kim & mitchell's day after session

I try to avoid drama as much as possible. I will put on a disguise, move silently like a ninja, and speak with an accent....yet drama still manages to find me.

It was a beautiful Monday afternoon, and Christa and I were on our way to Kim and Mitchell's day after shoot. Christa is a lovely lady that I've been mentoring, and she wanted to come along for one of my portrait sessions to check out how that all works. Well, we found the hotel where we were to meet Kim and Mitchell, and we were in the process of finding parking (easier said than done with the 50 one-way streets downtown that all go the same direction). Without warning, smoke begins to billow aggressively from the hood of my car. Fortunately, we were able to park somewhat illegally right away. A nice gentleman on the street urged us to exit the car ASAP. His facial expression can be traslated as "lady, I think your car's about to explode like an un-poked potato". So, we got out of the car and got our bearings. A car overheating is not that big of a deal. However, my crappy car was our only car since Matt's crappy car had been stolen a week earlier.

That was a good lesson in shaking off my "baggage" to not affect what I need to do photo-wise. I didn't want to throw a fit in front of Christa, and I certainly didn't want to be a downer while working with Kim and Mitchell. We ended up having a great time, and the car lives! Take that, drama!

I've posted a LOT of images for this entry. I can't help it. You can blame Kim and Mitchell for being so daggum photogenic. They are one fantastic couple.

We started their day-after shoot at The Ellis Hotel. Wow, what a beautiful place. I love how it's decorated. Very clean-modern-chic. Here's the newly-married couple adding to the ambiance with their own gorgeousness...

Isn't Kim a beauty?

There are a lot of red details around the hotel (a chair here, a rug there). Love it!

Veils gone wild!!!

The person in the car applauding makes me SO happy! Lots of nice people offered their congratulations as we shot.

Next, we were off to Centennial Olympic Park for some more play-time. It took every bit of will-power in my being to not run around in the fountain like a 6 year old.

We ended with a "carrying over the threshold" pic. Yay!

Kim and Mitchell, thanks again for another super session. You're the best!

kim & mitchell's photo booth

Here are some of the fun shots from the photo booth at Kim and Mitchell's recent wedding. These are some guests who know how to have a good time. I love to see what people come up with in front of the camera!

I still need some suggestions on an alternate name for the photo booth, so PLEASE help a gal out! If I can't think of anything better than "photo area" or "image station", I'm just going to have to name it something like "Jimmy" or "Melissa", and who knows what kind of confusion THAT will cause. Help!

*Images taken by Robin Nathan for Stacey Bode Photography

kim & mitchell!

I love contrast. Floral prints with stripes...odd pairings in relationships (my grandma was 4'11 and my grandpa was 6'2)...differences in opinion...and certainly lots of contrast in photos to make them "pop". A pleasant contrast I was privy to last weekend was the variance in the weddings I shot. As you can see in my previous posts, I shot Andisheh and Christi's wedding on Saturday at a lush and quaint farm. Then on Sunday, I got to shoot Kim and Mitchell's stylish city-chic wedding here in Atlanta. Both gorgeous weddings, and both unique.

Throughout the planning process, Kim and I had a few discussions about the style of wedding she wanted. The best phrase I can come up with is "downtown elegance". It was so cool to see all of her organization and attention to detail come to fruition and exude the exact air of hip sophistication that she envisioned.

Kim and Mitchell are two of the most genuine people you will come across. They manage a wonderful balance of being grounded and being downright fun.

Working with them and getting to know them has been a joy. I can only imagine what an incredible time they're having in Hawaii right now! Maybe someday I'll find the strength to forgive them for not taking me along. We shot a "day-after" session, and Kim jokingly offered to shove me in her suitcase. To me, it was no joke, as I was contemplating whether all that yoga would finally come in handy and help me conform to the shape of her luggage. Oh, well. I guess I should have practiced my "rabbit" pose more. Stay tuned for pics from their photo booth and their day-after session!

I have to give a quick shout-out to my second photographer, Robin Nathan, who did a marvelous job. She and I had talked about working together, and we finally got the chance. Yay! Shout-out #2 goes to stylist-exraordinaire, Shai of Face Canvas, who is responsible for giving Kim that extra glamour. The final shout is for Erin Stroup of It's All in the Details event planning. All these ladies do such great work.

Now, it's time for less words and more photos!!!

You all know I can't resist a good reflection!

Even without all the light coming through the windows, Kim was just glowing.

I heart this next shot. It's one of the lovely bridesmaids reacting to the sight of Kim in her gown and veil.

Right before Kim and Mitchell were officially Mr and Mrs, this stunning golden light came in through the windows. The third shot REALLY cracks me up because I know that Mitchell loves makeup about as much as I love running out of pancake mix.

The Park Tavern in Piedmont Park was just FULL of pretty decorations. I think my new favorite colors for weddings are these shades of green and purple.

I now expect every wedding reception to have a fierce dance battle. This one was DC versus Atlanta, and it was awesome (winner still to be determined).

Kim has one final dance with her dad.

To see a slideshow of more images from this super-cool wedding, please click HERE

pbooth playtime

Here are some shots from the photo booth we set up at Andisheh and Christi's wedding. Everybody really got into the spirit of it.

I have a small confession to make. My photo booth is not technically a "booth". However, when you say "photo booth" people understand that it's supposed to be fun and crazy, rather than something like a prom portrait (although doing mock prom portraits would be pretty hilarious too). So I've been trying to think of something else to call it that isn't a blatant lie, but I'm struggling to come up with something that sounds more appealing than "photo station" or "backdrop-on-poles-where-you-stand-in-front-and-act-goofy-thing". Any suggestions on what to call it would be most appreciated. Also, any thoughts on backdrop preference? I've been using white, but I could also do black, patterns, something silly, etc. Opinions please!

Here's our groom, Andisheh, who had the best photo booth idea of the night.

Matt and I made a cameo with our friend Adri Danley, who was there as a guest. Photo of the 3 of us by Christian Danley. Note: do not adjust your monitors....my skin really is that pale.

Yay everybody!!!

andisheh & christi!

I feel like I'm still enjoying this wedding, long after the last song was played and the final glass was removed from the table. Christi and Andisheh are the kind of people you simply enjoy being around. They're both kind, smart, witty, and quick to laugh. I'm so thrilled to have been chosen to capture their incredible wedding day.

The event took place at the picturesque Serenbe Farm. Matt was my second shooter, and he and I kept talking about how we need to pick a weekend to hang out at this place. The rooms and the property are lovely, and the farm and surrounding areas have a strong sense of community, focusing on nature, growing organic foods, etc. So cool!

Christi and Andisheh couldn't have picked a more perfect place for their entrance into marriage. Matt and I were inspired by the honest and obvious feelings these two exhibit for each other and with their loved ones. Thanks for such a sweet reminder.

This shot was taken by Matt, and is one of my favorites. Christi's eyes are even more stunning in person.

I need to ask Andisheh if he got any help from Oprah when writing his vows.

I have to give these two a shout-out for opting to see each other before the ceremony. It allowed us to stroll around the property and get lots of fantastic shots of the two of them being adorable. Yay!

Andisheh was cracking me up! Apparently, he saw something he liked, and got a bit distracted.

Their super-cute doggies, Mathilde and Sarah, made a brief appearance for some photos. Unfortunately, the heat and excitement was a little too much for them, so they headed home. I can't blame them. Taking in the land, the people, and the farm animals was pretty darn exciting. I think I was panting heavily too.

The autumn-colored details were so perfect.

It was a very emotional ceremony. Here, Andy's dad is reading a poem.

I wish I had audio of their first dance. Andisheh surprised Christi by having CJ (karaoke master at Mary's) sing "I'll Be There" by the Jackson 5. It was more than awesome. In the slideshow (at the end of this post), there's a pic of CJ working his magic.

They wanted this photo to potentially make into thank-you notes. So creative!

Thankfully, these were taken at the very end of the last dance. The reason I say "thankfully" is because I got so choked up shooting these, that I would have needed a minute to recover!

To see a slideshow of more images from this beautiful day, please click HERE