Natalie + Evan | Hillcrest Country Club Wedding

No matter how many weddings I shoot, every wedding-day morning, I wake up feeling the weight of responsibility to capture the depth of emotion and love that is manifest on that wedding day.  No pressure, really. It’s only the MOST beautiful, important, most anticipated [most expensive] day  in their lives. Our work is their only physical capturing of their day that will help preserve in their memories the perfection of it all.  It may be strange, but I LOVE that feeling; It’s that feeling that drives me to capture the moments I do.  I would be scared if I didn’t have it because it would mean that I’m not giving the wedding the importance that it deserves.  I am constantly filled with gratitude for the bride and grooms who allow and trust me to document their day through my lens.

Immediately upon meeting Natalie and Evan, I witnessed in them a genuine and gentle devotion and adoration for each other. More than usual, I knew they were an incredible couple… that they shared an endless love… that their wedding day was going to be an incredible day.  And incredible it was.  Photographing Natalie and Evan’s wedding was a pure delight.

When Luisa and I reunited after the ‘getting ready’ shots, she positively gushed about Natalie’s Allure dress, J.Crew necklace and Badgley Mischka shoes. She was right; the entire ensemble was absolutely breathtaking.

Natalie and Evan chose to do a first look.  I absolutely LOVE when a bride and groom choose to see each other before the ceremony.  It paves the way for some beautiful moments and images.

Let me just say that Natalie and Evan were pro’s in front of the camera.  You’d think they had secret modeling careers on the side.  Without giving them much direction at all, they would mold to each other, and were incredibly comfortable in each other’s arms.  Natalie looked absolutely radiant.  The way she moved and posed herself, the expressions she spoke through her eyes, how and when she smiled. She was fantastic… and she glowed. 

In a toast given at their dress rehearsal, Mr. Cain, Natalie’s Dad, said of the wedding party, [and I paraphrase] ‘if a person can be judged by the caliber of the people that surround them, Natalie and Evan are accurately represented by their friends.’ I don’t know if I have seen yet in a wedding such devotion and service as was rendered by the bridal party. They were fantastic.  

I LOVE Natalie’s bouquet created by John Carpenter’s Flowers.

Umm…seriously!?  Must you guys look so awesome in front of the camera?

At the end of the night, Natalie, Evan and I snuck out to take just a few last pictures before the sun went down.  I am so so glad we did.

Natalie and Evan, Luisa and I have rarely enjoyed working with a couple as much as we enjoyed being with the two of you [aside from the near death experience in the Golf Cart. It was Luisa's first time, so we won't hold it against her... ; )]. We honestly admire your relationship with each other and with your family and friends. There was such an atmosphere that day that we hope we were able to accurately capture with our images. As in the picture above, and as I said in the beginning, there was a ‘genuine and gentle devotion and adoration’ in every moment of that day.

*Luisa says to say hello to Mary Lou, her new best friend.