Kristina & Zach are MARRIED!
Friday, July 20, 2012 at 11:45AM 
My schedule is a bit wacky - today is Friday and normally I'd be posting a Fotog Friday this week... buuut my philosophy has always been that my clients come first and if I find that I am prioritizing my blog schedule over my clients, something needs to change. So hooray! A wedding on a Friday! Things are also super wacky because starting tonight, Matt and I are leaving town for a wedding and then going on a trip for a week. We won't have internet or cell service so we are truly going off the grid! I'll explain more in a tiny post on Sunday before we leave! But until then, thanks for sticking with me as I juggle this crazy schedule!
So Kristina and Zach... oh my goodness what an amazing day this wedding was! I have been looking forward to their wedding day for a looong time. Kristina and Zach are unique clients of mine because not only are they friends, but I actually have known them both since the beginning of their love story. They met through a student organization at JMU, Student Ambassadors (we were the crazy group of spirited kids who LOVED JMU and gave campus tours and were really excited ALL THE TIME) - and they got to know each other by both serving on the executive board, Kristina as president and Zach as the treasurer. They fell in love, and as they say, the rest is history!
I love Kristina and Zach for so many reasons, but one of the things that brought me the MOST joy on their wedding day was seeing how much they love the Lord. Their wedding ceremony was a true celebration of their union in Christ and they understood the weight of the commitment they were making, allowing their marriage to be a reflection of Christ and His love for the church. What is even more sweet as that their love for the Lord is also so evident in how they love each other - they care SO DEEPLY for one another, and between the smiles and laughter and the quiet, sweet moments, their love is truly experienced by everyone around. I heard people throughout the entire day remarking about how every ounce of Zach's being is about Kristina - he ADORES her. It is so true. And SO sweet. My goal was to capture that joy, that love, and that deep adoration in their wedding day so they would remember it for the rest of their lives. How cool is my job?!!
Here are my favorite moments of the day! Despite the crazy humidity and the unpredictable weather (rain and thunderstorms) this is truly one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever seen.
Kristina's veil was cut from her mother's wedding veil!
She also wore her mother's garter as well.
The top of Kristina's veil was made from the headpiece that her mother wore on her wedding day. I love that they were able to take elements of her mother's wedding day attire and make a personal and unique set for Kristina's wedding day.
Oh, how I LOVE this sweet moment!! These girls are all so amazing and it was such a joy to spend the day with them all!
WOW. I was fighting back tears as I took this (no lie) - Kristina, you look STUNNING.
Kristina had been writing her future husband letters for a long time (like me!) and she gave them to Zach on the wedding day.
The first look!
Matt's shot - holy moly my husband is awesome! This is one of my favorite first look shots ever!
Another wonderful capture by Matt.
As we began portrait time, Matt really blew me away with his creativity! So thankful to have him shooting with me this year!
Another great moment captured by Matt!
Love this! That veil is gorgeous.
We continued portrait time at their venue, the Norfolk Botanical Gardens.
Love love love!
It was raining on and off throughout the entire portrait time. These two were such troopers!
Gorgeous florals!
We kept the bridal party dry while I shot in the rain. Matt was such a great help to me by holding an umbrella so my camera wouldn't get soaked!
Best Turn-and-Laugh EVER!
The rain kept coming... and coming... and we waited. They had rain plans, but it seemed like it was SO CLOSE to passing through, so they decidede to wait a bit longer. Fortunately, it did and the rain cleared, the staff dried off the seats, and the ceremony was held in the gorgeous gardens like originally planned! Patience definitely paid off because it was worth the wait for sure!
Matt captured a beautiful view overlooking the ceremony.
Their escort cards were AMAZING. They had individual messages written personally to each guest. This is one of the many reasons I adore Kristina and Zach - they are two of the most thoughtful people I have ever met!
SO thankful for the new skills I learned at the Justin & Mary Lighting Intensive I attended a few days before their wedding - it really came in handy!
Gorgeous cake display!
In addition to the traditional wedding cake they had to cut, they had so many varieties of other cakes for guests to choose from!
Something Evan said was apparently really hilarious!
In Student Ambassadors, we have a tradition during any formal or event where we play this song called "Dixieland Delight" - after we took a Student Ambassador group picture, the song began to play and everyone from SA got SO excited and immediately circled around each other and belted out the song. As I stood in the middle and snapped pictures, I felt like part of my college life was flashing before my eyes. It was really special!
JMU Alum! Go Duuuuuuukes!
A group hug to finish the night!
Happy honeymoon! Zach surprised Kristina with a honeymoon to Jamaica!!
Ceremony/Reception: Norfolk Botanical Gardens
Getting Ready Location: Church Point Manor
Day-Of Coordinator: Jacklyn Launi
Catering: Sweetwater Cuisine
Cake: Custom Cakes
DJ: Astro DJ
Dresses: Watters
Flowers: Debbie Pence
Bride's Hair: Karen Setzer of Hair Shapers
Favors/Photobooth: Walter Baker Entertainment
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