although many of our wedding shoots take us on the road, to exciting places far from home, i can’t think of anything better than the special connections we’re able to forge with couples right here in small town athens, ga. i love that we got to share the experience of celebrating jessica and hiram’s wedding at the same venue where eileen and i celebrated our own marriage — the lyndon house arts center. and i love that, the night before they were to come into our studio for the premier of their wedding images, i just happened to run into them while doing errands around town: “hey, you two! welcome back from your honeymoon. see ya tomorrow evening!” i don’t know another town that offers all this beauty and culture, yet also offers the likelihood of regularly bumping into and keeping in touch with new friends. it’s such a blessing.

now for that beauty and culture i mentioned: i’m a huge fan of the high art and modern chic that hotel indigo offers. (if only it had been around when eileen and i got married. it’s conveniently across the street from the lyndon house, which offers a stunning marriage of modern art and antebellum history.) and the careful attention to every detail of this fashionable wedding paid off tremendously.

unlike most couples, whom we meet and begin working with almost a year before their weddings, jessica and hiram came to us later and their wedding was our first experience shooting with them. we were blown away at how naturally they played to the camera! but truthfully, it was pretty clear their rare sense of ease didn’t result from anything we did; they were both glowing with so much love and excitement from the minute we arrived on wedding day, they could do no wrong! put these two together anywhere, and the electricity is visible. their families were so sweet, too; we couldn’t get enough of all the joyful interactions, everyone so thrilled to be present supporting this meant-to-be couple.

congratulations, jessica and hiram! it broke our hearts that you had to leave the studio in moving trucks. even so, perhaps we’ll still run into each other during errands again some time — if you keep one foot here in athens. wherever you go, enjoy the adventure together!

(see the rest of jessica and hiram’s wedding photos. watch their wedding slideshow!)