After a wedding day full of phrases like “OK, we’re going to run out in the rain to get exactly 2 photos, ready? One… two… three… GO!” We were crossing our fingers for sunshine and clear skies for Christen and Jay’s Unique Session the next day.
No such luck.
Well, I take that back, because we actually DID have quite a bit of luck. We had just enough time to get the main outdoor shots we needed in the places we wanted to go, while running for brief interludes of rain cover in between the few moments of dryness.
(literally… running).
Luckily, there was one covered area that provided us with some sick pictures and that was the barn/tool shed on the property!
Who knew, right?!
(Good thing Christen is an athlete because some of the positions and poses she had to hold to get these were pretty complex and required plenty of muscle!).
One of the outdoor spots we found allowed us to get some of the most dramatic shots EVER!
I do feel a little guilty capitalizing on the misfortunes of a burned forest… but look at these pictures, wouldn’t you do it?!
While they had joked about doing it on the wedding day, I wasn’t sure it would actually happen… but boy was I wrong! I’m talking about what you’re about to see in the following pics…
Yep! They jumped into the water together!
So adorable right?!
There couldn’t be a better end to a mountain top Unique Session than a quick swim in the pond in your wedding dress!
But what happened after we took those pictures was even better!!! We had the opportunity to go back into the dream cabin that they got married in (click here to read about their wedding and the place it was at) and sit at a long family style table eating wedding food leftovers with Jay and Christen, Josh and Kelley (our associate photographers), and Christen’s parents.
We had THE best time sitting around laughing, settling down for some more serious moments, and listening to stories about their lives in South Africa and their complicated process of immigration to the U.S. It was one of those rare moments that you wish you could just freeze in time.
There we were… sitting around in a gorgeous home in the woods, eating amazing food, getting to know some of the kindest people I’ve ever met, listening to the sort of incredible stories that really make you think and feel like you’ve learned something… all while knowing we were there to celebrate a wedding between two perfectly matched individuals that we’ve grown to care deeply about. Now that is what I call an unforgettable night.
Which was a great end to a great session!
Thanks to you all for treating us like family and for being such a wonderful example of the kind of family we aspire to have ourselves one day. Congratulations and we hope we get to see you again one day in the very near future!
Click to see the rest of the photos from the wedding and from Christen and Jay’s Forrest Unique Session.
(This picture looks like it was taken in a dreamland doesn’t it?!)
You guys take the most beautiful wedding photographs I have ever seen (including all the magazines I have looked at over the years!) Really. You guys are truly phenomenal!
Where was that location in the forest? It was stunning.
You remarked that you felt a little guilty taking advantage of one of nature’s tragedies, but I thought that doing so actually made it more of a “full circle” kind of moment, and that the “young love” blossoming up out of the ashes of transformation was quite beautiful. You showed the full “cycle of life” – not just the end, but brought focus to the new beginning.
Simply lovely, as always!
Andrea
These photos are incredible…being the connection they had to the lodge it is wonderful to see this place in a different light. Usually we are there with about 50 of us for family reunions, teaming with kids and adults running around, having fun. Love the shots in the burned forest and just everything else…thanks for showing Christen and Jay’s love and sharing their unique story as well as how beautiful the lodge is. Maybe we will have to have you come and shoot the family reunion when we are there next summer. 🙂 Blessings to both of you!!!