Dan and Sara had a small, intimate wedding that came together very quickly. I mean like in a month quickly. They were waiting on the governor’s proclamation of November and December to determine how many people that they could actually have attend their wedding. Even Kara and myself counted as bodies that pushed them closer to the cap of 15! They were trying to plan their ceremony at the Celebration Farm to be under 15 if need be, and then take advantage of a “loophole” for their reception at Cedar Ridge Winery where they could have a few more guests since Cedar Ridge fell under the category of a restaurant. Fortunately for all involved, the restrictions were lifted and they were able to enjoy the company of all their guests at both the ceremony and reception, though they still kept things very small.
We started the day shooting the last touches of getting ready at the Timber Frame barn at the Celebration Farm and then immediately went into the ceremony there. I’m not sure whose idea it was to write their own vows, but it’s always my favorite. If you are not going to share heartfelt promises and memories with the love of your life on your wedding day, when will there be a better time? I’m passionate about the authenticity of those moments, and I love to capture them. It seemed like they had basically everyone tearing up but themselves! After the vows was a 15 minute sand pouring ceremony. Just kidding. It wasn’t quite that long, but they ended up having to pop the tops of those sand containers so that it didn’t take them 15 minutes to blend their sands together, because it might have otherwise. After that, there was a kiss and some cheers, and then we were ready to freeze!
Dan and Sara’s wedding day was cold, and we had to take several breaks from shooting outside, but it was totally worth doing. I watched the weather closely for a week prior to the wedding, just hoping the temps would stay cold enough to let the 10 inches of snow that we had stick around and maintain its beauty. It stayed below freezing the whole time . . . which was both a good thing and bad thing. 🙂 Though it looked beautiful and photographed super well, it’s not the most practical thing to be outside in a sleeveless dress in the snow! We took advantage of the two beautiful settings we were blessed to find ourselves at and captured the environments in ways that we have never been able to before. It’s always fun to shoot new things. (Says the guy who was in a winter coat the whole time).
After we wrapped up photos outside, the group proceeded to the warmth of their reception dinner at Cedar Ridge. The warmth was both in temperature and the joy of the company that awaited them. We captured a few family photos before dinner and then that was pretty much a wrap!
Dan and Sara, thank you guys for having us along for your big day! And thank you for enduring the cold temperatures so we could do so fun stuff with the snow! We wish you guys all the best for a lifetime of love and happiness together! Congrats!
