suit factory — Beauty & Beard PhotographyBlog

We don’t typically have the ability to say that we knew the couple as great friends and have even our own stories with them that would make for a fun toast but, in this post, we absolutely can say that and that we love them dearly! Clayson and Rebecca’s wedding day took place at Living History Park in North Augusta which is a bit of a family tradition from what I understand and we also got to bump shoulders with one of our favorites here locally, Tracy Yahn and her whole team who we’ve worked with a quite a few times over the past few years. Throughout the wedding day, there was every emotion from tears to pure outrageous laughter (more on the laughter side of things and more on that in a minute) and it was such an honor to witness and capture some of our closest friends celebrate the love of these two.

The day started at an airbnb in Downtown Augusta just inside Olde Town with a super eclectic yet, beautifully detailed vibe. After saying hello and exchanging hugs, we grabbed all of the details to photograph and found which space we wanted to use and landed on one of the upstairs rooms with a huge window and plenty of space to spread out. Once finished with details, we gave a good “hooty hoo” signal for Rebecca’s MOH Marlow to bring her up to open a surprise gift from Clayson with a bunch of personal flare with an added bonus of it being their engagement session photo as a gorgeous painting. From there, we had all of the girls grab some orange juice for a few quick photos on the bed in that room before everyone got dressed and Rebecca’s mom helped with her last bit of getting into the dress and then the airbnb had a beautiful claw foot tub upstairs so we got a few photos there before everyone started packing and we all made our way to Living History Park in North Augusta. From here, once the girls were all in their spot, we met up with the guys and helped with the boutonnieres then took Rebecca’s Dad to get in a good spot to do their first look and we landed on a shaded spot surrounded by greenery where we knew we would have angles and also close to the Bride. Once he turned around and saw his little girl, you could tell that he was just filled with joy and pride seeing her and they shared a sweet moment. From here, we called for Clayson and got him in position for her to be able to come around easily and us to have the space again but also have it be a different spot. We know the anticipation for this moment was huge and they were so ready to be on the other side of the ceremony as Husband and Wife. When she tapped him on the shoulder, he turned and just had probably one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen from Clayson and they shared a small moment together before hopping into some photos with their wedding party and a few family photos. Pretty quickly, everyone started to show up and it was time for them to hide away for their entrance. Once they had everyone seated and it was time, everyone started making their way down the aisle and just before the Bride came, we had the beautiful moment of seeing one of my best friends as a flower dude entering in to “Pour Some Sugar On Me” which I have to say I am excited to figure out how that slow motion footage will play into the Highlight Film. After that, the song changed and Rebecca made her way down the aisle and that big smile showed itself again just as in the first look. Once they were hand in hand at the foot of the cross, our dear friend Pastor Mitchell Copeland took over and had some great memories and insight to share for the couple before announcing them as husband and wife where they got to seal the deal with a kiss and make their way up the aisle together as the Kansanback’s.

After the Ceremony, we hopped right into the family formal photos and taking some photos of the newlyweds as well as signing the marriage license then we made our way over to the barn for the reception to get ready for their entrances. Once entered in to all of the cheering attendees, they started dancing to (everything I do) I do it for you by Bryan Adams with their wedding party just behind them. They then went into the Father-Daughter dance where some of the Bridesmaids cried a little bit and then the Mother-Son dance as well before everyone started to get in line to eat tacos. After everyone had their fill of tacos, the dance floor opened up and the DJ’s lighting came out while the rest of the lights were turned off. We also did the cake cutting, a bouquet and garter toss and pretty much danced/fellowshipped the night away until we came to a point of doing a quick fake exit with streamers and from here it turned into everyone on the dance floor having a ton of fun and eventually requesting some songs even to end off the night. We loved being a part of this amazing couple’s big day and getting to provide them with these memories and look forward to seeing their marriage grow over the years!

Vendors List

Photography - Beauty & Beard Photography @beautyandbeardphoto

House of the Bride - Dress

Mitchell Copeland - minister

The Floral Bar - florist

Ever After Beauty - hair and makeup (Amy Gay - Hair, Rachel Turner - Makeup)

Tracy Yahn Events - coordinator

Monterrey’s - caterer

Brantley Sound Services - DJ

Nothing Bundt Cake - cake

Ranco Event Rentals - rentals

Now, there’s a lot that can be said about this couple, from his live streaming on Twitch to their shared love of cars being part of how they met. They are so fun and down to earth that we knew we would love this wedding day at Ashton Cole Place in Thomson, GA.

The wedding day itself started with us showing up and saying hey to the couple and the wedding party while also gathering details to photograph. As we were finishing up details and I walked out to do a few photos of the venue, it started to rain which we thought wasn’t going to happen until maybe much later according to the forecast. It worked out that it started early and continued making it a little bit easier to call it and switch to plan b of having the ceremony in the reception space so they pulled out a bunch of chairs. This was for sure a testament to how great the folks at Ashton Cole are at handling any situation and we did appreciate seeing that. Also, they say it’s good luck when it rains on your wedding day and Jason and Sharon handled it perfectly together which in a beautiful manner told the story of how great they are together. Once everyone was ready, we did a few photos of the guys together and also the reveal of the Bride to her Bridesmaids and the Mother’s. We quickly set it up to do a first look with the Bride’s Father as well and then then couple’s Son (who is hilarious and obsessed with fishing to the point of having literal fish shoes on his feet later in the wedding but more on that later) and of course the first look between Jason and Sharon just before it was almost time for the ceremony and everyone was showing up.

From there, we got into our spots for the ceremony and got to meet a sweet pup who apparently was the face of a company (which company it was escapes me at the moment) but any time there’s animals involved, we thoroughly enjoy ourselves. Once we had everyone in place, the music started and the family and wedding party made their way down the aisle. The joy all over Sharon and Jason’s faces as she made her way down the aisle was very contagious and we always love the moment of seeing the Bride’s Father giving her a hug and handing her over to the Groom, moments like that start hitting differently when you become a parent and have that perspective. Their great friend Jarrod who also officiated the wedding did an amazing job and everything went smoothly and ended with Jason and Sharon sealing the deal with their kiss and making their way back up the aisle as Mr. and Mrs. Berry.

From here, it had dried enough that we made our way to the original ceremony location for a few family photos and as well as the wedding party and couples photos to quickly get them into their reception. We actually finished a little early and got to give them a breather to sit down before going into the reception as well as change shoes before hitting the dance floor. As everyone set up and entered into the reception, everyone had just finished cocktail hour and were enjoying the photo booth before finding their seats. Once Jason and Sharon entered surrounded by cheering, they went into their first dance. Once they finished that dance everyone started eating and enjoying the photo booth some more as well as dancing a little. Then it was time for the Father/ Daughter dance and then Mother/ Son dance and then to the cake cutting where they got to taste the cake but also enjoy wearing a little bit because they smooshed it into each other’s faces which was funny. From here, we enjoyed both Dad’s giving a toast before trading off to dance with their Son’s new Wife or Daughter’s Husband which was a nice switch up and provided such a sweet moment. From that moment on, it was an open dance floor with a bouquet and garter toss at the very end almost before ending off with a beautiful sparkler exit where they stayed lit for a while so we made a few passes just for fun and then went to actually end the night off signing the marriage certificate in the Bridal suite. From there, they started packing up and planning the clean up process to head home as the Berry family officially. We got to say our goodbyes and get a few hugs in but we must say that we are excited to see what all the future has for Mr. and Mrs. Berry!