During Layne and Meghan’s engagement session at Nottoway several months ago, they were telling me about their upcoming wedding at St. John’s Church in Washington.  I also did a little research beforehand on this little church as well as The Wolff Ballroom, where the reception was to be held.  After seeing images from both of these venues, I was so excited about this wedding!

St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington is almost 150 years old!   This quaint, historic church has been renovated but still has the original pews and bell tower.  The church can now be rented for events and it was the perfect backdrop to Meghan and Layne’s wedding!

Before the wedding, though, came the getting-ready part of the day, which was in the Steamboat Cottages, not far from the venue and behind another historic building, the Steamboat Warehouse Restaurant.  Because of Meghan’s responses on my questionnaire, including that she and Layne love the “old southern, Acadiana, Cajun, and rustic look,”  I knew which direction to take the images, especially the detail shots.  You can see that I used the remains of an old brick building as a backdrop for some of them.  We also made sure to get the rustic details of the church!  And then there’s Layne and his guys – aren’t the personalized leather suspenders great?  I loved that unique touch!

Another unique and special moment was before the first look.  Meghan and Layne exchanged letters/vows while still standing back to back, before seeing each other.  All alone in the church, just the two of them.  This is the best way to have a first look and one of the advantages of them!  You get those quiet, secluded moments with each other before the chaos of the day begins.

After the ceremony at St. John’s church, it was off to the reception at The Wolff Ballroom – on the red trolley!  Another awesome addition to their day!  And of course, The Wolff Ballroom is also a historic building that was built in the 1840s – right on brand for this wedding!   The beautiful wood beams and the brick interior were the perfect backdrops for Meghan and Layne’s reception.  After photos and the first dances, the guests danced the night away.  Meghan and Layne had one final dance in the empty ballroom (something the DJ set up and that I may have to start implementing in other weddings) then were off to their cottage, running through a line of guests ringing tiny cowbells.  What a beautiful night!

The Details:
Prep:  Steamboat Cottages, Washington
Ceremony:  St. John’s Episcopal Church
Reception:  The Wolff Ballroom
Florist:  Flowers by Rodney
Cakes:  Piece of Cake, Lafayette
DJ / Coordinator:  Digital Music Services
Hair and Make-Up:  Katie Lirette, Robin Jones, Tori Martin
Catering:  Lafayette Receptions and Catering
Wedding Dress:  Natasha Marie Bridal
Bridesmaids Dresses:  Azazie
Groom’s Suite:  Joseph A Bank
Second Photographer:  Amanda Broussard