the darling loft — Beauty & Beard PhotographyBlog

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!

Vendors List

Photography - Beauty & Beard Photography @beautyandbeardphoto

Venue - Ashton Cole Place

Decor - Flowers on Broad

DJ- Drop The Mic

Caterer - Penny Jo Newkirk

Brides Dress - Tiffinie Bleu Bridal Boutique

Hair / Makeup - The Darling Loft - Rachel Biestman

Bridesmaids / Flower Girl - Amazon

Groom / Groomsmen - Suit Factory

It’s not every day that we can talk about one of our couples meeting through ultimate frisbee but, that’s exactly how these two met which is so cool! We got to meet up with Darren and Phoebe for their engagement session a few months ago which you can see here. We talked some about the wedding day and getting to know them a little as well as getting into the swing of posing and having fun taking photos for the wedding day at the Big Red Barn in Aiken, SC.

Once the wedding day arrived, we showed up to Darren putting out a bunch of the decor and then playing a little bit of Cornhole with his Groomsmen. We made our way in to get the details from the Bride’s suite and to say hey. Rachel from the Darling Loft Salon was working her magic doing Phoebe’s makeup as we walked in and we grabbed the small container that the Bride had full of details for us already and went out to photograph it all. She had stamps and extra flower stems that just made the flat lay so cute and easy to put together. Once we finished that, we grabbed the dress to photograph before splitting off for some venue details and then the guys and girls getting ready. The guys were ready pretty quickly so we took them outside to do their group photos and made some jokes before getting them back inside to take the girls out of the other side of the building. With such a small and close group of friends, we were able to do everything super quickly and have them inside waiting as guests arrived for the ceremony. Once everyone made their way down the aisle, Darren got to see his Bride for the first time coming to him and you could tell he was super happy and excited for that moment. Once they exchanged their vows and rings, they sealed it all with a kiss then made their way back up the aisle as husband and wife. Being that it was an intimate wedding, they formed a line to welcome everyone into the reception before making their way back for all of the formal photos. We ended up having such a great sunset to work with for their couples photos and we even finished earlier than expected with a ton of good photos so they sat down for a bit before entering the reception. Once they were being announced into the reception, everyone cheered and went to sit down and eat before getting into their dances, a few toasts and cake cutting. Once it was dark and most of the formalities were finished, the night was full of dancing, drinks and a bouquet toss. Morgan even got out to do the Macarena and a few other dances just for fun and then as our night came to a close, we did just a few more photos with Darren and Phoebe as a close to the night and just used one of our lights to back light them out in the field where the ceremony was. It was such a joy to help tell their story and we’re excited for what is yet to come for this sweet couple.