Where do I begin?
I got an exciting text almost exactly a year ago today, finding out that Nate and Krista were engaged. Knowing Krista my entire life, I couldn’t be more thrilled, and was even more excited about capturing her wedding day. Getting to know Nate was another great bonus.
While the girls were eager about starting their hair and makeup, I began the day by photographing Krista’s beautiful sweetheart-top dress, which was complimented perfectly by its long train. And being a little bit diva and elegant all at the same time, I couldn’t be more in love with her red lace-overlay stilettos from Guess. The A.M. mimosas may have added to the early morning entertainment while the girls were gearing up for a full day of celebration. In the process of finishing getting ready, I headed over to Christ’s Covenant Church just in time for the guys to spend a painful 10 minutes putting their tuxes and shoes on.
Now was the real test… portraits. It’s one of my favorite parts of the day. Winter weddings in the MidWest are always interesting because you deal with the elements of the cold, snow, and anything else winter has on it’s mind. What made this day interesting was how ridiculously cold it was. I knew it wouldn’t be a picnic, but let’s just say the 10 minutes photographing the freezing wedding party was pushing how long we could be outside at the Winona Lake Trails, even though I longed to use as much natural light as possible.
While the rest of the bridal party sought warmth and comfort back at the church, Nate, Krista and I finished a lengthy and brutal 5-minute portrait session outside. It was absolutely the fastest portrait session I had ever done, and rightfully so.
Soon, with all of the guests seated inside, the ceremony began. Most weddings are fairly predictable, but what made this ceremony unique was the heartfelt song that Nate had orchestrated and sang for Krista. Ending with a prayer from Krista’s grandfather, Nate and Krista had finally tied the knot and the party couldn’t come soon enough.
Arriving by the outrageously humorous limo ride, we got to the reception hall and realized that we still had time to kill. I had decided to come along in the limo to capture the ride, but I had no idea what was in store. As if the 45 minute drive hadn’t already been entertaining enough, we stopped by Martin’s Supermarket, and the entire 17-person bridal party stormed the store to continue the fun. The limo amusement was greeted by the real party when we were all finally at Christo’s for the reception.
After the dinner, the hilarious and touching toasts began the evening full of laughter and dancing. Personally, photographing the father-daughter dance was one of the many rewarding events throughout the night as Krista couldn’t help but hold back tears when dancing with her dad. Later, the newly married couple set up their good friends, Jenny and Doug, to catch the bouquet and garter. This made for an unforgettable scene, especially because they are now engaged! Going late into the night, Nate and Krista couldn’t have put together a better day to celebrate their marriage with family and friends.
Best wishes to both of you!
