends Brittany and Jordan! Brittany is my sorority sister from LSU and I was so excited when she told me that she was opening this company because I knew that meant that I would continue seeing her regularly! I was blown away by them- the quality of their photo's, their selection of props, and the classiness of their state of the art booth! Not to mention, they are just amazingly personable people to have interacting with your guests! But I'll let them tell you all a little bit more: 


"Southern Flash Photo Booth is our New Orleans based photo booth company.  As owners, we are dedicated to providing our customers an exciting photo booth experience! We strive to create lasting memories for anyone who enters our booth. Our variety of props and creative graphics create photo strips that are simply irreplaceable! A Southern Flash Photo Booth at your next event will guarantee a memorable time for your guests! Our commitment to customer service, combined with our photo booth experience and fun personalities, make us a company you can always rely on! Our customers have been heard saying: “Gosh, I could just stay back here all night and go in and out of the photo booth.”  “This is so much fun. I love these props! I can't decide what to wear. They are all so fun!” “Can I please just take one more picture? I promise this will be the last one!”


As you can see, you need to hire them to add a little personality to any event! Speaking of...I just hired them for my graduation party this last week! They literally were the main focus of the party! Our guests took over 200 pictures- and most of them going back for seconds and thirds {I took 7 pictures myself!}

So fun huh?!