Shay and Brandon’s Wedding at the Ballroom at I Street
I’m having one of those “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” kind of weeks (it’s midnight!) and – y’all! – I’m not even complaining about it! So far this week, Lauren and I had a day long brainstorming session where we laid out all kinds of plans and details and ideas for Opal and June (you know Kristen joined us for part of this, too! The girl is on fire with ideas!!), I had a sick kid home for three days, my husband has been out of town for work and, today alone, we had doctor’s appointments and piano lessons and, at one in the afternoon, I found myself walking out of the grocery store with two baskets full of groceries and, a few minutes later, I found myself standing in the middle of a gutted out kitchen because, like most sane women, I had decided to gut and reorganize my kitchen in the middle of one of the craziest weeks of my life. Why not, right?
BUT! This post isn’t about my crazy grocery store habits or about how Einstein jumped on a bunch of dresses after I spent three hours steaming them. This post is about Shay and Brandon and about how their wedding at the Ballroom at I Street was absolutely magnificent! These two are the kind of couple that you want to be friends with as soon as you meet them – they are so much fun and so joyful and just have the most amazing vibe – and I am so excited to share a little sneak peek into their wedding day with y’all!
Here’s three things I loved about their fantastic June wedding!
One: The Ceremony Setup
Shaybrean and Brandon picked such an amazing venue for their wedding – I have so much love for the wonderful people running The Ballroom at I Street! – and they decorated the ceremony set up in such a simple, sophisticated way. The draped backdrop looked phenomenal and the ceremony was so serene and peaceful! I seriously loved it and LOVED the light this setup created!
Two: This Impromptu Groomsmen Session
A few minutes before the Shay and Brandon tied the knot, Elizabeth and I stood with them in the upstairs of the property’s house and, before I knew it, we found ourselves taking the most fun photographs of Brandon and his groomsmen. This was so fun on its own – I absolutely love grooms and groomsmen who have a fun time having their photograph taken! – but it was extra fun because Essence and Jerome’s wedding was just a few weeks before and it basically felt like a party. These guys are awesome and they love Brandon so much!
Three: Shay and Brandon’s Golden Hour Portraits
I mean… SWOON!!
And BONUS! This moment with the cutest flower girl ever and a hot pink phone. This girl knows what she wants and it was so freaking adorable! Is it weird if I say I love her? So cute!!
Huge shoutout to Elizabeth Williams for second shooting this wedding with me! It’s been so fun to see so many of my former seniors become photographers and it was a total blast to shoot with Elizabeth. She’s seriously the sweetest! And a huge shoutout to all the vendors who created such a magical wedding for Shay and Brandon! Congrats, y’all! We are so thrilled for you and this new phase of life!
Venue: The Ballroom at I Street // Wedding Cake: Shelby Lynn’s // Catering: Tusk and Trotter
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Lissa Chandler is an Arkansas wedding photographer based in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Lissa has two crazy pups named after world leaders, an eight year old who is the freaking sweetest, a wild child of a five year old, and a husband who is the most supportive person in the world. Lissa is the owner and lead photographer of Lissa Chandler Photography and, along with associates Kristen, Jamie, and Michaela, photographs happy weddings all over Arkansas and the United States. Lissa is also the co-founder and owner of Opal and June, a styled shoot rental shop for photographers.
Since opening her business in 2011, Lissa has mentored countless photographers, taught at nationwide conferences, and has been featured – and interviewed! – in lots of blogs, photography workshops, and photo-related publications. Additionally, Lissa has had work published in both local and nationwide magazines including Click, Arkansas Bride, and People. Don’t be afraid to go for it, y’all!
Lissa thank you for capturing such a special day for us! These are beautiful! I would especially like to thank my parents Lt. Col. Lionel Riley and Mrs. Alicia B. Riley for making our day MAGICAL! The setup/decor was my mother’s brainchild! I am still in awe of her vision & execution. Special thanks as well to Nohemi Bautista, manager at RSVP Event Rentals in Ft. Smith, for excellent customer service and great product provision. #TheSosas