our last wedding of 2009 took us back to matt’s hometown- augusta, georgia, where we spent the day with mandy & mark. i’d never met them before the wedding day so, naturally, i was all nerves and unfinished sentences but thankfully matt was there to introduce me to mandy- and that’s all it took! i was comfortable with her sweet, quiet demeanor from the beginning and capturing her peaceful joy was a beautiful way to end an awesome year! matt began his day at a barber shop where mark and the guys enjoyed hot shaves to jump start their day. now, i don’t know this, as i do not shave my face, but i can only imagine this is the perfect way to start a wedding day- just imagining a steamy warm towel wrapped around my head makes my muscles relax a little bit- which is truely saying a lot since i’ve been hunched over this little computer all day! i’ll have to try that sometime…but i digress. i love this shot matt captured of mark- he sure does work every angle! looks relaxing, eh?
meanwhile, i was enjoying the abundance of jewel tones all around me- using them in my shots as often as i could. this little blue stool was perfect for showcasing mandy & mark’s rings- usually i try to find something for the rings to interact with- hang on or reflect from- but really, it’s hard to go wrong with a pop of the right color! and it goes so well with the little library the ladies relaxed in before excitedly getting dressed!
mandy’s grandmother used to wear a pendant for each of her grandchildren and they could only be distinguished by their birthstones- how sweet that mandy carried her pendant with her- wrapped lightly around her bouquet:
we took a few seconds to grab some portraits before the guests started to arrive. the last few minutes before the ceremony were charged with emotion- excitement and love poured from everyone- i loved capturing mandy’s parents having this intimate moment just before their daughter walked down the aisle.
darkness fell during the ceremony and when we exited into moonlight mandy & mark were not even a little worried about heading out to shoot their couple portraits! we grabbed a light and captured some shots with a certain style- a ‘look’ that suited mandy & mark perfectly! they worked it, oh yes:
back at their reception they kicked things off with a beautifully choreographed first dance- so graceful even with the 16 inch height difference!
after toasts we grabbed a few details before the dancing swept the night away! everyone celebrated mandy & mark in style- dancing, cheering, and laughing until the very end. many of the guests even ran after the newlyweds with sparklers to help light the route as they were walking down the street to their hotel- best friends ever!
we broke down as quickly as we could and met mandy & mark for just a few more night portraits at a big amphitheater near their hotel. i love these images because it shows them after their big day was finished- just relaxing and enjoying being together and being married. what a great way to end 2009!
mandy & mark, thank you so much for including us in your wedding day! you are a beautiful couple inside and out- confident yet relaxed and thoughtful. we wish you both the very best and we hope you’re having an awesome first holiday season together as family! :)