The bride and groom looked at each other, took a deep breath and waited for the DJ to announce their arrival to begin their wedding reception.  This was another moment based on months of planning and decisions that all came together to create a memory that both families will cherish as the years go by. Despite the water everywhere, Emily and Hunter had just rocked their husband/wife photos following their second ceremony at the Wild Turkey Ranch in Lebanon, TN.  And then the dancing began. The music played and Hunter fought back tears for the third time in thee days as he danced with his new wife. She adores him, and it’s no secret that he feels the same way about her. He fought back tears again as he danced with his mother, the one who brought him into the world, and who now is experiencing a flood of emotions of her own.

The tears were not over. Emily and her dad took the floor. And suddenly this man, who I’ve never seen or imagined to shed many tears in his life, looked at his beautiful daughter and wept. Witnessing the raw emotions that come to surface on a wedding day reminds us that it’s not just about the beautiful dress, and style of the ceremony, or even the perfect bouquet and cake. It’s about the beauty, joy, and even a bit of sadness – all emotions that remind us how life constantly changes and moves us forward.  A wedding is the culmination of all those emotions wound so tight together that we can’t always separate them out.

Emily and Hunter had their own personal stamp on every part of their wedding celebration, and it was beautiful. So many brides and grooms are changing up their wedding celebrations to reflect their own personalities and letting go of traditions. For a photographer, it’s neat to see how different each wedding is, and I haven’t photographed one yet that I didn’t think was perfect for that couple whether they kept traditions or threw them out into the wind.  Emily wanted to honor her grandparents’ wedding date, April 17th, but that fell on a Wednesday.  They had a private ceremony and married on that significant date, and then continued the celebration on Saturday at the Wild Turkey Ranch in Lebanon.  I was touched that they also chose for their mothers to sign the marriage license.   When I think on this wedding and this couple, they did a fantastic job, with lots of help from their family and friends, to make this celebration truly their own – including building a fire and branding a piece of wood to reflect their family name.

Emily and Hunter, I loved being a part of this important time in your life, and I won’t ever forget how sweet your wedding was and the significance of every decision you made.  I wish you a lifetime of love and happiness, and perseverance through anything that life throws your way..  Never forget how you feel right now, and always find ways to cherish each other even when old age finds you rocking on the porch.  You are a beautiful couple.  Love and blessings,  Pat

Emily loves her family and recognizes the significance of her new family as well.  She wanted a picture of her mother’s and grandmother’s hands with her on the left, and then on the right she added her mother-in-law’s with her’s and her mother’s.

There’s nothing sweeter than a mother who has your back from literally day one.  It was sweet to see how much Emily loves her mom.