December 31, 2021
I say this so often, it is such an honor to have friends ask me to photograph special event. Mitchell + Dalton's New Years Eve wedding celebration was no exception.
During the planning process Mitchell made me promise I would celebrate as a guest. Example: have a camera in one hand and a champagne glass in the other. They had a vision of all black and white flash photography- this entire event was my photography dream come true!
The premise of this event was ‘90% New Years Eve Party and 10% Wedding.’ Mitchell and Dalton eloped in Italy a few months earlier and they chose to celebrate with a black and white formal dress code New Years Eve Party.
Let me walk you through the night.
It began with the admiration of the couple’s 1967 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow in front of the venue. The back window was whimsically painted in celebration of the grooms with winter friendly florals draped around it. Mitchell’s father worked tirelessly on this car leading up to the party. He mentioned to me that it had been his full time job since Thanksgiving. Once your eyes recovered from that beautiful sight you entered the building on a literal red carpet leading up to the custom made media wall where you were greeted by me to take your photo.
There was a QR code printed in every guest bag to take home and access your photos within 48 hours. (An amazing idea, everyone wants to see photos of themselves from wedding parties)
The venue was split into three separate places. If you entered on the right a trio of musicians played to a room with an open bar and restaurant like seating. Walking through the door in the middle led guests upstairs past a harpist to a cigar lounge with custom matches and cigars. This was the most popular place for the guests to congregate. A display of hors d'oeuvres and desserts was next door to the cigar lounge. Entering through the right of the building was a champagne only bar. There was an entire cooler filled with champagne bottles perfectly placed with the label facing frontward and a bartender who's sole task to pour guests champagne all night. As you walked through the champagne room there were the DJs playing to an open space venue where the guests all gathered leading up to the midnight count down.
At 1145 the speeches began. Mitchell’s parents welcome everyone to the party. Mitchell’s best friend Caleb and Dalton’s best friend Lucia gave endearing speeches noting the special bonds they have formed with the men over the years. This was followed by a tear jerking poem written and recited by the couple's friend and a countdown to midnight when the balloons fell from the ceiling. The night continued with a slideshow of the couple playing on the screen followed by a dance floor of all women and the DJs intuitively knowing to play Abba and Beyonce for the ladies. The dance floor soon filled with everyone drinking champagne and dancing until the earliest morning hours.
I had a personal attachment to this wedding. I met Mitchell in 2011 through our college military scholarship program in Saint Louis. We formed the same friend group and travelled a few times over the years with this specific group. It was a pleasure to be able to photograph a wedding filled with my best friends from college as guests.
Congratulations to Mitchell and Dalton. You've ruined every NYE party to come for each of the guests. We will never experience a better new years eve party than the one that you put together.
Grooms: Mitchell Woodrum + Dalton Turner
Event Spaces: Capitol City Cinema (@capitolcitycinema) + Cork and Board (@capitolcitycork)
DJs: @DJ_Steve.Stacks + Stymulation_music_stl Harpist: Janna Volmert (@jannavolmert)
Musicians - Harmonious Strings (harmoniastrings@gmail.com)
Floral Artist - Rebecca Rademan
Graphic Artist/ Shot Ambassador - Missy Creed McFerron
Car Painter - Adrienne Luther (@adrienneeluther)
My sweet, supportive date and assistant: Charles Johnson
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