j. messer photography

NEW BLOG!

2008-02-21T00:27:00.002-06:00

No! Not a new post... a new BLOG!!! YAY!!!

Go on over and check it out.

www.jessicamesser.com/blog

I'll be posting all my January weddings there and new events and news will go there as well. This blog will remain, but will no longer be updated.

:)

SNOW?

2008-01-18T23:52:00.000-06:00

So there's all this talk about us getting 3 to 6 inches of snow tonight. Under normal circumstances I'd be thrilled.... But I have a wedding tomorrow in Montevallo. I am excited for the bride that sooo few people can say that they had a "white wedding" in Alabama and I'm sure the pictures will be amazing... But I have to say that I'm a bit concerned about travel! I hope that we get just enough to be beautiful but not enough to cause major travel problems. Prayers for safe travel and good shooting conditions will be appreciated! :)

It's Official

2008-01-10T17:21:00.003-06:00

OK, so all the bugs have been worked out and the new site is fully functional.

Enjoy.

ITS ALIVE!!

2008-01-09T16:57:00.001-06:00

I got up this morning to find that my new website was live! I'm so excited to reveal what I've been working on. I didn't expect it to be up so soon! I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks!

www.jessicamesser.com

As with any big change, we are having one minor issue. Slideshows are temporarily unavailable, but we're working on getting them back up as soon as possible.... so hang in there for me! :)

Heirloom Photography becomes J. Messer Photography!

2008-01-08T22:42:00.000-06:00

In just a matter of hours, Heirloom Photography will become J. Messer Photography!

So what's changing besides the name?
Perception mostly.

For years I've had to battle the assumption that I am a traditional wedding photographer who shoots traditional, old fashioned portraits. That couldn't be further from the truth.

After much thought, I decided it was time to take a risk and shed my skin. It is time to leave behind an identity that no longer fits and move forward with something that reflects who I am and what I do.

So be on the lookout for the change to happen within the next few days.

No fears... I'm here to stay... nothing is going away, except maybe a few common misconceptions. The slideshow feature will remain available and all current proofing galleries will also remain available.

Adventures at Panera

2008-01-08T00:09:00.000-06:00

Funny story. As most of my past brides know, I often meet clients at restaurants, coffee houses, etc.... So tonight I had a meeting at Starbucks in Alabaster at 5:45pm and one at Panera in Birmingham at 8:00pm. Both were brides from out of state that came home this week to work on wedding plans.

The first meeting went very well and the bride and I really hit it off. We chatted about the ceremony and reception locations and looked at albums... The second meeting went equally as well. After the meeting we decided to ride over to the church and look around at what kind of outdoor areas were available. When we got back to my car at Panera we still had so much we wanted to talk about... So we sat in the bride's mother's car and looked at magazines and her wedding binder and all that good stuff.

So after a while we say our good-byes and get ready to leave. I'm sitting in my car and I look over and the bride is waving at me. Their car battery had died while we were sitting there talking! Neither of us had jumper cables! OH NO! Its now 11:00pm and there are no stores open. So I find a security guard. He says he'll have someone to us in 10 minutes... 30 minutes and one AAA lady later, I decide to go find some myself instead of leaving them to wait an hour for AAA. Well.... that task wasn't as easy as I thought. I finally find a guy at the Cheesecake Factory who has some! He follows me to the bride & her mom, jumps the car off, and saves the day. He even refused the $20 her mom tried to pay him.... What a great guy!

People ARE good.

Just a peek....

2008-01-03T19:45:00.000-06:00

Get READY, Cause HERE I COME! :)

A few more from Katherine & Mattie

2007-12-30T16:23:00.000-06:00

In the hustle and bustle of Christmas, I only posted one photo from Katherine & Mattie's wedding. Here are a few more of my favorites.

The Bride getting ready

I loved the look on Katherine's face in this imageThis is one of my all time favorite moments. Kay had just put the veil on and couldn't contain her emotions.A letter to her future husband, written long before she ever knew Mattie would one day become her Groom.The Groom getting readyKatherine & Mattie seeing each other for the first time Kay seeing Katherine come down the aisleThe Bride and her fatherDuring the ceremony, Katherine's Maid of Honor sang to them. Her voice was angelic, one of the most beautiful I've ever heard.The kissMr. & Mrs. Mattie Nelson The first danceFather and daughter danceMother and son dance The cake .... and more kissesKatherine is a dancing fool! I've never had a Bride who loved to dance as much as Katherine!Yes, Katherine LOVES the Soulja Boy! HAHAHA! I laughed until I cried at all the wedding party doing the Soulja Boy!Then all the bridesmaids did a dance to Prince's "Kiss"Katherine secretly had a shrug made from the lace of her mother's wedding gown. She'd told her mother that the seamstress couldn't use it. Her mother had no idea until the moment that she and Mattie were making their getaway!

Tiffany & Kevin

2007-12-30T15:23:00.000-06:00

Tiffany and I went to highschool together and I was so happy when she called to see if I was available for her wedding date. She and Kevin got married at the Auburn United Methodist Church in Auburn, Alabama. It was a beautiful historic chapel with tons of character. Their reception was held at the June Collins Smith Art Museum, also in Auburn, Alabama. Here are just a few from the wedding.

The beautiful Bride before the wedding

The Bride writing out her thank you notesTiffany and Kevin decided to see each other before the ceremony. The look on Kevin's face when he saw his Bride for the first time was priceless. As I was posing Tiffany for this shot, I noticed the way Kevin was watching her with so much love. So I decided to shoot the image wide so that I could capture him in the portrait as well.I love it when a Groom gives me a big toothy grin! Auburn First United Methodist ChurchThe Bride being escorted down the aisle by her fatherThe kissMr. & Mrs. Kevin OstertagYummyThe first danceThis was a hilarious game that the band had the Bride & Groom play. He had each one hold one of their own shoes and one of their spouse's shoes. They stood back to back while the band leader asked them questions. The B&G had to raise the shoe of the person they thought was the answer to the question... This one might have been "Who is the better kisser?" Off to the honeymoon!

Christina & Brian

2007-12-26T00:00:00.000-06:00

Another beautiful October wedding. Christina and Brian chose the gorgeous Turtle Point Yacht Club in Killen, Alabama for their wedding. The weather couldn't have been better for their outdoor ceremony. Picturesque clouds and a sapphire blue sky..... a bride's (and photographer's) dream. A few of my favorites from the day.

The Ceremony Site

Christina's shoes were to incredible! I wanted to take them home with me.

An anxious flower girl.

The Groom, Brian.

Christina and Brian opted to stay seperate until the ceremony. Christina was literally shaking as her father walked her down the aisle.

Now, THAT is what I call a kiss!

There were white flowers everywhere and they were gorgeous.

First dance at sunset.

Even more beautiful light as the sun dipped below the tree line.

The view from the veranda of Turtle Point.

A Sweet Moment

2007-12-19T10:11:00.000-06:00

Just one from a recent wedding... Kay had just helped Katherine put on her veil. She took a step back to admire her beautiful little girl, now all grown up. It was a very beautiful, honest moment between a mother and her daughter.

Get Ready!

2007-12-05T22:46:00.000-06:00

There are so many exciting things going on right now! Be on the lookout for lots of changes around here! I've been working on a new look for my business.... someone asked if I was giving my site a "face-lift" and my response was "well.... think more along the lines of extreme make-over, business edition"! I can't wait to unveil everything. I have tried to keep things relatively hush-hush, but I'm getting closer to having everything ready for the launch. I can't give an exact date but it will be in January sometime! SO SO excited! :)

In addition, I've been finishing up my 2007 weddings, booking weddings for 2008, shooting engagements & bridals for 2008 weddings, and working on all these new projects for the business!

Check in for more info on the exciting things that will be taking place in the next month or so!

Merry Christmas to everybody!
Jess

Lindsey & David

2007-09-18T18:18:00.000-05:00

What an amazing wedding. There was nothing about this wedding that was anything less than spectacular...... the weather, the dress, the flowers, the setting...... It was a photographer's dream come true! Lindsey & David are gorgeous and SO IN LOVE! They got married in the breath-taking Reid Chapel at Samford Univeristy in Birmingham, Alabama on September 1st, 2007.

Words can't accurately describe this wedding, only the photographs can do it the justice it deserves! Congratulations you two and thank YOU for choosing me to be a part of your day!

The girls all got ready at the NVogue Spa in Vestavia Hills.

Reid Chapel, Samford University
The handsome Groom David
and his mob :)
The lovely Bride Lindsey WHAT A DRESS! and her maids
The flowers were so elegant The Kiss Its OFFICIAL...... Mr. & Mrs. Pace!

The whole gang

The Rings

First Dance VoVo & Lindsey The Farwell

Jenni & Britt

2007-09-05T00:02:00.001-05:00

Just a quick preview of Jenni & Britt's

wedding. Here are a few of my favorite images.

April & Brian's Wedding

2007-09-04T23:50:00.000-05:00

My little sister got married last weekend! What an amazing wedding it was. Both die-hard Alabama fans and University of Alabama graduates, they decided to get married in Tuscaloosa since their families are spread from one end of the US to the other. Their ceremony took place at St. Francis Catholic and their reception was held at the Alabama Museum of Natural History, both on the UA campus.

Although it did rain a little, we all had a great time and got some great photos! Here is one quick shots for you guys! Thanks to everyone who had to deal with me in sister/planner/MOH/everything-else-mode! :)

photo by melody hood

Awesome Honor

2007-06-10T10:14:00.000-05:00

I couldn't believe my eyes when I got the email from Mark Eric, creator of www.trashthedress.com, that said he'd be putting up my TTD images *see post below* on Monday following an article in Sunday's NEW YORK TIMES that would tell all about the trash the dress trend and feature a link to the TTD site! Just wanted to share my excitement about having my photos posted on such an amazing site that will be getting tons of attention very soon.

Read the article here: Is This Any Way to Treat Vera Wang? - New York Times

EDIT:
Word on the street is that the article spurred the interest of the TV media.... I have heard through the grapevine that www.trashthedress.com will be featured on Entertainment Tonight on Friday and Good Morning America on Saturday! *fingers crossed*

Trash the Dress

2007-05-12T22:03:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I had a chance to shoot my first Trash the Dress session. This bride was such a good sport and so natural in front of the camera! She's a really gorgeous girl and I'm so glad that she wanted to do the session. Since this was my first TTD shoot, I was a little bit more cautious of the location, but she kept insisting that she could climb onto the rocks. I'm glad that we did. Those shots are some of my all-time favorites. Here are just a few.

This shot was captured by a friend of mine who has a passion for photography and is in the process of learning. Today was the very first time she'd ever touched an SLR camera. Way to go Dawn!

A Hard Week

2007-04-25T23:09:00.000-05:00

For those who don't already know, I work a full time government job in addition to my photography business. This is the main reason that I accept only 25 weddings per year and rarely do any portrait work that is not wedding-related. Well...this week has been an exceptionally rough week.... and it is only Wednesday.... and Monday was a holiday.

People ask me all the time when I am going to go "full-time" with my photography. Well, I already consider myself "full-time" since I spend 30+ hours per week working on business-related tasks, but I do understand what they are asking. Although I love my day job and find it very rewarding on most days, after a day like today, sometimes I wonder why I haven't given up the "day job".

But then it dawns on me. Yes, I LOVE wedding photography. I love the entire process, from packing up my gear to every shutter release to handing over finished wedding albums. I love it.... but would I love it as much if it was my "job"? Maybe. All of a sudden, it becomes a "have-to" instead of a "love-to". I have thought many, many times of the day that I would be able to lay down the pen and pick up the camera for good.... but I have to ask myself this: If somewhere down the line I begin to love it less, will my work show it? I don't know the answer to that question. And I just won't risk it.

And even though some of the day-job times are tough, knowing that this Saturday I will be in the presence of so much love makes all of it better. I guess you could say I've found my balance.

Stephanie & Scott

2007-04-24T22:34:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I was in the beautiful town of Eufaula, AL. Stephanie and Scott had their wedding at the Old Springhill Plantation. I arrived several hours early and got to enjoy the beautiful scenery. The plantation was a sprawling 3,000 acres with huge pecan orchards and 110 acres of lakes! WOW!

This was the view from the rocking chair on the front porch of the lodge.The flowers at this wedding were stunning and the most fragrant roses ever! This is the first time they got to see each other! It's a really sweet, personal moment for those who choose to see each other before the ceremony. Ain't she purdy?! I just loved this picture because I caught the sun sparkling in Stephanie's beautiful comb she wore with her veil. What a beautiful little family!There was a fountain/birdbath there that was full of clover growing up through the water. It took me a few minutes to notice but EVERY one was a 4-leaf clover! There must've been 200 in there.Steph's cake was very hot....very modern and classy.See you again soon!

It's a HEATWAVE...

2007-04-20T19:41:00.000-05:00

And it had NOTHING to do with the weather! Last Monday I made a day trip up to Chattanooga to shoot a Day-After Session with Melody. After meeting the couple, I knew that the 6 hours of driving time was well worth the opportunity to photograph them. They were so outgoing and totally up for anything we suggested. Talk about some newly-wed heat!
;)
Ah...my favorite sequence of the night...so steamy.

Ashley & Eric's E-Session

2007-04-18T22:20:00.000-05:00

Just posting a few shots from Ashley & Eric's session on Sunday. We had originally planned the session for Saturday but it was cold and rainy. So Sunday rolls around and isn't looking much better. There were heavy clouds, temp in the low 50s, and 20 mph winds! Yuck. On top of the not-so-ideal weather, Eric would be coming straight to the session from his grandmother's funeral. Our appointment was set to begin at 3:00pm and guess what happened at about 3:02pm? The clouds blew over, the winds slowed down, and we had a fabulously fun time shooting! Thanks MawMaw!

THE BEST E-SESSION YET!

2007-04-07T18:38:00.000-05:00

On Monday I got a call from my sister's boyfriend. He told me that he was planning to propose to her on her birthday...which was just 4 days away!

He picked her up for lunch and then they took a walk through the UA campus. He'd had a flower arrangement set up at the President's Mansion lawn. She had no clue what was going on. She thought someone had accidentally left it there. I was lucky enough to be there...camera in hand. With the assistance of a friend, we captured it all as it happened.

I can't believe me little sister is getting married! I couldn't be happier for the two of them. Here are a few of the key moments.

Blog Schmog

2006-12-08T23:03:00.000-06:00

My Blog Stinks. Well, its been 3+ months since I started my blog and have yet to make a second post. I have been inundated with weddings, 9 since starting this blog to be exact. Also I got the pleasure of attending OSPSouth in Chattanooga. It was a BLAST! To be in the same room with so many great photographers was such an exciting experience. I also took advantage of the opportunity to have some portraits taken by some of these great people. I think this one is my favorite from Matt Dunmore.

;)

2006-09-01T00:10:00.000-05:00

Where do I begin?

First, I would like to thank you for taking time to read my blog. Over the past five years, my business has grown and evolved into something I never expected. Now, my primary business focus is wedding photography. By December of this year, I will shoot two times the number weddings as I shot last year. I love the raw emotion of a wedding. To be able to witness couple after couple dedicating their lives to each other is so moving and to be able to stop time and preserve those intense moments forever is more rewarding than most people can imagine. In the course of my "job" I have made some true friends and I thank you all for the experiences we have shared. I wish all my couples the best & hope that God blesses your lives together.