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Where to begin with this beautiful wedding day?!? Scott and I had so much fun capturing all the amazing moments of Elizabeth & Jack’s special day, which was brought to life by the incredible planning of Jessica from Parties A La Carte.
Let’s start with the beginning of the day when Elizabeth dug up the bourbon her and Jack buried for their engagement session. All the bridesmaids were super pumped, and there was a huge burst of excitement when we all heard a clink as she hit the glass (after digging for a couple minutes unsure as to where it was exactly). HA! ? Elizabeth even got her pretty manicured hands all dirty for a quick shot with her family and friends. Then we headed up to her childhood bedroom to capture all the fun getting ready moments. Her dress from The Sentamentalist was stunning! The pearl beading up top was my favorite. There’s something about getting ready in your childhood bedroom that just makes you feel all the feels. I’m sure her mom was thinking about all the times she got Elizabeth ready in that room, or when she used to play dolls in there, or have friends over for sleepovers… ahhh so emotional! The room was filled with so much joy and laughter that day, especially when one of her bridesmaids actually flossed Elizabeth’s teeth before she read the letter from Jack. That was a first for me ? After the letter reading, and as Elizabeth would say, her “ugly cry”, we headed downstairs for the first look with “daddio”. What a tear jerking moment! This family was a photo/video team’s DREAM! She also gave her dad a set of oyster cuff links engraved with “L.U., Fav” which is how she always signed her letters to her dad. Goodness gracious, so sweet! Her makeup held strong even through all the tears and hugs, thanks to Lasting Luxe.
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Now during this time, Jack was over at the groomsmen pad just chillin… totally kidding! Of course he had lots going on too. One of the first things he received that day was a gift from Elizabeth’s dad, which was a Georgia bulldog flag that he could raise on the flagpole outside of the office where they were getting ready ? Jack’s reactions were so sweet, and he even cried a bit when given the flag. Such a neat moment to have with his soon-to-be father-in-law. Jack raised that flag proudly (well after they figured out how to string it correctly), HA! That moment was followed by sharing a shot of bourbon (same bottle from the girls), with his groomsmen, ushers and dad.
I think one of my favorite parts of the day was when Elizabeth walked to the church she was getting married in with her mom, dad, and bridesmaids. Growing up, her family used to always walk to church, so she wanted to do the same on her wedding day. I loved it! I’m a super sentimental person, so moments like these just get me, ya know?! She will look back and remember that quick 10 minutes of the day forever.
Elizabeth and Jack were married at the beautiful Church of the Ascension in Clearwater. They had a gorgeous floral arch at the entrance of the aisle followed by huge bouquets by the always amazing MMD Events! What an incredible job they did in a short amount of time ? It really made the grand entrance that much more epic!
Off to the reception we went after hitting some unexpected traffic (which had us arriving at the venue 5 min before sunset… YIKES!), we did make it in time and captured some beautiful pictures of the happy couple. Jack even walked in the sand for me… he really dis-likes sand on his feet ? You’re the BEST Jack.
The reception at Carlouel Yacht Club was pretty incredible! One of the coolest and largest detail of the day was there table seating wall. It was beautiful and so neatly put together with all the seat pockets, oyster shells around their initials, and sea grass around the edges… pretty awesome! They didn’t leave any detail out inside the ballroom either! The centerpieces, gold-rimmed chargers, gold silverware, oyster name plates, oyster candle holders, and the amazing centerpiece that hung above the dance floor. Truly a work of art. And who can forget the stunning cake by Artistic Whisk! WOW!
The reception started off with a 2nd line entrance into the grand ballroom. The entire bridal party led the rest of the guests inside for a dance party, as if the day wasn’t already so much fun! Elizabeth and Jack shared a great first dance together and with their parents. They were full of twirling, dips, 1-legged hops, and BIG smiles all around. The Grapevine Band from Atlanta, GA had the crowd dancing ALL NIGHT LONG! These party animals were having booty shake offs, sing-alongs, spin the bottle dance offs, worm battles (even the bride participated!), and SO MUCH MORE! What a night!
Finally, at the end of the night, Elizabeth and Jack had a sparkler send off to a boat that whisked them away into a wonderful new life together!
This wedding is one that we will not soon forget! Not only was is full of events and amazing special moments, but the bride and groom were a complete JOY to work with. Elizabeth couldn’t stop smiling all day. She truly enjoyed herself every single minute of the day, and that makes my job as the photographer SO easy! Jack was just the kindest, sincerest, and most thoughtful groom. He must have told me at least 5 times how much he appreciated us being there… Jack, it was our pleasure my friend!
My goodness I’m writing a book, BUT I must mention Jessica from Parties A La Carte one more time. She was the backbone of this fabulous day!! Jessica made this day what it was, and we truly could NOT have done it without her. What you don’t see here on this blog is the rehearsal dinner the night before, and brunch the day after the wedding that Jessica also coordinated wonderfully! Thanks for everything Jessica! Another special thanks to Leo Trevino from Rad Red Creative Photography for 2nd shooting with me! Couldn’t have done this wedding without you!
I hope you enjoyed these pictures! Cheers to our newly weds… Elizabeth and Jack!