diy fall wedding — Beauty & Beard PhotographyBlog

We met with Kenneth and Kaitlyn back in October of last year via Zoom and got to learn a little about them. We of course love that fact that he is into a lot of techy things that I can relate to as well as how genuinely fun and kind hearted they are. The wedding day took place at a pretty new venue called “Venue at 21 East” which is actually one of the larger venues in the area now with a lot of to offer on their grounds. The plan changed since it was super cold and raining on the wedding day to an indoor wedding which was luckily more than doable. Also, we loved working with Penny at the venue which says a lot of everything the venue has going on.

The wedding day started with us actually being a little lost since Google was confused where the venue actually was with it being new but, once they described the gate and we drove just a second more, we found ourselves arriving to the huge property with fields for days. Once we were inside, we met one of the bridesmaids and also met Penny (the coordinator) to get a feel for the space and quick run down with the change of plans. We then went into the huge bridal suite to gather details and say hey as we always do then dove right into the details and venue coverage. As we were looking around for where we wanted to photograph the dress, we ended up seeing the small changing room where it was hanging and realized that it has a really cool mirror and would be great if we just moved a few things so we did that and then did the photographs of the girls in their custom flannels before making our way to the guys. The guys were playing Contra (this may be one of the only wedding blogs in existence to reference Contra and know what it is) and finishing up getting ready upstairs so we took them into the next room where the pool table is and of course had a blast with them all making jokes and taking some goofier photos together as well. We then ended off our time with them by taking solo portraits of Kenny. As we got back into the girls room it was time to finish up the back of the dress and set up for a father-daughter first look quickly before the guest arrived for the ceremony. Kaitlyn and her father shared a brief but beautiful moment together and everyone managed to hold back tears for the sake of makeup pretty well but then it was officially “go time” for the ceremony as guests were arriving. The space was decorated beautifully and even though in-door weddings can be tough lighting wise, everything turned out beautifully. After the family had been seated and everyone made their way down the aisle, the Bride rounded the corner and Kenny lost it which made for such a great moment. (Morgan almost always covers the groom’s reaction because she loves moments like these so much). As she was handed off and the faced each other hand in hand, they shared in beautiful vows, communion (accompanied by beautiful live music), a prayer and finished off with their kiss. As they made their way back up the aisle officially as husband and wife, Kenny gave a few fist bumps and the joy radiated from the newlyweds.

Switching everything from the ceremony space to reception mode quickly took quite a few hands but it happened quickly so that we could do the family and bridal party photos before they moved that as well. We finished quickly then made our way upstairs for a few photos with the Bride and Groom. This is always a short moment where the couple gets to soak up the fact that they’re officially married and are taking their first photos together before heading to the reception. It’s brief but, it’s always one of our favorite parts of a wedding day. As we made our way downstairs, it was time for Kaitlyn’s wedding dress to get bustled and we normally take advantage of this moment to get setup with lighting and how we want to space out the dance floor coverage wise. Once they were ready, the DJ announced them in and everyone cheered as they went straight into their first dance. All of their dances were some of the most beautiful moments everything from tears to laughs being shared and of course seeing them wipe each others tears had us a little choked up ourselves. At this point it was time for dinner and honestly, this was some of the best country cooking we have ever had at a wedding reception so, hats off to the chef(s). Everyone had eaten and their was something magical happening outside, a beautiful pink sunset and a rainbow somehow all at the same time so we all braved the cold to get some of the sunset as it was disappearing as well as the venue space a little bit. As we made it back in, we went straight for the cake cutting and then shortly after into toasts. The toasts were a rollercoaster of emotional moments and their were a few so we didn’t share as many photos as we wanted but, they were all beautiful and finished off with the Father of the Bride before going into their dance. You could tell from the speeches and this dance that he is one proud Dad and that he loves the woman Kaitlyn has grown up to be so it made for a very special dance. Kenny and his Mom danced next and ever since we have had Logan, the Mother-Son dances hit us a little differently so just assume that we may or may not have cried a little when Kenny leaned down to hug his mom and cried on her shoulder. Everyone then made their way to the dance floor for a little while before doing the fake sparkler exit out front (we ended up doing it a little early while it stopped raining a little bit). It turned out beautifully and actually made for a cool point for the DJ to transition the lights inside to be darker and crank up the music more. Everyone came in the front door and then were just all of the sudden on the dance floor so it worked out perfectly. Besides the bouquet and garter toss, the rest of the night was full of fun dancing, photos with family and then some of the moments where the dance floor was just full of happy couples slow dancing. As our night was coming to an end, we got to say goodbye and congratulate the now Mr. and Mrs. Miles with excitement as they were heading to one of our favorite areas for their honeymoon, Tennessee!

Vendors List

Photography - Beauty & Beard Photography @beautyandbeardphoto

Shockwave Entertainment - DJ

Penny Tanner - Day of Coordinator Venue

@ 21 East - Venue

Annette McCray - Catering

Pineland Bakery - Cupcakes

Cathy's Cakes & Creations - Cake

Jordan Zeigler - Bridal Hair

Teresa Harley - Florist

Coastal Georgia Tents & Party Rentals - Outside Drapery Decor

David McLendon - Officiant

Heart to Heart Bridal (North Liberty, IA) - Dress

Doland Jewelers (Davenport, IA) - Rings

Men’s Wearhouse - Suits

We first met Tyler and Jordan in person at their engagement session that you can see here. That was an amazing session and built the trust and comfort that we had going into the wedding day a lot making everything feel more natural. The wedding day itself was at one of our most frequent and favorite wedding venues, Windsor Manor. This day had the start of Fall in mind along with some beautifully made DIY decor paired with some Etsy and Hobby Lobby finds.

The wedding day started similar to most for us, saying hey to everyone and gathering details to photograph. We sometimes use a flat lay board but love when we see white table cloths that have been steamed and we just have a giant blank canvas to work with. So that’s what we did and once we finished the details, Morgan and I split off a little bit where she was with the girls and I was with the guys as they got ready some. The guys were hilarious and joking with each other the entire time so we had a great time outside doing their group photos just before the bride came out for the first look. We kept Tyler out and had him positioned so she could sneak attack him with a hug from behind. Once he turned around and saw her, he couldn’t stop smiling and they had a sweet moment of whispering a few things to each other and walking around seeing the whole dress. After that, we had the whole wedding party come for some photos and the girls all together as well. The girls all had beautiful different color dresses to go with the color scheme of Autumn with a bright and vivid feel which is an idea we’re a huge fan of. We opted for slightly different color dresses for our own wedding and it’s seeming to be a growing trend that we are here for. At this point, we sent everyone inside quickly and got the Father of the Bride ready for their first look as well. It was a sweet moment that was more smiles and warm embrace than the teary kind which seemed to fit just right. They had nice little last minute conversation between the two of them before they walked down the aisle together as well and then made their way inside to cool off and get ready for the lineup. The guests were showing up and finding their seats in steady waves before it was time to start the ceremony. Once everyone made their way down the aisle together, the flower girls and ring bearer all came down in a super cute fashion. One of them saw her Mom and ran to her in excitement then was sent straight to the side with the bridesmaids. It was now time for the bride to come and you could just see how in love Tyler was in that moment of seeing his soon to be bride walking towards him. After her Father handed her off, we came to a moment where we wish we had been doing video for this wedding because they wrote their own vows and they were so sweet and full of their personality. Once they said their I-do’s, they kissed and made their way up the aisle together waving with the biggest smiles on their faces. It’s always at this point that we make our way over to start collecting everyone for the family photos and start going down the list. We finished those and dismissed everyone to the reception besides the newlyweds so that we could do some of their couple’s portraits which are some of our favorite photos of the day. We lucked out to have the Sun low enough to give us good light with the venue as a background for a dip kiss and some extra roaming freedom with them and we actually ended up finishing up with a few inside by the piano and piles of books in displays around the house. Just before going to setup for the Reception, we helped get the Bride’s dress bustled along with a few other hands and also got to take some cool “Wife of the Party” denim jacket photos that she was going to wear for their entrance. As soon as they were cheered into the dance floor, Tyler took the jacket and threw it over to the nearest table so they could slow dance together. Everyone then took a break to eat and this is when we also get to sit down for a bit and eat. We actually enjoy meeting the guests and getting to know them some in these moments if we’re able to sit at the reception and in this case we got to meet this super sweet couple from Florida who were the parents of the youngest flower girl. After talking more and relating to a lot with our son being just slightly younger than her, we got to see her go take over the dance floor. After the Father/Daughter and Mother/Son dances as well as a few songs of everyone dancing. We made our way inside for the cake cutting. They kept it sweet and enjoyed the cake in an intimate setting with some of their closest family and friends and signed the marriage certificate in that same room as well. They also had some Autumn themed Champagne flutes to just enjoy together. As they finished their drink, they made their way back out to the dance floor to dance the night away only to be interrupted by the bouquet toss, garter toss and shot gunning of a few beers. We absolutely loved this wedding day and getting to know them and their families more. Ever since the engagement session, we knew this would be fun but you never really know just how much fun. We are excited to see what the future holds for Mr. and Mrs. Shealy as they grow their lives together and continue making their impact in the medical field!