So, let me tell you a little about Cheryl and William’s wedding….  It was the perfect end to my summer weddings. I even got to visit somewhere I probably would have never thought of going to!

Their wedding was a  gorgeous vineyard destination wedding!

It was a South Florida, Virginia, New Jersey, all kinds of coast kinda wedding. Cheryl and William were currently living in Charlottesville, VA where William was finishing up his medical PHD at the University of Virginia.

I actually drove up Thursday to do some scouting around the area, and I am so happy I did. Charlottesville, VA is a beautiful city. And the mountain towns surrounding it are literally breathtaking. I actually met William the day before at their apartment.  He was really sweet and extremely helpful with gathering all the items that Cheryl wanted photographed.  I knew Cheryl from working with her in South Florida. She had emailed me letting me know she was engaged and that she wanted me to shoot her wedding. As you can imagine, I was honored and so excited! When I shot with her editorially we just clicked. She is one of those people who I don’t think you can’t get along with. She is super easy going, and I couldn’t have been more honored to be with her on her wedding day.

The ceremony and venue site were all at the same location. The wedding took place in Crozet, VA. Ever heard of it? I hadn’t until I actually went. It’s a quaint, and beautiful mountain town. Among having gorgeous roads to wind in and out of,  it had good food too! We actually visited a neighborhood pizza place twice. (Yes, it was that good). On Friday we actually shot our details and I was definitely excited to start photographing them once I saw how pretty everything truly was!

The invitations were almost like watercolor prints. They had gorgeous flowers on them that bordered the sides. What was cool about the venue was the elevation and your views. The estate was literally nestled in mountain views. The vineyard was filled with grapes ready to be pulled for wine. And they even had their own peach trees that were growing on the side of the home.  Cheryl and Williams guest were greeted with outdoor furniture as well as a seating area for the actual ceremony. It was the perfect setting for a beautiful day. We worried about the weather leading up to the day. The day prior it rained like it was a hurricane. But luckily for all of us, as the day progressed on Saturday, so did the sun.

William was patiently waiting with his groomsmen when I arrived at the estate. He was very dapper and handsome in a classic navy suit that was lined with a modern twist. His bowtie was a blush pink color that definitely complimented the bridesmaids dresses that were chosen. He also incorporated gorgeous M cufflinks that represented his last name. William is one of 4. He has three other brothers and a little sister. And you can just tell that this group of siblings were definitely a handful! The boys were really sweet trying to get William ready, and relaxed for his big day.  You could definitely feel the closeness within their families dynamic.

Cheryl’s dress was completely all in lace. A dress you could only believe was made for her. It was really classic, and light. Her accessories to embellish her outfit were nothing but classy. She had a gold jeweled clutch, teardrop earrings, and a studded hairpin.  And to top it off, she wore Jewel shoes by Badgley Mischka. ( I’m a shoe girl, and I loved her shoes.. They were soooo pretty and truly the perfect accent to her dress).

All of the bridesmaids wore floral robes while they got their last-minute touches for the day. Cheryl’s mom snuck into the room to help with putting on her dress, as the girls did a celebratory toast.

 

After Cheryl was all dressed, the girls gathered up to the balcony, and had a final toast before the day’s festivities! Their energy and love for one another was so contagious, you could tell these gals have a really strong bond. It was really nice to be a part of such a beautiful sisterhood.

 

 

For gifts Cheryl gave out handkerchiefs, each one was delicately crafted to commemorate the day.

Her mom’s read, “I will always be your little girl”. When I met Cheryl’s mom earlier in the week, she welcomed me with a warm hug and embrace. I immediately fell in love with her calm demeanor and sweet smile.   Her reaction was really cute as she read her handkerchief.

 

 

While we photographed all the girls individually, William’s mom made an appearance and of course I had to take advantage of Cheryl with her two moms.

Mrs. Munoz looked stunning in a navy flower embellished dress. It was really pretty in person, and if anything the pictures of the dress don’t do it justice. It had that right bit of sparkle that glistened in the sun. She also was given a handkerchief, which read, “thank you for raising the man of my dreams”.

 

Cheryl’s handkerchief was to celebrate the day, it had her name and Williams and their date of the wedding. Really pretty keepsake of the day.

While we waited on Cheryl’s dad to come up for his first look, I took some images of Cheryl’s details. Her wedding gown was exquisite. It fit her like a glove. She was nothing but confident, elegant, and gorgeous as she showed of the back and sides of her gown. I love photographing this girl!  She literally was beaming and owned every minute of being a bride. I could have photographed her all day.  <3

 

 

One of my favorite things about the day was the first look between Cheryl and her dad.

I think the first look between a daughter and her dad is becoming my new favorite moment to capture. Traditionally neither party was able to see one another till the ceremony and even sometimes the dad was able to see his daughter right at the altar before he walked her. But, now new traditions have been made, and this is one, I truly love documenting. Her dad was a complete cutie pie with his reaction to seeing Cheryl in her dress. It was such a genuine surprise.

Of course, he got a special momento as well. His read, “thank you for always walking by my side”. Which is definitely worth an “AWE”.. I mean… ! I can’t say I didn’t have some tears rolling in at this point. Luckily, I had my camera in front of me, but definitely a sweet moment!

 

 

While Cheryl and William got prepared for their first look, I got to spend some time with these five beautiful ladies. We had four different styles of dress, and I can’t say I had a favorite. They were all gorgeous! Extremely stunning in a blush champagne combo. Each one definitely flattered each girl’s beautiful shape. The girls accentuated their dress with a rose blush eucalyptus bouquet.  This color trend has been popping up everywhere, and It’s truly the epitome of feminity. It’s so dainty, and gorgeous. I truly think it’s one of those trends that will be here for a long time. Truly classic. These girls were troopers too! We walked a lot on the wedding day, and they were nothing but awesome! I loved my time with them, they were all so much fun and definitely made my time go by quickly!

 

Cheryl and William’s romance was actually sparked at a friend’s wedding. So, it was really sweet to hear how their love kinda came about full circle. What was an invitation to a friend’s wedding in Charleston, SC truly lead up to this moment of William seeing his future wife. I love the serendipitous quality of their love. I mean, talk about falling in love at first sight. From what I have been told, it was like their hearts locked, and all they saw that getaway weekend to Charleston, was one another. Kinda gives you faith that if it’s your time, love will find a way to bring you to your soul mate. And the fact that their friends were awesome, for causing this wonderful meeting!!!

 

Cheryl was really cute as she awaited William (Wills). She was a wee bit nervous and it was such an innocent moment between the two. You can tell William is completely in love with Cheryl’s every move. I think he was a happy guy when he laid eyes on her in her dress. They shared a couple of moments together before we headed off to the ceremony site.

 

William headed to the ceremony site, and Cheryl followed into the bridal suite.

The best part of the day was about to start and as the guest settled in, so did our groom and his groomsmen. Cheryl’s niece and nephew were the ring bearer and flower girls.  The officiant was actually Cheryl and William’s friend, who was the same friend that his wedding actually helped their paths cross. I thought this was really nice to add to the special feel of the day. And how cool it was that he could have such an influential part in the adjoining of two lives. Their ceremony had some laughs, and some tears, and some giggles. And of course,  a wonderful first kiss as husband and wife.

 

Because there was just a lot of pictures I fell in love with, to finish off the day, I leave you with a few of my favorites from the reception including a really sweet tribute to William’s dad who unfortunately had passed, but so awesome in showing he was there in spirit. They had the cutest MR + MRS. table toppers as well, I have never seen anything like them, and they were absolutely adorable.  And you can’t have a reception without toast, and dancing! And a little bit of more couple portraits afterwards 🙂

 

 

-Cheryl and Wills, Thank you for having me!!! I can’t express how grateful and honored I was to share on your big day. Thank you for allowing me to document it, and for having me there as a friend. I wish you an eternity of love, and happiness, and growing together. –