Rachel was not nervous for her wedding day at all.  Even after losing one of her contacts the morning of her wedding, she still was in excellent spirits.  I love these types of weddings where the bride and groom at there to relax, have fun and celebrate their day.  Nothing can get in the way of stopping that.  It was truly a joy hanging out with Rachel, Adam, their families and the bridal party.  Here are a view of my favorites from their wedding!

Adam really wanted the first time he saw Rachel was of her walking down the aisle. Rachel wanted to do the ‘first look’ before the ceremony to have a stress free day.  As any good relationship, a compromise was reached.  We had access to Patton Chapel a little bit early to we could grab this photo:

Love this photo that Heather captured of Rachel looking at Adam during the ceremony!

After the guests left the ceremony, Adam and Rachel decided to practice their first dance in an empty church.  It was romantic and I’m so glad I was there to capture it!

As Rich and I arrived at Hair-a-Go-Go with umbrellas in hand, we were greeted by Stephanie’s gorgeous, calm smile and peaceful demeanor. She was disappointed about the weather forecast, but was determined to make the best of it and enjoy her special, beautiful day. 

Rich and I could not have been more excited about where Stephanie chose to have her hair done…and for anyone who has visited this glorious salon, you know exactly why! Natural light pours in from wall-to-wall windows, and the decor could not be more unique, fun, and chic! Stephanie, her mom, and her bridesmaids enjoyed the pampering and emerged with wedding-ready hairstyles! 

Then is was on to the fabulous Elea Blake for a mother-daughter makeover! We cannot recommend Darin and her team highly enough as they are fun, professional, and collaborative.

Stephanie was absolutely radiant, and ready to bask in her wedding day! 

Then we moved on to the church, Calvary Chapel, where the ceremony and reception were held. I believe Josh and Stephanie are only the second couple to be married in the church’s new building! So fun! 

Details…

Gorgeous floral arrangement by Humphrey’s Flowers…

Rich and I enjoyed photographing the bride and groom’s “first look,” as they spent a few tender moments together before the ceremony. We are strong advocates of the first look…for so many reasons! The moments that a bride and groom take to see each other before the ceremony are so precious, and it always seems to calm nerves and give a couple the only quiet, one-on-one time during the entire busy day. Not to mention the opportunity to photograph just the bride and groom in a focused, relaxed way. Couples who do this are always SO glad that they did, and the photos are priceless! 

Rich’s perspective on the “first look”…

A few of mine…

There are many more bridal party photos to come in a separate blog post, but here are just a few for now! 

Shortly before the ceremony, we ran off to the Chattanooga Nature Center with Josh and Stephanie to get some photos in a gorgeous setting! We only had a half hour here, but we made the most of our time!

I LOVE this photo that Rich captured…

I grabbed this photo of Stephanie’s bouquet in this natural setting and love the juxtaposition of the worn, distressed wood and the immaculate, beautiful arrangement! 

The time came for the ceremony to begin! 

I love that the bride and groom are spotlit in this photo and everything else fades….

The first kiss as husband and wife!

I had so much fun taking photos of this cake! I loved the vibrant spring colors and the elegance of it! Cake made by Cake Boutique…

Some seriously fun cake cutting…

Sweet, tender dances: 

Dancing and the send-off! 

Josh and Stephanie, thank you so much for allowing Rich and I to be such an integral part of your day! We loved every second and wish you all the very best! Congraultions – and we know you will make an amazing couple for years to come!