Those are some of the details I got early in the afternoon. Gray worked in the mailroom in college, so I'm assuming that's where the letter cake idea came from. Loved it! Also, the favors are homemade pickles, which I thought was awesome. My second photographer Sue White took the next few detail shots a little later.
I got there with plenty of time to get some "prep" shots, and even had a chance to just chat with Clare for a bit. I had the privilege of getting to know both her and Gray while they were still students at Union, and it was not only fun to document their day but also to catch up with them a little!
The girls found some toys in a closet and had a little fun!
Clare gave each of her bridesmaids a throw with something embroidered on the corner. Each embroidery design was customized to the girl with something she was interested in, which was such a sweet thought!
The bridesmaid dresses were amazing! While they were getting ready, we ducked into a smaller room for Clare to get her dress on.
I used the big window in that smaller room to get a few quick portraits.
Clare wanted to do a first look with her bridesmaids. It was cute! She also wanted to do one with her dad, so we headed downstairs for that.
Right as she came down the stairs, her mom's phone started ringing with the NCIS theme song, which cracked everyone up. You can tell this family has a lot of laughs together!
Now it was time for Gray to see Clare. I was locked in on Gray ready to get his expression when he turned around, then all the sudden I hear the opening notes to "Forever" by Chris Brown. I'm not exaggerating when I say I had just watched the Jim & Pam wedding on The Office a week before this, so it was fresh on my mind. It was the cutest, funniest, most precious first look ever! Very sentimental, but with a dose of humor.
Gray liked his gift!
We went ahead and took some portraits there on the stage, then we went outside for like 5 minutes to do some out there. It was in the 20s, so we didn't last long!
Sue took these nice portraits of Gray while I was taking some of Clare.
We got back inside in a hurry and warmed up. The flower girl and ring bearer were in there ready for pictures. They are too cute for words!
Sue got all the girls in their Christmas sweaters by the fireplace. So very festive!
These two. I swear! Olivia had that charm on during pictures. She was a perfect little model for me. Now Judah was a little skeptical, but he still did pretty good!
Beautiful florals by Kent Freeman, and the mothers carried their Bibles down the aisle.
Sue got these sweet moments of Clare and her dad before they walked down the aisle.
Some very talented people on that stage! Meg Rushing is not only a talented singer, but she's a photographer as well. She worked on our staff as a student, and she's doing great work lately. Love seeing former students at weddings.
Each of the bridesmaids places a white rose in a vase after walking down the aisle. The roses were a way to honor lost loved ones.
It was such a sweet ceremony with lots of tears and smiles. They also took communion together, which I always love. It was pretty quick, and soon they were walking out as man and wife! After the ceremony, we took a few more family pictures, then went on to the reception.
The reception room was packed to the brim, and I barely made it over to the dance floor to get their dancing pictures...and don't even ask me about the "intro." I was smushed against a wall when they came in. haha! Luckily I squeezed my way through the crowd and got some dancing pictures. It looks deceptively un-crowded in the background.
Her dad had a slideshow going during their dance. I just stood in one spot and sobbed while I watched them. I still get pretty emotional when dads are involved, and probably will for a while.
The cake was the only other "event" during the reception. They mainly just wanted to mingle and enjoy talking to everyone. They had lots of folks to talk to, so I pretty much just followed them around for the next hour getting candid shots. Like I said, it was very laid back!
This was such a great way to end my 2016 season. Clare and Gray are pretty much the perfect clients. They're easy-going, stylish and very clearly head-over-heels for each other. They also both had wonderful families and obviously a ton of lively friends who made the day so much fun. I'm so glad they asked me to shoot this special day for them!
Venue: Fellowship Bible Church
Cakes/Cookies: L&T Cakery
Cookies: A Matter of Taste
Floral: J.Kent Freeman
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