Happy Friday, y’all! We’re capping off the week with this sunshine-y engagement session from Green Tree Photography. Doesn’t this gorgeous couple’s joy just radiate off the page? Tina and Johnny met while signing papers on their first day of work proof that love can blossom even in the most unlikely places! Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

Don’t forget about February’s #SouthernDoin Challenge! This weekend would be a great opportunity to do something special :) See all the details here!

Here’s an alarming fact for you: The Notebook came out over eight years ago. Do you feel as old as I do now? I actually watched it recently (don’t laugh you know you love it, too), and somehow, it still seems as romantic and charming as ever.

Of course, ladies like us are predisposed to swoon over old plantations dripping in Spanish moss, rowboat scenes in the bayou, and epic love stories. Count Courtney among our number, too. She and her fiance Paul borrowed a little inspiration from the big screen for their photography debut, and I couldn’t be more in love with their subtle nods to Lowcountry life!

Big thanks to Justin DeMutiis for sending this romantic engagement session our way!

Outfit change! As a sweets fiend, I love this next look, complete with Gigi’s Cupcakes.

I really admire how light-handed they were with the vintage touches, and of course, Justin’s clean, light-filled (gorgeous!) images help to keep everything firmly in the present, too.

If you’re a bird, I’m a bird!

Justin DeMutiis is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

I hope y’all find some sun this weekend!

Ben Sasso is a fabulous member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Emily says I have to be nice to the Gators when I write this post, but y’all don’t know how hard that is! (Just kidding… but not!) My hubs actually thinks I should have declined to write this post (yes, we are THAT big of Bama fans!). I, on the other hand, am happy to write it Florida is at least in the SEC! Clearly college football love (and allegiances!) run deep in the South!

Also, today’s handsome groom-to-be is a professional football player, so how could I turn down writing a post about a fellow pro athlete’s wife? After all, it’s not an easy life, and we have to stick together!

Oh, and can I please just talk about how stinkin’ adorable these two are?! When their photographer, Anna Kirby, suggested Ali and Eric take their engagement photos at The Swamp (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium) they literally jumped at the idea! Ali says their engagement pictures “reflect our shared love of our family traditions, our university, and football.” Putting aside our allegiances, this lovely bride is a girl after my own heart! (AND, I want her cowboy boots!)

What’s your favorite college football team? Would you take or did you do your e-session (or your whole wedding) at your alma mater? How will you be incorporating your team into your big day?

P.S. Roll Tide, y’all! This is just one of the ways we incorporated college football into our wedding day!

P.S.S. Love e-sessions? Be sure to tune into our Facebook every Friday where we feature exclusive engagement sessions each week!

Today I have a lovely Southern engagement session from Landon Jacob Productions to share with you! I love that these two incorporated both a country and a city backdrop into their session two completely different looks, but they both seem to fit this couple. Which one do you prefer?

Thanks to Landon Jacob for sharing!

From the photographers:

“Audrey and Jordan have a uniquely awesome relationship. They are equally fun-loving as they are compassionate. They’ve been together for about three years now, but two of those years were spent living abroad in East Asia doing mission work. Jordan ordered Audrey’s fabulously antique ring from the States while still on the other side of the globe, and had it shipped to him just so he could propose while in Asia! Don’t worry, he had many a Skype conversations with his jeweler to make sure it was absolutely perfect!”

Did you and your fiance take engagement photos?

This coastal chic engagement shoot is perfect for the second week of summer, wouldn’t you say? It’s preppy without bonking you over the head with its preppiness, sweet without being cloying, nautical without being cliched. I’m in love, and I want to give credit to Sarah Jameson for her cool and calm styling aesthetic and Gabe Aceves for his natural, effortless photography. Now, let’s all head to an old marina in Virginia what do you say? I’ll bring the daisies! :)

Thanks for sharing, Gabe!

If you liked this engagement shoot, you might enjoy these, as well…
Katie + Michael’s lakeside engagement
Taylor + Brandon’s wharf engagement
Jenn + Mike’s camping engagement

When I began talking to Jenn + Mike about their engagement session, a few things quickly became clearly important: the truck. The dog. And their favorite pastime, camping. (They’ve even planned their October wedding to fall on an annual camping trip weekend… so their anniversary will always be commemorated in nature!) I’m so happy with their session and I’m thrilled to share it with you! Being from the South myself (I’m a North Carolina native!) this session made me homesick for my childhood.

Thank you so much for sharing, Jordana! LOVE the story behind the camping set-up. Jenn + Mike, we can’t wait to see your wedding!

From the bride:

Our inspiration for our engagement shoot was based upon where we first fell in love. As cheesy as that may sound, when Brandon and I first met, I was living in Wilmington for the summer and he was in Greenville, and the foundation of our relationship really played out in Wilmington. I grew up in Wilmington, and like most Wilmingtonians, had a pretty healthy obsession with Dawson’s Creek. The intracoastal waterway has this sort of discrete beauty–not too fussy or loud–and I knew it would provide the perfect backdrop for some amazing pictures. Our photographer even snuck us on to this property that has yet to be developed, a rare gem in Wilmington, which made our experience even more special.

Thanks so much for sending over these images, Eric! And for sharing a bit of your love story, Taylor + Brandon!

Readers, we’ll be back in a moment with another Southern engagement shoot for your viewing pleasure!

Thanks so much for sharing, you two! Readers, be sure to check out the rest of the lovely shots on Stephanie Williams’ blog!

So stylish, you too! Braedon’s also pretty much sold me on the idea of black + white engagements. What do you think?

We know lots of you pretty ladies are recently engaged, and so decided it was high time to feature another engagement or two. Speaking of “high time,” meet Natalie + Jantzen, who had a high flying time with Nancy Ray at their recent photo shoot! The historic home pictured belonged to Jantzen’s grandfather, and now belongs to Jantzen’s whole family. It’s where his mother grew up with her wait for it 26 brothers and sisters!!

Jantzen and many of his family members have a passion for aviation there’s even a runway in front of the house! No wonder, then, that Jantzen’s uncle decided to pop in to the session with his plane for a few more photo opportunities!

One more awesome fact about this couple? From Nancy’s blog: “Natalie told me that when Jantzen proposed, he gave her tickets to the Oprah Show! She has always wanted to be at an Oprah show live (it was on her “bucket list”), and since this was her last season, her sweet fiancé made it happen. Here’s the kicker: she attended Oprah’s show called “A Fairytale Wedding.” The audience was filled with hand-picked brides from all over the country, and each of them left with a free honeymoon and a Vera Wang dress!

How’s that for a fabulous start to an engagement? Congratulations to Natalie + Jantzen thanks for allowing us to share your photos!

Wait, what’s that in the sky?

Thanks again to Miss Nancy Ray for sharing this session with us! See more on her blog here and here.

Good luck with the rest of wedding planning, Laura + Nate!

‘Tis the season for not only turkey and Christmas trees but engagements! And we all know what happens after someone gets down on one knee… an engagement shoot! This week, we’ll be bringing you three different takes on the engagement session, each sweet and simple and stunningly photographed. No awkward props, no awkward poses, just lovely people being photographed by lovely photographers in lovely places.

Today, we’re starting things off with a session from Lauren Larsen. Sarah + Jon chose to be photographed on his family’s ranch, and we agree that they couldn’t have chosen a more beautifully rustic or meaningful location. Well done, you two! (You three, including the talented Lauren see more on her blog here!)

Thanks so much for sharing, Sarah + Jon! Good luck with the rest of wedding planning!

Next they headed to an airplane hanger.  50′s groove?  Check!  (And that last shot is just to-die-for.  I almost want to put it on MY wall!)

Lastly, the pair headed to a kitchen so that Jake could prove his chef skills.  After all, he was named one of Food and Wine’s 30 Best Chefs Under 30 (really!  Isn’t that cool?)!

Be sure to check out a few more images on Bobbi + Mike’s blog!

Thanks so much, Meredith + Jake, for sharing your session with us!  We can’t wait to see the wedding!

From the couple:

“We had our much anticipated engagement session with Alec Vanderboom a few weeks ago, and were definitely not disappointed.  We have known Alec for many years now, and I have enjoyed seeing his photography take off and become what it is today — an amazing work of art.  Alec said he wanted to do something different, and pitched some creative ideas to us.  When fireworks were mentioned, we were right on board!  The session was an absolute blast, Alec took us to many places around Branson I never knew existed.  By the end of the day, we all knew beyond a doubt we had some great shots.  I already knew Alec was amazing at his job, but I was still blown away once I saw the pictures.  We were very lucky to have him shoot our engagements.  Our wedding will be August 16, 2010 in Ecola State Park (right off of Cannon Beach), Oregon.”

Looks so fun, Derik + Amanda!  We can’t wait to see your wedding!

“We wanted some fun, yet classic, and these pictures really capture who we are and show something we can always share together,” the bride-to-be says of their shoot at the Myers Park Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Fun fact: Stacy was Whitney’s sorority sister at UNC!  We’re just a little bit jealous.

We love that S+J picked a setting that showed off their fun personalities and told us a little more about them as a couple.  What did or would you choose for an engagement session with your betrothed?  I’m thinking a candy store.  With bow ties.  Lots of candy, and lots of bow ties!

P.S. This isn’t the first engagement shoot we’ve featured from Kristin Vining + Lindsey Reagan Thorne.  The dynamic Southern duo also teamed up for Jessica + Scott’s sweet strawberry soiree!

And look two…

1st Look:
White Sundress: Anthropologie
Toile Apron: Anthropologie

2nd Look:
Sundress: Anthropologie
Plaid Shorts: Nautica
Floppy Straw Hat: J.Crew

From Meghan…

“The 1940′s and 50′s inspired me to go with a ‘vintage theme’ for our engagement pictures.  David, my fiance, was excited about the idea of dong something a little out of the ordinary.  We fell in love with Serenbe and chose it for our location, and its natural beauty and Southern charm made the inspiration come alive.  David and I wanted our love for each other to be captured on camera, as we love pictures that tell a story.  Thanks to Jeremy’s creative eye and beautiful use of light and color, we achieved our vision.  He is such a fun person to work with and I’m looking forward to our wedding!”

Thanks for sharing, guys, and thanks to Jeremy for the lovely photos!  We can’t wait to see your (what is sure to be fabulous) wedding!

For the shoot, Amanda and I had the idea of “being on cloud nine” when you’re first falling in love and all of the beautiful feelings that come with it.  We wanted to create a whimsical world that demonstrated this, while pulling in a lot of cute, handmade elements.

I run a hairpiece and handmade business called Blackbirdblue on Etsy, so we felt the home-crafted feel was a perfect tie-in.  We started piecing together puffy clouds from cotton and yarn, and the next thing we knew we not only had clouds floating from the ceiling, but an entire yarn chandelier!  It was cozy, airy, and whimsical — just as we had hoped it would be.  We spent the afternoon cuddling, jumping on the bed to our favorite music, and, of course, reading lots of silly books, such as “10 Things to do with a Fake Moustache.”  (I’m a collector of quirky books, art zines, and moustaches, so when Daniel bought this book for me for my birthday, we knew we couldn’t shoot without it!)

Daniel and I wanted to be comfortable jumping about, dancing, and just being silly together, so our outfits were simple.  He’s a musician and keeps a large stock of v-necks and skinnies on hand, while I have endless amounts of cotton dresses and rompers.

For the second part of the shoot, Amanda and I were inspired by a photo of a cute couple standing in front of a wall of cut-out hearts.  Not only did this idea tie into our handmade aesthetic, but we did the shoot right around my birthday and thus ended up with the fun idea of heart balloons!  We collaged our hearts onto a wall, added yarn strings to all of them, and each of us took a handful!  It was colorful, playful, and fun.

For this part of the shoot, Daniel and I wanted to have a bit more fun with dressing up, so he put on his favorite suspenders, and I wore two of my favorite things — a bow and a vintage-patterned dress!  We spent the afternoon in tucked-away backyards and gardens, kissing and laughing until the sun went down.

We ended our night in the best way possible — throwing all of our hearts into the sky as confetti, and completely surrounded by love.

Blue dress: Free People
Orange Dress: Anthropologie
Groom’s Outfit: Gap
Groom’s Tie & Vest: J. Crew

Take One:  Bright, oversized flower accents, big hair and a pink pedal bike (on loan from Bella Bridesmaid!) were a throw-back to the 1960’s, but we love how in-the-moment these two lovebirds are. Shannon + Matt’s South Carolina photo op was, in many ways, a dress rehearsal for the main event this August: the bride wore the same frilly fuchsia pumps (courtesy of Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse) her bridesmaids will don in a few months and the groom gave the slim-cut Express necktie a test drive before he passes the look onto his attendants.  Something that won’t be making an appearance at the couple’s North Carolina nuptials?  The vintage tiered frock on loan from New York Bride and Groom.

Take Two:  You can’t go wrong with cowboy boots, and we like that Shannon + Matt turned to their favorite pair for their engagement pics.  The bride was a modern-day June Carter in a red Anthropologie dress, especially next to her guitar-playing groom, and the galvanized “XO” letters – also from Anthropologie – leant some sweet Southern charm to this look.

Our favorite part from this engagement shoot?  The nearly-weds look equally in love in both takes, and we really love that!  Which look is your favorite?

From the ladies of Simply Bloom…

“This was another experience altogether. As women, we could not help but tear up and even get a few butterflies in our stomachs as we watched this unfold.  William had thoroughly explained to us his plan to propose to Katie during the shoot, and when he mentioned it would be with a kite, there was some squealing going on on our end… Somehow, because it was meant to be, the entire afternoon progressed naturally and perfectly. Katie had no idea what her fate held, and yet everyone around her knew that this would be THE happiest day of her life. We had planned with William cues for us to know the thereabouts of when he was going to go down on one knee. He explained he was going to tie the ring on the kite, which they would then fly, and then Katie would see the ring. As amazing as that plan sounded, there seemed to be too many little factors that could have not gone according to plan. Despite my doubts and crossed fingers, William pulled it ALL off PERFECTLY. The kite flew easily and swiftly in the perfect blue sky as they held the spool together; Katie ran the kite back and forth without noticing the ring until the very wonderful moment where William kneeled  down to ask her to be with him forever. Witnessing and CAPTURING such an amazing and meaningful moment in a person’s life, left both Christine and I feeling so FORTUNATE about what we do. What we noticed as outsiders, is that the combination of the wide open lush field, timing, reactions, and the perfect shades of the sunset– could not have been more magical.

William, you are the bravest man! Katie, you are so fortunate to have such a romantic man on your side forever– you two are beautiful. We have no words to thank you for letting us witness this moment.”

Congratulations, Katie and William!  We wish you an absolutely beautiful wedding day!