Ann Jane and Nathan were married at the incredible Dunleith Historic Inn in Natchez, Louisiana.

Ann Jane planned a fantastically beautiful ceremony for the two who met online and had an amazing group of friends and family from all over the country to celebrate the vows they made with them.

Congratulations to Ann Jane and Nathan and thanks for the honor of getting to be a part of it!!

Ceremony & Reception: Dunleith Historic Inn

Coordinator: Madeline England (Dunleith Historic Inn)

Florist: Brenda Zerby

DJ: Jose Guevara

Makeup & Hair Artist: Sarah Katherine Ewing

The dress: Custom Designed- Patty Flowers

Thanks for stopping by,

Claire

What an honor to be a part of this day.

Congratulations you two!!

more on its way:)

Thanks for stopping by,

Claire

Congratulations to Evan and Claire

Their firstborn little one!

Enjoy and happy Thursday!

Thanks for stopping by,

*Claire

Thanks for stopping by,

Claire

I found out in our first conversation that she and Patton were planning to marry soon. I got to tell her about my business and months later I was scheduled to shoot their wedding!

It’s pretty fun to think about the many ways I get to meet my brides. This was a special wedding to me and for my sweet neighbors.

Kelsey & Patton have since moved on from our shared space and Kate and I are actually heading out of Spanish Town soon, but what an awesome way to celebrate some neighbors and their decision to spend life together!!

Kelsey & Patton, I’m so very thankful to have been a part of your wedding and to get to know you two through a shared balcony:)

Wishing you the very best and many many years of joy together!

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Houmas House Plantation

Florist: Brenda Goff of Red Onion Baton Rouge

Cake Artist: Sweet Impressions Bakery & Café, Karl & Stefanie Will

Caterer: Houmas House Plantation

Band: Dr. Jazz and the New Orleans Sounds, Dr. Russell Steele

Ceremony Music (string quartet): New Orleans Finest Musicians, Harry Hardin

Hair: John Hardy, On the Boulevard Salon

Dress: Mia Bridal Couture; designed by Watters Brides.

Tuxes: Squires Formalwear

Invitations: The Queen Bee

Programs:  Marcia & Chris Weilenman of First Graphix

Officiant: Joseph Dufour, retired U.S. Navy chaplain

Thanks for stopping by,

*Claire

Just want to give a little shout out to my dear friend Betsie. As many may or may not know Betsie visited Rwanda for two weeks in the fall to teach women in Kigali how to sew and create accessories and products that Betsie herself designed in order to provide an income for women and their children.

Betsie and I grew up together and she entered college at LSU a year after me with the desire and dream to use her talents and passion for fashion and apparel design to provide jobs for women around the world. In Kigali, Rwanda many homes and families are without fathers or husbands to support the household. There were generations of men killed in the genocide years back and this factor mixed in with the Rwandan culture often leaves women and children deserted and alone. These women are not only without spouses to help raise and love their children, but this also means they often have no way to feed themselves or their little ones. This is where Betsie comes in! God has provided a desire in her heart and now a way for her to directly help these women and children to receive the support they need not only to have food on their tables but to have hope for their families!!

 She has been provided an opportunity to spend the next year (possibly two) in Rwanda not only furthering the efforts of the group she went to help back in November, but starting new facilities and options for even MORE women to be able to create and sell their products in the US and around Rwanda so that they can provide the things necessary for their family to survive.

Betsie has been in Baton Rouge and staying with Kate and I this week and it has been such a bittersweet joy to spend these days with her before she leaves. We have spent a lot of the week getting ready for a benefit show TOMORROW NIGHT at The Haven Gallery downtown 651 Laurel St. Baton Rouge, LA. It will start at 7:30. There is a $10 cover with jambalaya and drinks and we’ll have a silent auction of local artists’ creative products as well as music by some of our best local artists in town!

You. Should. Come.

I decided to contribute some art to the show so if you’re out of town or not able to come to the show you can purchase some photo postcards from my new etsy shop!! Alll proceeds will go toward sending Betsie to Rwanda.

These are photo postcards with Louisiana scenes I shot on my iphone and edited through Instagram. Take a look at some examples of the front and back and if you feel so led head on over to our etsy shop to purchase some and I’ll send them your way!

Claire Elyse Photography Etsy Shop

Also feel free to give financially to Betsie through her online donation site.

http://betsieeverritt.wix.com/returntorwanda

Front:

City Park Sculpture Garden, New Orleans

Jackson Square, New Orleans

Old State Capitol, Baton Rouge

Louisiana State Capitol, Baton Rouge

Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge

Back:

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!!

*Claire

Kate and I had spent a good bit of time with these two by the time of their wedding so I knew it was going to be a great experience…but the amount of detail, sweet moments between family and friends, and the excitement we ourselves experienced was better than we could have planned for!

Alicia and Ryan are the best of friends and it showed in every aspect of their wedding.

(Thank you Instagram for allowing me to share in couples’ joys and moments of wedding planning!!

you. are. the. best.)

One of my favorite parts of their day was jumping the broom!! A ritual that has been around for years, it was the first I’d seen and created a moment of awesome and deeply rooted celebration for the families.

For those who don’t know about jumping the broom and it’s significance I recently found this quote that explains why it is so special and important for many generations:

“Today “Broom Jumping” is a ritual, handed down from generation to generation to remind us of a time when our vows were not legally sanctioned. During slavery, our ancestors sought the legitimacy of marriage by jumping over the broom and into the bonds of domesticity. For our ancestors, this small ritual was a legal and bonding act connecting them with the heritage of the home land and giving legitimacy,dignity and strength to their unions. In their eyes this union was now sanctioned by “the almighty”

 With multiple generations of family members surrounding them, Ryan and Alicia pledged faithfulness to one another in a way that was rooted in their families’ past. 

I also can’t post this wedding without giving a shout out to the groom! He is a fellow photographer (@chivalrous_shooter) and a graphic designer. This combined with the bride’s (@dbourg)

AHH mazing taste, style, and natural attention to detail is what made this such a rock star wedding.

 Thank you Ryan and Alicia. I’m so excited to watch many many more years of bliss for you two!!

What an honor!

Ceremony Location: St. Joseph’s Cathedral

Reception Location: Lod Cook Alumni Center

Florist: Peregrins Florist

Cake Artist: Baums Bakery

Band: Michael Foster Project

Caterer: Unique Cuisine

Hair & Makeup: Verde Beauty Studio

The Dress: Impression Bridal (Houston)

Designer: DaVinci

Bridesmaid Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid (Baton Rouge)

Tuxes: Al’s Formal Wear

Custom Printing: The Groom!!

Thanks for stopping by,

*Claire

Working with and communicating with clients before the wedding sometimes ends up being several months and sometimes over a year of planning and brainstorming together…so when it’s done it calls for a little bit of nostalgia. And this is one of those times.

You’ve already seen some of Alicia and Ryan’s wedding day and there will be more on that later. For now let me just say…what a joy these two have been! So very thankful.

Here’s some of Alicia’s bridals I took back in March.

Happy Friday!

Thanks for stopping by,

*Claire

What a joy:)

Thanks for stopping by,

*Claire

You must be joking.

I heard a mom talking yesterday about the summer and kids almost out of school. People are apparently going on Spring Breaks?

The older I get the quicker each season comes.

I can’t believe it’s almost April. And in other news, I can’t believe the baby of my dad’s side of the family is graduating this year!

ahhh time and how fast it rolls.

Here are some of my favorites from Rebecca’s Senior shoot. Most of these were taken on our grandparents’ land in Calhoun, Louisiana. A place very dear to our hearts.

Happy Thursday…March 21…apparently?

Thanks for stopping by,

*Claire