After most weddings, Jesse and I head home to drink whiskey and cull photos into the early morning hours. Not so after Christine and Dan’s wedding. Instead, we unpacked, hydrated, stretched, recharged batteries, and recharged ourselves. Because we had a big responsibility to bring our A-game to Frances and Bryce’s Ironworks wedding the very next day.
Now, don’t get me wrong, the pressure was self-imposed. None of it came from Frances and Bryce. In fact, quite the opposite. They constantly reassured us that whatever we did, they would love. And that they wanted us to eat and drink and enjoy ourselves. But when a wedding photographer at the top of the industry chooses us to photograph her own wedding (and basically gives us free reign over the timeline to do whatever we want), we don’t take that lightly.
Luckily, Frances and Bryce planned one of the most beautiful wedding days we’ve ever seen. Not only was it an aesthetic feast for the eyes, it had amazing food, fantastic drinks, the best entertainment, and guests who were ready to dance their faces off (see below). More importantly, it had the one thing that is never included on a Pinterest wedding day checklist: a bride and groom who were absolutely head over heels for each other. From their quiet celebratory moments post-ceremony to tearing up the dance floor, I’m not sure the universe could have put two more perfect people in each other’s lives.
Jesse and I have always been huge proponents of pursuing the things in life that scare us. Whether it’s trying a crazy photo we’ve never attempted before, or implementing a risky strategy in our business, or giving a presentation to a roomful of the best wedding photographers in the world, we believe that facing one’s fears head on is one of the best things you can do for personal growth. So when Bryce recited a quote from one of Frances’s blog posts during his vows regarding the importance of facing one’s fears, we knew we were in the right place. Is shooting a wedding for a highly talented and successful wedding photographer scary? Hell yes. But it’s well worth the effort.
Frances and Bryce, we cannot thank you enough for inviting us to a wedding where we were friends with cameras and not merely vendors. We hope that the next photo shoot is far from the last adventure we have together!
I can’t think of any more words to describe the day and the words I’ve used already fall short of doing it justice. So please just scroll down and look at the photos….
Wedding venue: Ironworks
Bride’s getting ready location: Frances Photography
Hair: Erin Ferris Designs
Makeup: Danica Severance
Barber shop: Finley’s Barber Shop
Groom’s getting ready location: The Maven Hotel
First look: Clyfford Still Museum
Planning, coordination, and invitations: Brittany, Cloud 9
Videography: Nine Stories Creative
DJ: DJ Manos, Dance Trax
Florals: The Perfect Petal
Catering: Footers Catering
Acapella group: Dance Trax
Dress: Little White Dress
Live guitarist: Eli Moore