ANNIE T.

Here is the thing about being a wedding photographer, you capture many people who’ve fallen in love in all the seasons-spring, fall, summer and winter. I’ve photographed couples all of over Macon, Georgia and beyond. On an average wedding day, I photograph a couple that has only been married for three hours. They are simply gushing over the idea of starting their forever. Equally important, wedding days give me the opportunity to capture long love stories -like that of grandparents celebrating 60 years of marriage.

Whenever I see a couple whose love weathered time, I ask, “What’s the secret?” Throughout my career, I got many different answers. Some are silly; others are serious. They range anywhere from taking commitment seriously to just saying yes, dear.

However, my favorite answer, which I get on rare occasions, is to marry your best friend. One time a couple at a wedding told me, “Keep it simple. Just marry your best friend.” As a hopeless romantic, you can bet my heart was swooning over the thought.

Let me tell ya’ll about two friends who got married on very special fall day.

It isn’t every day I see that advice play out; however, on November 12, 2022, was one of those rare fall weddings where my couple was keeping it simple and marrying their best friend.

Just look these two besties in love.

David and Carly met in college through a campus ministry called RUF. Carly and David married at the church that has molded their relationship in such a big way.

Let’s hear it for the girls!

Carly was the picture of sweet simplicity on her wedding day. She wore a classy off-the-shoulder mermaid dress from Vocelles The Bridal Shoppe. Her hair was a picture of perfection, thanks to Paige Horton at Blush Macon. Carly’s gal pals made bridesmaids’ pictures so fun. They were each so creative with their “fun” poses.

Say hey to the guys!

David was such a calm and collected groom, it almost made me think they weren’t the ones getting married. He was just ready to spend forever with Carly. David’s guys were a squad with a mixture of friends and family from all seasons of his life. It was an honor to capture their memories together.

The sweet couple decided not to do a first look. Instead they embraced tradition- it was so sweet.

Are worried David and Carly didn’t have time for romantics (photos of just the bride & groom) because they opted out of a first look? Keep reading to ease your worry. Keep reading.

The wedding was at North Macon Presbyterian Church, surrounded by close friends and family. Covering the sanctuary were flowers designed by Jan Belin. The wedding went off without a hitch. Despite when Carly repeated the wrong phrase, but you know that happens, and those pictures are some of my favorites.

No first look, no problem –Get ready to be impressed with me.

I told the Carters to give me forty-five minutes to capture newlywed romantics, family formals and the full bridal party. Despite the time crunch we captured everything.

Now onto my favorite part of the day…the cake and dancing!

It was a whirlwind of a reception with an excellent opportunity for the bride and groom to enjoy their guest company. Twas a night of fine dining, dancing, and live painting by Abigail Montgomery Art. The Carters had the cutest cake-cutting ever. Shout out to Mary Virginia Cakes for the backdrop.

Time for the exit.

The night ended with a dreamy sparkler exit and two best friends in love riding into their future. Y’all my job is a dream!

xoxo,

Annie T.

Vendor handles:
Florist | Jan Belin
Hair | Paige Horton
Cake | @maryvirginiacakes
Dress | @vocellesbridal
Venue | @wesleyancollegega North Macon Presbyterian Church
DJ | @moullietproductions
Wedding Photographer | @annietphotography
Second Photographer:@GunnerRobinson

Live artist: @abigail_montgomery_art

There are many tried-and-true Christmas traditions, from baking cookies, opening presents, and watching Hallmark movies. Often I forget that everyone’s Christmas season looks so different. That’s why we’ve crafted this blog to let you in on the Christmas tradition for all things Annie T. and the team.

Let’s start with the traditions of the biz:

Golden giveaways are one of my favorite traditions in my business. I pick five killer gifts to give out to a few lucky winners. Have you ever wondered why I give away five golden giveaways each year? Is it to build biz hype? I will not lie to you all and say that isn’t part of it. However, the main reason is I love giving gifts to people is rooted in my faith. As a believer giving gifts at Christmas is a symbolic tribute to the three gifts the wise men gave to Jesus, The Christ child. It is a little thing my business does every year to recenter my focus on the reason for the season.

See if you can spy a few of 2022’s Golden Giveaways!

I love to offer sweet gifts to my clients every year during the holidays! One perfect gift to put on their Christmas trees is the Christmas ornaments I make with a picture of them on it. One of the ornaments I create is for the lovely couples I captured weddings for during the year. I love giving them a “First Christmas as Mr. & Mrs.” ornament!💚❤️

Another gift I offer to clients is Christmas cards. I offer a few designs for them to choose from to have their pictures on. It’s always the sweetest when my clients order them with pictures I have taken of them to send to their loved ones.

Who got Elaine and I’s Christmas card this year?💌

Let’s roll the ornament of tradition over to Lauren, our social media wizard.

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year and is my favorite holiday. I have so many annual traditions with my family that make this time of the year so special. The traditions kick off almost immediately after Thanksgiving when we put up the Christmas tree, lights, and decor around the house.🎄

The house is decorated for Christmas, usually before December starts, and we already have Christmas music playing nonstop. I love listening to Christmas music every year- I never get tired of it. I love traditional Christmas music the most. Some of the traditional Christmas songs I love listening to are Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Michael Buble, and Josh Groban’s Christmas versions. These artists sound so similar that my mom and I often play a little guessing game and ask, “Who’s singing this one?” 🎶

We always get excited about the Christmas cookies we make. We make candy cane cookies that taste so good and pepperminty with crushed peppermint bits on top. We love our classic red and green almond spritz cookies, which are so cool to make with the cookie stencils and machine we press against the cookie tray.😋🍪

We always watch our favorite classic Christmas movies: Elf, Polar Express, the Santa Clause movies, and Home Alone movies. We’ve started watching some Hallmark Christmas movies for the past two years. I got my dad a Hallmark bingo game for Christmas last year (because he likes the Hallmark channel), so we’ve been playing it while watching the movies. After Christmas shopping and thousands of online order deliveries at our front door, we wrap presents, and we love it. We love choosing the paper and bow combinations for the gifts we cover. An annual gift we give every Christmas is the Obijeski family calendar, and my mom calls it “my best work yet” every year. We always make sure we wrap all five calendars identically, so there’s no confusion that they are the calendars!🎬📬

Each year we host Christmas Eve dinner. Family from my mom and dad’s side of the family come over, and everyone always has a good time. We get pictures in front of the tree and use some Christmas props! We enjoy cocktail shrimp, cheese, and crackers for appetizers while we catch up. We have tenderloin, bacon-wrapped green beans, napa salad, and homemade mac-n-cheese for dinner and my grandpa always brings a surprise dessert!🥰📸

Once it’s Christmas morning, we start opening gifts in the stockings and family gifts. Then, we have coffee cake at my grandma’s house, and we open presents over at her house. After that, my grandpa, uncle, and aunt come over, and we give out open presents. We have buffalo chicken dip for lunch that my mom makes on Christmas. Then, my cousins and relatives on my mom’s side come over, and we give out and open presents. It’s a wonderful day.🎅🏼🎁

Picking up the Christmas tradition next is me, Annie T.!

I love all the Christmas traditions, from white elephant gift exchanges to candlelight services at my Church. There is something so magical about the world’s focus during the holiday season.

One simple Christmas tradition I love is drinking my coffee in a Christmas mug. Coffee tastes better out of a mug. Therefore your Christmas mug of joe hits differently.

My family and I go to the Farmers Market to pick out our Christmas tree. Typically we all go after Thanksgiving. My parents get a tree for their house, and I get one for mine. It is a jolly good time. One year, I did a photoshoot of my sister and brother-in-law there. How cool is that?

Going to see Christmas lights is another trend I hold near and dear. It is a fun way to all be together and be surrounded by the Christmas spirit. In fact-Macon is known for its Christmas Lights Extravaganza! Y’all should check it out.

Those are a few of our favorite things during the Christmas season! We would love to know any of ya’ll’s traditions, so drop them in the comments below. Merry Christmas to all!

Xoxo,

Annie T., Lauren O. ,and Elaine B.

#MerryChristmas #MaconChristmas #ChristmasTraditions

Thankfulness is a funny thing. If you break it down, even more, it is a feeling of appreciation someone feels in response to another’s act of kindness, gifts, or favors. 🍁

❤️Words mean more when we break them down and marinate on them for a moment. ❤️

Thankfulness is a feeling of appreciation based on another’s action. For example, many of us experience thankfulness when we round the corner at the Chick-fil-a drive-thru and spy a white bag that contains steaming waffle fries. Or you might experience thankfulness when someone recognizes a job well done. 🥰

I want to walk you through a few moments that made me really thankful this year.

Walking Down the Aisle

Over the last year, I have captured multiple weddings. The moment that always takes my breath away and reminds me why my aching feet matter is when the bride walks down the aisle. My heart burst with thankfulness at this time. I always crouch behind the bride and slip into the ceremony venue to capture the perfect shot. I never want to be a distraction, so I only walk up so close to the altar. Once the door is open, the crowd will stand, the groom will weep (if we want good pictures), and the bride will glide down the aisle. It is a magical moment that I treasure. Each time I’ve emerged from my crouched position, I exhale a sigh of relief because we made it to the 🙌🏻 dang thang. Drinking in the moment, I am so thankful to be invited into such a special memory. 

Fall Minis

Fall minis are another moment I treasure. They make me thankful for my job. I used to be embarrassed to run fall minis- it’s a pride thing. I thought mini-sessions were beneath “professionals.” That’s total malarkey, I tell you‼️ This year gave me a new appreciation for fall minis- you all were busting down my door to get on my list. It is humbling to be requested for Holiday card photos. I am thankful, really, truly.

My Social Media Wizard aka Lauren

There are so many moments I’ve been thankful for Lauren. She is my Social Media Assistant. All the reels, all the sweet comments answered, and all the Instagram goodness make me real grateful. Having such a talented and capable Social Media Assistant has freed my brain to be more present with my clients and creative in other areas. Big fan of this gal!

Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference

Record scratch moment, right? Annie is thankful for a fruit and veggie conference; that’s a little off-brand.

Well, not really; last January, I was invited to speak about photography to farmers in the industry. It was a wonderful experience and reminded me of my love for sharing my craft. This moment gave me confidence in my knowledge of Photography.

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Spring Minis

I wouldn’t say I like the winter. Like, can’t stand being cold and all the gray. Spring mins are my favorite because Macon is popping in the spring, especially the Japanese Magnolias. These moments make me thankful that spring is dawning.

My Friends

Finding a community of sweet friends is difficult. However, over the last year and a half, I’ve been in a squad like no other. It is a joy to have people to do life alongside. Moments with my friends help me come back refreshed to my editing cave. ** not all friends are pictured**

ELAINE

I am obsessed with her. That is the only explanation. Being a dog owner has forced me out of bed each morning with a leash in hand. Big fan of my furry companion, and the iconic show her name comes from. Every moment with her is the best.

My Family

My family grew a lot this year; We welcomed a new brother-in-law to the mix—someone who, from the beginning, was an advocate for my business and loved my sis well. I got another nephew. The fam is growing, and I love it. Moments like beach trips, first birthdays, car rides and adventures I will treasure forever.

I am a photographer by trade. My catchphrase is I capture bright and authentic photos of life’s greatest moments. Moments that make us feel appreciated or loved are reasons to be thankful. My job is capturing those moments- how lucky am I?

Have you reflected over the last year?

What are moments you felt appreciated?

What are some gifts you didn’t know you were thankful for until just now?

xoxo,

Annie T.

#Thanksgiving2022 #WeddingPhotographer #Moments #Photography #Thankful #Georgia

A classic couple for the classic city-Katie and Maddox’s Georgian Hall wedding was a dream to photograph.

A little background.

I first met Katie because I did a marketing session for her during her time at The Georgia Center for Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. She is such a talented physician with such a solid social media presence that capturing her content became one of my favorite sessions. It was so fun meeting her in that setting and transitioning to her wedding photographer.

Ask me how excited I was to photograph Katie’s wedding.

I was tickled pink when Katie called me and asked me to photograph her wedding. Our previous work experience created the ideal client-photographer relationship.

I knew going into her wedding she would be stunning and willing to try any of my crazy ideas.

Katie and Maddox met in college at the University of Georgia. Unsurprisingly, they wanted their special day to take place in the classic city. They chose the Georgian Hall as their venue for the ceremony and reception. The team at Georgian Hall was a dream to work alongside. They were very accommodating to my team and me. Not to mention, it has the best lighting and cohesive aesthetic.

All of Katie’s vendors were amazing to work with Brett Glenn Floral Design she created stunning florals for the wedding day. I couldn’t stop myself from photographing them. The wedding cake was such a site with its confectionery floras on the cake; Classic City Confections are a wizard.

Not to mention the wedding coordinators from White Wood Events helped make the day be such a breeze.

Time to obsess over all things bride.

I was completely obsessed with Katie’s wedding dress and veil combo. It was the perfect mixture of classic chic. She was the most stunning bride. She even let me play around with so many veil shots.

Howdy guys!

Maddox was a hoot and a half. He is a total jokester, cracking everyone up during the day, making for the best groom photos. Thanks for being such good sports in the simmering Georgia heat, guys.

Get ready to break out the tissues once you learn about this wedding day detail.

One unique thing about Katie and Maddox’s wedding was their entire wedding party was family only. I am always here to invite gal pals from all seasons of life to stand beside you. However, this twist to the wedding party attendees gets me in my feels. I loved seeing all the siblings on both sides helping the bride and groom get ready. The ceremony was short and sweet, which left plenty of time for dancing and newlywed pictures. I love staying on top of the timeline.

Let’s hear it for the Georgian Hall.

The Georgian Hall in the Classic city lets the bride and groom do a reception room reveal before they let the guest come into the area. It was a sweet moment for the couple.

Kris Plummer with Sound Insight Pro brought all the party vibes for this reception. He was a great mc for first dances. It was a perfect mix of new-age pop, Taylor Swift, and some oldies. Katie’s cousin was tearing up the dance floor. It was a hoot. Not to mention the late-night foodies were surprised with a tater-tot bar.

The icing on the cake for such a magical day was photographing the bubble exit. Man oh, man I love a Georgian Hall wedding in the Classic city.

Thank you for letting me capture your big day Katie + Maddox.

xoxo,

Annie T.

Be Kind + Think Creatively