Savanah and Aaron
Wedding at the Slavonian Lodge in Biloxi
This Tennessee couple’s ceremony was held at Cathedral of the Nativity Blessed Virgin Mary in Biloxi, Mississippi, while the reception was held at Slavonian Lodge.
The couple started out their day at the luxurious Beau Rivage Hotel. A bridal portrait on the stairs in front of the hotel was at the top of the bride’s wish list, so we made sure to get that shot! Mid-afternoon portraits outside can be difficult due to the harsh direct sun. But in this case, the hotel itself provided us good shade to work with at this spot.
The bride had her a first look with her bridesmaids in front of the hotel as well. And not to be left out, the groom also had a bit of a tongue-in-cheek first look with his groomsmen!
After the ceremony, we had just a few minutes of perfect light outside for some portraits of the newly married couple in the church’s garden. This is where good planning comes into play, as the ceremony would be ending just before sunset, giving us very limited time for these portraits. Typically at the conclusion of the ceremony we’d head straight back to the altar for formal group shots, which we deferred until after these outdoor portraits of course. Another potential issue is that when the ceremony is over, well-meaning guests will approach the bride and groom to greet and congratulate them, and the couple does not want to be rude, so in a case like this, it can take away those last precious moments of daylight we have remaining. The solution is to make sure that as soon as the ceremony is over and the couple recesses down the aisle, they immediately are escorted outside, with the wedding coordinator playing the “bad guy” if needed, letting guests know that there will be plenty of time to congratulate the couple during the reception.
The night ended with an intimate and romantic “last dance” for just the bride and groom, with all the guests having been ushered and outside and lined up for the sparkler send-off. This kind of private final dance of the evening has been a growing trend in recent years.
Coordinator: Nick Hebert
Hair/Makeup: Flawless Bride
Flowers: Forget Me Not Florist
Cake: French Kiss Pastries
Video: Take Two Videography
Elegant Mississippi Gulf Coast Wedding Venue
The Slavonian Lodge is truly a wonderful Gulf Coast wedding venue in Mississippi. It features very elegant decor, is quite spacious, and is run by genuinely nice people. A large stage can accommodate just about any band you could imagine. It’s also not too far from several popular churches, such as St. Michael’s (the Fisherman’s Church), and the Cathedral of the Nativity Blessed Virgin Mary, which is where this couple’s ceremony took place.
Ideal Spot for Afternoon Wedding Portraits
The steps and large door seen in the background of that last photo are a great spot for afternoon portraits of a couple, if the timeline allows (it didn’t in the case of this wedding, as the church ceremony ended right at sunset, so it was dark by the time we arrived at the reception venue). Because this side of the building faces toward the east, that means it’s in good light throughout most of the afternoon. Wedding and portrait photographers frequently have to cope with the dilemma of having a nice location at our disposal, but it’s in bad light (usually meaning the area is in direct sunlight or the light is coming from the wrong direction to be usable for the desired background). In the case of the Slavonian Lodge, that is certainly not a problem!
Additionally, this spot is ideal for the formal group shots of bigger families and bridal parties, as the large steps allow for easy arrangement into multiple rows.
