Rachel + Stephen {August Wedding}

I had the privilege of meeting Rachel through a previous client. Her assertiveness led to me making my way to her house one day, right then and there to do a photo shoot. I was glad to oblige as I had some downtime that day. Timing was perfect, as was the photo shoot which would be the start of a new, lasting friendship.

As I wrapped up the shoot and gathered my belongings, Rachel announced to me that she was engaged. She then asked if I would shoot her wedding. I said yes, however, I had never done a wedding before. Still, I was honored to receive the opportunity. (And the girl in me couldn’t resist a sneak peek at her beautiful wedding gown.)

We met up a few months later to discuss some of the wedding details, with her bestie, Christina also in attendance. After the meeting the two gal pals booked a best friend photo session. Rachel did put me on notice: she was gonna make me rich! Weeks later, my husband assisted me with the best friend session. Christina and Rachel were a blast and a half to work with. Their friendship shined through the lens, the photos came out great.

Keeping her word, Rachel then scheduled with me a bridal session for herself, her daughter, and her sister. For the shoot, my good friend Kathy and my sister Jasmine were the perfect assistants. Kathy thankfully decided to lend her talent, and her shots were amazing. I can tell Rachel had a ball during this shoot even though there was some craziness going on. There was the icky restrooms, littered with God knows. There were also the two guys whistling at us; flattery got them nowhere. Finally more strange behavior, we had men asking us to buy them things and give them money. Apparently, we looked like loan officers that day. Still, I felt this is one of my best sessions so far. 

  

Rachel’s wedding date was drawing near. I met with the blushing bride once more time to get all of the details confirmed. My close friend Gary came along with me and we all went to see the church. During the meeting I asked Rachel about the story of the proposal. She told me it was on a typical day, she and the groom were in separate rooms. The hubby-to-be, Stephen, asked their son to give Rachel something peculiar. But when the child handed it to mom, she didn’t pay much attention to it! Well, after some time passed Stephen asked her if she was just going to ignore his gift. The light bulb went off; Stephen caught her attention and to her surprise there was a beautiful engagement ring inside!

We did a quick engagement session, equipped with a nice picnic lunch, a few days before the wedding. Strawberries, apples, and grapes served as the perfect props for the couple’s fruitful, natural love for each other. The lens captured every moment as Rachel and Stephen love spending time with each other.

The big day arrives. My sister and I arrived early to shoot Rachel and the girls getting ready. Lo and behold, it appears many of the girls in the wedding went to middle and high school with me! The room was filled with music, frilly things, make up, hair, curling irons, dresses and cute little girls running about. Before the wedding began I managed to shoot the other main attraction: the decorations and cake.

The day was a girl’s dream as the color scheme was white, pink, and green.

As the wedding began the bride wasn’t the only one who was nervous. I got a bit anxious (remember this is my first wedding shoot!) but was ok once the procession started. Everything was perfectly beautiful.

Here comes the bride! Rachel looked enchanting in her gown. I loved the expression on Stephen face as she came down the aisle. Their eyes met, the pastor spoke, the candles were lit, the vows were spoken and tears rolled down my face! I was wondering why I couldn’t see at this point. It was then I noticed I eyes filled with happy cries of joy. 

I managed to get that situated just in time for the kiss!

Thank you Rachel and Stephen, for the opportunity to capture this beautiful moment in your lives. I hope you enjoy the photos for years to come. I wish you lots of happiness in the years to come.

SEE ALL OF STEPHEN & RACHEL'S IMAGES HERE!