Emily & Jonathan | Outdoor Alabama Wedding at Mathews Manor
Outside the doors of the bridal suite at Mathew Manor, the scene was falling into place one detail at a time: the plating, the decorations, and the welcome sign propped by the door. Emily, the bride, embodied calm. The early afternoon light drizzled in through the windows while she relaxed into the comfort of her family. The day promised a beautiful, Alabama wedding.
The image of a bridal suite is typecast as chaotic and hectic, but this one was antithetical to that stereotype. Stripped of normal wedding vendors, the room was intimate. Emily and the other women took turns getting ready, each helping the others and themselves apply make-up or do hair. Emily’s younger cousin filled the space with youthful energy. There was laughter, and there was quiet. This was a communion.
Up the spiral staircase, Jonathan, the groom, and his band of merry men performed a similar ritual. Help was needed to button shirts and perfect bowties. Jonathan tucked pieces of his personality into his suit, boots instead of loafers and LSU suspenders hidden under his jacket.
In each space there was a quiet, but intentional energy, a beautiful tension as both parties prepared to take their walk down the aisle.
And then it was time. Emily and I snapped a few final pictures (including her precious father-daughter first look) and made our way outside.
Mathew’s Manor is a gorgeous venue tucked away in Springville, Alabama, about 45 minutes east of Birmingham. On their sprawling grounds, a couple can choose one of several spots on which to have their outdoor, Alabama wedding. Jonathan and Emily selected a stage under a beautiful tree that lived right in line with the back of the barn. This meant when it was time for Emily to make her entrance, the wedding party watched her entire walk from the doors to the alter. As she made her way towards the white canopy, Jonathan, normally a stoic, choked back tears.
When I first got the call from Jonathan to ask about engagement pictures, I was ecstatic. Jonathan and I were friends in high school but had largely fallen out of touch during college. He was off at LSU and me at the University of Alabama. As circumstance would have it, Jonathan had met a woman from Alabama, and they were getting married just outside of Birmingham.
We scheduled a time to meet for engagement pictures and confirmed our location at Pursell Farms (See final gallery here!). The three of us met just outside of the farm to carpool to the site together. For the next few hours, I was fortunate to play 3rd wheel with this loving and jovial couple. Together we captured spontaneous barrel lifts and leaf-throwing fights. We also had moments of quiet, where they danced with no music to the backdrop of the sunset or looked onto the nearby stream.
One of the aspects that I love about photography is that it welcomes in new friends and reconnects with old ones. Watching the two of them together, I felt touched that they chose me to capture such a unique and beautiful time in their lives. It’s also so beautiful to know someone and be able to bear witness to their lives as they change and transform.
Once the ceremony was over, we ran over to a gorgeous field and snapped family and bridal portraits as the sun began to escape behind the tree line. The rest of the night went beautifully, too. From a sit-down dinner to thoughtful speeches to a first dance under the night sky, Emily and Jonathan shared in their first moments as husband and wife in the company of those they loved most.
A big thank you to Meg Tsang Hand, who acted as the second photographer! Your images helped perfect the story of the day, and I look up to your work so much!
Emily and Jonathan, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your special day!
