I don’t normally do weddings. In fact, I haven’t ever done one before. But this wedding was a very special one. The bride is my best friend and this was my way of saying thank you for all the years of love and support she has given me. She did have an official photographer. In fact, the photographer is a good friend of mine, Melissa Balthaser. She was able to do most of the wedding, but I helped with second shooting and went to the house to do the pre-wedding prep shots. Weddings are a whole different thing from taking shots of babies and toddlers! It was hard enough, but I was also the matron of honor. Add to the mix my two kids were there and it was quite a juggling act! I had so much fun though! I felt so happy to do this for her.

I don’t have shots of the ceremony obviously since I was in the wedding, but I just want to share what a beautiful ceremony it was. First, it was outdoors in a park along a river. They made a beautiful huppa of large tree branches and dogwood and cherry branches as well. It was overcast and chilly, but thankfully not raining. The bride and groom said personal, heartfelt vows. He went first and when he started, the clouds parted and the sun shone down on them. I kid you not that is really what happened. He even stopped to point to the sky and comment about it. I was so overcome with emotion as I watched him tear up as he said his vows and he even got choked up and had to stop for a few seconds. There wasn’t a dry eye there!

Here are just a few of my favorites. B and A, I hope you love them as much as I do. B, you looked so amazing and beautiful. I just loved the perpetual smile you had for the last few days and the dreamy loving look on your face. You guys deserve all the happiness in the world. You are perfect for each other and I am so blessed to have been a part of this beautiful day. Love you guys!

Even while getting made up, she was on her laptop working on something else for the wedding. It was either the notepad with the checklist of to-do’s, her cell phone, or the laptop!

Love the look on her face here.

The thread loop for the second hook was so hard to catch. It took two of us to get it – me with a pair of tweezers to keep the loop open and the other maid of honor B to hook it. Tricky!

Her parents see her in the dress for the first time.

The beautiful cake. The story of how they met was threaded throughout the night, from her vows to her dad’s speech (so incredibly cute…he said, “I saw him before she did.”) to my speech and finally to one of the best men’s speech too. They met on a beach. She was fishing and he almost ran right into the line. So when I saw her cake for the first time, I was just so impressed with how truly perfect it was.

A moment during their first dance… The more I look at this image, the more and more it’s becoming my new favorite.

A mother daughter moment…

And my absolute favorite shot of the night (although now I think it’s getting beat out by the first dance one!). I look at this shot and just feel the tremendous love they have for each other. Truly, a love worth waiting for.