Kim and Matt’s summer wedding dawned cloudy and warm, and only got cloudier and warmer as the day went on. Many brides would have fretted about the weather, but Kim remained calm - simply enjoying getting ready with her daughters and friends - and kept her cool even when she walked out the door towards the altar and realized the sky was opening. Throughout the whole planning and shooting process during which I got to know Kim and Matt, this theme of focusing on their love for each other rather than their need for everything to go according to plan held true. And for me as a photographer trying to capture all of the emotions and ins-and-outs of their day, this made my job infinitely easier and more enjoyable!

My assistant, Erin, and I began our day at 10, setting up for all of the “getting ready” women’s preparation photos. This is always a fun time for me because I get to know the bride and bridal party well, preparing for the non-stop action of later in the day while still quietly capturing their nervous excitement while doing hair and makeup. We had almost 4 hours for these photos, so we spent a pleasant morning languidly shooting, talking, laughing and munching on delicious snacks that the caterer had provided. The best part for me was that the lodge’s upstairs room provided an especially beautiful backdrop for our details photos as the wall color fit nicely with Kim’s color scheme and the mirror, hallway and wooden accents lent me great tools for composition.

As I mentioned before, the weather seemingly did not want to cooperate for the wedding (although what wouldn't we give for rain now?!) so when we walked outside to rain, I admittedly got nervous. (For my gear; I don't mind at all playing in the rain.) Luckily, I'd prepared for just such an occasion and handed out clear bubble umbrellas for Kim and her family, then waddled around with Erin tethered to my side covering me with an umbrella while I shot the ceremony.

The great thing about overcast skies is the beautiful soft light they provide and this day proved no exception. Throughout the ceremony I giddily photographed without having to worry about adjusting for light, instead focusing on capturing Kim and Matt’s happiness as they made their vows, even tearing up myself at how adoringly they looked at each other.

The rain truly started coming down as we were preparing the take family photos but thanks to the a perfect-sized opening in the barn and some speedlights, we were able to knock out all of those photos while remaining happy and dry. After those, everyone trooped up to the lodge to relax and kick back before the other couple hundred people arrived for the party.

They weren't kidding when they said they knew a lot of people in the community! When we walked into the reception for the first dance, I was struck by just how many people had come to celebrate as Kim and Matt joined their families together. And then struck by just how many people in the athletic department like to dance!

Our primary reception objective was to capture everyone having fun so I have literally hundreds of shots of people dancing and laughing, my favorites being those of Kim and Matt’s kids all dancing together. The bride and groom even joined in to the exuberant festivities showing off their moves unabashedly.

I stole the happy couple away for all of 5 minutes for their couple’s portraits as they preferred to spend time with their guests rather than take a lot of time to get posed portraits. In that short amount of time, the sky finally decided to celebrate and showed off with a gorgeous sunlit evening to highlight our mountain backdrop. A few smiling shots and a few kisses later, we went back up to the barn to party the night away.

I'm working on building their photo album this week and have spent quite a bit of time laughing at funny memories, smiling at the family’s sweetness and being thankful that I get to capture lifetime memories like this that the couple can enjoy forever.

Dress: Wildflower Bridal

Cake: Cakes by Gray

Venue & catering: The Fields of Blackberry Cove

Ice cream: The Hop

Wine: Metro Wines