Dakota & Cory’s Wedding

Hello! Happy Wednesday! Dakota and Cory’s wedding is on the blog right now! It has that pop of color I LOVE (AND RED)! The black and white vibes with the red roses and red jacket made my photographer heart SO happy…YES! So, please give these two all your Hannah Barlow Photography love and ENJOY! Their wedding is live on the blog right now!

Becca and I were back at Waterfront Hall but this time…we were staying there for all the events! Ashley (Plans for Perfection) had the ceremony all set up and ready to be photographed when we arrived!

Then, we made our way to the second floor where the ladies were finishing up getting hair and makeup done! The great thing about this venue is you CAN stay all in one place. Their second floor has the best areas for getting ready with lots of room AND it keeps the couple apart if they aren’t wishing to see each other prior to the ceremony!

We got RIGHT down to details! I know a few of these girls pretty well now through all this wedding preparation, including the bride! They LOVE details and I’m here to photograph it ALL! My favorite part of these details was the “something blue!” I did ask ahead of time if it was ok to share…I got the all clear…no pun intended! HA! Why am I the way that I am?!

We caught Cory’s mom helping him with the finishing touches!

Then, we took the men outside to get their photos!

The groomsmen kept making Cory laugh…so I just kept taking photos! You always can predicate how a wedding is going to go according to the groomsmen. They weren’t taking the ‘serious face’ faces…seriously. And I’m here for it because it proves they are here to have fun and aren’t totally loathing the photo time portion of the day (which I always promise will go fast…and it did)!

Then, we went back inside and got some pajama photos with the ladies before they got in their dresses!

Becca’s strongest super power for wedding photography is she always notices the little details and then makes them a whole moment! She had Dakota pose for this photo below!

Then, we grabbed Dakota’s Mom and they helped each other get all zipped and buttoned up!

I love her ring! I also love that these getting ready moments felt (and look) so genuine!

We took the women out at this point to get their photos done! I LOVE the pop of red! I’ve missed color this year SO MUCH!

Then, we went back inside to take one of my current favorite photos/poses! Doesn’t matter who you are…what wedding…this always looks FAB! However, Dakota really makes this photo SOMETHING! I love that the detail on her veil showed up even in shadow!

ALMOST time for the ceremony! We ran up to grab some photos! What you can’t see…behind those black drapes was ALL the reception tables, pretty much set up and ready to go. This is what Ashley (Plans for Perfection) calls a “flip”! That’s right! This space is the SAME space for both ceremony AND reception AND they were going to “flip” the room in one hour after the ceremony and during cocktail hour to make it a reception DREAM!

I was up front. Becca was in the back. This is our system. When Dakota started walking down the aisle, I looked over and saw this moment! CUE THE HAPPY TEARS! It’s moment like these (below) that really stops you in your tracks. They were watching Dakota come down the aisle!

Dakota told me later she was so glad we caught these moments because the sunlight caused a glare and she couldn’t see Cory real good when she was first coming down the aisle! Have no fear…we’re here! Didn’t mean to rhyme but here we are!

…and just like that! They’re married! We went on a typical Hannah Barlow Photography “field trip”. Dakota had mentioned she loved the brick and vibe I’d done previously! Ask and you shall receive! This wedding…Cory’s tux jacket…all the details called for some deep background contrast and a little bit of drama rama with ALL the beauty!

We got the full bridal party together at this point for their photos!

We did some fun walking ones! Then, let them go to cocktail hour!

…because we had bride groom couple photos to get to!

It’s been SO long since I’ve had a groom wear color! When Dakota told me what Cory was going to wear, I was SO pumped up about it!

They’re beautiful, aren’t they?!

Then, we found the brick wall! What you don’t SMELL…yes, smell…was the sewer stench we had to endure. What you can’t appreciate…is how my couples will suffer in the name of photos. Yes…it was terrible. We worked fast! But I needed just a few more! This is a story of wedding photography behind the scenes and we still got amazing photos! WORTH IT!

…and I do believe it was SoooOooOOo WORTH IT! OMG! These ones below are some of my absolute FAVS!

Remember that “flip”?! Well, here you go! Shoutout to Ashely and the entire staff of Waterfront Hall for making this happen! Also, shoutout to them for letting me take family formals in this space WHILE they flipped the room!! The couple wanted to take full advantage of this room and do family formals here (before we went outside to take the photos above). It was truly a team effort…family and friends included…to make this flip AND family formals happen! WE DID IT! AND I’m so proud of everyone! Teamwork truly makes the dream work! Look how STUNNING this space is!

DJ Brian Oliver welcomed the bridal party and couple into the reception! Shoutout to Becca for holding down the photography fort at the entrance so I could be further back!

The marquee sign was one of my favorite parts! AND the bubbles…I love a good bubble gun!

Their first dance and cake cutting as the new Mr. & Mrs. Barrett!

Then, we went to the rooftop! Now, to be CLEAR…the weather was perfect all day! We couldn’t have asked for better weather…especially temperature. The hurricane weather wasn’t supposed to show up until the next day. I did see the clouds rolling in…I knew we probably weren’t going to get golden hour or sunset. I had an alarm set on my watch to keep an eye out. Then, Ashley called me and said, “it’s raining”…**cue the doom music**. None of us expected rain. Dakota and Cory said “it is what it is”…but then opted to go for it anyway. Rain and all!! The Wedding Gods really showed up and said….”Ok…but let me give you a reflection”! The most perfect reflection on the ground/roof! When wedding life gives you lemons and all that!

The bridge lights came on and everything! I’ll take it!

…and on our way down, we did sexy elevator photos! I’ve got a good video coming at you for this one! I can NOT with these two! I love photographing these two SO MUCH!

Then, I quite literally had them send the elevator back to the reception and I photographed them kissing while the doors closed…without us. They deserve a few seconds to themselves!

There were parent dances. There were speeches. There was a bouquet dedication from Dakota to her mom…but also…it was time to partayyyyyyyyyyyyy! YES! Spelled Par-TAY! Get exited! This couple was excited! Having a dance party all night was a priority!

Per the usual, this group did not disappoint (I’ve been at other weddings with many of them). Actually, a few of my couples I’ve photographed were there! But also, DJ Brian Oliver never disappoints!

And that’s a wrap on another wedding! Cory and Dakota are Mr. & Mrs. Barrett! I got to not only spend the day at one of my favorite venues…with some of my very favorite vendor friends…but I also got to spend the day with this group…many I already knew but many who were new faces! It was one of those weddings everything just went well…everyone made us feel like family…and the photos prove it!

If you’ve made it this far in the blog, THANK YOU! The new world of AI and subscriptions and what not is making it harder and harder to blog and show off my couples…something I have done for over a decade and not just for marketing but because I LOVE for people to see the whole day…start to finish…not just the pretty perfect photos but the whole day and their story! Your continued support and love for my couples never goes unnoticed! I appreciate each and every one of you because my couples deserve to have their big days celebrated! I’m super sad this one is over! The end of this wedding season is coming…and while I’m ready…I’m not ready! It’s been an amazing year!

Thanks for reaching everyone! Don’t forget to pour all your love for this couple into the comments so they can see you! Have a great day!

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Disclaimer: Hannah Barlow Photography blogs only represent a small portion of photos the couple actually receives in their private gallery.  The blogs are meant to highlight favorite photos and favorite moments of the wedding day and do not represent an entire gallery.

With permission specifically from the couple, galleries can be shared if you wish to view it in its entirely and/or order prints.

info@hannahbarlowphoto.com for more info.

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Vendors

Venue – Waterfront Hall

Planner/Coordinator – Plans for Perfection (Ashley)

DJ – Brian Oliver

Hair – Morgan Rodgers (IG @morganhrogers_) & Lakin Elrick (IG @lakinmr and @lakinmr2)

Makeup – Makenzie Johnson (@makenziejohnson on Facebook)

Caterer – Mountaineer Catering

Cake/Cupcakes – Mad Batter

Bride’s Gown – Sorelle

Bridesmaids’ Attire – Azazie

Men’s Attire – Sorelle