What a wedding and such a beautiful testament to see this young couple so confidently give themselves to God and each other.   I didn’t know Samantha and Hunter prior to showing up on their wedding day to photograph them.  All of my correspondence had been with Sam’s mom, Rebecca and there were no meetings or anything beforehand.  Maybe they were all just good at hiding their stress, but what could have been a very stressful beginning for their day was calm and relaxed.  Not only had it rained much of the day, with more rain coming, but on my way to the wedding, the highway was shut down and despite leaving with plenty of time to spare, and planning to be 30 minutes early, I wound up being 15 minutes late.  Even with those things, I walked in to a room that was full of happiness and joy – and a sense of peace and calm.  Sam just seems to take everything in stride – at least that’s how she seemed on her wedding day.   And she was STUNNING – what a beautiful bride and so sweet!   All of her bridesmaids were also so sweet and fun to be around.

Samantha and Hunter also chose to do a first look, which they wanted to do at their church.  Hunter’s dad is the pastor of Lighthouse Community Church, so everything about their ceremony was very personal and special.  Hunter wanted a photo standing by the altar and looking up at the cross.  Samantha then walked up behind him and they stood in silence for a moment, with her hand resting on his shoulder, before he turned around to see her.  It was a sweet, touching moment and I love that they chose to do their first look in this special place, right under the cross.

Hunter’s dad performed their wedding ceremony and they wrote their own vows.   When couples write their own vows, it’s always so special because it gives everyone a glimpse into their relationship and why they love each other.  It just really makes a ceremony that much more intimate and special.  Their vows were sweet, sincere and sometimes funny – it was a joy to witness!

Because of the weather, all of the formals and initial portraits were done inside at the church so I was thrilled that we had a few minutes to spend at the Riverfront by NicoBella.  The lighting was so soft and ethereal, it was just perfect and we got some beautiful images of the 2 of them together.

In addition to having the privilege of photographing this beautiful couple, I also got to work with a couple of my favorite vendors, including Janine and Pernell of Elegant Events of the South and Blayne and Brad of Our Story Films.  Working with vendors who share the same values when it comes to God, life and business is so special and it makes wedding days even more enjoyable because we see our jobs as a way to love and serve our couples and not just as a way to make money.   We all truly enjoy what we do!

DETAILS:
Prep:  Patterson’s Nineteen 06
Ceremony:  Lighthouse Community Church, Berwick
Reception:  NicoBella
Wedding Dress:  A-Nets Bridal
Cake:  Jenny Harvey
DJ:  Cheryl Jones
Catering:  Cafe JoJo
Planner / Decorator:  Elegant Events of the South, Jannine
Videographer:  Our Story Films, Blayne Brown
Second Photographer:   Amanda Broussard