She was sitting in front of the mirror as others buzzed around her – fixing her hair, applying make-up, asking questions – and she had that calm excitement about her.  Every once in a while she’d make a face or look at me with that excited anticipation that only brides give on their wedding day. And one moment at a time, pieces started coming together and before we knew it, she was sliding into her dress and ready to go see her groom.

As he waited to see her, it was easy to see that he was in good spirits. But there was a bit of anxiousness that came with his calm demeanor.  But the moment he heard her voice, the moment she tapped him on the shoulder, all that they were holding inside melted away as they stood hugging, just the two of them, with nothing but the sound of the ocean and voices of friends and family drifting up from the beach.

Joanna and Ben, you guys were nothing short of perfect on your wedding day last weekend on Folly Beach. The laughter and the tears and all of the hugs just show how much you two are cared for and loved.  First, thank you for allowing us to capture the day you became husband and wife.  Second, thank you for being such wonderful friends.  It was nothing short of sheer joy to be there and watch the day unfold through the lens of my camera.  There are a lot of favorites, but I hope you enjoy them as you start to unwind from your time in Jamaica!

My Ben went to photograph Joanna’s Ben getting ready.

Nic, Joanna’s brother, was the Bachelor of Honor and stood by her side.

Ben is from Florida and is a huge Gators fan so Joanna surprised him with these Florida garters.

 

Joanna, my friend… you are so beautiful.

 

I definitely don’t require my brides to see their grooms before the ceremony, but boy do I love when they do.
That look on Ben’s face says it all.

Right there? Where Joanna looks so peaceful? It’s another reason I adore First Looks.

This might be a favorite.

The wind was a little strong that day, but everyone just went with it :-)

It would have been really easy for Joanna’s nephew to have stolen the show that day!

My Ben captured this one.

Love.

Ben is a huge sports nut. So it was only appropriate that his guys’ gifts were baseball hats and miniature bats.

You guys.  This is STUNNING.

Joanna’s mom and bridesmaids did an amazing job with the flowers!

And Joanna’s friend Jackie did an outstanding job on the cupcakes!

Um, can we say adorable??

And then… it was time!

Even with First Looks, there’s nothing like a groom watching his bride come down the aisle.

…or dance down the aisle!

Only four people knew Joanna and her dad were going to DANCE down the aisle.  Ben wasn’t one of them :-)

And it was her dad’s idea! That’s how awesome their family is.

And to top it off, when her dad gave her away, instead of shaking Ben’s hand… they did a chest bump.

Perfection.

As they were praying, a flock of birds flew over in a perfect V-formation.

Married!!

The one on the left may be my absolute favorite.

Just a few more portraits at sunset…

You know what’s coming…

You know that toasts that make you laugh and cry are good toasts :-)

And then it was time to dance!

You might recognize these two from their wedding in March.  Love them.

And before we knew it, it was time for their last dance.