They say it's good luck for it to rain on your wedding day. Well what about when it rains, sleets, AND snows?! That has got to mean some kind of crazy, super good luck, right? Matt & Katherine's destination wedding in Chattanooga, Tennessee was definitely an adventure. They loaded the wedding party into two suburbans & we road tripped to the mountains to watch our lovely friends wed! (Yes, you heard that right, I said "we". This was my first wedding to 'double dip" as they say- I was not only the photographer, but a bridesmaid as well!! It was definitely a bit crazy, but in the end, it was cool to be so involved in my friends celebration.)
The weekend was full of fun. We hiked Lookout Mountain, went dancing, & continuously wore 5 layers of clothing to survive the frigid temperatures. We are Floridians after all!
The wedding day came & with it some crazy weather! The entire wedding party was such troopers as we packed into our suburbans & slid around the ice covered mountain roads attempting to go to the first look location. After a few close calls on the ice, we decided to give up on the mountain & head back to the safety of town. On our way down, we passed a wooded grove that looked like a little winter heaven. It was the perfect place for the first look! I'm seriously convinced the Lord specifically saved that spot for us that day, it was literally the only non iced over area on the entire mountain!
After the craziness of the mountain driving, Matt & Kat were so excited to see each other. This first look was one of the most tender I've been able to witness. The moment Kat finished her walk & Matt took her into his arms, the atmosphere shifted. Kat leaned in & I could feel her relief. She was safe, she was home. And as Matt held her there, I could feel his strength. He was steady, he was so enamored with his bride. The emotion of it was so tangible, I was definitely struggling to keep it together behind the camera.
Even though the weather kept us on our toes all day, we rolled with the punches, & ended the evening full of joy after witnessing our dear friends commit their lives to one another.
Matt & Kat, I love you both, thanks for inviting me into your lives & allowing me to share in this day with you!
Ps. Shout out to Kat's brother, David, who graciously snapped a few photos so I could hop in some of the group images!. If you look closely you'll see I've made my way into a couple photos below ;)
