Mr. + Mrs. Echols

Fall weddings are lovely for so many reasons, and this one is a perfect example.  Taylor + Olivia's wedding was a perfect blend of fall colors, rustic decor, and personal details, from the orange, red and deep purple bouquets to the groom's cake that was a cake version of their new home that Taylor built (made by the mother of the groom!!!).  I loved getting to know Olivia through the planning process and then seeing the day come together with lots of love and beauty.  

Olivia and Taylor decided not to see each other before the wedding ceremony and instead had a moment to hold hands around a door before everything began.  I am so glad that my talented second shooter, Alyssa Alig, got this picture of Olivia's face when she held Taylor's hand.  That is the look of joy and anticipation and happiness (aka happy tears).  The church where Olivia and Taylor got married was perfect, too with lots of skylights and sunshine streaming in through the windows.  The Catholic Center at UGA has such unique and circular architecture that it made the wedding ceremony more intimate.  

The reception was held at The Foundry Inn, and had so many great rustic details like these cute pinecone cake toppers that Olivia made (what a great idea!!) and little s'more bags for wedding favors.  They also had candle pillars made from wood with their initials carved into them like a tree trunk.  So perfect! 

Olivia's grandmother was unstoppable on the dance floor, and I think I might have taken more pictures of her breaking it down than anyone else! She is my inspiration; I hope I can shake it like that at 90 years old!!!   She and I even had the same shoes (sassy silver flats) so I felt like we were sole sisters.  And I loved how one of Taylor's groomsmen, Tyson, was having a great time dancing with her!

Olivia and Taylor, I hope you have had an awesome week in tropical paradise and can come home to lots of gifts and good memories of a beautiful wedding! So glad I got to be a part of it and see how much you guys are loved by so many:) Best wishes!! 

Mr. + Mrs. Taylor

I had to start this blog post with a picture of one of Kaitlin's bridesmaids collecting rain during the reception.  While everyone was eating, I walked outside to see how hard it was raining.  Anyone in the Southeast (and maybe elsewhere?!) knows this summer has been the rainiest ever.  Comments about living in Seattle or London are made everyday and we've almost become accustomed to at least an hour or so of daily rain.  But what I had never heard of was collecting rain from your wedding day to save for your children's baptisms.  I just LOVE this.  I have heard rain is a sign of blessing on wedding days (tell that to a drenched bride!) but had never heard of saving some rain water.  I kept thinking about how significant that would be to have water saved from your wedding day, mostly because I am a hugely sentimental.  Many Christian traditions baptize their babies (as we did) while others wait for the child to choose, but either way using this water for baptism is a beautiful picture of the rain that fell on your parents as they committed to each other now becoming the rain that symbolizes your forgiveness and being a child of God.  This water is a picture of blessings and redemptive relationships, and I can't get enough of that.  And how fitting for such a couple like Andrew and Kaitlin who I know others would easily describe as a couple that blesses, or waters, people around them.  

After Kaitlin was all ready, her dad walked in to see her for the first time.  I can't tell you how many pictures I have of this that are really the sweetest thing ever.  Those interactions get me every time! Kaitlin and Andrew chose to do a "first look" and see each other before the ceremony, and decided they would meet at the garden and pond on UGA's campus where so much of their dating relationship was spent.  I love how they chose a significant place to see each other!

Andrew + Kaitlin's wedding ceremony was set up outside the Thompson House, a beautiful venue right outside of Athens, but the rain changed the plans.  So the ceremony took place indoors and was still beautiful.  The reception followed and was such a blast for so many reasons (including the best "best man" speech I have ever heard:).  They also did the shoe game where the DJ asks questions like, "Who drives better- Kaitlin or Andrew?" and they answer by lifting up either the bride or groom's shoe.  Kaitlin and Andrew answered the same on every question except, "Who wears the pants in the family?" and they each said the other person! 

I LOVE wedding receptions.  Nothing energizes me more than music and seeing people move all crazy like.  Since my camera does have video capabilities (that I am so not professional at), I decided recently to start recording some of the best dances during the reception.  This is my first time including it on the blog so hopefully you can appreciate what a fun group this was:) Please excuse my amateur videography efforts, too...

Andrew and Kaitlin- you guys are just awesome.  So glad that I got to know Kaitlin years back and got to see what a great pair God put together.  I think your marriage will be one of the best and I'm excited to see where you two go together.  And, to quote your best man, "for little Kaitlin and Andrews!!" :)  

Caroline + Andy

Andy + Caroline Paczkowski.  Their love and friendship is so incredibly apparent to anyone who knows them, and I hope these pictures can show even a fraction of it.   I really have never known a more photogenic couple, and it wasn't because they love to model in front of the camera but because they are genuinely this affectionate and sweet and fun with each other.  When Andy saw Caroline for the first time he literally gasped at how beautiful she looked.  In that moment I wished I was a videographer to capture his reaction- but these pictures will have to do for now!

Caroline and Andy have a contagious joy about them.  They can be romantic and sweet with each other, and then two seconds later break out some dance moves.  Apparently at the rehearsal dinner they taught some of their family and friends how to "Dougie" (for those of you not familiar it's a song with some awesome moves to go along with it).  I love that they brought it out on their wedding day for me to photograph!!

Caroline and Andy wrote their own wedding vows (and included tissues at the entrance of the chapel)- and I'm pretty sure there was not a dry eye in that place by the end! I really was starting to tear up so much that I had to go get tissues at good time because it was a little out of control on my part (why I love wedding photography, ps).  A close family friend married them and read their favorite poem: "How do I Love Thee?" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.  I happened to have memorized that poem in high school and have loved it ever since so it pulled on my heart strings big time.  My favorite parts are in the lines that talk about loving someone freely and purely and with passion.  And then to make it even more emotional Caroline and Andy wrote the most poetic and heartfelt vows to each other, each one tearing up while the other spoke.  I know they will treasure the video taken from their ceremony- even I want a copy!!!

The sky stayed clear until their ceremony began, and then the rain came down pretty hard.  But by the time we walked out of the chapel the rain slowed down to just a drizzle and on my way to the reception I saw a huge rainbow in the sky.  Such a good day.  You can see the tiny raindrops in the shot below with a lot of sun shining in the midst of it.

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The reception was at the Foundry Inn and Spa near downtown Athens, and it's an awesome venue with an outside area filled with stringed lights and elegant indoor rooms.  Caroline and Andy are both wine connoisseurs with a love for great wine, so they used that wine theme in the reception table decor.  The centerpieces were wooden wine crates and table place cards from wine bottles and corks.  The best part is that Caroline and Andy both wrote each other letters and put them into a wine box with a really (expensive) fine wine and then nailed it shut to be opened on their 10th anniversary of marriage.  What an awesome idea.  I told them to get in touch with me in 10 years and I'd photograph the opening of that box:)

You guys just make me happy.  I am so glad I got to photograph your wedding and know that there are TONS more happy pictures for me to go through and for you to enjoy soon! A good friend of mine saw these pictures and said, "That looks like a couple I would want to be friends with..." and I really thought no truer words could be spoken about you guys.  Thanks for letting me see your passion and heart for each other and life and asking me to tell part of your story.  xoxo