Getting Ready in The Clubhouse

My friend Savannah from SavvyShoots hired me as her second photographer for Kara & Zach’s wedding day, and I’m so glad she did! I love to work with other photographers because it’s always a learning opportunity. So many other photographers have different styles of editing and running their business that I like to expose myself to all of it to learn more. 

I spent most of my time with Zach & his groomsmen during the first part of the day. Zach and his guys had a relaxing morning playing golf on Atlas Valley’s golf simulator. They had a private room with 2 different football games playing, all the sandwiches you could eat, and a locker room for them to get ready in. They were such a fun bunch to be around! The locker room provided the perfect spot for the guys to get ready. It was so game-day-esque. Zach’s mom popped in right at the end to pin on his boutonniere. It was a private moment that was super sweet.

Once Zach was ready, I took him up to the bridal suite for his and Kara’s first look. Kara looked absolutely stunning. The bridal suite was also the perfect spot for their first look. I am such a sucker for first looks. In addition to Zach seeing Kara all dressed up for the first time, Kara did a first look with her dad. It was so emotional and I definitely teared up watching them have their private moment. My trick with first looks is to stand close enough with my camera to zoom in but also far enough away that they can exchange words without having another person listening in. It’s such an intimate moment and I try to give them the space to process all the feelings. It’s such an emotional moment for all the grooms and dads to take in.

Portraits on the Golf Course

After the getting ready portion of the day, I transitioned into following around Savannah and capturing what behind-the-scenes video/photo I could. I love taking BTS video because it really showcases how we as vendors work on a wedding day. You get to see the finished product on social media and our websites all the time, but not how we got it. Working with a big group of people and posing can be difficult and I love showing clients how I work so they can get comfortable with me and completely trust me & the process.

We had the opportunity to drive around the golf course to take couple portraits of Zach and Kara before we did the big group photos. My favorite places we visited were the hobbit house and a field right off the course. Atlas Valley had many places we could have stopped for photos and it was hard to choose.

Ceremony and Reception in the Banquet Hall

Kara and Zach opted to have their ceremony indoors- which was actually quite nice because it was so hot on their wedding day. I think we were all sweating when we were outside doing portraits! The ceremony was hosted in the banquet hall and I was able to get a totally unique angle for their photos by being in the wings. Their ceremony was short but sweet, and we went outside for cocktail hour on the patio while the venue flipped the space for their reception.

Cocktail hour was held outdoors and the kids loved it. We spent some time capturing all the candid moments throughout this time, but my favorite was watching all the kids. They were playing tag out on the golf course and there was just something about watching them be kids at a fancy event like a wedding. They will always find ways to entertain themselves and they truly were having the time of their lives.

To kick off the reception, we gathered back into the banquet hall for Kara and Zach’s grand entrance. These two really know how to kick off a party! They ran in with glowing foam sticks and party music with their wedding party. It was so fun and different than anything I’ve seen this year. We went to cut their cake immediately as they entered the reception hall, and then dove into speeches and dinner. I always like listening to speeches because you can really tell how close they are with the couple. Stories are exchanged, laughs are contagious. It’s just such a nice and touching moment. After speeches and dinner, we watched Kara and Zach’s first dance (which was so sweet) and the dances with parents. Savannah and I quickly organized a huge group photo of all the guests in attendance before diving into the real reception.

And then the party really began. Kara and Zach had such a fun group of guests. They were not scared to get out on that dance floor and let loose! I’ve been to many weddings and there’s usually a few people hanging back scared to let loose and have fun, but not this group! We were all on that dance floor having fun and dancing to all the party songs. Glowing foam sticks were passed around. The moms walked back into the reception wearing comfy pants and t-shirts that read “Mother of the Bride/Groom” and danced to Get Low (something I never thought I’d see). Even Kara and Zach ran up to the bridal suite to change into more suitable party attire.

Vendors That Made This Day Possible

I would absolutely be remiss if I didn’t mention SavvyShoots. Savannah and I met at a workshop and we’ve become friends since! I am always excited when I get the opportunity to work with her. Her photography website is linked above. You can access my photography site here. I would love to work with you for your wedding day or any session needs! You can reach me here.

Atlas Valley Golf Club was a wonderful venue to work with. They provided golf carts so we didn’t have to walk all the way around the course and took us to so many great spots for portraits.