Lauren + Joey’s Alabama 4-H Center Wedding!

Lauren and Joey’s wedding was one I had been looking forward to for months. I was so excited to shoot their wedding at the Alabama 4-H Center where my brother and sister in law got married almost three years before. Lauren was what I like to call an “ideal bride” for me. She’s someone who really valued preserving their wedding day with beautiful photography, and was sure to keep her wedding party on their timeline all day so we had time for all the things she desired we capture to really tell the story of their whole wedding day. To top things off, she trusted my advice and allowed me to do my job of serving her well.

I had never met Joey before the wedding day, but I already knew how much Lauren adored him. When I saw the way Joey looked at Lauren, I knew the feeling was definitely mutual. It was so obvious how in love these two are, that I had no trouble capturing that beautiful emotion.

I loved all the sweet details Lauren included in her day, like using the cross at the altar from a couple of their best friends’ wedding, a stunning purple and white bouquet, and her blue butterflies to honor her dad’s memory. This was my first wedding where such a loved family member had passed away. In this case, Lauren’s dad had died years ago, but she wanted to still feel his presence on her special day. She included a table at the entry to the ceremony featuring pictures of him and her family, his favorite blue butterflies, and Joey’s open letter he had written to her father prior to their proposal. It was hard to get my game face on for the ceremony after reading it. In Lauren’s own words, here is the story about why the butterflies are special:

“…My father loved nature especially birds & butterflies. His favorite color was blue too. Joey was nervous to propose & didn’t know the right time, until he saw this butterfly. He knew my father’s love for nature. We followed the butterfly, which led us to the beautiful spot where Joey proposed. Joey had written an open letter to my dad asking for permission. “I am writing this to ask your blessing & I pray one day you’ll come to me in spirit & give me peace knowing I have your blessing”. This butterfly was my father’s spirit & Joey’s sign that, that moment was the right moment. I miss you & love you & for the first time you’ve given me a sign that you’re with me…”

It was such an honor to be present to watch these two families join together and travel from near and far to celebrate this couple. I absolutely adore Lauren and Joey and can’t wait to see what God has in store for their marriage!

Vendors:

Venue: Alabama 4-H Center

Bride’s Dress: Bella’s

Suits: Men’s Wearhouse

Bridesmaids Dresses: David’s Bridal

Makeup: Meredith Castleberry

Catering: The Happy Catering Company

Pavilion Lighting: Lighting the Way

Ceremony Music: Susie the Wedding Fiddler

Reception Music: DJ MJ

Photography: Leigh Ann Goodin Photography

Second Shooter: Megan Pettus