Sara + Bruce | 30 Guest Cozy Backyard Wedding

What a perfect day it was. The weather was beautiful - slightly chilly with bright sun. I snuck upstairs to see Sara in her sweater and joggers, ecstatic to get her wedding dress on. Bruce stood at the bottom of the steps calling up to Sara who spoke through the door cracked.

“Babe…”

“yeah?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

She slipped her dress on and her mother pinned it up. The girls giggled as they helped her with her earnings, buttons, shoes, and bracelet. Her friends gathered around to pray 10 minutes before the ceremony/

I checked in on Bruce, standing by the garage with his best friends. “I’m good. Excited.”

Around 13 of us headed down the hill to the lakefront. The music started, and Bruce, in line with his best friends, joined us. The girls came down the aisle one by one holding their @snapdragonflorals beautiful bouquets. As Sara and her father made their way down the aisle, all eyes went to Bruce.

The ceremony was sweet. Moments of worship, moments of quiet peace, moments of powerful promises, and deep DEEP joy. After their first kiss, they hugged tightly. This was a day of a beginning. The beginning of a new family, a new adventure. It felt holy. We weren’t in a church, but it felt like we were standing in a space dedicated to God.

Pair by pair the wedding party walked up the hill, cheering as they all hugged Sara and Bruce. We started some photos by the stunning ivy wall on the side of Sara’s uncle’s home. She changed into a second dress. The photos of the wedding party were so much fun. It was right next to the where tables were set up, so when people weren’t in photos, they were mingling and chatting with drinks. It was a relaxed environment and you could tell people were enjoying themselves. As the evening continued, I whisked Sara and Bruce away for some dreamy photos by the water. The fall colors, them standing there holding one another, it was like a painting.

As we entered the house, it was clear the food had arrived; Multiple tables of dishes lined the walls. The most amazing feast awaited. Personally, one of my favorite meals I’ve had at a wedding in a very long time (or ever). We gathered around tables lit with candles and lights, sprinkled with greenery. The sun set, and we grabbed shawls and blankets. Each wedding party member went up to a Bluetooth mic and speaker behind Sara and Bruce. Tears, laughter, and hugs filled the space. One of Bruce’s groomsmen was unable to be there, and a friend held an audio message up to the mic so we could hear his speech. We were in a world away from the world. It got chilly, and we all moved inside to the living room to finish up speeches. As the night came to a close, everyone hugged them tightly goodbye and wished them off with a iPhone flashlight exit down the driveway.

This was such a highlight of 2020 for me. The wedding was intimate and lovely.