If I had one word to describe this wedding, it would be smiles, more specifically huge, ear to ear smiles, but smiles none the less. Jessica and Andrew had the most genuine smiles I’ve seen in such a long time. The guests were smiling and having fun, and I was there right with them with a big old grin across my face. I loved this
Garden Room wedding: Jessica and Andrew
I started the day with Jessica and her crew in the bridal suite. Jessica was really chill just like I knew she would be. I got some photos of her dress, the rings, and a few other things, but besides that, she wasn’t too concerned with details. She was more into people, and her friends and family were wonderful. Right from the beginning, Jessica’s friends were reaching out and helping me with everything. It was like I had my own special helper the entire day.
Andrew’s crew was just as super nice. The first thing I saw was them trying to help him out with a belt. His belt wasn’t quite the color he wanted, so the other guys were right there willing to give him a belt. The only problem was that Andrew’s a bit skinny. These guys were so ready to help they were about to stab a hole in the belt. In the end, he just stayed with his original, but it’s still the thought that counts.
We did a really cool first look with these two. First, they exchanged letters and read them. I don’t know what was said, but there was a lot of giggles. From there, we did the real first look on the little bridge outside of the Garden Room. Oh my, it was such a wonderful moment. Such smiles!
The Wedding Ceremony
Their ceremony was outside, and it was a bright, sunny day. One thing that really stuck out in my mind about the ceremony was how happy and emotional everyone was. I caught the mother of the bride wiping some tears and then Jessica gave her dad the sweetest look!
The rest of the night was about fun and friends and family! There was some epic dancing outside, lots of talking and hanging out, and a photo booth with custom props (they made cutouts of their cats)! I just kept moving from one place to the next, capturing all the smiles and crazy stuff going on.
Couple Portraits
Toward the end of the night, I took the lovely couple and did some fun portraits. We messed around with this wood wall first. I had the light behind the wall, and I was hoping to create an interesting pattern with the different spaces in between the boards. It didn’t really work exactly how I was planning, but we still got a nice looking silhouette. There’s also a side section to the Garden Room that has lights dangling. We went over there and got some shots with those in the background. I always love those shots!
These were fun, but my favorite shot was the confetti! I honestly don’t remember where I got the idea. I think I bought some different poppers for a video I was making, and I had this one leftover and thought, why not? I got Jessica and Andrew out in front of the Garden Room sign and then had my wonderful assistant shoot the confetti over them. I really didn’t want to pick it all up and try again, so we had to get it right the first time. I fired about four shots, and we got it!
These two were my dream couple. They were so happy and relaxed. Their friends and family were the same way. There was excitement and laughs and dancing. Then, to make it even better, they were down for trying out some goofy ideas.