I had never photographed a morning ceremony prior to their wedding, and thought it was very unique when they first told me they were having a Sunday morning wedding ceremony. This was also my first reception experience where they had a full brunch buffet complete with a mimosa bar; who does that?!!! It was the coolest thing ever, and I don't know why more people don't do that more often, it was such a splendid idea and fun day! They made their wedding celebration a weekend extravaganza at the beautiful Pronghorn Resort in Bend, OR by having close family with them Friday evening, a bit more friends and family with them Saturday night for the rehearsal and evening party, and then the full guest list to witness their I do's and celebrate more on Sunday morning/afternoon. It made for a very relaxed and beautiful celebration of their love.
It took me by surprise how relaxed everyone was as we ended up delaying the ceremony about 30 minutes to see if the rain would let up. The guests were just mingling and didn't mind at all, the boys were hanging out with some of the guests, and the ladies were sitting in the spa room just eating veggies, talking girl talk, and soaking up the last few moments before Kristin became a wife. It was actually a very beautiful time of the day, I loved it! It was still sprinkling a little bit as everyone started to approach the ceremony, however, the clouds suddenly parted as Kristin walked down the aisle and when her dad gave her away and Ford took her hand, the sky literally opened up for us to see little slivers of blue sky. Their were huge smiles on everybody's faces. Ford's mother was actually the officiant, and gave such a beautiful testimony of marriage and how God intends for a man and wife to love each other. She did a wonderful job and it was so special to witness the traditional moment of Kristin's dad giving her away, but then also Ford's mother in a sense giving him away as she announced them husband and wife.
I also felt the true meaning of my "heart bursting" at this wedding. I can't even put into words how loved Stephanie and I felt at their wedding, all of their friends and family were so incredibly kind, welcoming, and friendly towards us - we truly felt like part of the family. Thank you all for that, and special shout out to the mother of the bride, Lori, for loving Steph and I like your daughters and making sure we were completely taken care of - you have the loveliest heart!
Ford and Kristen, I say this often - I am completely humbled by the people that God puts into my life through my career - and you two are the perfect example of this. Individually, you each can light up a room with your spunky personalities and genuine smiles... and together, you guys make the best team. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for you guys, and thank you again for letting me be a part of your beautiful day, love you guys!
Other Vendors who helped to make their dream wedding a reality:
Venue/Decor/Catering/Dessert: Pronghorn Resort
http://www.pronghornresort.com
Florals: Autry's Flowers
http://www.bendoregonflowershop.com/
