Hello, my friends!

Back in May, I had the privilege of second-shooting a friend’s wedding! This was my first time photographing a wedding and phew, it was a lot. I couldn’t have asked for a better couple than Heidi and Shayne for my first time, though. Their sweet spirits, Christ-like love, and laid-back demeanors shone strong the entire day despite the excitement and stress I’m sure they were dealing with.

I feel like I should say, “Heidi and Shayne, enjoy some of my favorites from your special day!” But this isn’t a wedding blog, so… I guess whoever’s reading this, enjoy some pictures of my friends getting married! This post features the sweetest couple, a plastic bug, a mysterious water bottle, a vintage car, and some of my favorite pictures I’ve ever taken.

Ready? Set? Go!

(Note: Since I was just the second-shooter, this post won’t be a very complete summary of their wedding. I don’t have all the classic shots in here – and couldn’t fit them if I did, haha!) Let’s start with some B&W “girls getting ready” photos. 🙂

In between getting-ready photos, I got some other shots like this one of Heidi’s gorgeous dress.

The girls’ photos were so much fun to take – just hanging out and snapping candids of the bridesmaid and bride-to-be.

One of Shayne’s sisters got to curl LOTS of hair because she was so good at it.

Hehe, a mischievous flower girl… I’m not sure where she found this plastic centipede thingy (can you spot it?), but the picture cracks me up. 😛

The bouquets were delivered partway through getting ready.

I got some photos of the wedding dress in the getting-ready room too, but as you can see, the lighting wasn’t nearly as good here, although the wall went with the lace super well!

Aww, I loved Heidi’s expression when she saw herself in the mirror. ❤

So much joy!

I briefly went outside to take pictures of Shayne and his dad; Tara (the main photographer) got pictures of the groomsmen beforehand.

I was supposed to take pictures of the flower basket and ring box (are those the proper terms?), so I went scouting the church for a room with a good backdrop. That was one really neat part about being a photographer there – I could wander all over the church finding photo locations. The best one ended up simply being a white plastic folding table by a big window.

The primary photographer, Tara Elease, was great to work with and did an amazing job – it was actually her first wedding too! Here’s her portfolio if you’d like to check her out. She used the same room for more detail shots.

Such cheerful, springy colors in this bouquet!

Once everyone was ready, we headed outside for some actual portraits. Aren’t these so cute?

Shayne’s youngest sister was the flower girl; she and Heidi were so sweet together! I love these photos. ❤

Doesn’t Heidi look like a princess here?! So gorgeous.

The stairway inside the church was flooded with natural light and made for some stunning portraits!

This right here is one of my favorite photos I’ve ever taken. ❤ She looks like she could be in a magazine, don’t you think?

Hehe, this one of her and her dad makes me smile. Honestly a lot of these make me smile. 🙂

Her dad is hilarious, as you can tell from this epic photo. :’D

By now all we had to do was wait for the ceremony to start! Heidi turned on some music while we were waiting. 😛

A quick story while they’re getting Heidi’s dress fixed. See that water bottle on the counter? Well, I forgot to bring my own water and since there was none available at the church, I was super thirsty by noon. Finally I found that abandoned half-full bottle on the counter and drank it. :’D I don’t know if it was from that day or if it had been sitting at the church for weeks, but hey, I’m still alive!

Alright, on to the ceremony! Shayne wanted to wait and see Heidi in her wedding dress for the first time at the ceremony rather than having a “first look” beforehand like couples often do nowadays, so I switched between photographing Heidi walking down the aisle, and…

Shayne at the front. This was the best picture I got of his reaction, but… yeah. ❤

Later on the pastor said, “Well, I’ve come to the part of the ceremony where I’m supposed to tell them to hold hands, but – look! They already are.” 😀 Also Heidi’s expression when they exchanged rings was so sweet.

I got pictures of all the wedding party going out, of course, but these were the best – Heidi and Shayne, obviously, and Heidi’s mom and brother, HAHA. Hilarious.

Another perk of being the photographer was getting to wait in this “Red Room” after the ceremony! I got more favorite pictures of Heidi and Shayne being adorable while everyone else was talking. This reminds me so much of the photo at the end of Aria’s wedding post. I love them both. ❤

My favorite part of being a second-shooter was definitely getting sweet, funny, candid moments that the professional, posed pictures don’t quite capture.

❤

After taking a bunch of group shots, we all headed to a nearby park for the reception. And more photos! I think this is Heidi and Shayne’s trademark pose. 😛

To be honest, most of the day I felt like I did NOT know what I was doing, haha. But these wedding portraits were fun because my friend Aria (who is a real, professional wedding photographer) familiarized me with some poses back when I was taking her engagement pictures.

Honestly though, Heidi and Shayne basically posed themselves! There wasn’t much instruction needed. They were just cute. 😀

I. Love. This. One.

Ah, how fairy-tale-esque is this?! The path in the woods really made the perfect backdrop.

A silly one just because. 😛

They held the reception at a picnic shelter, decked out with tons of beautiful flowers.

I think one of my favorite parts of weddings are the toasts. It’s so interesting to get to know the couple a bit better – and hear some hilarious/slightly embarrassing stories. Oh dear. :’D

Her dad’s reaction after he accidentally called Heidi by her sister’s name during the speech… 😛

Heidi’s mom made this cake! Look how beautiful!

Ha, the “cutting the cake” ceremony was quite entertaining.

Aw, I love this picture. It’s a group of friends who used to (or still do) go church with Heidi. I go to her church too, by the way – that’s how I know her. 🙂

Also LOOK, A CUTE BABY. That little tongue, oh my goodness!

Heidi was very excited about this neat vintage “getaway” car that also made for some great pictures!

Hehe, this looks like something from an old movie, doesn’t it?

Instead of sparklers or rice, the guests got to throw lavender when the couple left! What a great idea! The second picture cracks me up because it looks like Shayne’s loving the flower rain but Heidi’s not so sure. :’D

Once they made it through the lavender shower, the car’s owner drove them off to Shayne’s real car a little ways away.

And this is the last photo I have from that day. 🙂 Congrats, Heidi and Shayne! Thank you guys again for letting me help photograph your wedding. ❤

I hope you guys enjoyed scrolling through that mountain of photos. I’m not planning to be a wedding photographer anytime soon, but I’m glad I got to experience a little of what it’s like, especially with such a wonderful couple.

What is your favorite part of weddings? Do you have favorite pictures from this post?

Thanks so much for reading, my friends, and have a lovely day!

***Allison***

P. S. Photos taken with my Nikon D3400 and 35mm + 50mm lenses. Edited with Lightroom.