Each month I like to introduce some of the wonderful vendors who help to support this blog – without them, there would be no Snippet & Ink! I know that many of you subscribe to Snippet & Ink through RSS, so you don’t get to see the sponsors on the sidebar, so I thought I’d bring them to your attention, in the hope that you’ll discover a fabulous vendor that was just what you were looking for. Some of them are longtime sponsors, others are new, and they’re all just wonderful!
A couple years ago, I met the sweet and talented Heather Ann Thomas at the A Bryan Photo workshop in Birmingham, and today I finally get to feature her beautiful work. She takes utterly frame-worthy photos that I imagine any couple would be pleased to have as wedding keepsakes. But I’ll let the images speak for themselves…
Some details from the bride and groom:
Why did you choose this location for your wedding? Ben and I had a weekend getaway to Blackberry Farm two years prior and absolutely fell in love with its charm and tranquil setting.
What was your favorite moment of the day? Ben and I planned all photography to take place before the ceremony so we could maximize our time with guests who traveled to be with us on our special day. We wanted out “first look” to be a lasting memory, so I stood in the Blackberry Farm garden in my wedding dress and Ben saw me for the first time and brought me my bridal bouquet. We had a very intimate moment before everything started that afternoon.
What advice do you have for other brides? Of course, enjoy every moment! It goes by so quickly and what details may seem significant during the planning period won’t be in the end. You will remember your happy moments and all of your friends and family sharing in your wedding day.
There are so many styles of wedding photography, and photojournalism is one of my favorites. And today I get to introduce you to one of our newest sponsors, Beck Diefenbach, who approaches wedding photography with a storyteller’s eye…
Beck understands and appreciates his role in documenting such an important day. As he says: “Your wedding day is so much more than a day. It’s the beginning of the story of the rest of your life. The latest chapter in your personal journey of life and love, it’s a day you will never forget.”
Beck Diefenbach is based in San Francisco, but he’s available to travel, so no matter where you’re getting married, Beck can be your photographer! Want more? Check out Beck’s website for even more of his wedding work!
Beth and Jay live in Australia, and had always wanted to visit San Francisco, so they decided on an intimate destination wedding there. Laurel at Esla Events and Emily at Gem Photo helped to create a memorable day for the couple and their guests.
Sunnyside Conservatory was the perfect venue for the ceremony: small enough for an intimate group, but open and full of light.
After the ceremony, everyone enjoyed some sandwiches and donuts, then hopped on a trolley for a tour of the city. Says Beth, “We wanted the day to be about everybody having fun, especially since they had all traveled from Australia. So the trolley tour of San Francisco was our way of making sure we got to spend time with everybody as well as enjoying the sights and tastes of San Francisco.”
Hot chocolate at Ghirardelli Square was a highlight, says the bride.
From Beth:
What was your favorite moment or part of the day? The entire day was fun, so it’s hard to narrow down. The ceremony was very special. So was getting to relax with our guests on a tour of San Francisco. The dinner reception was also fantastic, and when we returned to our room, the hotel had provided us with a bottle of champagne and chocolate coated strawberries, which was such a sweet and thoughtful surprise.
Did you include any traditions in your wedding? Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue was probably the only wedding tradition that we followed. My grandmother gave me a locket that my grandfather gave her in 1937, and the neighbor I grew up with gave me the lace horseshoe she had at her wedding 50 years ago. The something blue was the plastic blue “engagement ring” that Jay proposed with, and something new was really everything else.
What advice do you have for other brides? The best advice is just to relax and enjoy the day, and remember what it is about, which is you and your partner – the rest is just icing. Don’t take anything, including yourself too seriously. Making sure you get great vendors who you trust and who understand what you want makes life a lot easier. Planning the wedding from Australia, it was great to be able to rely on Laurel and Emily for advice and direction, and they did a great job.
Do you have any budget tips for other brides? We got married in the middle of the week and outside of peak wedding season, which helped. I purchased a lot of items off Etsy and found that sellers were always very helpful in getting me what I needed on time, and for a reasonable price. Potted lemon trees at the ceremony (as opposed to full floral arrangements) saved some money, but still gave a great effect.
