WILLOW POND PLANTATION WEDDING , MONTICELLO, FLORIDA
The day began with a flood!!! A washout...or so we all thought! The morning of, as it poured at our home (not far from the ceremony site), we received a phone call from the Matron of Honor, letting us know that the ceremony site was completely flooded! They had tried to get through and it was a mess. At one point they thought they couldn't even hold the ceremony there. Allen & I were determined it would happen, and happen at the ceremony site! We assured her it would be fine and that we would do whatever it took to help them pull it off. We knew that meant we might be "trucking" the wedding party and guests in, but so be it. However, the rain stopped, the sun came out and the wind and sun began to dry out the site. Whew! We were all so thankful. Not only did the sun come out, but we could not have asked for more gorgeous light to photograph the bride in all day! And this lemon & lavender wedding was one of the prettiest we've ever seen!
Backing up a bit, the day we met Candace to discuss her wedding photography needs, I remember thinking there was something so familiar about her, but I couldn't recall just what it was. Finally, it hit me! I taught this sweet girl in the 1st grade (Yes, that makes me um...a bit aged)! Those dimples...I knew they were familiar! I was so excited to reconnect with her again and over the moon about us being able to capture her wedding! Then when we met her fiance, Ben, we realized what a perfect fit they are together! Their personalities compliment each other perfectly!
Ben is crazy about Candace, and it shows in everything he does and says...including their engagement, where he proposed to her by serenading her in New Orleans, along the Mississippi River. Does it get any better than that? Makes me smile just thinking about it.
As we got to know them a bit more throughout their engagement, we grew to love them dearly! They are truly some of the sweetest people you will ever meet. Candace's sweet personality and Ben's zest for life make them an unstoppable team! Their love for each other shows in every photograph. The few times we asked them to be serious and not smile (ha!) were so difficult for them because they are just happy, happy people! All day and night were full of joy and laughter - as it should be! And watching Ben be so attentive to Candace and make sure she was taken care of was beyond beautiful!
With each wedding, we delight in the relationships we've formed with the Bride & Groom, and their wedding party & family. This one was certainly no exception! Even as we edited these photos and prepped them for the blog, our faces ached from smiling - for the joy, the beauty and the new friendships we've made with them! Here are some of our favs!
Enjoy!
THEIR FIRST LOOK MOMENTS WERE SO SPECTACULAR! THE RAW EMOTIONS ARE A PART OF FIRST LOOKS NEVER CEASE TO AMAZE US! THEY WERE SO DELIGHTED WITH ONE ANOTHER. IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS WE'VE BEEN ALLOWED TO WITNESS!
NOW THERE'S A GRATEFUL GROOM!
HIS INTEREST IN THE DETAILS OF HER GOWN WAS ONE OF THE SWEETEST THINGS. SHE WILL BE WELL CARED FOR IN THEIR LIFE TOGETHER.
POCKETS!!!!
BELOW IS A PHOTO OF WHAT WAS LEFT OF "THE FLOOD". THIS WAS TAKEN RIGHT BEFORE THE CEREMONY. THE CARRIAGE HAD TO BE RE-ROUTED BUT IT ALL TURNED OUT BEAUTIFULLY!
NOT ONLY WAS THIS NAKED WEDDING CAKE GORGEOUS BUT INSANELY DELICIOUS! YUM!!! I THINK WE HAVE A NEW FAVORITE CAKE!
THE FATHER/DAUGHTER AND MOTHER/SON DANCES GET US EVERY TIME. BREATHTAKING!
OKAY...SO NOT ONLY WAS THE BOUQUET TOSS A BLAST, BUT THE GROOM DIVING IN FOR THE GARTER WAS AN UNEXPECTED, HILARIOUS SURPRISE!
AND THAT'S A WRAP! OH WAIT...MARRIAGE LICENSE...MUST MAKE THIS LEGAL!
AND NOW THEY'RE LEGAL! YA KNOW YOU HAVE SWEET FAMILY WHEN THEY'LL STILL CELEBRATE WITH YOU AT THE END OF A LONG DAY, AFTER YOUR LICENSE IS SIGNED!
WE CAN'T BELIEVE WE GOT TO BE A PART OF THIS EPIC DAY! THANKS, CANDACE & BEN FOR ALLOWING US TO BE BY YOUR SIDE ON THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIVES! WE LOVED EVERY MINUTE! WE HOPE YOUR LIFE TOGETHER IS FILLED WITH AS MUCH JOY AS YOUR WEDDING DAY WAS!
ENJOY THE JOURNEY!
ALLEN & CAROL
VENDOR LOVE:
Venue: Willow Pond Plantation
Bride's Dress: The New Image
Hair Artist: Christy's Hair Design - Karen Chamblis
Makeup Artist: Lydia Fillmon
Flowers: Groom's Grandmother
Cake: Groom's cousin