when jessica initially reached out to me and told me that she liked ketchup, i had to think twice about continuing our conversation. i’m glad i did. no, but really, i did have to think twice because i already had a wedding the day before and the day after hers and i was 5 months pregnant and thinking forward to having to shoot three weddings in a row with a 10 week old likely interfering with my sleep and who knew what else, eek.
after talking with jessica, i knew it would be a great wedding and i couldn’t pass it up. the funny thing is, i never mentioned i was pregnant when jessica and i talked. i hadn’t put it out to the world and we didn’t get to meet in person so she couldn’t see my growing belly and, besides, if i was still pregnant by her wedding, i’d probably have become famous, have my own reality show and not have to work anymore, hah, so it’s not like my pregnancy would be an issue. when jessica realized a couple months later that i was pregnant, naturally, it made her a little nervous not knowing my due date. although i felt bad when i got her slightly worried email, i had to laugh because she was worried about sounding like a bridezilla by asking if i’d still be available for her wedding. i just thought that was a logical question for her to ask. a couple emails back and forth and i knew for sure that i was not dealing with a bridezilla!
when i went back to shooting after having my daughter, i went back full force. go big or go home. i edited the 4 weddings i shot in 8 days in the order i booked them in and so jessica and dan have had to wait a couple more weeks than i would have preferred, but i refuse to have less integrity on a job just to rush it out. so i want to thank jessica and dan for their patience. their wedding was a blast… staying at the rockleigh country club for the prep, ceremony and reception made for a more laid-back feel to the day, pair that with a laid-back couple and you’ve got a great time.
dan’s parents peer in the door as dan gets ready…
typical groom prep face…
be careful if you ever need jessica’s brother to help you get dressed (hey, it’s a small world, you never know, it could happen)…
love this shot of dan’s sister in the mirror…
the moment when jessica checks out her final look…
admittedly, this blog is full of some ladies that steal the show… a beautiful bride, a stinkin’ cute flower girl and a grandma, or two, that i’d like to steal… so i wanted to take a moment to give some attention to the handsome groom.
striking!
first look…
jessica and dan have known each other for a long time since her brother met dan at college. it took them until a couple years ago to start dating, but once you start hanging out with them, it doesn’t take you long to realize they belong together.
serious faces.
love this…
isabella. stinkin’ cute. so cute that even when she is drooling while trying to drink water, you can’t help, but think ‘awwwwww’. if i did this… not so much.
she also clearly loves her aunt and uncle…
think of the last time you let someone point a camera at you and you just remained exactly as you were. i like this guy because normally when i point the camera in someone’s direction, they change their posture and expression as they become aware of being photographed.
this guy maintained his position…like a boss.
isabella wasn’t so sure about walking down the aisle at first. it was quite the long haul, but once her grandfather convinced her to go down she started making her way…
her parents watching on…
then she had a change of heart…
so mom brings in the puffs…
and a great grandma to chase her down the aisle… perfection.
i’d post a bunch of pics of jessica walking down the aisle, but she didn’t need any coaxing, or stop to shed a tear and look back in the other direction, nor did she need her grandmother to chase her down…
i always love laughter during a ceremony…
even isabella was laughing…
still laughing…
he’s laughing… on the inside.
so typical to end with a kiss or exit shot, but i loved this last exchange between jessica and dan before they were announced as husband and wife…
hah, ok, again with the cute kid pic. i posted this pic mainly because i love how the guests are all so excited for her. you’d think she was oprah. i wish people got that excited for me when i walked in a room.
you like how i snuck a cute grandma in this one?
ok, back to jessica and dan. look at that love!
last one, i swear! jessica and dan invited everyone out on to the floor during their first dance and i caught this exchange between isabella and her uncle. love the adoration in both of their eyes.
makes you wonder what jessica’s sister said, huh?
now it really makes you wonder…
another cute grandma (the first one was her sister). double the grandma cuteness. i love her sass on the dance floor.
i’ve shot weddings for over 10 years now. i’ve learned some things. one thing i have learned is that if you want your kids to be awesome, you have to be awesome yourself. jessica’s dad having a blast on the dance floor.
the wedding cake smash kinda died out, but i like a good one every now and again.
so sweet…
priceless.
i’m not sure i’ll ever get sick of ‘tie limbo’. this guy is awesome. never spilled his drink. (the wide angle lens can create distortion- he is a normal sized human being with an abnormal ability to limbo with drink in hand).
bird’s eye view of jessica’s brother…
crotch-view (it’s ok, i’m a professional)
grandma view…
he was bored.
helping hand.
may he always be able to laugh with his mother-in-law…
so much fun with jessica and dan and their friends and family! thanks to kelsey davis for assisting me.