This year I got to see some pretty amazing wedding moments... lots of tears, laughing, surprises, dancing, hugging, and even some things that didn't quite go as planned but turned out awesome any way. I tried my best to pick just one moment from each of my weddings this year... it was tough, but here goes:
Colleen and Nate decided to have a private picnic for dinner. I loved looking back and seeing them enjoy each other's company so much. Lots of couples don't get a lot of time to themselves on their wedding day...
This photo from Nicole and Kevin's wedding speaks for itself... it's my all time favorite photo of a groom seeing his bride for the first time.
Michelle and her daughter, Bella had a special dance all their own at the reception... it was the sweetest moment!
Adi and Todd's ceremony was full of surprises. It was so fun catching all the hilarious expressions on everyone's faces. In this particular moment the officiant (their quirky friend) was comparing Todd to God... not something anyone expected to hear based on the awesome looks on their faces :)
I'll be honest... this next one was a lucky shot. I only had a split second to spin around and see that Michelle's father had just opened the door and laid eyes on her for the first time. I quickly spun the dials on my camera and just hoped I got the settings right. I'm so glad it worked out... just look at his face!
I love it when clients surprise me... and in the next photo the groom did just that. The Wendall I was used to dealing with was pretty mellow and reserved. I never NEVER would have expected him to grab the mic at his reception and serenade his wife... in Spanish, no less! It was awesome!
Sand ceremonies are a pretty traditional way to symbolize the joining of two people... I see them all the time. This one, however, was hilarious. Jenny, knowing that she'd have to look at this jar full of sand for the rest of her life, was VERY particular about the pattern the different colors made. First she poured, then Michael, then her, then Michael... it went on forever. I loved it :)
Omigosh, Keri and Jon's little flower girl was adorable! She took her job of the day very seriously, but apparently couldn't resist having a little fun, too :)
Anna and Alex are surrounded by amazing, supportive, hilarious family and friends... I was constantly in danger of crying throughout the whole day (I may have even let a tear escape once or twice). It was extremely difficult picking just one favorite moment of the day, but I think I've got it: The look on Hilary's face as she watched her sister come up the aisle with their dad was just beautiful... it made me happy :)
Jessica and her sister Kristy are damned hilarious! They had me laughing all day. Just look at this photo... it says it all :)
Eugene and his daughters had a special dance at the reception that made my heart so happy. He loves them to pieces and Shawna is the best step-mom they could ever ask for. I love how the girls were not only considered, but included in all the wedding traditions.
How funny is this next photo from Mike and Kristen's wedding? I love these two people to a ridiculous degree. They make me smile, inspire me, and are so fun to hang out with. This is just one of my many favorite moments from their day taken minutes after their first look...
This is another wedding that had me blinking back tears all day. JV and Char'lee had so many amazing, supportive, loving people at their wedding you could almost feel it in the air. The vows, the toasts, the parent dances... everything was beautiful and heartfelt. I love this next photo because it reminds me of how excited everyone was to celebrate the wedding... just look at all those smiles...
Haley and John had one of the most memorable ceremonies I've ever heard. Their officiant was the father of Jon's childhood best friend and he had so many beautiful things to say about life and marriage. I wish honestly wish I could have recorded it with sound...
I don't even think I need to explain why this moment was awesome... just look at Cassie and Kevin's flower girl rocking out! She was the best!
I love me a good dance party, and Michelle and Michael didn't disappoint!
A sparkler exit with a tandem bike? Yes please!!!! Chuck and Emily are some awesomely fun people...
I love first looks... they're the best. Especially when there's an adorable personality like Amanda's involved. She was SO excited for Trent to see her... I love it!
This favorite wedding moment may surprise Jamie and Mark because it was a moment that didn't exactly go as planned. You see, their first dance song was no where to be found when they needed it. Everyone tried their best to find it and get it into the proper format, but it just didn't work out. But they improvised. Someone pulled it up on their ipad, made it as loud as they could, and Jamie and Mark had their moment. It wasn't the way they imagined it, but that didn't matter. What was important was that they danced as husband and wife and that they were surrounded by all their smiling friends and family. I love the look on Jamie's face in this photo... you'd never know they were dancing to a quietly playing iPad :)
This is another photo that I think speaks for itself... just look at Destiny's face as she looks at Chris during their ceremony. They were so insanely happy to be marrying each other... it was amazing to see it happen :) Even the officiant later mentioned how rare and special the ceremony was because of them...
I just love the smile on Jeff's face during his first dance with Christi... he looks SO happy! I remember taking a second to look around at all the friends and family watching them dance and seeing lots of smiles and happy tears :)
Jeni was one of the sweetest brides I've ever worked with! She was just so excited to get married and was all smiles. I love this photo of their grand entrance... everyone was so happy and ready to celebrate!
Jennifer is very close with her dad and planned an awesome surprise for their guests during the father/daughter dance. They started out traditionally and then... suddenly... busted out a crazy dance routine to a rap song. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much!
One of my favorite things to photograph on a wedding day is when couples exchange notes before the ceremony. I always wish I could read the card and see what was said to prompt the tears... but that would be weird LOL. This is a photo of Megan reading her sweet little note from Matt...
This photo makes me smile because it reminds me of how much fun riding in the limo with the wedding party is... especially after the ceremony when everyone is super excited and ready to party :) Yvette and Efrain's limo ride was especially awesome because they had to make a pit stop for twinkies... yes, twinkies :)
Diego and Amy had one of the most intimate ceremonies I've ever had the honor of photographing... including me there were only 4 guests in attendance. It was such a special day...
What's not to love about this moment?!
I've never seen a rig like this work at a garter toss... until Deanna and Patrick's wedding. It was truly amazing :)
Well, that's all for now! I'm so excited to see what amazing moments I'll get to photograph this year. Thanks for reading!