when we first met jessica and earl they warned us that based on earl’s position in the air force there was a chance that they wouldn’t know until the last minute if their wedding could really happen the weekend they were preparing for. nevertheless, jessica forged ahead, planning away and leaning on faith that it would work out. and oh, it did!
the morning of their wedding, jessica met me at the door of her parent’s home with a head full of hot rollers and a huge smile! the sun was shining, the details were finished and she was ready to marry the man of her dreams. after years and years of dating (and a few jokes based on that), it was TIME! we had a lot to catch up on since their engagement shoot and i was so excited to hear that she & earl had already had the chance to set up their new home- in nebraska! jessica talked excitedly about the town they would soon call home- noting as an afterthought that she would definitely miss her coke products- they’re all pepsi out there and there’s no making that switch for someone raised in georgia. bottom line though, she was beyond excited to start her new life with earl!
as the girls finished up getting ready it was finally time for jessica to settle into the makeup stool for the creation of her ‘bridal look.’ she went pretty natural with a little bit of a smoky eye- it’s always so amazing to watch make up stylists at work- it’s such an art! in the end when jessica looked into the mirror her eyes filled with tears- it was perfect!
while the ladies grabbed a light lunch i wandered around outside with THE dress, looking for the perfect spot to shoot it in her dad’s expansive garden. i was in heaven, of course, among all of the beautiful veggies but in the end i really loved the way her dress contrasted with the quaint little greenhouse on the edge of the garden. the light was intense so exposing for the dress brought out the rich blues and greens of the sky and lush gardens. i love the resulting shots so much!
meanwhile, matt and the guys were pretty much just hanging out! relaxing over chick-fil-a and generally goofing off! ;) but really, they were totally ready on time- even with a little time to spare so matt could grab a few amazing outdoor portraits! i love these two shots matt took outside the church:
the real waiting happens at the church- when everyone is dressed, portraits are done, bouquets are back in their water and everyone is just- waiting. it is usually a sweet time of story telling and reminiscing but also a time to really focus on what’s about to happen. as jessica and her ladies did just that, they also kept a running commentary on the guests as they were showing up! it was great to hear how everyone was related and knew one another and there were little bursts of excitement as everyone arrived. what a great way to build up the excitement!
as the time drew near, everyone assembled at their assigned location and waited for the ceremony to begin! since we weren’t allowed in the church, matt and i took extra care to get these shots just before the doors were closed and we were ushered to the balcony. i love all of the expectant expressions:
…and of course we shot between the doors a bit to see what we could get! i am in love with this one of matt’s:
we had only a few minutes to grab a few portraits before the reception so we had to think fast! matt quickly decided to shoot through the window of the ground floor of their reception venue and i think the result is stunning- i especially love the colors!
then it was party time! after a sweet first dance and some mingling jessica and earl headed to the cake cutting and then back to the dance floor for a few emotional toasts. as the sun started setting the view of atlanta was stunning and kids of every age enjoyed the view. UNTIL the dance floor exploded into insanity- lead by none other than the groom himself! some of you may have seen us mention it on twitter- but a light bulb was literally shaken from the ceiling and shattered on the dance floor it was so crazy! after a short respite while someone grabbed a broom it resumed and didn’t even slow down for a second the rest of the night!
when it was time to leave jessica & earl exited to clouds of smoke and sparkle! since they were staying at the hotel next door, they carried a just married sign between them as they ran off to the hotel- stopping only to wave one more time. so lovely!
jessica & earl, thank you guys for including us in such a special day. we were so glad that it worked out perfectly for your desired date and we wish you a lifetime of things that work out just as perfectly! best wishes!