Anna + Nathan // The Southern Darlings Wed at Vestavia Hills Country Club, Birmingham, Alabama
ANNA + NATHAN // The Southern Darlings Wed at Vestavia Hills Country Club | Birmingham, Alabama
Friends, this is one wedding that left me absolutely speechless.
Anna and Nathan’s Vestavia Hills Country Club wedding was already dear to me because I’ve had the privilege of filming Nathan’s family’s weddings–including his oldest brother’s a few years back out at Kiawah.
Needless to say that Nathan’s wedding to Anna was one that I was definitely looking forward to.
To help me understand exactly what the couple wanted for their wedding, Nathan’s powerhouse mother, Holly, (who may be one of my all-time favorite mothers of all time–I’m just saying) reached out to me.
But wait, here’s the backstory.
To give you real context on how incredibly awesome Holly is, let me tell you about the first time we met.
Holly was set to host the rehearsal dinner for one of the family weddings and had this really cute idea of creating a custom video and dubbing interviews of celebrities so they would look like they were talking about the newlyweds.
As she animatedly shared details of how she wanted the video to play out, all I could think was–holy smokes, this is an above and beyond slideshow slash comedy segment that’s pure genius.
We continued to chat around video editing until she finally said, “I think I’ll do it myself using iMovie.”
“I think I’ll do it myself using iMovie. ”
Let me tell you–THE WOMAN SLAYED.
Since then, for every event, Holly’s signature video concept that she would edit herself continues to be the spotlight of these events. It’s seriously one of the funniest and brilliant things I’ve ever seen. And, I’ll be honest, the detail and tedium which goes into building a chronological slideshow that layers in interview snippets and overlaying images requires a degree of technical skill that is incredibly impressive.
Holly, I’ll have you know that I will forever be a fangirl of your creativity and how your mind works.
It’s not every day that a client, the mother of the groom, is HERSELF a partner in video editing and can capably hold her own as we create a video for her sons (there are six boys and the youngest is her daughter... God Bless R! :) :) ) that will (hopefully) capture the emotional intensity and joy of their wedding days.
I have since built an easy, creative collaborative relationship with their family, organically built through the years as I was asked to film these milestones. I was part of the family’s rehearsal dinners, and shot some 15-35 speeches from siblings, childhood friends, fraternity brothers, and sorority sisters.
They are, quite simply, my all-time favorite clients.
Playful Meets Elegant for a Vestavia HIlls Country Club Wedding
I had a sentimental attachment to this couple and wanted to do justice for this wedding. I wanted to capture every nuance of their personalities and how it played against their chosen venue: Vestavia Hills Country Club.
Anna has the most gentle, kind energy of maybe any bride I’ve had the privilege of being alongside on her wedding day. In contrast, Nathan has the most playful and boisterous vibe of anyone I’ve ever met. Anna’s quiet elegance and inherent sweetness was complemented by Nathan’s explosive humor and energy.
While it certainly seems like a clear case of “opposites attract,” one only needs to hear Anna’s quick wit and humor to understand how her gentle demeanor becomes the perfect counterbalance to Nathan’s–evident in the candid moments and banter captured between the two. These two can play off each other’s humor so well that it took all the power in me and my crew to hold our cameras steady as we tried to hold in our laughter.
How To Kick Off A Wedding
Their weekend kicked off with an informal family get-together at one of their favorite breweries.
The vibe was chill, easy, and fun and it led perfectly into one of the most looked-forward-to events of Anna and Nathan’s wedding–the rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal dinner, hosted by Holly, was hosted at Vestavia Hill Country Club as well and her dinner slideshow for the couple was, as expected, an absolute hit.
The next day, Anna and Nathan got ready and had their first look at Vestavia Hills Country Club–a venue that inherently bustled with fun but was still rooted in quiet elegance. They were framed against a backdrop of sprawling greens, complemented by a canopy of trees.
For their ceremony, Anna and Nathan exchanged vows at the Mountain Brook Community Church, with the reception taking them back to the Vestavia Hills Country Club’s impressive ballroom. If you’re curious about the Vestavia Country Club menu, just know that each event offers a custom culinary experience that celebrates the venue’s unique southern charm.
The Music of Memories
For their soundscore, we wanted something that felt classic, beautiful, and genuine to Anna and Nathan’s undeniable connection.
Their first dance was a song by Brett Eldredge and “The One You Need” was beyond perfect for showing their ceremony and reception kicking off.
That was my heart criteria, and oh my gosh, it took me days to set that intention and then have the music present itself.
It was clear where Nathan gets his whole energy from. Nathan’s family, given that it’s a horde of rambunctious boys (and our girl R!), is well known for their penchant for getting down on the dance floor.
They weren’t about to disappoint for this celebration and it was a joy to capture all their moves on camera. Dance offs definitely kept the energy high through the evening.
To cap the evening off, the couple was sent off on a beautiful sparkler exit, peppered with various Bama chants (classic) as they made their way to their getaway car–which by the way was the COOLEST CLASSIC ELDORADO that their sweet pregnant (sober!) sister-in-law was put in the frightful position of having to drive (she was a trooper! I would be SO INTIMIDATED with that responsibility–We were laughing!!)
This Birmingham wedding weekend at Vestavia Hills Country Club was an absolute hit, and we can’t rave enough about this crew and their two amazing families.
Anna + Nathan | Birmingham Vestavia Hills Country Club Wedding Round Up
Video Package
Ruby Riot Creatives signature Head Over Heels Destination Bundle, 3 days on site, with drone and rehearsal coverage included
Getting Ready Location, Cocktail Hour, and Reception Rehearsal Dinner and Welcome Party
Ceremony Location
Mountain Brook Community Church
Photographer
@rebeccasingleton
Ruby Riot Creatives | Destination Weddings + Events. We travel everywhere! [Currently booking 2023-2024]
Visit https://www.instagram.com/rubyriotcreatives @RubyRiotCreatives to view our portfolio and current work, hear some embarrassing stories on our podcast, The Ruby Hour, and check our availability for your event! If you have an upcoming wedding or event, we would LOVE to be a part of it.
Which Wedding Video Package Was This?
This is our signature Head Over Heels Destination Bundle, 3 days on site, with drone and rehearsal coverage included.
Getting married soon? Friends with Anna and Nathan? Omg if you’re friends of theirs… we totally want to film your wedding. We travel anywhere. Let’s schedule a time to chat after you check out our media kit.