Ok, guys, I know I’m not supposed to pick favorites. But…I can’t help it.
It’s not my fault really. My favorite holiday is Halloween and one of my favorite places for weddings is Pebble Hill Plantation. And, Heather & Peter know how to throw a party! They even imported one of their favorite bands from Atlanta (and they played “Jackson” at the wedding and you know I love some Johnny & June). Their wedding showed off their personalities and they filled the plantation with vintage Halloween touches and loads of music. Everyone (even grandma!) danced all night to The Whiskey Gentry. An absolutely lovely time was had by all!
See, not my fault at all. I better go ahead and show you the photos so you can see what I’m talking about. 😀
I love it when a couple decides on having a First Look. They get to spend a little time together before the ceremony and without being surrounded by family members. Being a Halloween wedding, the family cemetery provided a perfect location for this and the following shot.
The ceremony took place in the tennis court area. I adore all the touches they added to the space to help personalize it!
They brought vintage seating for their guests to enjoy during the cocktail hour!
The courtyard always looks stunning at night. And from what I hear, Grandma made these favors herself!
The groom’s favorite movie is The Creature from the Black Lagoon. The 1954 classic was even featured on their save the date card. His bride surprised him with this cake head of his beloved creature! Good job, Karen Cakes!
Oh Heather! Your Grandma cracks me up! Everyone needs one as wonderful as she is!
Venue: Pebble Hill Plantation in Thomasville, Georgia
Bridal Gown: Christina Wu
Catering & Bartending: Gourmet Guys in Valdosta, Georgia
Florist: Flowers by Cooper in Bainbridge, Georgia
Cake: Karen Cakes in Bainbridge. Georgia
Band: The Whiskey Gentry in Atlanta, Georgia (check them out on iTunes!)
As a special bonus, check out this sweet 5 star review from the bride’s mama: “Ansley did our daughter’s wedding pictures at Pebble Hill Plantation. She is wonderful. We could not have found anyone else as great to work with. She knew exactly what our daughter and son-in-law were looking for in their wedding pictures. Ansley and her staff were very professional and we just all had a blast.” Thanks, Diane – I had a blast with ya’ll too!
I am so excited to show you my favorite photos from Matt & Lucy’s charming downtown Thomasville wedding! And take note, brides, Lucy gave me the most extensive vendor list I have ever seen! I love all the personal touches they had throughout the day. And the bridesmaid dresses? I’m tempted to get one for a night out on the town (ya’ll know how I adore sparkles). I’m going to quit gushing and move on to the photos!
One of my favorite things of the day was that the lovebirds each wrote a letter to the other. It provided a time for them to sit and relax on their own but also to be with each other while preparing for the ceremony. Just look at those smiles!
Months back, Lucy and I met up for her bridal portraits at stunning Pebble Hill Plantation in Thomasville.
Grassroots has a special place in the heart of Thomasville weddings. Lucy’s sweet brother made a run down there for most of the wedding party (and me too!). Thanks, Luke!
Lucy was surrounded by a fantastic group of gals! And check out the beautiful purses she had monogrammed for each lady! And she did a special reveal for them too!
It’s absolutely lovely when couples display their parents and grandparents wedding photos as part of their own display. So very sweet.
All first dances should have smiles like this!
Matt & Lucy had a photo booth so friends and family could take home fun photos from their reception. Great idea and an absolute blast!
I love how much fun they had with the bouquet toss and garter toss. Watch out for those single guys though! So determined!
They finished up with night surrounded by love and sparklers.
Thanks for letting us document your wedding day from beginning to end, Lucy & Matt (and for making it a slew of fun!)!
May every day you spend together in your new life hold a wonderful surprise for you. Congratulations on your wedding and marriage!
Vendor List
Photography: Ansley Simmons with 2nd Shooter Vince Smith, Ansley Studio LLC, Cairo, GA
Ceremony: First United Methodist Church, Thomasville, GA
Pastor: Aaron Jeffrey, Dallas, TX
Bridal Gown: David’s Bridal Collection, David’s Bridal
Bride’s Hair Stylist: Debbie Hill, Designing Women, Tallahassee, FL
Groom’s Wear: Tuxedo – Calvin Klein, Men’s Warehouse Bow Tie / Cummerbund – “Allison” Modern Tartan, Scottish Country Shop, Portland, OR
Bridesmaids Dresses: Eliza J Belted Satin Dress, Dot, Nordstrom
Florist: Jimmy Singletary, Singletary’s, Thomasville, GA
Wedding Coordinator: Brenda Lee, Thomasville, GA
Bridesmaids Shirts: Shirt – Traditional Tartan No Iron Buttondown, Land’s End / Monogramming – Steel Green, DDP, Thomasville, GA
Bridesmaids Monogrammed Clutch: Clutch – Creme, katieUjanes, Etsy Monogramming – Gold, katieUjanes, Etsy
Reception: Glen Arven Country Club, Thomasville, GA
Caterer: Stephane Ughetto, Glen Arven Country Club, Thomasville, GA
Cake: Lemon Almond Pound Cake, Buttercream Icing, Katie’s Cakes & Catering, Havana, FL
Band: Pure Platinum Band, Tallahassee, FL
Videographer: Video Treasures, Thomasville, GA
Photo booth: Stellar Photo Booth Rentals, Valdosta, GA
See those smiling faces? That’s my Granny & Papa when we were celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary. 65 years. Woah. That’s some love there.
My favorite thing about the celebration? Other than the hugs, laughter, and Granny’s homemade coconut cake, of course. The photos.
Granny brought out all kinds of photos from their 65 years together. We’re not just taking bad mullets here, this collection had everything. Including the poor hair and outfit choices my mother made for me. Thanks, mom. Really. Thanks.
What was really cool about this was that we got to pick up and hold these prints in our hands. They appreciated in value from the time they were printed until now. They became heirlooms. Precious items to our family.
All of my weddings come with the edited digital negatives and I always urge my couples to go ahead and make prints. Why?
Because accidents happen. That flash drive can quickly become a teething toy for the baby (whoops!). And no matter how many times you back up your photos, DVDS only last so long and harddrives fail after a few years.
Because technology changes. How many of us have a huge stack of video tapes but no VCR? Guilty! On the other hand, quality archival prints purchased through a professional photographer or from a print company like Mpix.com can last 100-200 years when stored properly (avoid direct sunlight).
But mostly because we don’t live on Facebook.
Take that in for a second. Social media is important for most of us. It’s how we connect with our friends and family, especially the ones who live far away. Shout out to my friends in England, the Netherlands, Germany, Kuwait, Australia, and China! It’s important for all those friends and family to see photos of us (and it’s fun too).
But, I love looking around my home and being reminded of great moments by seeing these printed photos. And the conversations when you take out your parents wedding album are wonderful and hilarious. And I know I’ll always have these (ok, realistically as long as there is no natural disaster or flood).
So go ahead, make prints for you to enjoy your whole life through! Your great-great-great grandchildren getting to see them is a perk too. Just for kicks and giggles, here’s a quick cell phone photo of me with a photo my Great Aunt Peggy brought down from NY of me with her and my grandmother’s dog waaay back when I was 4. Who would have known I was quite the cutie?
Miss Penny is a year old! Remember this sweet little baby from a year ago? My, how the time has flown! She’s clutching her Figment plush in the photos. He’s the world’s greatest purple dragon and resides in Epcot at Walt Disney World. He’s also one of my favorite Disney characters. But don’t tell the mouse!
Look at this happy face! And those little teeth!
Happy birthday, Penny! Congrats on Year One as parents, Mom and Dad!
You’ve had a busy year! Forgotten to get your senior photos taken? No worries! As long as your shoot is in April, we’ll still be able to create stunning graduation announcements like this! Call me at 229-224-6021 to make your appointment and visit AnsleyStudio.com for ideas!
The featured photo is of the awesome Amberlyn who can’t wait to graduate in May and head off to college this summer! 😀