followell fotography blog

FOUR MORE DAYS and these two will be a forever pair. A word that seems to sum up my feelings about these two is that they’re both so “comfy.” Conversation is easy, time is relaxed, and life is sweet when you’re around these two. During their engagement session we roamed around Philadelphia, MS, including the Neshoba County Fairgrounds which made for plenty of colorful and excessively southern  settings in which to shoot. I know I’m going to enjoy their wedding day Saturday. It’s happening in the very same chapel where Jess and I were wed, and the people around us all will be every bit as loving as these two I feel sure. SEE YOU TWO SOON!

I know you all expect me to say nice things about the people on my blog. I mean, it just comes with the territory, right? They pay me money, I take their picture, and then I say as many nice things as I can about them on my blog–simple as that. Well, these two didn’t pay me one red cent. These two also didn’t want me to shoot their wedding. And yet I’m still about to gush until I just can’t anymore…

Jordan (the groom-to-be) knows me better than most any other person on the planet. Why? Well, he was my roommate for five years–every single day of college plus about a year after that. And let me tell you – I can be really annoying. The friendship was one God totally ordained. We met the summer before college, hit it off, hadn’t met our randomly-assigned college roommates so we ditched those and got rearranged to be together. Nine years later, we’re still close and a friendship has thrived despite the shortest of distances (one bunk-bed away) to us now living about ten hours apart. It’s easy to love Jordan’s always-on humor, personable demeanor and incredible musical talent, but what I love most is his inherent honesty. He’s honest about what he believes and his life, therefore, speaks loudly the name of Jesus. He’s honest about himself; where he is weak and where is strong and you never feel intimidated to approach him as a result. And lately I’ve found such an honesty in his love for Katie. She is the only one for him. And he’s known that since some of our earliest conversations about her.

Let me tell you about Katie – she called me last night and left a voicemail that I may never be able to delete. She made a comment that sums up beautifully one of my greatest goals as a photographer when she said she wished “that everyone could see us through your lens.” Katie has jumped into our world with a laugh and a smile and we’ve welcomed her warmly–and hope desperately that we’ll be able to live nearby one another someday soon.

Oh, and the reason I’m not shooting their wedding? Well, for only the third time in my life, I was asked to take the day off and be a groomsman. It’s truly an honor.

Under most circumstances I would never blog an image like this. However, under most circumstances I would never shoot an image like this. But, this is the very essence of the personalities behind Jordan & Katie… just had to post it.

For any of you who have been part of a baby’s delivery, you know the scenario is a pretty unforgettable one. The key players of that whole experience are people who you can’t help but remember for the rest of your life. Enter: Katie, the neonatologist who received our baby girl just seconds after her delivery and was the very first person to hold Meg in her arms. And I wish every new baby was welcomed into the world by such a sweet, positive, affirming person as this girl. Katie had us convinced from the moment we laid eyes on Meg that she was the most beautiful baby in the world (and, unsurprisingly, our opinion hasn’t changed in the least). After the chaos of the delivery died down, Katie asked if I was a wedding photographer and informed me that she had a consultation scheduled to meet with me the following week! I was stoked and knew this was certainly a wedding of which I’d want to be part.

So, now I’m Katie & Matt’s wedding photographer and I count it an equal privilege to dive into their lives on one of their most unforgettable days, and hope my involvement allows me to be remembered as fondly as we’ll remember Katie.