I knew after spending time with Lauren and JP for engagement photos that their wedding day would be one of my favorites. These two are the perfect mixture of emotion, warmth, humor, and style. How could you not smile when you see them???
Lauren and JP wanted to include their friends in the first look so they had the Best Man and Maid of Honor cover their eyes for the big reveal. It was fun to capture not only their expressions but to see the joy of their closest friends, too! Shout out to Sarah and Pat for making the first look even better.
The wedding ceremony was in front of The Wilcox - a historic hotel in Aiken, South Carolina. Thanks to the genius and artistry of Karin Jeffcoat (the lead floral designer at Cote Designs), JP + Lauren were married under a geo air plant installation hung from a tree branch. It was so unique and added to the organic feel of the wedding.
Hands down one of my favorite moments: watching the bride and groom see their parents and friends after the ceremony. There is such genuine joy and delight and sincerity. Lauren and her mom hugged in the street and it struck me as one of those moments you want to bottle up to experience again. So much love for all these people. I also loved seeing JP and Lauren hug each other after the ceremony and watch their expressions from afar. I photographed all these post-ceremony street interactions with a longer lens so I could stand back and not interrupt the moments. The photo below is hazy (the light was strong behind them) but it added to the overall feel of movement and real life happening at 1/250 of a second.
The first dance and special dances always make me tear up. I especially loved watching each parent's expression during the dance. Following the toasts and cake cutting there was a brief intermission where lots of guests jumped into the pool- so I had to include some splashes from that!
Congrats JP + Lauren- you guys are gold!