I've been meaning to share this wedding for weeks, but have really struggled to come up with the right words to go along with all the beautiful images! Hands down, this was one of my fave weddings. Rachel is one of my oldest friends. We have known each other since grade school and she is one of the few friends that I still keep in touch with from high school. There were years when we were extremely close and years when life got the best of us and we lost touch, but through it all, we have stayed connected and when we get together, we always seem to pick up where we left off. When I first started my business, Rach asked me to do a session with her family. I loved that session so much and was always grateful that my friend trusted me to capture her family so early on in my photography journey. I never would have dreamed that Rach would ask me to shoot her wedding a few years later, but here we are.

Every wedding that I have the honor to photograph holds a special place in my heart, but this wedding was incredibly special for me. Not simply because it was for a good friend, but because it represented a new beginning for Rach and her kids. What you don't know about my friend is that she lost her first husband, Matt, several years ago in an oil refinery accident. Matt not only left behind his devoted wife, but two very young children. They were forced to endure one of the greatest hardships imaginable; however, they persevered with a level of strength, resilience, and grace that I never knew was possible. I always knew that my friend would eventually find love again, but it was going to take time to heal and require an exceptionally special person to make this family whole again. Annnnd then Rach met Keith. When she first told me about Keith and his girls and that they were getting married, I will admit that I had mixed feelings. I hadn't met Keith yet and wasn't sure if my friend was truly ready for this next step. All I can say is that those mixed feelings immediately went away the day that I met Keith. He is kind, patient, thoughtful, sincere, and he comes from an amazing family. I love the way he loves Rachel and her kids and that was really all the reassurance that I needed.

I may be a little biased, but their wedding day was nothing short of amazing. Rachel and Keith went above and beyond to make sure that everyone was well taken care of and had a good time. The entire day was about family and the best part was witnessing how all 3 families (Rachel, Keith, and Matt's family) came together to support and celebrate this marriage. I had so many favorite moments from their day and it was truly impossible to condense it all into one little blog post so in the interest of time, I will just leave you with some of my favorite photos, along with some of the vendors, who made their wedding day special.

Venue & Catering: Lord Hill Farms

Flowers: Vintage Cultivation

Cake: The Hutch Oven

Second Photographer: Sarah Hardy