Katie and Bryan's Backyard Wedding
Last spring I got to photograph Katie and Bryan’s backyard wedding, and it was truly magical!
Katie and Bryan decided to take a little bit of a different approach to their wedding day. They decided to have their closest friends and family to their beautiful home and backyard. As a wedding photographer, it is always exciting to see what venue the couple chooses for their big day, and by choosing their home, Katie and Bryan got to have the most intimate wedding venue.
The details of this wedding were absolutely stunning! Seriously, can every bride have shoe’s as cute as Katie’s? The soft pink, green, and cream floral designs added to the feeling of this being a true spring wedding.
The getting ready portion of any wedding day is full of excitement! As a wedding photographer, I get to see all the nerves and joy that surrounds the couple as the day comes together. I love seeing the unique moments that make each wedding day special. The bride with her girls in matching PJ’s, the groom doing that pre-ceremony shave. Seeing Bryan help his future father in law tie his bowtie, was such a sweet memory to capture.
The first look was something that Katie and Bryan, went a little back and forth on before ultimately deciding to go for it! As someone who has photographed a million (maybe that’s a slight exaggeration) weddings, I’ve seen couples make the decision to do first looks, or to go with the tradition of not seeing each other before the wedding, and both ways are beautiful and sweet. With that said, as a wedding photographer, I am pro first look. Let me explain! There are many practical reasons why I feel this way. For one, it allows us to get so much of the heavy lifting of the photographs done before the ceremony! I can get the couple’s portraits mostly completed, as well as wedding party photographs, and a lot of family formal photographs. This allows me to get my couple’s to their party much faster, which is always my goal! I want you to party and enjoy your wedding day! The real reason I love a first look, is because it allows this quiet, intimate space for the couple to see each other and be together before the rest of the hustle and bustle of wedding day really gets into full swing. The best thing my couples have told me about having a first look, is that it made them feel like they were in it together from that point on! I love that! So ultimately, I was thrilled when Katie and Bryan decided to take a chance on having this sweet time together.
I really enjoyed working with Katie and Bryan! Their kindness and consideration towards each other and everyone they worked with to pull this day off, was always at the forefront of every interaction. The other thing that truly stood out about this couple is how much they loved each other, and the life that they were creating together! As a wedding photographer, you get to be front and center to experiencing and capturing a couple’s love. When that couple invites you into their home, it feels much more personal. Personal might be the perfect word to describe Katie and Byran’s wedding. Every decision made felt like it was important and personal to them. Just goes to show, you can have the smaller, more intimate wedding and still really show your personalities. Maybe even more so!
A great group of friends will take you far in life! Katie and Bryan spent their wedding day surrounded by some really amazing friends. Did I mention this wedding party was FUN!!! They really took all of my prompts to heart and made some of the best wedding party photographs! When I told the guys to tackle Bryan, I was a little concerned for Bryan, haha, but they did great!
Atlanta in the spring, is truly beautiful! Once the neon yellow pollen falls, and is washed away by spring rain showers, the verdant green of the floral and fauna is really stunning. Picking this time of year for their wedding, made Katie and Bryan’s home the perfect wedding venue, for their intimate backyard wedding!
You might think that having photographed so many weddings, that I am immune to getting choked up by wedding vows, but in all honesty during almost each wedding day there is at least one time that I get really choked up! Katie and Bryan’s ceremony was truly beautiful, sweet, and personal. Byran’s mom officiated, does it get any sweeter than that? Everyone who witnessed their vows could feel the love and commitment they were making to each other. I just know, they have a long happy life together ahead of them!
Katie and Bryan’s wedding reception was my kind of party! Delicious Italian dinner, fun signature cocktails, beautiful spring florals, and a great group of friends and family!
The toasts were given by the father of the bride and the best man. Both toasts were filled with both laughter and tears! So heartfelt and capturing the truly beautiful people that Katie and Bryan are, and the truly amazing pair they make.
Katie and Bryan kept to a few wedding traditions at their backyard wedding, like cutting the cake, and doing a first dance! There was no cake face smashing, just a sweet kiss!
The bride and groom, held each other close as they enjoyed their first dance as a newly married couple, with all of their closest friends and family looking on! As dinner, dancing, and drinks were rapping up at the house, the entire wedding made their way to Johnny’s Hideaway to carry on the dancing and festivities! Have I mentioned, this was definitely my kind of party?
Being the wedding photographer for Katie and Bryan’s wedding day was really special! For a couple to take you into their home and be a part of their very intimate wedding day is really a privilege I don’t take lightly. This backyard wedding was so beautiful and charming, with a couple that is equally so.
Congratulations Katie & Bryan!
