A Year in Review | 2021 Weddings and Engagements
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Dusting off the blog for one of my favorites - A Year in Review: 2021 Edition.
What a year! We powered through 2020 making lemonade out of lemons…and this year we switched the lemons for limes & added tequila to make margaritas that helped us through 2021!
This year brought about nine weddings and one reception celebration. Grateful for the opportunity to get to know my couples, beginning at their engagement session and continuing onto the exit of the reception. (*And hopefully many more years to come, too!) I also got to work alongside some extremely talented creatives like floral designers, venue owners, wedding planners & fellow photographers.
Thank you, sweet clients turned friends, for trusting me with such an exciting season of life. Enjoy a snapshot of Deborah Michelle Photography’s 2021 Weddings & Engagements!
Special thanks to everyone who helped me out this year. From my second shooters to the wedding coordinator turned veil tosser, YOU ROCK! Community over Competition may just be a hashtag & motto on social media, but I truly felt it this year.
Rebekah & Will | May 15, 2021
Bama Bed & Breakfast - Tuscaloosa, Alabama
What an incredible wedding day for Rebekah & Will despite all the hurdles that happened while planning a wedding in the middle of a pandemic. Pure joy from the first look until the last twirl on the dance floor. Their ceremony was held with just family & bridal party in attendance. And tacos & margaritas were served at their reception.
Shout out to Posh Occasions by Sheriah & her crew for making this couple’s intimate Tuscaloosa backyard wedding incredible.
Deedee & John | May 24, 2021
Wanderlust Treehouse - Crane Hill, Alabama
Magical. That’s the one word I would choose to describe this treehouse elopement. It was a blessing to stand alongside their circle of family & friends as witnesses to the marriage covenant. *Bonus: this was one of two sisters that I had the pleasure to photograph this year!
Brooke & Spencer | June 6, 2021
Camelot Manor - Birmingham, Alabama
I would gaze upon Camelot Manor every time I drove from Birmingham to Auburn & couldn't wait until "the shoe fit" for me to photograph a wedding there. And my Bride, Brooke, made that dream happen!
From the Disney tunes sung as the girls got ready to Spencer's dance with his mom, everything felt sprinkled in magical fairy dust. This wedding was a dream come true for all involved.
Claire & John | June 12, 2021
Barn at Smith Lake - Birmingham, Alabama
A brunch wedding?! Count me in every time. What an honor to witness Claire & John’s wedding vows & walk alongside them during this new season of marriage. Rain may have changed their original ceremony plans, but Plan B turned out to be better than Plan A! Plus who doesn’t love a wall of donuts at a reception?!
Anna & Dominque | June 26, 2021
Citronelle Community Center - Mobile, Alabama
We laughed, oh how we laughed when Anna's big brothers tossed rose petals down the aisle. And we cried the moment Anna walked down the aisle. The heavens let out a few rain drops to let us all know that her mom was with us.
Saturday, June 26, 2021 was a special day for Anna & Dom as they finally became husband & wife after a COVID postponement. And it's one I am so incredibly grateful to have been a witness to.
Elizabeth & Michael's Reception | July 10, 2021
Oak Hollow Farm - Fairhope, Alabama
Elizabeth & Michael were married with just their parents in attendance last summer. A year later, friends & family gathered around to celebrate with a laidback reception. I love how everyone came together to share first dances, toasts & cake to celebrate these two.
Brittney & Trae | September 4, 2021
Banana Cabana 2.0 - Gulf Shores, Alabama
"I love you more than all of the sand of every beach in the world." Brittney & Trae would say that to each other from time to time, but little did they know they'd one day escape to the beach to get married one day.
My goodness, I had the best time celebrating them along with their family (again) & friends in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Rachel & Colin | October 9, 2021
Aldridge Gardens - Birmingham, Alabama
Rachel & Colin are two of the kindest, grace-giving couples you will ever meet. From the tear-filled first look to sharing communion with their wedding guests, it was everything they had dreamt of.
Both families were so warm & welcoming the entire weekend. I loved being at their rehearsal & hearing all the stories of them growing up, finding each other & falling in love.
Kaylynn & Nick | November 20, 2021
Greensboro Baptist Church - Greensboro, Alabama
The most gorgeous fall wedding day back in Greensboro, Alabama. It was a joy to be back in my hometown with so many familiar faces & in the church where we all grew up! Kaylynn & her family were a delight to work with, along with her entire bridal party. After the vows were said, the night ended in celebration at the Moundville Archaeological Park in Moundville, Alabama.
Lauren & Edward | December 18, 2021
Bragg-Mitchell Mansion - Mobile, Alabama
A few rain drops did not stop us from celebrating Lauren & Edward. She looked stunning in her gown from Wedding Belles & veil borrowed from one of her bridesmaids. Rose Bud Flowers completed the look with her hairpiece & bouquet. And Edward looked dapper in a classic tux & bow tie. They said “I Do” at the lovely St. Mary’s Catholic Church & danced the night away at one of my favorite Mobile venues, the Bragg-Mitchell Mansion .
Engagements
If you’re reading this year’s blog, cheers! Let’s keep the tacos & margs coming!
I LOVE engagement portrait sessions because it allows me to interact with my couples before their wedding day. They get to know me & I get to know them. We’ll either visit spots that hold special meanings to each couple or chose to go on new adventures.
This year I got to visit my alma mater, the University of Mobile, explore Morris Avenue in downtown Birmingham, swing by one of Birmingham’s breweries (Back Forty), and enjoy the gorgeous gardens at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
Five of these couples you’ll get to see again in 2022!
In Memory
COVID took away two beautiful souls this year; one being my dear friend & wedding coordinator, Heather Pfefferkorn. And another being the mother of one of my brides, Mrs. Tammy. Portraits are all that we have left when those we love the most pass away. And this year reminded me that my job as a photographer is so important.
Heather believed in me as a small business owner & was a huge reason why I choose her wedding venue over all others in Mobile. Her unexpected passing at the beginning of 2021 definitely had an impact on me treasuring every interaction from that point forward.
Mrs. Tammy joined her daughter, Anna, for her bridals in early March at Springhill. And at the end of every session, I like to include those that helped out despite being dressed in a t-shirt & jeans. Just to remember those who were there with you. And I am beyond grateful that I snapped a few of those “just because” portraits. She would pass away before Anna’s wedding day, but knowing she saw her daughter in her wedding dress gave us some peace.
