Breathtaking Virginia Wedding – Katie and Max 6.22.19

When little kids go to school, they are taught to be “bucket fillers”. I remember my own little girls coming home excitedly to tell me that they had learned all about people who were “bucket dippers” and “bucket fillers”. A bucket dipper takes water out of your bucket, and leaves you empty. A “bucket filler”, adds water to your bucket until it is full! Kindness, and good humor and helping hands and love all “fill” a bucket. And y’all, after this weekend, my bucket is overflowing!!! This was the kind of day that we all dream of – easy, and good humored and breathtakingly beautiful. I had the absolute best day with Katie and Max, and I know their friends and family did too! During our initial planning meeting, Katie brought a tiny watercolor painting with her – an inspiration for their wedding day. It was simple, and beautiful, and featured a garden scene of dusty blue and sage green flowers. On the wedding day, those little paintings graced each table, and I marveled at how all the details of this wedding echoed those little watercolors so perfectly. Katie made a couple of genius level decor choices as well – bringing with her a beautiful velvet ring box for me to photograph her ring in. Providing long ribbons in here wedding colors to attach to the bridal and bridesmaid bouquets (they looked so pretty blowing in the breeze). And maybe my favorite detail of all, she searched for a perfume that smelled good AND came in a bottle that matched her wedding colors – I told you, GENIUS!!! Katie chose a very unique wedding gown (her David’s Bridal store said it was the first time that particular design had ever sold) with a blue undertone and embroidery – she was simply stunning in it. Katie has the rare gift of being so genuine and easy going, that you almost don’t notice how drop dead gorgeous she is – almost! Katie and Max both looked like they stepped out of the pages of a magazine – and so did their bridal party. Sure, part of it was good looks, but the biggest part of it was the pure joy that everyone radiated that day. I know I’m gushing, but it really was a dream come true to be a part of this day. Katie and Max chose to do a “first look” so that they could do a mountaintop photo shoot with me before their ceremony. These are always my favorite kinds of timelines because bride and groom are ready early in the day leaving lots of time for photos! Katie and Max were on board with anything I suggested – even sitting on a blanket in a grassy field – these are probably my favorite photos I have ever taken. It was a privilege to witness all the love on this day…the way the bridal party supported their bride and groom with jokes and laughs and some of the sweetest speeches I’ve ever heard. The way the mother of the groom Lori looked at her son during the mother/son dance, and the pride and endless love that shone from father of the bride Wayne when he saw his daughter in her wedding gown for the first time. I am beyond excited to share some of my favorite pictures from this beautiful Virginia wedding day…