I love working at Marion Magnolia! The grounds and landscaping are over-the-top lovely, the owners are wonderful, and the perks of being onsite include an independent bridal suite and grooms suite, a giant AirBnb home that can accommodate the whole family, and warm, golden chandelier lighting at every turn.
The girls were getting ready in the lovely bridal suite. Alanna’s details were perfect, with a unique bridal ring set designed by a jeweler in the family!
The guys did their version of getting ready, which involved much less hairstyling and much more pong. Our rockstar second shooter for the day, Tim Kamppinen stayed with the guys and did a phenomenal job capturing their fun!
One of my favorite things is when a bridal couple has private vows. Taking a moment to peacefully read or recite your feelings on this most special day is so powerful. Whether you want us there, or if you’d prefer the moment undocumented, I support your choice. Alanna and Casimir had a vision of using the Marion Magnolia truck for their private vows, and that scene would’ve been heart-stopping. Instead, we had another type of heart-stopping event in the pop up thundershower that rolled in! The flurry of last-minute choices left little time on the schedule, so instead of making her groom wait, Alanna read her vows in her bridal robe, which made the “guess the dress” scene even more fun. After their vows (and door-between-them hug) Alanna finished the final details and had time to do a first look with Dad. Brittany (Marion Magnolia venue owner) was a hero and pulled her truck right up into the antechamber of the bridal suite so not a drop of rain would fall on Alanna!
In a quick flip, the staff had relocated the decor to the reception area and swapped the head table for an arch so the wedding could begin on time. The rain fell throughout the ceremony but each moment was still filled with joy, hope, and love. And the cooler temperatures after the quick storm made the evening air much more enjoyable.
Capriciously, the weather turned fair and suddenly we could enjoy the outside again. We had a relaxing cocktail hour with portraits and fun, followed by an epic cat lover’s return to the reception area. Since the happy couple couldn’t think of a way to bring their cats to the wedding, they brought giant cut-outs of their heads!
It was yet another wedding where safety paid off. Our team always photographs everything multiple times throughout the day. Take a photo of the cake as soon as they bring it out. Take another when the lighting is adjusted for the evening, and yet another if the staff adds a new bit of decor. In this case, it was the empty reception room. If we had not photographed the reception area in the morning during “getting ready’ hours, it would have been missing from the gallery since the room never emptied after the ceremony start time. I’m grateful for years of practice and so happy the bride and groom can look back on their reception area both filled with happy family, and flawlessly perfect before.
So the cakes are adorable, right? They are Marvel Universe fans, and this groom’s cake was a surprise! Two other cute nods to Marvel – their cats are named Stan and Lee, and they have matching “For All Time” Loki tattoos!
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Photo + Video – Almost Fantasy (Angela, Zac and Mina)