The Cunningham wedding was one I’d been looking forward to for quite some time. Faith is all about the small, thoughtful details, and it showed throughout every aspect of the day. Turning the Vestavia Country Club into a mid-winter paradise is no small feat, and her incredible vendor team delivered above and beyond what was expected of them.
From our first conversation together, I could tell she’d be a joy to serve. And James was just the same! I’ll never forget just how much he made Faith laugh throughout their engagement session. I knew their wedding day would be a beautiful display of their love for each other, and it certainly was!
James and Faith’s wedding weekend began with a meaningful rehearsal dinner hosted at The Club. James is an avid golfer, so gifting each guest with a personalized golf ball at their seat made for the sweetest sentimental detail.
Faith held back happy tears as she and James walked around the space to check out each unique element.
Faith and James were so grateful for everyone in attendance, and made sure to personally thank each guest. They even celebrated a friend’s 30th birthday with a cake at their own rehearsal dinner!
After all the mingling, dinner, dessert and speeches had finished, Faith and James took one final moment for a big deep breath. Tomorrow, they would be married!
On Saturday morning, I woke up to the most beautiful weather Birmingham had seen in a while. It was the perfect setting for a perfect day! Before heading to photograph the girls, I stopped by the Vestavia Country Club to grab one of the table linens expertly chosen by Faith and Jenny Dansby, the wedding coordinator, one of the many gorgeous options rented from Decor to Adore. It made for the most astonishing backdrop behind all of Faith’s handpicked details!
Faith’s Dolce Vita heels were the obvious choice for her bridal look. Sleek and elegant with a touch of pearl!
If Faith’s gown looked this good on the hanger, I knew she would be an absolute vision with it on!
Before the day got too hectic, Faith and her mom sat out on the front porch of Faith’s house to have a moment together. Evelyn gifted Faith with a beautiful pearl bracelet that perfectly complemented her look for the day.
It was just about time to put dresses on and head out for the day, but the bridesmaids had one more gift they wanted to bestow upon Faith: a liturgy read by every one of them. As they passed the book around, taking turns reading each section, Faith took in the beautiful display of love from each of her best friends.
The girls were overcome when Faith stepped out in her gown! They truly were the sweetest, most supportive hype girls all day long.
James and Faith’s first look was the sweetest moment of relief from them both. James immediately walked up to hug his bride.
Yes, he even shed a few tears!
In addition to reading personal vows for each other, James had an exciting surprise for Faith: the location of their upcoming honeymoon! He revealed the surprise by gifting her the coolest “Jamaica Vibes” coffee table book that turned into their guestbook at the reception.
And, of course, their dog Maple had to make an appearance. The florist even made her a flower collar to match!
We drove over to the beautiful landscape of Vestavia Country Club to take the rest of their couples portraits. The sun was shining and so were Faith and James!
He couldn’t stop looking at her as if she were the most beautiful woman in the world. It melted my heart!
And then … the party arrived. The wedding party, I mean. This group was huge and brought laughter with them everywhere they went!
Remember, we’re on an active golf course, so naturally the group took every opportunity they had to cheer on the golfers!
Soon enough, it was time to head over to Redeemer Community Church for the ceremony!
As guests arrived, the moms and bridesmaids took one more moment to pray over Faith and James’ upcoming marriage. Their voices were giddy with excitement and heavy with thankfulness all at the same time.
Final touches before meeting her Groom at the altar!
Just look at Faith’s face as she finally lays eyes on James. Absolutely priceless!
The room was filled with 250 people who all adore Faith and James. As we collectively prayed for their future together, I couldn’t help but be so thankful that the Lord allows me the gift of witnessing unions like these, time and time again.
And just like that, they are MARRIED!
One more kiss on the front steps and then we’re off to our fifth location of the day: Avondale Villa for sunset photos!
The lighting was nothing short of perfection for us, resulting in perhaps my favourite photos from the whole day! Faith and James smiled the whole way through.
And, as always, I have to snag a pic with the couple before the day is over!
While we finished up portraits, guests were arriving at Vestavia Country Club, greeted by the coolest espresso martini tower named after their sweet pup, Maple.
Upon entering the ballroom, guests were shocked by the incredible transformation. Everywhere you looked was another gorgeous detail! Sarah Grace Hayes, owner of Hayes Floral, truly outdid herself with this one.
And this gorgeous, 5 tier cake was delivered by none other than the incredible Magic Muffins Bakery. They knock it out of the park every single time!
They even had Cala Coffee bring a full-service coffee cart for the guests! A little coffee pick-me-up during the reception was *chefs kiss*.
All the guests loved signing the Jamaica guestbook on the way in!
As if they couldn’t get any cooler – James and Faith are massive Harry Potter fans and had a whole bar dedicated to serving butter beer. This was a hit with every single guest, young and old!
Faith and James shared a beautiful first dance upon their entrance, then sat down with the rest of their guests to enjoy a seated dinner!
One room filled with all the people who love and care about you most – it was truly a dream come true for Faith and James.
A few guests gathered around to watch James and Faith cut their cake. This is one of my favourite moments during the reception – couples are always so cute and clumsy! But hey, it’s harder than it looks folks!
Guests, and Faith and James for that matter, wasted no time at all hopping on the dance floor. It was absolutely packed all night long!
The Threefold Events team handed out tons of dance floor accessories that got even the most rigid of guests smiling and grooving to the music!
This guy, in particular, was my favourite.
The catering team at Vestavia Country Club came out with grilled cheese sandwiches for everyone around 8:30 that night, and they hit the spot. Just ask James!
Once these two got to dancing, you couldn’t get them to stop! It brought me so much joy to watch them have the time of their lives all evening long.
Guests lined up outside the club with sparklers and watched Faith and James head off to Jamaica!
Aaaand one final kiss!
Faith and James’ wedding day was everything they wanted it to be and more, and I felt so privileged to be the one capturing the memories for them! Of course, nothing could have come together without the help of every single vendor involved, so here’s a MASSIVE “thank you” to each and every one of them!
Photography: Eleanor Stenner | @eleanorstenner
Videography: Social Hour Weddings | @socialhourwedding
Coordination: Threefold Events | @threefoldevents
Florals: Hayes Floral | @hayesfloral
Hair & Makeup: Hair and Makeup By Nat | @hmu.bynat
Catering: Vestavia Country Club | @vestaviacountryclub
Bartending: Vestavia Country Club | @vestaviacountryclub
Cake: Magic Muffins Bakery
Coffee Cart: Cala Coffee | @calacoffeeco
Band: Emerald Empire Band | @emeraldempireband
Linens: Decor to Adore | @decor2adore
Paper Goods: Annabelle’s | @annabellestoobham
Transportation: Rare Transportation | @raretransportation
