You’ve probably already seen lots and lots of details about our wedding day on social media, but I wanted to share a bit more of my heart here on the blog. I want this blog post to accomplish two goals…
- Share the stunning portraits @maggiemillsphotography took of our wedding day. (I’ve included a few iPhone photos too!)
- More importantly, share our experience as bride & groom and how we prioritized spending time with one another on our wedding day.
As a wedding photographer, I’ve attended quite a few weddings. I have seen firsthand the experiences of others. I’ve watched a bride overcome with emotions when the last dance plays at the end of the night. Max & I spent our wedding planning season intentionally planning details of our wedding day so that we could prioritize spending our wedding day with each other, because that is what it is all about!
I pray that this blog post is full of wisdom from a recent bride and that you are able to glean a few ideas for your own wedding day. Ready for the photos??!!
Our wedding day begins before “getting ready” had even begun! Max picked me up bright & early and we got our favorite Starbucks drinks and drove to our venue together. Triple J Manor House has a beautiful porch and we ate breakfast there together. There’s no pictures of this moment – and that’s okay! Not seeing each other on our wedding day until the afternoon felt a little odd to me. Max & I were able to have intentional time to talk about our day and pray together before we parted ways for getting ready.
Getting Ready
I have seen the trends on Instagram of couples getting ready together on their wedding day, but Max & I decided to keep it traditional and get ready with our bridal party. This time together with our closest friends and family was super sweet.
First Look
Our first look was one of my favorite moments of the day. Max had the sweetest reaction and our wonderful photographers gave us plenty of time to just soak up the moment with each other. After our first look we read our private vows/letters to each other. We decided to share these privately instead of during the ceremony because we decided this was only for the two of us.
Bride & Groom Portraits
After our vows, we took bride & groom portraits before the ceremony. As a photographer, I already knew the advantages of doing a first look, when it comes to your wedding day timeline. Here are a few of those advantages…
- Max & I were able to spend intentional time together before our ceremony.
- We took bride & groom portraits, family photos, and all of our bridal party photos before the ceremony. After the ceremony, we spent around 20-30 minutes finishing up family photos and taking a few more portraits together. After that, we were able to join cocktail hour and spend time with our guests.
These are the photos we took both before and after our ceremony!
Bridal Party Photos
I have to include a few of our fun bridal party photos because these people are just so special to us!
Sunset Portraits
As a photographer, I definitely wanted to make the time for sunset portraits in my timeline! The lighting for sunset portraits cannot be achieved except for during golden hour. Maggie captured AMAZING portraits of us during this time and we were also able to sneak out of our reception and spent some intentional time with one another. This was after cocktail hour and dinner, right before dancing started!
I pray that this blog post has been insightful and given you a few ideas to help you prioritize spending time with your significant other on your wedding day! Slow down and take in the moments!
Vendors:
Venue: Triple J Manor House
Wedding Planner: LS Planning & Co.
Dress designer/boutique: Dawn’s Bridal
Hair – Kelly Myers, Caron Davis Hair Studio
Cake: Lisi’s Sweet Treats
Flowers: Pixie Dust Floral Design
DJ or Band: Dow Oak Events
Officiant: Chris Lawson
Invitation Suite: Zola
Caterer: Dine By Design
Rentals: Sterling Spaces
