(if you haven't read part i, click here!)
erica and jordan's wedding day will go down in history as one of (the hottest) - my favorite days this year. and their bride and groom shots are the ones i'm proud of the most. these two just fit together. expertly.
"and then my soul saw you and it kind of went, "oh there you are. i've been looking for you."
"did you know that i know you?
more than you know yourself, and without doubt, more than any single other body has ever known any single other body in the history of this world or any other. i know before you know when your heart reaches out and I know without you requiring the assistance of a glance or graze when you are scared or lonely or tired or hungry or angry or worried or blinded by absolute excitement.
did you know i am yours?
did you know that i will always be yours?
did you know that i have waited my entire life to have you be mine?
did you?"
i don't know if there are really enough words to say how much i love erica. and jordan.
they're indescribably adorable together, head over heels in love, and have huge giving hearts.
you may know erica's name because she's a phenomenal photographer (click here!) who has shot with me several times, but if you don't, you should become quickly acquainted with her work.
there are times when a wedding day is perfect. when everything is aligned, the sun is shining with no chance for rain, everyone's on time, and it all fits perfectly like a completed puzzle..
and then there are ACTUAL wedding days.
erica and jordan are my favorite kind of couple because they both realized that at the end of the day, all that matters is that they were married. to each other. forever.
they may have cared about the chance for rain, or the missing makeup bag in the moment, but i know that looking back on their day, they only remember how they felt in the moments of their first look, where they both hugged and laughed and shed some tears (side note: jordan had his eyes closed the ENTIRE time!).. or when each member of their bridal party whispered a prayer over each of them separately. or, finally, when erica walked down the aisle towards jordan, alone with her friends softly singing in the background.
THOSE moments are the ones that make their wedding day whole.
with that said, i wish i had the words to explain how beautiful their day was. how emotional erica was, the entire time. how beautiful she looked in her simple dress (which, btw, she bought 2 weeks before the wedding! that's an entirely different story..) - how jordan's face looked when he saw her for the first time, how fun their friends were at the reception (which you'll see in part 2) - but i don't. so hopefully my images will do their day justice.
these are the kinds of weddings that i want to shoot.
erica, you're like a baby sister to me. i'm so proud of who you are and what you've become in the years i've known you. and jordan, you're such an awesome guy. i truly can't wait to get to know you :)
and to all of their friends who may or may not have seen these already.. enjoy!
stay tuned for part two!
wheeeewww.
where do i start.
sure. her dress is amazing. their ceremony was gorgeous. they had an awesome bridal party that i want to befriend immediately.
but those are all fleeting details if the people themselves aren't amazing.
and oh, but they are. so amazing.
to say that i love katherine and andrew is a complete understatement. they are blissfully in love with each other, they are spiritual soulmates, they are partners and they are best friends. she is beautiful and loving and hysterical. he is intentional, sweet and enthusiastic. they are the best.
they are the couple that made me remember why i do what i do. i do it for the undercurrent of excitement you can feel from their simple touches, their sideways glances. i do it for their nervous laughter and shaking hands. i do it for the ceremonies that have everyone weeping with joy and excitement to share in this special celebration, uniting two souls who love the Lord and each other so much. i do it for the friends who embrace and whisper and laugh with each other because they're a family. i do it for the intentionality of a couple who dive way deeper than pinterest details and realize that vulnerability is a beautiful, beautiful thing.
i am so thankful to my friend megan for referring katherine to me. i love her and her friendship and i cannot wait to see where she goes as a photographer and as a lovely bride. and andrew, well, he's pretty swell too.
// i also have to give a shoutout to the wavering place plantation for being an amazing venue to work with and ladies over at fern studio floral & event design for putting this thing together alongside the team of planners with jessica rourke. //
and another huge thank you to my sweet friend sarah over at two cents photography for second shooting!
literally, the month of july has been full of rescheduling. rescheduling couple meet ups, rescheduling engagement sessions, etc. it's been a crazy month! so when we had to reschedule two times because of rain for shannon and john's engagement session before their wedding (which is aug 2), i was nervous that we weren't going to be able to do it at ALL!
on our final date we rescheduled to, shannon and i were texting their entire time down the mountain from boone about the weather and where to go.. well, lo and behold, as soon as they left, it DOWNPOURED in charlotte. i mean, we haven't gotten rain like that in a really, really long time. so, we made alternative plans to shoot in my apartment, or in parking garages instead of her best friend's backyard. thank God the rain stopped about 30 min after we got to her friends house, and we were able to squeeze in this small session.
i can't wait to see these two again on their wedding day, breathing in that mountain air and seeing them celebrate with a handful of people they seriously love. they are so great together and have such a quiet, sincere love - i just can't wait to be around it again.
you guys are the BEST.
and thanks to the sweet caroline (my awesome bride from last october who happens to be bff with shannon) for her flower-crown-making-skills, even if john's allergies flared up ;]
