when i was younger there was a house that we passed every day on the way to school with a front yard FULL of wildflowers. as we drove by i dreamed of one day planting my own yard full of flowers instead of grass. life went on and i learned about neighborhood regulations- that dream was put on the back burner…until we showed up at chane’ & tom’s wedding! there were wildflowers EVERYWHERE! they stopped only for the occasional unpaved road and their color and vibrancy set the stage for their dream wedding. there were tall fields of sunflowers all around us and small bright poppies, daises and what looked like blue flax adorned every inch of natural space around the ceremony and reception sites. it was tom’s family’s property and chane’ was given free reign with the seeds- the sight could not have been more beautiful!

really everything about this wedding was a dream- the weather, the colors, the setting but most of all, the people. huge grins accompanied every event of the day, which was actually very helpful for me as chane’ and her family are from south africa and all day wove in an out of speaking english and the exotic sounding, afrikaans. the vibrant culture that accompanies this language was evident in chane’s wedding, and blended seamlessly with the southern hospitality of tom’s upbringing.

i could really talk all day about the unique and loving families who came together at this wedding, but really, i think the pictures can say much more. we’ll start with the beginning of the day, with the girls chatting in the kitchen lazily munching watermelon- while the dress was hanging quietly in a bedroom down the hall.

while i hung out with the ladies and watch chane’s little sister work absolute MAGIC on her hair, matt met the guys at tom’s grandparent’s old home. tom’s aunt lives there now and was so kind to allow us to wander the property and take portraits in the very same places tom used to play in as a kid! the nostalgia of the barn, especially, worked wonderfully for images- it was just so rich with old tools and dusty light!

probably one of my favorite images we’ve ever taken- the light is just so brilliant and dramatic and emphasizes the details on chane’s dress perfectly!

because i was so in love with the decor there was no way around us making a detail board for this wedding! chane’- your brilliance and creativity came together so perfectly! this is just amazing:

the sun came and went during the ceremony so we have a huge variety of images! i love that matt grabbed this one as the sun was just about to break through. he actually grabbed two shots so he could do a little composite- we rarely do anything HDR but the sky was too stunning not to!

just as matt grabbed the previous shot and started walking back to the ceremony, the sun peeked out and shined straight into my lens. usually i’d immediately angle the lens for a more balanced shot but the moment when it came out was so beautiful i wanted to capture exactly what their guests were seeing- the resulting capture brings a little thrill to my heart:

as does this look:

the sunflowers i mentioned before were tipped with golden light as we strolled down this little road for portraits. the next few moments are some of the best i’ve experienced as a photographer. the light was beyond words, the sunflowers were brilliantly golden and the green was glowing with the sunset- and chane’ & tom were celebrating being married, totally ignoring us, grinning and laughing and embracing and kissing- we couldn’t shoot quickly enough.

when the sun finally dropped it happened quickly- replacing the striking gold with a cool blue hue. i love how matt captured the reception, the dusky sky and the wildflowers in the foreground all in this shot:

chane’ & tom had their guests cheering and tearing up the dance floor from the moment they were introduced! tom even grabbed the mic and shocked us all (well, at least me! i guess his friends knew) by belting out mustang sally in a way i’m sure i’ll never hear again! the energy level stayed at rave status most of the evening and i’m sure matt and i had as much fun as the guests! seriously, i could go to their wedding again every weekend and enjoy it each time!

this next shot was taken as tom was reaching for the garter to toss it. chane’s mom’s expression cracks me up- it seems to be a mixture of disbelief and joy- really, all of the expressions are priceless- it’s a winner:

a robust cover of don’t stop believin’ brought down the house as the last song and we’ve never had a harder time picking out just one image of a series to share with you!

chane’ & tom, you guys, i don’t have words for you! everything about your wedding was as enjoyable for the guests as it was for you, and i don’t think i’ve ever smiled as much as i did (and laughed!) at your reception. thank you so so much for including us in your wedding, best wishes to you! oh and THANK YOU for introducing me to boiled peanuts, now everytime we pass a sign for them on the road i get all excited and make matt stop! ;)