Emily & Aric > A Winter Wedding at WhitLee Springs

Ever since meeting Emily and Aric at their engagement session, they felt like old friends and I awaited capturing their day with great anticipation. Emily reached out to me after finding out I was photographing her cousin’s wedding, who had been a college friend. So after already photographing one wedding this fall for their family, I was starting to feel like an honorary family member myself– everyone was so welcoming! Leading up to the day, Aric had told me he’d been practicing the “nuzzle”, which is one of the poses I introduced at their engagement session. These photos definitely show his dedication, haha! On a more serious note, this wedding was a cold, but beautiful November wedding located at WhitLee Springs. From the warm terracotta colors, to the horses on the property, and quite possibly the sweetest groom reaction to date there were so many noteworthy moments.

This wedding also comes with a crazy side-story about the venue. The week prior to Emily & Aric’s wedding I had traveled to Arizona for a photography conference called Showit United where photographers from all different states gather to learn more knowledge and reset to grow their business. The last couple of days while there I met a photographer from Ohio, so not far from Kentucky right? We started talking about where we were from and she mentioned her aunt and uncle owned a wedding venue near Winchester, Ky. I asked her what the name of their venue was and my jaw dropped when she replied, “WhitLee Springs,” as that was literally where my upcoming Saturday wedding was taking place!!! We laughed and talked about what a small world it really is, even when you are on the opposite ends of the country in Arizona. When I arrived at the venue and shared this fun anecdote with the venue owners, they were happy to hear I had met their niece; they were so kind and helpful the whole day!! Not to mention, I was in awe of their beautiful venue as I pulled into the property. After styling and photographing all of Emily’s details– including the perfect bottle of perfume she had just found that included her colors and dried flowers– it was time for the first looks with her bridesmaids and Dad. I loved the excitement in her friends’ faces as they turned around to see Emily and all her wedding day beauty. The next first look (father/daughter) was a bit more of a tear-jerker as Emily approached her Dad and gave him the most sentimental gift, a tie with a picture of them attached. While Emily and Aric chose not to do another first look with each other, they still wanted a first touch and moment to read letters before the ceremony. I feel like this is something that is not done quite as often at weddings anymore and I was pleasantly surprised at how sweet it was to capture.

Finally, it was time for the ceremony… and while I do love first looks for many reasons, I think Aric’s reaction to seeing Emily come down the aisle just confirmed their choice not to stray from tradition. The tears and emotion in the moments as Emily took step after step towards her groom were palpable. It was the type of reaction and love all brides wish for on their wedding day. The beautiful ceremony continued and though it was very cold, the space had been prepared with quilts and hot-hands galore. After the ceremony concluded, we got to take some time exploring the property and capturing those just married bride and groom portraits. The horses even posed for us, although in actuality they were just trying to eat Emily’s flowers. Some more family and bridal party photos took place before Emily and Aric finally entered their reception as husband and wife! After some delicious Mexican food, wonderful dancing, and heartfelt speeches we prepared for the send-off. At first this appears to be a typical sparkler send-off, but they took it up a notch and shot off fireworks simultaneously as they made their exit. I had misunderstood and thought the fireworks were going off after the sparklers, so I scrambled to get the shot when they went off at the same time as the sparklers – I think it all worked out and the photos turned out pretty cool!!

Emily and Aric thank you so much for choosing me to capture your day and allowing me to be a part of these moments! Please enjoy some more of my favorites!