Mary Elizabeth + Cody
"I was adored once too." - William Shakespeare
I'm not sure I've ever posted this many photos in a blog post about a wedding. Especially just a few days after they said I do. But to tell the story of this day with fewer images would be to sell the whole thing short. Mary Elizabeth and Cody booked me as their photographer what seems like a lifetime ago. They had decided on me and a date before they even had a venue for the wedding and I still laugh a bit at how much of their contract with me is "TBD". What's amazing is how well everything came together and how perfectly "them" this day was.
Mary is as sweet and southern as they come. She's polite, always greets you with a huge hug, and never stop smiling. She really is the type of bride that I know I can make happy simply because so much of this day for her is all about celebrating her and Cody and not about the show. Cody on the other hand is pretty calm and cool. He's the type of guy that isn't easily shaken up and though I could tell while he was reading his note from Mary that there was plenty of emotion inside he's not one to really let it out. Honestly - that's ok with me. There's something about the joy these two have together that is just very genuine. There's no fluff, nothing artificial. And though both of their families are absolutely wonderful to be around they really did hear me out when I said that the day is about focusing on each other.
We did the entire wedding in one location. Either a dream or a nightmare for a photographer depending on how many places there are to shoot. In this case it worked out perfectly. The girls had a great little suite to get ready in while rose and mimosas floated around and all of the ladies in the family filtered in and out. The guys showed up quite a bit early just to spend the day hanging out and enjoying a day out of town. Every step of the way was smooth right down to the first look that Cody didn't even know was going to happen. When Mary snuck up behind him halfway through him reading a letter from her the reaction was perfectly surprised. The ceremony itself was short and sweet out in the warmth of an early summer in Arkansas but the breeze broke up the humidity and before anybody got uncomfortable we were back down the aisle and ready to party.
I guess I could go on and on. Often I feel like I ramble when I should just let the photos tell the story since that's really what I'm best at. So here you go - a taste of a beautiful wedding in Arkansas. I love spending my life here and there shooting wherever our couples want us to be, but there is something so nice about being just a few minutes from home with a couple that I love. THANKS to Mary Elizabeth + Cody (and their amazing families) for letting me be such a huge part of a big day! --Miles.
