There are so many things that I could say about our wedding day. There is one word, however, that continually comes to mind…joy. There was literally tangible joy in the air that day. Just ask anyone that was there to celebrate with us. The culmination of years of friendship and intentional pursuit of each others hearts. One thing was certainly true: we were SO ready to be married!

The entire day went by quicker than I can even say! Instead of writing a novel for this blog post to describe every moment, here are my favorite highlights:

• As all of the vendors were arriving in the morning, I kept running outside to greet them and give them a huge hug. We’d been planning this day together for so long! Finally, Tiffany, my wedding planner, had to ban me from the tent because I kept bursting in to greet more vendors, LOL. We were doing a reception tent reveal so she wanted it to be a surprise!
• Our first look was everything I could dream of! I was legitimately running towards Chance while he was waiting for me on the dock! My photographer and videographer had to ask me to slow down so they could take photos and video, haha. Chance turned around, gasped, and said, “I KNEW you’d have sleeves on your dress!” Hahaha – it was so perfect!
• Our ceremony was something out of a story book. I feel like most people don’t get excited about their ceremony, but I knew from the beginning I wanted ours to be representative of us. As soon as I rounded the corner and saw EVERYONE that came and Chance looking at me, my dad and I both burst into tears. Chance ended up crying, too, which just completely wrecked me. Our officiant, John, was our youth pastor all through high school and was there when we first met. He’d been with us through pretty much every step of our friendship and was there to watch us grow a relationship. He told our story from his perspective and it was so beautiful. We then read personal vows to each other that we’d written. After we tearfully said our vows, we took communion surrounded by the people that had poured into us and our relationship the most: our moms, John, and our mentors from high school. As a few members of our bridal party played guitar and sang “So Will I,” our favorite worship song, they all prayed over us and for the start of our marriage. It was indescribably beautiful and I still cry every time I watch it.
• Chance’s papa was his best man and he was the STAR of the wedding day! Everyone loved him, especially his toast and even more, his reception entrance. You’ll have to scroll down to get a look at that 😉
• My dad and I’s reception dance was so US. We danced for 1 minute to a “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” a song we always listened to together when I was growing up while on the boat on the lake. THEN, our DJ scratched to “Rapper’s Delight.” My dad and I once brought down the house at a karaoke bar while rapping this, so it was ONLY appropriate to rap part of it at our wedding 🙂
• The reception was EVERYTHING I could have dreamed of and more! I love to dance and love to be surrounded by friends! There was hardly a soul that wasn’t on the dance floor! Largely, I believe that was thanks to Charlie, our incredibly DJ! He seriously brought down the house! I had so many friends call me and tell me how it was the best reception they’d ever been to and that our DJ was the best EVER!
• Last, but certainly not least, the fact that I got to marry my best friend will always be the most important part of this day! Although this day was literal perfection, I would have been content with just Chance and I with an officiant and our families on a beach somewhere. The wedding was an amazing party and celebration, but the true heartbeat of the day was our love for one another. That’s how it should always be.

I hope you love these photos as much as we do! I am overwhelmed with gratitude to each and every vendor that made this day possible! You all are absolutely incredible!

Bridal Gown: Essence of Australia from New York Bride and Groom || Bridesmaid Dresses: ASOS, Adrianna Papell, and Badgely Mischka || Cake: Good Taste with Cate + Co. || Calligraphy: Delighted Calligraphy || Catering: Roots Catering || DJ: Split Second Sound || Florals: Julep Floral || Hair and Makeup: Beauty Asylum || Hairpiece: Paige and Elliott || Invitations: Designed by Demi Mabry, printed by Copy Express || Linens: Nuage Designs Inc. || Photographer: Rach Loves Troy || Planning and Coordination: Hart & Co. Events || Rentals: Everemore Event Company and Party Reflections || Shoes: Badgely Mischka || Transportation: Silver Fox Limos || Tuxes: The Black Tux || Venue: Champagne Manor || Videographer: A. Lewis Films