Cari & Mark – 10.24.15

Cari and Mark, talk about a relationship that’s been in the works for a while. Originally high school sweethearts, fast-foreword to now and voila! A match that’s been smoldering for a while and it finally caught fire. Not to mention their son, Gavin who now is just as tall as his parents (who are aren’t shorties by any means)! These two could not have picked a more perfect day to tie the knot. All the leaves were still on the trees but had changed to fantastic shades of orange, reds and yellows. It was sunny but cloudy, a light breeze and an all around beautiful day for a wedding.

Surrounded by friends and family with one of the BIGGEST parties I have ever photographed (19 in total!) and dressed out in various shades of blue, suspenders and white flowers. This was a total family affair, from Cari’s brother being her wedding planner to her friends and family helping to provide desserts, chairs & tables and even bean bag games! Their first look, when Mark turned around, saw Cari and couldn’t stop smiling, to the meaningful speeches (four in total from their siblings), to the touching parent dances.. these two were just enveloped by love!

There was plenty of humor and laughs at their wedding too. Gavin being asked to speak by all his uncle’s while giving their speeches and rejecting them all (much to the hoots and hollers from the crowd), to Cari opting out of shoes half way through their first photos. The bride mixing up her drink with her brother’s as he was trying to toast the couple (whoops lol), to the bride’s sister saying they were finally a real family (to which Gavin responded… ‘What were we before?!’).

Full disclosure, I had my first big wedding screw up ever and showed up at the wrong ‘mansion’ location (only about 5 miles aways, whew), to a wedding where there happened to be a bride named Cari too (what are the freaking chances!). So after talking to the family and setting up my lights.. I went to go find Cari to only be met by a stranger. Seriously.. I have never been so embarrassed and while frantically trying to call the bride, groom and really anyone in their party I had the numbers for, I realized there was no cell phone reception up in the mountains. Thankfully, I was only a few minutes away so everything still ran smoothly but Cari and Mark were calm as cucumbers and had a good chuckle about my other ‘Cari bride’ encounter.

Seriously though, as weddings go, this one was such a blast to photograph. Everyone was so warm and welcoming and I found myself laughing throughout the whole day. To be part of Cari and Mark’s union was truly awesome and it is weddings like this that make my job worth it! So without further ado, Cari and Mark’s wedding!