A blog post on a Tuesday?!  I know… Pretty out of the ordinary considering that I always post on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays!!  The truth is that between finishing up a wedding gallery, a couple’s session gallery, and a senior session gallery, I just was not able to get a blog post published also!  However- I was able to finish Chelsey + Charlie’s wedding photos and these are entirely too perfect not to share as soon as possible (that means they are being shared today!! haha)!

Ok, So here’s the truth… I don’t cry at weddings when I am photographing them… I am completely in “work” mode and am consumed in my duties.  Actually, I rarely cry at all during weddings (except for my own in which case I was blubbering like a baby before I saw brad as I walked down the aisle)!  With that being said, I cried at least 3 times at Chesley + Charlie’s!!  It was such an amazing day!!

The day of their wedding arrived and there was not a great weather forecast.  There was a chance of rain all day so the decision had been made to move the ceremony indoors to the same location as their barn reception… I arrived a few hours before the ceremony to start taking details photos of their ceremony/reception site, unsure of what to expect since the weather forecast had changed their original plans… Well, let me tell you that the entire location was amazing!!!!  It was a huge red barn will large doors on either side and tall, wood bean ceilings… The aisle was a burlap runner lined with baskets of dried corn stalks. The alter was made of two white, rustic, wooden doors on each side with a plank of wood that read “Our Love Story” connecting the two doors together.  In front of the doors stood an arrangement of fall wreaths, mums, hay bails, antique crates, and wheat bundles.  The white linen tables were decorated with fall arrangements of wheat, leaves, and pumpkins.  There were hand made details every where you looked!!  I could try to go into detail about them all but seriously this would be a thirty page blog post!!!  (But don’t worry because I am including plenty of photos!)

I met with the groom while the bride was at the salon getting her hair and make up finished.  Charlie was such a fun groom to spend time with because he literally will talk to you like you’ve been friends your entire lives!!  We joked and laughed and caught some great images of him.  He was holding on to his bride’s ring for dear life and laughing about how nervous he was that he would possibly lose it!  

I then headed over to see the bride!!  When she arrived to her childhood home, it was time for her to put on the amazing details.  We helped Chelsey into her ivory and lace wedding gown.  She finalized the look with earrings and a veil then slid on her garter.  Once she and her mother were ready, we walked downstairs to do a first look with Chesley’s dad!!!  He had not seen the dress at all yet so this was going to be a big moment!!  We walked outside to the porch and I stood back to capture her dad’s reaction when he saw his little girl dressed to perfection, ready for such an amazing day.  (I think everyone was a little teary eyed after this!!)

It was then time for the ceremony to begin!  The bride’s father drove her to the barn in a big farm truck and I walked inside to take my place.  The mother’s were escorted in, followed by the groom and their pastor.  Chelsey + Charlie had decided to keep it simple and not have a wedding party, so next it was time for the bride to make her way down the aisle.  It was such a beautiful ceremony full of faith and such genuine love.

Once finished with photos, it was time for the party to begin!!!  It was such a memorable night.  You could absolutely tell in every moment that Chelsey + Charlie are so very loved by their friends and family.  The night was full of dancing, laughter, heartfelt speeches, tribute songs to loved ones that have passed away, hugs, tears, and more heart than you can imagine…There was a moment during the reception that was in honor of the groom’s father who had passed away.  The way he held his bride and the way she held him back was such a beautiful example of marriage… Sometimes you have to be strong enough for the both of you and hold each other up in times of weakness and despair.  I cried like a baby when I witnessed this and for that moment I was so unbelievably proud of Chesley and Charlie and the bond that they have… As absolutely sad as that moment was for the couple, it was a very beautiful depiction of a strong marriage ahead.

Needless to say this wedding was very dear to my heart and I feel so honored to have been able to capture it for them.  Chelsey and I were childhood friends.  Time and adulthood has a way of making you lose touch with people sometimes, but she is still very much a special person to me.  It is amazing to see such a dear friend as a bride + a mother and witness the start to such a beautiful marriage to come.  Charlie is an amazing person and I am so happy that she found him to spend the rest of her life with.  I am beyond happy for this sweet couple and their little boy!  Join me in congratulating the new Mr. + Mrs. Fox and scroll below to take a look at some of my favorites from their special day!