What a wedding day! All week, I watched the weather anxiously as it consistently said 99% chance of rain on Saturday. Bailey and Ross were set to have an outdoor wedding at Ormond Plantation that day and I was so anxious for them all week. Saturday morning rolls around and here comes the rain. I wanted to be prepared for anything so I headed to Walmart and dropped $100 on rain boots, ponchos, and umbrellas. Whatever happened, Bailey was going to get amazing photos – even if I had to stand in the rain to get them!
Turns out – none of it was necessary! By the time we arrived for the bridal prep, the rain had passed – thank you, Lord!
This was a wedding day that was so carefully planned from day one and it was obvious in all the details. When I arrived at Ormond Plantation, Hannah, the maid of honor, handed me printed copies of all the timelines along with a box of the bridal details. Everyone needs a maid of honor like Hannah! She was so sweet and so helpful the entire day – she definitely made my job a little easier!
Part of photographing Bailey’s details included not only her beautiful Essence of Australia wedding dress, but also her mom’s and mother-in-law’s dresses as well! You may have seen Bailey’s bridal session when she took some photos in her mom’s dress. I love that she also incorporated the dresses into her wedding day as well. Later in the day, we also took a photo of their hands/wedding rings together. So many meaningful moments sprinkled in throughout the wedding day! Bailey also had items that represented her grandparents, including charms on her bouquet and her grandmother’s wedding ring, as well as a photo of Ross’ grandfather on his boutonniere.
After getting ready with all of their friends and reading letters that they wrote to each other, Bailey and Ross had their first look. Bailey also had a first look with her dad, which was so sweet and emotional. Her ring bearer, Rory, walked up to her after she saw her dad and asked her why she was crying. It was so sweet; he was genuinely so concerned about Bailey! After the first look, we got through as many of the photos as we could, including the bridal party and some of the family photos. Then it was time for the ceremony!
The skies had been gloomy and overcast all day, but just before the processional, the sun came out!
When you have littles walking in the wedding party, there’s always a chance that something unexpected will happen, so when we heard crying just as the flower girls and ring bearer were about to walk, it wasn’t surprising. Their mom was in the front with some gummies, ready to coax them down the aisle. As they began to walk, she was surprised by who the crying was coming from – it was the ring bearer and not the youngest flower girl, as she expected. Just as the ring bearer got to the middle of the aisle, he just stopped and yelled, “No!” Of course, everyone laughed, which just made him more upset. Poor thing, he wasn’t happy at all and even though I felt bad for him at the time, I am certain that the photos I captured of him will be referred back to for the rest of his life, as his family talks about the time he walked in Bailey’s wedding and screamed coming down the aisle.
The ceremony was held under a gorgeous oak tree behind the plantation and was performed by Pastor Andrew Moskau, who did a beautiful job. Bailey and her dad did a little “we’ve got this” fist bump and a thumbs up, right before they walked up the aisle. After she was handed over to Ross, Pastor Andrew had them take a moment to look at their loved ones and soak in the moment. This is a tip that I’d recommend to every bride and groom. The wedding day goes by so quickly and there aren’t a ton of moments where you can just pause and soak it all in, so this was the perfect time for this. I also want to take a moment to talk about the colors Bailey chose for her bridesmaids – the perfect colors for a fall wedding! I’m just loving this trend of having the wedding party wear different styles and colors!
After the ceremony, it was time for some more photos. Because some of their grandparents have passed, Bailey had framed photographs to hold in the photos, which I loved. It was a beautiful tribute and a way to honor them that day!
Bailey and Ross’ reception was a blast! The dance floor was packed the whole time and everyone had a great time. Early in the night, I captured some photos of Bailey and her younger brother dancing together as well as her mom standing to the side with tears in her eyes. Her brother, Drew, was also emotional and it brought tears to my eyes as well. A little bit later, Drew and I were talking as he was just watching Bailey on the dance floor. He was telling me how much they had fought growing up, being only 14 months apart, but now he was so proud of her and would do anything for her. What a sweet relationship to have between siblings!
The night ended with a second line around the room and a last dance for Bailey and Ross. This is another trend that I wish more couples would do – just one last moment for them to take in the whole day together. As the guests leave the room and head outside for the exit, the bride and groom dance to one last song, all alone in the darkened room. After this last song, they exited with sparklers and that was the end of their night! What a wedding day!
Congratulations Bailey and Ross! It has been an honor to work with you guys over the last year – happy honeymoon!
The Details:
Prep / Ceremony / Reception: Ormond Manor
Wedding Dress: Town and Country Bridal, Essence of Australia
Hair and Make-Up: Artistry by Ashton
Florist: Pennie, bride’s cousin
Invitations: Truly Engaging by Magnet Street
Groom’s Attire: Tuxedos to Geaux
Cakes: Ninette’s Bakery
DJ: Stage1Music
Videographer: Cinemattic Moments
Second Photographer: Amanda Broussard
Renee’s wedding dress (Ross’ mom), Bailey’s dress and Dawn’s dress (Bailey’s mom). Renee’s wedding dress was also worn by one of the groomsmen for a fake first look!
Rory asking Bailey why she was crying
