Kara + Scott have the sweetest love, and I am so incredibly grateful to have been trusted with documenting this chapter of their love story.
I first met Kara + Scott in college actually! My best friend growing up was roommates with Kara, so we'd all hang out when I went to their college to visit. When Scott reached out to me years later to ask if I could document their wedding, I was so honored, and said YES YES YES!
They had the most beautiful weather on their big day in mid-June, and had a gorgeous, intimate setting for their wedding at The Inn at Pleasant Lake in New London, NH. They pretty much had the whole place to themselves, and the vibe very much felt like a grown-up summer camp. There were some tears, tons of laughter, and a LOTS of dancing. Their closest family + friends who were invited to celebrate their special day with them understood the assignment...this crew was one of the most hilarious groups of people I've been lucky enough to work with, and their dance floor was PACKED with folks of all ages - a sign of a great party :)
The day kicked off with Kara and her bridesmaids getting ready. The vibes were very calm, yet still very fun. Neon signs, great music, and a few glasses of bubbly helped set the tone for Kara + Scott's wedding day.
Yes, the bride wore her Berkenstocks for the big day, and her bridesmaids joined her!
When Kara put her dress on, we took some photos of her in it, just the two of us in the room. I had her look out the window, and she suddenly became very quiet as her emotions started to sink in. This was the day that she finally got to marry her best friend and call him her husband. It was a precious moment to witness and document for her.
Scott and his groomsmen all helped each other figure out how to tie their ties, and fold their pocket squares. Jokes were being made left and right, and quiet little moments of the gents pumping Scott up for the ceremony helped make their getting ready time one that felt truly special.
When it was time for the ceremony to begin, Scott came to the arbor first, nervous yet excited! The moment he saw Kara start to walk down the aisle towards him was one of the sweetest ceremony moments I've documented to date. His emotions flooded in, and he couldn't hold back his tears as his soon-to-be-bride was coming towards him, looking radiant.
Kara + Scott had a sweet and touching wedding ceremony, as they included a candle-lighting ceremony under the arbor to honor their family members who had passed. The couple held hands the whole ceremony, and it was clear they were eager to seal the deal with a kiss.
After the ceremony, Kara + Scott wanted to make sure they had a moment, just the two of them (with me snapping away at a distance of course haha), to allow them to soak in the moment and say, "holy sh!t, we just got married!" This is something I always encourage my couples to intentionally schedule into their wedding day-of timeline; as much as weddings are about you and your partner vowing forever to each other, it's also a huge ordeal, which means you + your partner hardly spend any alone time together on your wedding day! I think it's so important to be intentional about having that time together, as it helps the couple stay present on the day, which, in turn, helps the day feel like it doesn't fly by as quickly as it would otherwise. For more wedding day-of timeline planning tips, you can check out a journal entry dedicated to it here.
Once Kara + Scott had their alone time together, we invited the rest of their wedding party over to capture the wedding party + family photos. This time needs to be incredibly organized, but it should also feel incredibly FUN! I encourage the wedding party to have a drink or two, to play some music, and to be playful for one another, resulting in photographs that feel more natural, and as though everyone's personalities have shined through.
After family photos + wedding party photos were all accounted for, everyone was able to mingle for the remainder of cocktail hour before the reception began.
After a few kisses were stollen during the reception, I asked the couple to quickly join me outside as sunset was beginning to start, and I wanted to make sure we got some photos of them down by the lake, as it was something they were both really excited about. I included more playful prompts for them during this time, as any jitters they might have had earlier were totally out of their system and they were feeling more comfortable. They both said after this portrait time that it was SO much fun, and they had a really good feeling about these particular photos being some of their favorites.
After a lovely, long, and delicious dinner, the party began in the barn!
The vibes were high and playful, and the dance floor was SO MUCH FREAKING FUN! It was so hard to pull myself away from it!
The last item of the evening was a champagne pop! It was pitch black outside, and Kara + Scott were gilggly from the drinks they'd had, but gosh, this was SO much fun! I love adding a champagne pop + spray for my couples because it truly adds to the overall celebration (and gets some fun photos as well) :)
I love looking through these photos and being transported back to this gorgeous day. Kara + Scott's love and sense of humor radiates from these photos, which is honestly the best way I can describe my goal when I take your wedding photos.
Hope you enjoyed looking through these photos as well! I'd love to know what moments at a wedding are your favorite? Let me know in the comments :)
Speak soon!
Christy
she/her
The Francis Frames
@TheFrancisFrames