This weekend was amazing! One of my best friends since I was in junior high got married …..to one of the most awesomestesetest guys! ( a disclaimer, I’m typing with acrylic nails and I’m SOO not used to this so I apologize now for any spelling mistakes!!)
As I sit here and replay the night in my mind, I can’t help but smile. For one it was so different for me to be “on the other side” (I said that in my best Star Wars voice) and not to worry about what’s going on over there or over there, I could just enjoy the moment. THAT was fantastic!! But more importantly, I got to see the wedding day unfold in a completely different way. As I sat there on the pew watching her say her vows, I had a flash back moment. I know this is so cliche, but you know how they say you can “see everything flash before your eyes”. I get it now. I sat there and it was as if I was replaying all those year of us in junior high and high school. She was holding hands and exchanging vows with the man she was going to marry and I just kept thinking of all those moments prior to this VERY moment that got her up there on the alter. All those experiences, embarrassing moments, old boyfriends, hard times that got her to HERE, that made her who she is and made Joe pick HER as the women he wanted to marry…..and I cried….like a baby! She stood up there surrounded by so much love and she GLOWED!
Incase you don’t know, Nicole is also a wedding planner so if anyone was going to plan a fantastic wedding it was going to be HER! She was so calm and collected and GORGEOUS!! The gals in the wedding party spent the night at the Mansion on Maple Heights (also where the reception took place). In the morning we woke up to breakfest by the awesome “Winston” a.k.a. Black Lavender (long story). He made us his special “sexy french toast” (of course I’m going to order ANYTHING that has sexy in it” hahaha) and we sat and laughed …..and laughed! The makeup artist and hair stylists came to the mansion so that we could get ready without leaving. It was fantastic to just hangout while everyone was getting primped and beautified. We sipped on Mimosa’s and ate Panera for lunch thanks to our delivery man!! 🙂
Because I was in the wedding, I obviously didn’t shoot the wedding, but the gal that did Miss Erica Hillard did a fantastical job and I can’t WAIT to see the pictures. Erica and I know each other from my newspaper days…she’s amazing! With that said, the photos you see below are mostly from my Instangram app on my Iphone. I was being respectful of the hired photographer and shot only with my Iphone camera……a.k.a my cell phone camera! I know from experience, there is nothing more annoying than when 100 people with cameras are trying to take your same shot getting in the way of you doing your job! Yes, I did take my camera with me, however everyone other than MYSELF used it. We called it the community camera and most of those images came from John! Thanks John!! I see a new career in your future! 🙂
I didn’t take a lot of photos with my iphone at the reception but I hope you enjoy seeing the behind the scene photos via my cell phone camera. Being a photographer is so engrained into me that I just can’t NOT take photos 🙂
Mr. + Mrs. Pope, I hope you have a wonderful time in St. Lucia!!! I love yinz!! 🙂
PS: are you on Instagram? Be my friend!!! My name is: jenmcken
