Emily Dean Photography » Lifestyle & Family Photographer | Based in Birmingham, Alabama

What happens when you plan an engagement session with a bride who only lives about 5 miles from you?  You choose a location 4 hours away at the beach, of course!

When I made the decision to run an engagement session giveaway back in January, I was excited and a little nervous.  I wasn’t sure that anyone would enter, but of course I worried for nothing.  I had such an amazing response & so many brides shared their incredible engagement stories with me.  I was completely impressed with how creative their fiances’ were with their proposals &  I was glad that I had decided to choose the winner by a random drawing rather than by choosing the best story because I would’ve had a tough time choosing!  However, when I read Brooke’s story of how Michael proposed, I knew that if I had been choosing, I probably would’ve chosen them.  She injected so much personality into her tale that I knew we would be BFF’s 😉  Not to mention the fact that their propsal took place on the beach & I’m basically OBSESSED with the beach, so when I drew their names out of the bowl, I was thrilled & immediately had visions of a romantic beach engagement session.

So, I met with Brooke a few weeks later to talk about their session & I shared my crazy idea with her.  She was instantly on board!  We both have a deep love for the salty air, sand & surf so we were a match made in photography heaven.  Our schedules worked out perfectly so that she & Michael were available to make the trip down during a time that I was going to be there visiting my mom anyway.

We met in my very favorite town in the world, Seaside, FL.  It was a crazy windy day and a little bit chilly for a day in May, but it was gorgeous.  I love working with couples who click with my personality & who are so clearly in love.  It makes my job so amazing.  Brooke & Michael are that couple.  We hit it off immediately, bonding over our love for all things beachy & once our session began, it was clear that they are perfect for each other.

Brooke & Michael, I can’t thank you enough for going along with my crazy plan for your session.  It was perfect & I loved every minute of hanging out with y’all!!

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To view more of Brooke & Michaels session, click here:  http://emilydeanphotography.pass.us/brooke-michael-engaged

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Every once in a while, all of the stars align, everything falls into place just so & the perfect session is born.  This happened on 4-26-13.

When I met with Bri & Ron for the 1st time to discuss their engagement session & what they were looking for in their photos, I had a great feeling about them.  We were all on the same page when it came to the style & aesthetic they wanted, so we set a date & the planning began.  Neither Bri nor Ron are from this area, so I had the pleasure of choosing the locations for their shoot & I had the perfect places in mind.

The day of their session arrived and I was so excited.  We met on the campus of the University of Montevallo & when Bri showed me the few little extra details she brought along, I was thrilled.  She crafted the cutest save the date banner & a gorgeous wooden, hand-painted sign with one of my favorite Bible verses on it.  DIY details? This is a girl after my own heart!  I never bring props to any sessions, but I always encourage my clients to do what feels best for them & if they have anything special they’d like to include in their session to please bring it along!  The special touches always inject the perfect amount of personality into the photos that only they could provide.

In typical male/fiance fashion, Ron was pretty nervous & told me that he never takes good pictures….but that certainly wasn’t the case on this day & by the middle of our session he was proclaiming his new found life calling as a model…and I have to agree, they were both naturals and made my job so much fun!

From the moment we began, I could just feel how much in love they are.  They couldn’t stop smiling, laughing, touching, hugging & whispering “I love you” to one another.  It was the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen & I could photograph them every single day.

I don’t know how in the world I’m going to contain my excitement until their wedding day next March.  I seriously can’t wait!  Bri & Ron, thank you so much for giving me the honor.  Good luck this year with all of your new adventures! xoxo

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  • October 15, 2013 - 4:09 pm

    Le Magnifique Feature | Birmingham, AL Wedding Photographer » Emily Dean Photography - […] Bri & Ron are one of those couples that you instantly fall in love with, so I am beyond thrilled that their session is out there for the world to see. They are so genuine, happy, kind and laid-back that I just wanted our session to last all day. During our pre-session consultation, we bonded over our love for lush green landscapes, puppies and the Alabama Crimson Tide…I immediately felt like we were all lifelong friends. The day of their engagement session on the campus of the University of Montevallo was absolutely perfect. Bri brought along THE most adorable DIY props to enhance their session and she did an impeccable job selecting their outfits. I was swooning over all of it, but when Ron brought out his guitar, I was a goner! They are so obviously, completely, 100% in love that you just look at them and know it will last forever. All I had to do was step back and click the shutter and they did the rest. This will forever be my all time favorite engagement session & I cannot wait for their wedding in Atlanta next spring! […]ReplyCancel

  • December 18, 2013 - 9:14 am

    Ashlee & Ben | Birmingham, AL Engagement Photographer » Emily Dean Photography - […] have also become some of my favorites.  You may remember their incredible engagement session from this post & this post.  Anyway, I’m rambling.  The point is this…I LOVE my clients & […]ReplyCancel

  • April 22, 2014 - 10:29 am

    Bri & Ron |Destination Wedding Photographer, Roswell, GA » Emily Dean Photography - […] Ron for the first time last year, I knew I had met a very special couple and after shooting their engagement session, there was no doubt.  One year later I had the honor and pleasure of photographing their wedding […]ReplyCancel

  • May 9, 2014 - 9:40 am

    Bri & Ron | Bride & Groom Portraits | Birmingham, AL Wedding Photographer » Emily Dean Photography - […] the past year, I’ve pretty much said all there is to say about Bri and Ron from their incredible engagement session all the way up to their gorgeous wedding in at Primrose Cottage in Roswell, GA.  From day 1 they […]ReplyCancel

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It’s officially Chrissy & MJ’s wedding week and I couldn’t be more excited!

The fact that I get to leave in a couple of days to head down to the gorgeous gulf coast is amazing enough, but throw in a gorgeous couple, a rowdy, fun-loving family (or so I hear 😉 ) and a stunning ceremony in the sand & I am one incredibly happy and lucky girl!!

Chrissy & MJ, I can’t thank you enough for allowing me to be a part of your day.  I’m getting more and more excited by the second and can’t wait to see you both!

Happy Wedding Week!!

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It’s not even summer yet…it’s barely even warm outside and yet Deuce has already started shedding like CRAZY.  It’s out of control and I’m terrified to think of what it will be like when the temps reach the 90’s.  Oiy.

I brush him constantly, but it’s never-ending…how does he even have any hair left because, clearly, it’s all over my house!???

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I vacuum constantly.  I just had to stop writing this post to get up and vacuum because just thinking about it is making me crazy!  I vacuum things I’ve never vacuumed before.  The kitchen floor (a broom just won’t cut it anymore), my bath mats, couch cushions, the windowsills, the dog (ok, I haven’t done that yet, but I’m seriously considering it)…it’s madness up in here.

But how can you be mad at this face? I guess I’ll find a way to deal because he’s just so dang cute.  (If any of you have any tips, though, I’ll be your new best friend!)

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One of the greatest benefits of being a professional photographer is the ability to produce the perfect birthday, mother’s day, father’s day or even Christmas gift at the drop of a hat.  Everyone loves a beautiful portrait, especially parents.  On the flip side, one of the greatest frustrations for me as a photographer is walking into my mother’s house and seeing that the beautiful 5 x 7 professional print I framed for her Christmas gift has been taken to the UPS store and blown up to enormous size by the COLOR COPIER.  I die.  Literally, I die a little inside everytime she does this…and she does it quite often, so pretty soon I’m going to waste away to nothing but an empty shell.

I finally got smart and took matters into my own hands.  My brother, sister and I had planned on making the trip to Florida this year to spend the weekend with Mom to celebrate her 6oth birthday, so we were able to meet up a few days before our scheduled trip to take a quick photo and have a large, 16 x 20 canvas ordered and delivered just in time for her birthday! GENIUS.

The shipping took a bit longer than expected, so we weren’t there to see her open her gift, but she called me last night when it arrived and she absolutely LOVED it.  I’m so happy that I work in an industry that can provide such joy, especially for my mama 🙂

We had a wonderful weekend together, even though the beach was cold and rainy.  Spending time with my family is the best and always an adventure.  Happy Birthday, mama!! We love you!!

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