The strongest undercurrent in Meghan and Brad’s wedding day was thoughtfulness and attention to detail. Beyond the favors and the cake topper and centerpieces (which were wonderful–you’ll see!), Meghan and Brad possessed a quiet thoughtfulness that came across in how they loved one another, their friends, and their family. Meghan gave her bridesmaids monogrammed wooden hangers; Brad gave cuff links and personalized zippo lighters. Brad gave a heartfelt toast thanking their families for their help, Meghan for her hard work in planning, and all the guests for celebrating with them. Meghan arranged for a 1933 Cadillac as a surprise getaway car–something she knew Brad would love (which he did!). And then there was the hand on the small of Meghan’s back as they walked, her eyes on him as they listened to toasts, and the way she had his utmost attention and care through the day. The thought they gave every part of the day, it’s details, their guests, and most importantly, each other was as heartfelt and genuine as anything we’ve seen on a wedding day. Our favorites:

We were able to visit their reception site, the Carriage House, before the ceremony–it was so nice to be in from the cold wind and the window-lined dance floor was perfect for pictures!

Meghan purchased these ring bearer bowls from Paloma’s Nest, who make wonderful, handmade, and personalized ceramic pieces. A very cool alternative to the traditional pillow, to say the least!

Meghan’s friend bought her a BIG white balloon for portraits, and Meghan was as pleased as her friend told us she’d be!

Some of the beautiful details from the day. Meghan used the silhouettes Abbey of Syd Design designed for their invitations throughout the reception decorations.

The guys went outside to use their new lighters…

while the girls danced, danced, danced!

Thank you both so much, Meghan and Brad, for the honor of photographing your beautiful day! We felt so welcomed by you, your family, and your friends!

Katie and John are two people I would entrust my life to (or, if I had kids, them). They are two understanding and reliable people–which I’m sure is part of what they love about each other and why it’s so easy to see how comfortable they are near each other. There was nothing but a look of assurance and excitement in their faces as they gave their lives to one another; nothing about the “long haul” phased them one bit. A few favorites from their day surrounded by family, as they started their own, new family:

We’ve had a lot of proud grooms (a good thing), and John definitely ranks among them. We overheard him say to a friend, “She’s the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen”.

One thing we love about Catholic churches (and weddings) is the sense of stillness you can find and feel, not just before or after, but also during a ceremony.

Side note: this is the same church my parents were married in. There’s been a picture of them hanging outside my old bedroom door just like photo on the bottom right for as long as I can remember, except for two differences: one, a closeup of the two of them is super-imposed over the altar (big stuff, in the pre-Photoshop pre-computer days!), and two, the picture next to it isn’t another wedding picture. It’s me, aged 8, in a Peter Pan costume.

Katie and John love to laugh with each other–and they’re good at making each other do so!

Love these two:

Katie chose to wear the same shoes she had on when she first met John a few years ago. Very cool.

Katie’s sister-in-law made the cake, and it was beautiful. It had beautiful details, was exact and polished, and yes, it tasted great.

After the first dance, John sang Montgomery Gentry’s “She Don’t Tell Me To” to Katie.

This reminds me of the pictures taken of Michael Jordan mid-air, with all the flashes going off in the stands from all the spectators. Okay, there’s only one spectator flash, and John’s not 6 feet in the air, but still…John definitely had creative form for “the toss”.

John and his sister:

There’s Joe!

Katie and the fabulous cake-baker/sister-in-law:

If Katie and John live together like they party together–with an even mix of quiet love, family, jokes, friends, and laughter–they’ll be more than okay.

Thank you two, again, for inviting us into your day, and equal thanks goes to your wonderful, welcoming families who made us feel so comfortable!

When Melanie looks at Andrew, her eyes sparkle. Literally. Her eyes shine as her face lights up in a smile, and his returning glance could warm even the coldest cynic. They are not afraid to let their love show, even in the midst of a crowd. And why should they be? They proved to one another that they would stay committed in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, months before their wedding. As Melanie navigated her first couple of years living alone in the States, battling a recurring illness while trying to balance school and work, Andrew lent her a shoulder to cry on and arms to carry her when she felt weak. When a couple goes through tough months together, they deserve to fully enjoy the good times, to soak up the joy and excitement of a day like their wedding day.

This is a significant post for me to write because Melanie and I have been friends for longer than I can say about most people– even Grant! My family moved to Slovakia when I was ten, and we lived with Melanie’s family for over a month as we searched for our own house. That adds up to eight kids and four adults living under the same roof! It’s a special kind of friendship that grows out of that, something that often feels familial. Even once we lived in different houses, we would get together often for sleepovers: baking chocolate-chip cookies, watching American movies, talking about boys… It was so special for me to photograph Melanie’s wedding, to see her face light up like I’ve never seen it before, and to spend time with the rest of the family again. Editing the pictures brought tears to my eyes again, because there is nothing like seeing someone you love looking so in love.

Mel, you looked lovely.

Melanie wore her mom’s wedding gown, and it fit her like a glove (no alterations needed!).

Having lived in various countries and traveled to even more, it was important to Melanie that they incorporate wedding practices from all over the globe. It is Slovak tradition for a groom and his groomsmen to pick the bride up from her parents’ house, to receive one last blessing from the parents, and then for them to make their way to the church together. A few changes had to be made since Melanie’s family doesn’t live in Tennessee with her, so both sets of parents (and the maid of honor and best man) waited for Andrew at Melanie’s house with her.

Grant’s view:

Mine:

While the groomsmen waited outside, Melanie and Andrew spoke to their parents and thanked them for their love and support. I have to admit, I used my camera to hide the tears running down my face. There was so much love and respect exchanged in that room, and I felt honored as both a friend and photographer to witness it.

Heading to the ceremony…

Both sets of parents spoke during the ceremony, under the chuppah that Melanie’s mom had sewn.

Grant’s favorite!

The light that day was amazing.

Family.

The outdoor reception perfectly suited Melanie and Andrew’s personalities as well as the warm, beautiful day.

Allison and Joel, Melanie’s sister and brother-in-law, are amazing swing dancers. They had quite an audience once they got out on the dance floor!

I have never seen a car decorated with post-it notes. Props to whoever thought of it! I think Andrew enjoyed trying to dislodge as many as possible as he sped out of the parking lot!

Melanie and Andrew, thank you for the honor of photographing your wedding day. Lots of love to you both… and come visit sometime!

(Katie and John, yours wedding is up next!)

We were excited to shoot Ashley and Jordan’s engagement session for a number of reasons. First, they are both creative people. Ashley is starting out as a photographer herself (and from what we’ve seen on Facebook, she’s going to be in high demand before she knows it!), and Jordan is the bassist for The Great Escape (the same band as Paulo!). In addition to their creativity, we went to high school with Jordan, and it’s always fun to reconnect with people. The two met in college and stuck through it together, even through Jordan’s semester in the Dominican Republic and Ashley’s months in Nicaragua. You can see it in the way they interact: these two are just meant to be together. Theirs is a knowing, comfortable kind of love. The kind of love that ensures the other’s arms will always be waiting, that one’s hopes and dreams will be supported, that each can just be himself or herself… and still be accepted. In short, I can’t think of a better couple to kick off our engagement session season (say that 10 times fast!).

We love this picture:

Not every groom-to-be (or bride-to-be, for that matter!) feels comfortable in front of the camera. I have a suspicion that Ashley uses Jordan as a model fairly often, because he was perfect at that I’m-going-to-pretend-your-camera-is-not-two-inches-from-my-face look.

We were able to spend time in a second location: Jordan’s grandparents’ backyard, where their wedding will be held in May. As if that wasn’t cool enough, we got to spend some time with Jordan’s dad’s ‘67 Barracuda…

I kind of love this set. Just sayin’.

Grant’s favorite:

Ashley and Jordan, to say we are excited for your wedding in May would be an understatement. Thanks for being so amazing and making our cameras so happy!