As photographers, we all have our own version of what an “ideal wedding” looks like. From the personalities of the bride and groom to the events of the day, and of course the decorations. When I got the inquiry for this intimate wedding, I had no idea that this would end up being one of my all time favorite weddings to photograph.
When I met Julie and Rick for the first time, I liked them both right away and thought we hit it off pretty well. We talked about what they wanted their day to be like. They wanted it to be just them and their parents, and they were going to have it at Julie’s grandparents old Christmas tree farm. I thought, “Wow, could this be any more of a dream?” I’ll just go ahead and tell you, it was.
After going over the important details, Julie started showing me how she was planning to set up, and I about lost my mind. MY DREAM WEDDING TO SHOOT. Everything from the florals, to the little details, and the alter. It was like it was straight off of my Pinterest board.
Once the wedding day rolled around, I was ecstatic. It was on a Tuesday afternoon, so I left work early and grabbed some coffee on the way to their house. And yes, I was wearing white shirt and spilled coffee all down the front and had no extra clothes. It was a good thing I already knew Julie and Rick were cool people.
We had their first look in their backyard and even snapped a few pictures with their cute pups! Then we drove down the road to the tree farm and when I walked around the corner, I just stopped and got goosebumps despite the 80 degree weather. It was all quite literally, picture perfect.
We spent some time walking around taking portraits of Julie and Rick while Julie’s mom set up the beautiful picnic. When the sun finally went down a little, we decided it was time for the vows. I can’t say enough how incredibly special an intimate wedding like this is. If anyone asks me why I only shoot intimate weddings, or why I think that they’re the way to go, this will be the day that I’ll pull out of the back of my pocket.
Julie and Rick wrote the most beautiful and special vows to share with each other, and there were no distractions in the way. They got to share this life changing moment with four people who love them more than anyone could, and that’s all what it’s about.
After their beautiful ceremony, we snapped a few more fun shots and then moved to the picnic! I snapped a few pictures of them while they cut the cake and had some wine, and then they invited me to sit and eat with them. If there’s one thing I can tell you a photographer remembers most about a wedding (or maybe just me) is how they feel in the company of the bride and groom and their family. This bride took the time out of her day to be sure to pack me a plate so that I could sit down and eat with them, and it’s bringing me to tears again writing about it four months later.
This sweet day will forever be one of my favorites, and if you're wondering if you should have an intimate wedding at an overgrown Christmas tree farm, the answer is YES.
