When I first met with Ashley and Lee, I knew we were in for it. Ashley is hilarious, ridiculously sweet and has such a zest for life and is as Type 'A' planner as it gets--which she probably filled me in on a million times at that initial meeting and the engagement session that followed ;) I loved her. We're the complete opposite (I'm a lot like that fiance of hers, very laid back, stress-free and Type 'B') so the whole meeting we both just laughed at and with her ;). She had her big binder and her list full of questions and her plans and details all laid out and I couldn't help but admire her and get so excited from her pure bliss of it all. She was getting married and you best believe it was going to be the best day ever, she'd make sure of it! We balanced eachother perfectly. I must say, when she told me she had been a fan of ours for years, since we began, that she knew WE were the only thing she wanted for her big day and her family made sure that happened for her no matter what--I felt tears of disbelief, shock and was humbled beyond belief (annnnd maybe a little pressure, holy crap talk about a compliment I'll never be able to fully comprehend!)
When their day finally arrived Ashley was cool as a cucumber; she had gotten a good cry out and was ready to go--make up was finishing up, everyone was so excited! She planned for a 'first look' to have the opportunity to cram in as much picture time as possible as well as relieve a little stress on the two of them--she said she couldn't be happier that she made this decision! We found a little snippet of shade at Marina Shores for them to share their first moments together and it was so beautiful!! Lee was beaming, smiles from ear to ear--Ashley had to stop midwalk because she was overwhelmed with a new wave of tears. This was it, it was happening and she was the happiest girl in the world. I love love love it all! We continued with their pictures until guests started to arrive and then we tucked them away just in time for their touching 'I do's'; only a few more tears for that ;)
Ashley, who remember, is extreme planner extraordinaire, was relaxed. She had a cocktail in hand and was the epitome of a 'happy bride' taking in the moments of her day. I was so proud of her! She let go, let loose and had a BLAST. Lee, who does anything and everything to support her, love her and make her happy--he went with the flow of the day with a laugh and a smile. She wanted more pictures, he said 'lets go!' We were originally supposed to steal a few minutes away for more pictures around 7:30 but I discussed things with Ashley and the DJ and arranged to push back that time a bit in order to capture a gorgeous sunset over the water--I think I needed to be pinched because it's so very rare that things can fall in to place like that when you're working around a timeline and 'checklist'--and ohhh how worth it it was!!!
They got back in time to dance the night away and I was able to sit back, snap away and just take in the amount of overwhelming LOVE this family has for one another. It truly is such a beautiful thing. Brian and I received so many hugs, sweet words and acts of kindness from various family members that night and I left that Wedding feeling such a sense of gratitude. Ashley and Lee were so busy thanking US for being there and capturing their day when in reality, I'm so thankful for THEM. Thank you for trusting us, thank you for being a breath of fresh air, thank you for being the sweetest couple on earth, thank you for making our job FUN and thank you for giving us so much to be thankful for--we LOVE YOU GUYS!!!
All handpainted signs and chalkboards by Tidal Bay Collections
Ashley, all of your emotions are so beautiful!!
XOXO