The Barn at Ligonier Valley Fall Wedding Photos

Hello, everyone!  OOooOo my goodness ME!  Are you KIDDING me?!  I feel like I need a really obnoxious GIF of a woman coming onto the stage real dramatically to start this baby off!  That’s what I feel like in my office right now.  If you’re new to my blogs, please bear with me and brace yourself for impact.  If you’ve also not met me and/or not read one of my blogs before, you’re in for a real confusing experience and surprise.  This blog has it all…beautiful photos…me getting all sappy…probably typos galore despite the fact that I reread it so many times I can’t count in the last 10 days.  I just kept adding to it.  My squealing just kept getting louder.  I left my house at 9:00 am two Saturdays ago (after a wedding the day before and less than 12 hours since I had returned) and I didn’t get back until almost midnight AND I would have drove right back up and done this wedding over…and over…and over again.  I hope you have a LOT of time on your hands because this Barn at Ligonier Valley Wedding is on the blog right now and you’re going to need a whole lot of time to get through it so sit back, relax, and read this one!  It’s a goodie…and probably going in the archives on my website!  ENJOY!

Alright.  I’m going to do my Hannah best to stay on task here and start at the beginning. So, we (Ashleigh and I) started the day at Sydney’s parents house (Wayne and Amy).  I think I’ve said it before.  After doing all these weddings, me and the girls (my amazing assistants) can pretty much tell you how the entire day is going to go within the first 30 seconds of stepping into a room.  It’s true!  Well, I knocked on Sydney’s parents’ door and I was greeted with open arms – by everyone…Amy, Wayne, Angie (Corey’s Mom), all the bridesmaids and more!.  Amy basically told me I could rip apart her home for sake of any photos…and she was dead serious.  She immediately started taking things off the wall…giving me tours…kicking her husband out for sake of dress shots.  NOT KIDDING.  And you know what?  While some weddings would have some eye rolls and side looks, every single person was smiling and happy and I just can’t explain it.  Everyone…and I mean EVERYONE was 110% on board with whatever needed to happen to make this day perfect for this couple and their photos and video!  I also got to “meet” JT the videographer…and we quickly realized we had actually worked together already which was totally fun!  He freelanced his work for another company a few years ago and we did a wedding together! Ooo yeaaaaa…it was going to be a GREATTTT day!

Hair and makeup was pretty much done already (winning) and they had the dresses hanging and ready to go.  This is when Amy literally starting taking things off her wall for these shots!  These are a mix of my shots and Ashleigh’s!  She’s the one that made the trek up there with me!

Also, Corey’s mom wanted to be sure she didn’t take off to the church before I needed her.  I didn’t think I needed her until after the ceremony…until I realized I DID need her.  We were able to add Amy’s dress up there (the sparkly one) and I was feeling REALLY bad that Angie (Corey’s mom pictured below) was already dressed and ready to go…I mean, EVERYONE was ahead of schedule and ready to go this day…it was amazing and another reason why I just KNEW it’d be a great day.  Anyway, back to the story…I’m going to try to stay on task….really…but there is SO much to say.  Ok…so Angie.  She was standing off to the side and in my wedding photographer heart I really wanted her dress in there so I asked her…on a whim…if she would jump in there and do the “Vanna White”.  Honestly, I had only gotten to say “Hi” to her and talk photo time later in the day so I didn’t know if she’d do it.  Well, she jumped right in there and not only did she jump right in there…she literally did a dramatic “Vanna White” like show for me and NOW I had ALL the ladies dresses in there!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! I’d been there maybe 30 minutes and was a squealing machine!  I’m telling you…we just KNOW…when it’s going to be an amazing day!

The timeline for the beginning of the day was a little tight.  So, we had to get these ladies ready!  BUT FIRST…the traditional “ha ha ha” robe photos.  If I’ve photographed you before, you know EXACTLY what’s happening here!

So, while all the bridesmaids and flower girl were getting ready, Ash and I were tag teaming these delicate and beautiful detail shots!  How many are there?!  TOO many to count…for real!  This is only a preview, as well!

Then, Sydney opened her gift from Corey.  It was a book written about their “love story” WITH photos.  STOPPPP IT!  RIGHT?!?!?! This day was so good already!

When I say the people at this wedding were prepared to do anything to make this day amazingly special, I mean it.  Seriously, not only were they all working toward that common goal but they were also ENJOYING the day right along with Sydney.  I think these photos and emotions speak for themselves.  Not one thing felt forced this day and that’s why this blog is so dang long! I have SOOOOO much to tell you all!

Ash likes to get “cake was just cut” photos at the reception.  She’s also obsessed with “ring on the shoe” shots and was over there in the corner making sure she got it!

Then, I took the invitation outside for some pretty last minute detail shots!

We sent Sydney, Lauren and her mom back to get her dress pulled up so we could finish getting her ready when both Ash and I noticed this moment.  That’s Casey, Corey’s sister.  And that’s Wayne, Sydney’s dad.  So while this may look like a biological father/daughter moment, it’s not and THAT is why it’s all the more sweet.  I’m not sure, to this day, I’ve met a group of families AND friends who just seem like they are all related in another life.  If I hadn’t known the family and friend groupings ahead of time, I would have never known.  The love in these groups is STRONG.  So, Casey helped Wayne with some finishing touches!

I know…I know…I’m getting all sappy over here!  Then, it was time to get Sydney ready!  Again, Amy let us invade her bedroom complete with Sydney removing a light from the window (and I screamed a little).  They did not have to do all that but they sure did make my job all the more easy!  I think these photos speak for themselves!  Some black and white for you!

My goodness…is she not STUNNING?!  Mom’s bedroom…black and white…a great window.  The wedding Gods had surrounded us, people…and we hadn’t even gotten more than an hour into the day!

Amy helped Sydney get out in the living room so she could do a quick first look with her girls!  They were not so patiently waiting! HA!  Like little kids, giggling in the corner.  Pretty sure the anticipation was killing them!

But first…in true Amy form, as I’ve learned…she’s on the ball!  The cat must go!  Also, the kitty really liked the flower girl’s dress and was playing with it!  It was too funny!  We all had a great laugh!  I also hear Amy had a schedule for everyone leading up to this day.  I want to be THAT mom when my kids get married…I’ve got a schedule…and everyone is enjoying themselves still.  Not sure I’ll be able to pull that off.  Someone may have to just sedate me!

Genuine TEARS…because her girls were about to see her.  I don’t even know how to explain it!  It was just amazingly sweet!  Their genuine reactions were even better!!!!

Allllllllll the tears!

So, we called mom over so she could give the beautiful bride a hug too!  Look at the girls in the background.  THAT is true friendship right there!  They’re all one big happy family!

Remember?  We kicked dad outside.  Yep.  Kicked him right out of his own home and he went with a smile.  I always tread lightly.  I AM invading someone’s home…a complete stranger.  Asking someone to “hide” could be a little “rude” but not in this family!  Dad was willing to do anything!  Just look at their expressions!  Thanks, Wayne!

THEN, we got to photograph the ladies.  Ooo my goodness ME!  As if the wedding Gods hadn’t already given us enough, then we got that ooey gooey glowy light with the perfect fall foliage!

Best friends and future sister in laws just having a moment!  Ashleigh caught this!

Then, the flower girl stole the show and Sydney said she was totally ok with it!  I mean…again…this is just a small amount of the actual photos.  Crazy, right?!

All the pretty ladies…sing it!

I mean…I couldn’t go wrong!

Well now…these belong in a magazine.  I’m not sure I have one “bad” thing to say about this wedding.  It just kept happening…THE MAGIC.

…and some more!

Then, some early parents shots…I mean…WHY THE HECK NOT?!  I apologize again for my crazy energy this day!  10 days later…it hasn’t gone away!

Then, we arrived to the church just as the guys arrived and they stepped out and I saw they had green tuxes.  Yep!  GREEN!  Hunter green to be exact.  Then, they had flowers that slipped into their pockets instead of being pinned on the lapels.  While I’m a black tux, traditional kind of gal, Ashleigh and I were REALLLLLLLLLYYYYY REALLY feeling this change!  Who would have guessed?!

Alright, so let’s talk about Corey!  I met him back at their engagement session (you can see It HERE).  He’s easy going.  He takes an amazing photo.  He’s fun.  He’s a gentleman.  Now I’m just making his head big…but I’m not!  He’s not that kind of guy!  Neither are his friends.  So, photographing him would be easy!  I knew that!  Also, back to these green tuxes.  You all know I’m a huge fan of making things “true to life” in my photos.  Different locations, lights, color casts…can all change the way things are seen by the eyes.  Heck, if you’re on your phone and then computer…things can change colors.  My monitor is calibrated though so what I see and edit will be almost exact to what will print in a couple’s photos and wedding album…so yea…I want it to be as close as possible.  After I posted those sneak peek images, I went and looked and sure enough…they were a little too “teal” for my liking.  Top that off with the fact that one of my best photographer friends (Hey, Ryan) thought I’d literally botched the photos so bad that I made a black tux green! HA! Oy!  HE KNOWS ME BETTER THAN THAT.  So, I went back and made EXTRA sure I got them as close as possible.  They’re more HUNTER green, everyone!  You’ll see that below now!  Alright, I’m getting all off track again…Here is Corey!  Sorry, Pens fans…he’s not a Pens fan but he DID marry someone named Sydney.  We’ll take  it!

Alright.  Now, for the guys and it’s the same thing as the girls.  They were ready…they were polite…they were fun.  We got these done quick and had a ton of fun doing it.  The girls are usually always easy…it’s the guys we sometimes have to worry about.  Nope!  Not this group!  Introducing their personality shots…I mean…because they are unique…and some even threw leaves! HA!

Not to be one up-ed…this little man stole the show!  I mean…LOOK AT HIM!  He and I made friends while I was pinning his flower and we talked about Spider Man!  His mom is also a photographer herself and is SUCH a sweet person and showered me with compliments I never feel like I deserve!! You can check her out at Andrea McGregor Photography!  Do a quick Google and she’ll pop right up!  You can tell little man has a photographer mom!

They nailed the GQ shot AND had fun socks!

Meet Mike, Corey’s Dad!  I grabbed him and Angie for some early parent photos too…again, why not?!  I was just feeling this day in my wedding photographer bones!

Time for Corey to open his gift!  Then, I ducked out for another first look!

Sydney got to have a first look with her brother, Hunter!  They’re very close and everyone was super excited to see how he would react when he saw his sister on her wedding day dressed as a bride!

It’s true.  I’m super old fashioned.  I was born in the wrong decade…century even?  So, when Sydney told me she would be wearing a blusher over her face…I about died!  All my wedding photographer dreams were coming TRUE!  She requested a photo by the window and I’m sitting here…almost two weeks later…and can’t decide if I like color or black and white better.  YOU TELL ME!

Back out we go!  Ash caught Amy hugging one of the groomsman.  I don’t know the story.  I don’t know the relationship.  But this was the whole day…love for everyone EVERYWHERE!! SOOOOO much going on…in every direction…no wonder we filled up five sets of SD cards in our cameras (two sets more than our average)!

Ash and my girls always get the BEST behind the scenes shots.  I’m up front…so I don’t get to see this stuff (below).

I would venture to say Sydney is ready to be married.  What do you think?!

It’s happening!!!! EEEEEKKKKK!

I’d say Wayne is pumped up too!  So.much.is.happening!  I saw all these photos later and was all bug eyed! HA!  I just couldn’t narrow it down!

Alright. Alright. Alright!

I mean…I MEAN…LOOOOOOOKKKKKKKKK.  If you don’t follow me on IG, I post these kinds of shots!  It’s one thing when the groom reacts…it’s a whole other realm of Hannah excitement when the best man reacts too!  Even the Priest was touched by the relationship between all these men and he even mentioned it during the ceremony.  SO, it wasn’t just me feeling all the love!  See?!

Seriously, SO MUCH STUFF GOING ON.  Ash and I tag teamed this.  Me in the front…her in the back!  It doesn’t appear Wayne is too upset to hand his daughter off to someone like Corey.  And Corey’s reaction when he got to bring her up to the alter was amazing!  ALLLL THE LOVE right here!

It was beautiful!

Alright.  I’m going to tell you a story.  This will be the only “bad” thing in the blog.  I’ve never missed a first kiss.  Nope.  In all these years…and all the paranoia…and all the lectures to my second shooters…I’ve never missed one.  Nope.  I even ask at Catholic weddings if there will be one.  When there will be one.  I get all the details and then my arms burn while I don’t risk taking my camera away from my face…Well?  I could have cried.  I THOUGHT I missed it.  There was a random moment smack dab in the middle of the ceremony when the Priest whispered for them to peck a tiny kiss.  That was it.  I THOUGHT THAT WAS IT.  JT (videographer) was right beside me and looked at me and said “Well, that was sneaky”…and it was.  And I was SO SAD.  I immediately thought, “Well, that’s going to have to go in the blog” and while soooo many of my photographer and business instructors would smack me for putting such things in the blog…you all know it’s just me.  I tell it how it is and tell the whole story.  Lucky for me…that was the practice one (wipes sweat off brow)…they DID kiss at the end and I got it! WOOOOOO!

Just look at that JOY!

We took A LOT of family photos.  Here are Sydney and Corey’s amazing parents and their wonderful children AND their soon to be children one day!  It’s no wonder they are all such amazing people.  I had to share this random family photo because this group makes me so darn happy!  It gives me hope there are still amazing people in the world!  People just like this!  These are the people I always want to be with!  I kept telling them throughout the day how wonderful everything was…not feeding any lines here! Nope!

Black and white romantic “just married” church photos for the win.

Amy and Wayne were married right here 28 years ago!  So, I called them up for a photo…or two or three…too!

THREE generation photos were a must!  Amy had her photo taken on these stairs so we attempted to replicate it…railing in the way and COVID signs galore!  Once they pick their “keepers” I DO intend to photoshop those signs out!  I can’t take it!

Sydney and Corey already had another location picked out but JT and I both saw this wall and KNEW we had to take a “few” photos there (which ended up being the equivalent of what some weddings have total in their gallery).  Sydney says she always drives past and sees it so it all worked out!

You know I’m all about my lists.  Sydney had requested this photo (below) and we were just getting ready to leave when I realized we hadn’t taken it.  We sneaky…sneakily sneaked (like church mice…pun intended) back in right before mass and very quietly…just the two of us and very respectfully grabbed this shot.

Then, we went to our new location the bride and groom had picked out.  It was about a 40-45 minute drive to this spot.  Ash and I had SO much to say in the car…and then the light popped out perfectly.  Just when I didn’t think we could do any better…we did better!

Bridal party FUN! Yes…they’re really that fun…not just for the blog!

More photos?!   Most people are so exhausted at this point.  Not this group…we weren’t either!  Ash took this one (below).

Cue the music!  It doesn’t get much more “autumn” than this, does it?!

It was getting romantic…and steamy!

Walking and snuggling for the win!

Then, Lauren (Sydney’s Maid of Honor and Best Friend AND Joe Corona’s sister of sorts…you know…Sam that helps me?  Her husband…that’s Joe) suggested they run.  If you are a loyal blog reader, you’ll know this.  We called it “the baywatch” back in 2018.  Sam and Joe RAN…and then later I photoshopped a dinosaur behind them.  I asked Lauren why all the weddings she attends are so amazing?!  So they ran…and we laughed…and I told Corey, “A little less dinosaur…” next time.  HA!

And because they are amazingly perfect…they knew exactly what I meant and NAILED IT!

I gotta thank this gal right here.  And when her and Sydney asked for “one photo” of the two of them…I took a bunch!  Lauren is the reason I got to photograph this wedding and meet all these people.  I met her at Sam and Joe’s wedding and if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have gotten the referral and Sydney wouldn’t have reached out.  So, THANK YOU, girl!!!

Alright!! Deep breaths!  Yep!! Deep breaths!!  This is normally the point in the day that I can breathhhhh…and say, “Ahhhhh!!” I’m going to let the DJ take over and sit back and relax.  I should have known better!  Come on!  First things first, I did need to take as many detail shots as possible of the reception since I hadn’t been able to make it there yet!  So, I ran around like a nut (after introducing myself to the DJ first, of course) and got lots and lots of beauties!  AND YES, that’s a place card for me and Ash!  Amy was kind enough to make sure we had a table and couldn’t believe we sometimes eat in the parking lot or coat closet! HA! Seriously, we don’t require a table…we’re just happy to eat!  We’d been going since 9:00 am at this point!

Out of all my assistants, I think Ashleigh is the most “techy”.  She likes to know all the ins and outs and ways of things.  She likes a good sunset just as much as me and even though there wasn’t a sunset.  She took the opportunity to “practice” while Sydney was getting her dress bustled!  She was actually asking all kinds of questions and playing in the car while we drove here.  It’s not a sunset (thanks sky….ughh) but it’s a silhouette..and I’m still a proud Momma bear photographer!  The beauty of this is that it was still daylight and they’re in a parking lot!! AHHHHH!! Seriously, proud momma wedding photographer right here!  It’s all about the light, camera settings, and angle!

SEEEEEE?!  This was taken by Ash just minutes later!  Completely daylight and in a crowded parking lot!  Then, she came in laughing.  I had no idea what was going on!  She was outside taking these.  Look at this group….there is serious comrade and a whole lot of fun!

Time for announcements!  You know how it goes…usually the parents come in…and then the bridal party gets rowdy with their introductions!  Nope…not with this group!  The parents started it off with a BANG!

Every year…I meet a few couples that I just KNOW are going to be a-ok no matter what.  Everyone can take a pretty photo but actions do speak louder than words.  This is another example that most of my photographer blogger friends would cringe if they saw this…the emergency exit sign?  Cars in the background?  They’d say throw it out and don’t blog it.  Not me!  These are my VERY favorite moments because they are perfect moments…not perfect photos.  Nope…I save those for what you saw above in the formal photo section (and it’s another reason why this wedding had SO many photos).  These are MOMENTS.  Ash caught this RIGHT before Corey and Sydney were announced for the second time and Corey stuck his hand out kind of like, “Come here wife…We did it!” and I’m just over here swooning on this Wednesday morning! AHHHHH!!!

Mr. and Mrs. Biddle, everyone!

First dances were danced!  Just look at these two in all their marital glory!

Cake was cut!  AND Ashleigh was able to snag her customary “cake was just cut” shot!  Also, huge shoutout to whoever covered that fire extinguisher!  I’ve got to know…was this the venue’s idea?  Or was this one of the parents?!

Speeches were made and everyone was listening!

Then, Corey’s parents stood up and thanked everyone.  I’m telling you…these are real people right here!  You can even see the genuine emotions and love for their children and family and friends come out!  Corey’s parents welcomed and thanked everyone…and even referenced Sydney’s parents and their part in this big day.  I see a lot of weddings and it warms my heart to pieces when the sets of parents are close too!  Corey’s parents had a surprise for the couple too and I was DYING to see it play out!

But first, they also gave Corey a little bit of a hard time.  Apparently, when he went off to college he stated loud and proud that he wasn’t getting involved with the ladies….two weeks later?  Enter Sydney and here we are now! HA!  I love that story!

Then, Corey’s parents announced their little (BIG) surprise was coming up and you can tell by the look on everyone’s faces (below)…they had NO idea!  What is happening?  I knew about this ahead of time.  Amy had emailed me and told me MONTHS ago.  There was legit concern about what was to come though!

Anddddddddd then the band Lights Out came out with a BANG!  Corey LOVES the Jersey Boys so his parents surprised him with this!! Just look at their reactions!!!!!

He was so pumped he even gave them a standing ovation when they came in!  I seriously love the girls’ reactions!  Ash and I had talked it out before this happened.  We had to work fast.  We decided their reactions were more important so I took this angle and she shot the band!

It was AMAAAZZZZZZING!!!!! AHHHHH!!! Best surprise at a reception of 2020!  FOR SURE!  Angie and Mike, you outdid yourself on this one!

Of course, the couple came out and paused their dinner for a little dance!

…and of course, their parents joined them!

So, they continued to play and sing to us while we ate dinner.  Ashleigh and I found our table only to realize we were sitting with the CORONAS!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!  You remember them, right?!  My loyal blog readers will!  That’s Joe’s dad, “Jethro” and Sue!  When he first introduced himself as father of groom back in 2018 on that wedding day, he told me his name was Jethro.  And I called him that for a good hour before someone told me he had lied to me! HA! SoooOoOo, I’ve never let him live it down.  Sam and Joe are some of our best friends so it was extra special to see them!  He had actually came up earlier and grabbed me and said “Hello” BUT I was super duper pumped to get to actually have dinner with them and chat!! YAY!  I meannnnnnnn, this day just kept getting better and better and better and at random points of the night I hadn’t even expected!

Dinner was delicious and it was time for the first dance.  I also knew about this one!  Wayne sang “My Little Girl” to Sydney and had it recorded so they could dance to his own words.  It was super duper emotional for everyone!

Even Grandma was getting teary and she tried to hide it from me when she knew I was taking pictures but I got it!

Then, Angie got to dance with her son and they busted some moves!

But wait…there’s more!  This is usually when the blog dies down.  I think at this point you’ve seen 90 some wedding photo blog collages.  But seriously, there’s more.  It was a “wrap your camera around your wrist” kind of party.  The dance floor was PACKED and we had to be extra sure our cameras stayed with us!

These two (below) have been married (I believe) 56 years!  They won the anniversary dance BUT…that wasn’t the only dance they danced.  I caught these two out there sipping their drinks and busting a move and then grandma got in there with the younger guys and showed them how it is DONE!  I looked at the DJ at this point and said, “I want to be her one day!”  They’re putting their pinkies to the moon if you’re wondering! HA!

Alright.  I could show you about 400 more wedding reception photos.  Seriously, there was SO much going on but I’ve got to end it somewhere.  Corey also loves Star Wars.  So, Sydney called me earlier in the week and told me they wanted to do a mock “send off” with lightsabers before Ashleigh and I left.  Now, you all know I’ve been “trained” by some pretty amazing DJs.  They’ve taught me what they love…what they hate…what they hate photographers do…you name it.  I’m a team player, ya know.  They hate when photographers “cut the party short” and I’ve always made it a big deal to respect that.  So, the original plan was that we were going to go outside to do this for sake of OUR send off.  I was super duper afraid it will kill their party…and it WAS a party.  It was also the coldest night we’d had yet and very frigid outside.  So, I talked to the DJ and had a plan.  I was going to make a runway on the dance floor so we could stay inside and guests didn’t have to go outside and could keep on partying the night away.  Sydney and Corey were all for it when I cleared it with them.  So, I grabbed the box and started lighting these babies up.  I could NOT stop laughing.  The guests were like a bunch of children on a field trip.  As soon as I lit the first one up, I was surrounded…seriously.  They were reaching around me and grabbing and taking and I was dying laughing.  Seriously, a bunch of adults were SO excited to see these and I wasn’t surprised in the least!! So, here we go!  I had Sydney and Corey run down them.  JT and I had talked about how we would tag team this!  We had a plan and it was going to be amazing!

So, we had them run back the other way.  And then back to us.  And back again.  They laughed.  They kissed.  He spun Sydney.  And they dipped a little.  My wedding photographer heart had a “mic drop” moment…”these two are perfect”….”how’d I get so lucky to be here”…”gosh these photos are going to be amazing”…kind of moments.  People were cheering.  The couple was running.  JT and I were trying to not run over each other.  Heck, I don’t even know where Ashleigh was but I know she was there because I  have her photos! HA!  I don’t think I’ve EVER said this before but it was “lovely manic chaos”.  I soooooOo wish you could all could have been there.  I hope you can feel the energy through my words.  It was AMAZING chaos.  I didn’t think it could get much better.

…and then Khris, the DJ, let those sparklers go off and I’m pretty sure you could probably hear me squealing from five miles away.  It was perfect.  It was THE BEST send off for these two and this wedding.  Done.  It was PERFECCCCCT!

BUT WAITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.  THERE WAS MORE!  Again, total Hannah panic amazing chaos moments…what’s going to happen…I’M STUCK IN THE BACK! WAIT! AHHHH!  So, I threw my hands over my head and did what us photographers call “spray and pray”.  That’s when we have no choice because we can’t stop the moment so we hope our settings are right and we just start shooting and hope they turn out later.  The light sabers were getting caught in my focal planes….AHHHHH!!

AND THEN SOMEHOW…and it can only be because the Wedding Gods knew this couple deserves the best…my camera caught the couple in focus!!! WITH the lightsabers…and sparklers and it was amazing.  We’re done here, right?!

Nope.  We’re not.  And I can only quote what Ashleigh later said to me in the car.  “They know they take great photos.  They know we all love them and they know how to make the photos even better by just being themselves”.  Or something like that!  It’s true.  Corey picked her right up and CARRIED HER OUTSIDE!  I mean.  Did you all see JT’s wedding video?  If you didn’t, PLEASE go on over to Penderville Wedding Films and watch it.  He got this moment in action (you can see him there below me).  And it was absolute pure perfection.  I mean, had I not had the photographic evidence, you would have all thought I was making this up, right?!  It was the PERFECT end to our night!  I’m not sorry I keep using the word “perfect” obnoxiously over and over…there’s no better word.  If you were there…you KNOW!

When I say we were trapped, we were trapped.  But when you have a couple like this?  You do EVERYTHING you can to get the shot.  That’s me on the left (below)…I was shooting over my head because JT was squatting down below me because the guests were so pumped up there was no way to get in front of them!  Pure teamwork!

…and we DID IT.  What a more perfect and amazing way to end a blog.  We’ve got an great couple surrounded by friends and family who love them just as much as they love their friends and family back.  You’ve got us wedding vendors who were so excited about the day we didn’t even know what to do with ourselves and a groom literally carrying his bride out of the building…to the Star Wars anthem…with sparklers going off and lightsabers in the air.  MIC DROP.  I have no words and all the words…………THE END.

Not going to lie, I’m tearing up a little over here.  You know why?  I felt like this blog needed a song.  I legally can’t officially attach a copyrighted song so I’m going to share the YouTube video of Whitney Houston’s “I will Always Love You”…because that’s my mood right now.  Go ahead, click this link, skip the ad, and open it in the a separate window so you can come back and read the rest of this (LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JWTaaS7LdU ).  I feel like Whitney right now…I must go…but I will ALWAYS love this couple and this wedding and their friends and family.  It’s definitely going in the vault.  I WILL think of these two!  And I KNOW this is one that we’ll be talking about for years.  Their families live more than an hour from me.  The couple themselves live in Virginia.  I probably won’t get to see them again unless I’m lucky enough to be at a wedding they’re also attending but I’m definitely going to follow them from afar.  I feel like I made a lot of friends at this wedding.  Both Sydney and Corey’s parents treated us like one of their own.  Their family and friends pumped us up and encouraged us and made the long day FLY by!  We were welcomed in those first seconds and everyone went over and above for the couple and to make sure their wedding was perfect and their photos and videos were perfect.  One photo after another…each smile after another…every joke and laugh and vow and kiss and…and…it was all great!  I just can’t end it!  “So goodbye…please don’t cry…we both know I’m not what you..you need….AND IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU!”  Yep those are the lyrics, I’m Whitney right now when Kevin Costner watches her get on that plane (I hope you’ve all seen the Body Guard or you’re going to think I’m a complete nutcase).  Seriously, I don’t want this couple to go…I don’t want this wedding to be over…but all great things have to come to an end, right?!  It’s just crazy.  I didn’t get to know Corey and Sydney as much as I do some couples due to distance but I feel like I’ve known them for a long time!  I hope it wasn’t too sappy.  I KNOW it was probably “too much”.  If you know me…you know the energy coming out of my office doors right now!! We did it!  Corey and Sydney are the Biddles!  ONE LAST TIME…CONGRATS TO THEM!

 

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Vendor Shoutouts!

Bride’s Gown – Allure Bridal, MB Bride

Bridesmaids’ Dresses – Bill Levkoff, MB Bride

Men’s Attire – Jack’s Tuxedo

Engagement Ring – Custom Made w/ Grandmother’s Diamond

Wedding Bands – Jared (Bride), Manly Bands (Groom)

Hair – Hairtinis

Makeup – Make Me Blush

Florist – Rosebud Floral

Videographer – Penderville Wedding Films (JT Penderville)

Cake and Other Desserts – The Original Pie Shoppe

DJ – Powerbomb Entertainment, DJ Khris

Band – Lights Out

Catering – Carson’s Catering

Invitations – Ann’s Bridal Bargains

Favors – Honey from a Family Farm