It was about this time last year that I heard Leigh’s name for the first time.  Ben and I were shooting another friend’s wedding (my “little sister’s” wedding, actually) and Phillip and his mom were there because they’d been family friends for several years.  So when I heard Leigh’s name and saw the smile that came across his mom’s face, I knew this girl was something special.  And I told you guys this in the fall, but I’m pretty sure I squealed when Phillip’s email came through that he was going to propose and wanted us there to capture it!

And after a “real” engagement session and months of planning, their wedding day was finally here!  And it was a GORGEOUS day!  Believe it or not, after doing portraits outside for a little while, we all needed a break inside with the air conditioning!  But, in all honesty, it could have been pouring rain and it wouldn’t have mattered to Leigh & Phillip.  They were all smiles all day long and were surrounded by some of the most fun and loving people we have ever met!

You guys… your wedding day was perfect.  It was full of laughter and fun and jokes and just being around those that mean the world to you.  And I don’t think either of you wanted anything more than those exact things.  I hope you’re enjoying your honeymoon travels!  Please… for me… while you’re in Paris, have a crepe with Nutella and a pain au chocolat.  And while you’re in Brussels, have a waffle from a street vendor in the metro for me.  Then bottle up some of the sights, sounds, and joy while you’re there and cherish it forever!

The day started at the church with beautiful hallways and lots of natural light was pouring in.

Loved the lace on the top of her dress!!

I was so thankful they decided to do a First Look.  It gave them several minutes to soak in the day and then we still had about 20 minutes of portraits for just the two of them!

I love Ben’s angle on these!!  Look at Phillip’s face!

Dear Spring… you make all of our hearts happy!

Her smile was contagious!

The guys had just enough purple/lavender with their dark grey suits.  They looked great!

Even with seeing each other before the ceremony, nothing can take away from the moment of walking down the aisle…

And they’re married!!

I generally follow the bride and groom out of the church (or somewhere away from guests) to give everyone time to leave the church before we go back in for any family photos we still need to take.  I don’t really do a lot of posing during this time because I want them to enjoy the fact that they’re MARRIED!  So when we ended up in this courtyard and I walked to the other side, I turned around to find them dancing… their first real dance as husband and wife :-)

On the way to the reception, we did make one quick stop at the peach orchard… the scenery was too good and the light too amazing to pass up!
I’d mentioned the idea of stopping here to them before the ceremony and they were both game… so thankful for couples that trust me!

How amazing and wonderful is this?!?  Love this, you two!

Oh my goodness… just beautiful, Leigh.  That dress was SO perfect for you!

Their reception made me fall in love with tulips… they’re just beautiful!

The new Mr & Mrs!!

They decided to share the dance floor for the dances with their parents.  It was really sweet to see them all out there!

After dinner and before the party really got started, we took advantage of the GORGEOUS light before sunset.  Golden hour… you did not disappoint!

Leigh, I loved your dress, but I was kind of obsessed with the back of it… and if anyone had told me 10 years ago that I would be obsessed with a lace dress that had a bow on the back, I would never have believed them.  But this dress?  It’s so beautiful, so simple, so classic and so perfect.

Ben’s shot!  How amazing is this??

I’m also kind of in love with this detail shot…

The Summerdaze Band was so great!

They thought they were leaving in a car… but Leigh’s mom surprised them with a horse drawn carriage!

Congrats again, you guys!!

Many thanks to such an awesome team of people who made the day perfection:
Wedding Ceremony | Unity Presbyterian Church
Wedding Reception | River Hills Country Club
Dress | Mecklenburg Bridal
Bridesmaids | Mecklenburg BridalJos A Bank
Florals | Carrie at Flower Diva
Catering | River Hills Country Club
Band | Summerdaze Band