windsor jewelers — Beauty & Beard PhotographyBlog

Not only did we love this wedding day as our last wedding of 2021, we got to work with some of our favorite vendors and an amazing couple. It took place at SRP Park in North Augusta, SC and we got to work with H|A Wedding Planner for the first time even though we’ve known and wanted to work with her for a while.

The wedding day itself started with us parking in a parking garage and finding the correct entrance to get to the room the girls were getting ready in and grab all of the details we needed to photograph. Once we got there and said hey and grabbed the details, Heather showed us the layout of the wedding day and we made our way down to the where the ceremony would be held (3rd base area), and Morgan got started on the details while I helped our third shooter Tom get into the park as well as go meet up with the guys and have Garrett read his private vows for the highlight film. Once we finished that we took the Father of the Bride over to the front gate for his first look with his Daughter. Once he was in place, Lindsey started coming around the corner so we got them in place before backing off and letting them have the moment which ended up being a lot less about the words and more about the tears and hugs and made for a great moment where her Sister and Mom were even tearing up behind us watching. From there we went straight to get Garrett in place out on the field for their first look as well and I mic’d him up quickly then we made our way out of the tunnel onto the field and had him facing away and swapped sides for them so we could get everything with the stands in the background. Once he turned around, he kept smiling and holding his Bride to be. Once they had finished their moment together, we started taking a little more posed photos and also got the wedding party onto the field to get their photos. Before we knew it, guests started showing up so we needed to hide everyone away to line up for the ceremony. We were worried about the chance of rain that we had but it held off through the entire ceremony until we got to the reception but, it did start to get cloudy half way into the ceremony. Once everyone was in place and found their seat, the music started and they all made their way down. Garrett and the officiant came out of the tunnel onto the field after the first few family members were seated and then the wedding party came out. The Bride and her Dad shared one last private hug before it was their turn to go down the stairs and the smiles they shared in the little bit of space before the stairs were so sweet. Once they made it to the stairs, I grabbed a few photos of them going down from behind before getting out of the way for Tom and Morgan to get their shots as well while I checked on the extra camera recording the ceremony quickly before returning to photograph the hand off. The ceremony itself was fairly short and sweet with a beautiful moment of communion as their first act as a married couple which we always love. Once they made everything official and finished communion, they went into a cool and elaborate hand shake before sharing their first kiss. Once they made their way up the stairs, we had some more family photos to do so we got a few that we didn’t get before the ceremony on the field and then one more with Lindsey’s Grandmother up the stairs before heading off to the reception.

Now that it was time for the reception and we had already sent Tom off to photograph everything before guests arrived, we could hop straight into it pretty quick but had to wait and get the guests out on the tent covered patio for the announcements. It was about this time that the sky started falling and the tent was shaking which made us nervous but, luckily it was tied down super well. Everyone came out with a little dance and surrounded the dance floor as the newlyweds started their first dance. It was so sweet and we love getting to shoot inside of White tents because it helps bounce our flash super well and we have a lot of flexibility with that. They also did the Father Daughter dance where Lindsey’s Dad picked her up at one point and it was super sweet. Then the Mother and Son dance which was also super sweet. Once all of the dances were finished, it was time for everyone to eat so we all went inside for the blessing and a quick speech. After dinner, we walked around with the couple table to table to take some photos and then there were toasts before they signed the marriage license. At this point, it became party time and we had already done the cake cutting so, everyone made their way outside to dance or watch but, it was a ton of fun even with the rain. Eventually we came to a point where they were ready to go and wanted to share one last dance privately before the exit so, they did just that and it made for such a sweet moment that I didn’t even want to disturb so I took just a few photos and a video or two and got ready inside where everyone was already lined up for the glow stick exit. They stopped to kiss twice and everyone was cheering which made it super fun. The limo driver was there at the end of the line to take them out with the umbrella so, we followed them down the elevator and outside to the limo through the pouring rain and it actually was a lot of fun. The limo driver offered for us to take a few photos of them through the opened privacy window (is that what you call it?) so I snagged a few and said goodbye before running back inside to dry off everything a little. We then got to say goodbye to the family and vendors which is always such a great moment and we even got some uplifting compliments that warmed our hearts as we packed up to leave. We cannot wait to see what this next season has in store for the Wilkinsons as they start their adventure together officially and are so excited for what 2022 holds now that we’re here!

Vendors List

Photography - Beauty & Beard Photography @beautyandbeardphoto

Venue: SRP Park - North Augusta, SC

Wedding Planner @professionalweddingplanner
Entertainment @amplifiedeventsaug
Florist @florologie
Cake @diannahall
Bride Beauty + Wedding party Hair @bellafacciallc
Makeup @courtneycoffeycolor
Rentals @rancoeventrentals
Brides Fashion @bridalsbylori
Wedding party fashion @davidsbridal
Mens fashion @charlestontuxedo
Couples rings @windsorfinejewelers

We can officially say we have photographed our last wedding of 2020 which is such a bittersweet sentence but, this last one went out with a bang! We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect wedding to end out the weddings for this year and we cannot say enough kind things about Leverett and Elizabeth. The entire wedding day you can literally feel the love from their families surrounding them and how in love/perfect they are for each other.

It’s always a joy to work with Wesley Cadle and his crew on a wedding but, this one was different and was close to home since the groom’s mother is one of his best friends. We knew right off the bat that it would be a special day and it started with meeting everyone in the kitchen gathered around enjoying each other’s company. Not too long after, Leverett made his way upstairs to his old bedroom to finish getting ready. We talked about some of the amazing details like his shoes and the custom cuff links that his bride to be bought for him. Then before too long his brother came and visited and helped him with a few last touches while we awaited the bride to arrive. He stayed in his room for a little while to avoid the chance of seeing her too early. Once she arrived and was finished getting ready, it was time for their first look. This was more than just one first look though, one of his best friends surprised him by showing up the first time in a dress unexpectedly and Leverett was surprised and couldn’t stop laughing. After they laughed and took a few photos together, it was time for the real first look with his bride. He turned back around and she came out then told him to turn around and he was again surprised and filled with joy at the sight of his beautiful bride. Once they finished their moment together, we took a few family photos and then headed into the yard just a little behind the pool area for some photos with the happy couple.

As we arrived to the chapel located at the Church of the Good Shepherd, it was getting to be a little darker and we learned that this would actually be the first wedding in the chapel which is really cool. We took a few photos in front of some of the beautiful architecture of the church with Leverett and Elizabeth as well as some family photos just before we went inside to start the ceremony. It was an intimate ceremony in a pretty dark but beautiful chapel room and their families gave beautiful scripture readings and one of our favorite parts after they said their vows and kissed was the fact that they did communion with the groom’s grandparents. The oldest marriage and the youngest marriage sharing in communion in a room alone and we had the honor of capturing such a beautiful moment for them. Once that was finished, we made our way back to the house from the earlier part of the day to have one last big party before his mom sold the house. There was an amazing 4 course meal and as they walked around with the champagne for everyone, the toasts began to start and everyone came outside. There were many toasts and amazing things were said including one of the funniest speeches we have ever heard delivered by his grandfather that until that moment seemed to be relatively quiet. Everyone erupted with laughter and more toasts were given welcoming the couple into the other family and showing an abundance of love. As soon as they were finishing up with hugging everyone and most of the crowd was still there, we took a big group photo of everyone and then started taking everyone out to do the exit. As they made their way towards the Classic Toyota SUV, everyone cheered and threw flower pedals. Once they hopped into the SUV, we had them share one last kiss and say goodbye to everyone before everyone hopped in the limo to go to Bodega Ultima for their after party. We are so excited for the joining of these beautiful families and cannot wait to see what the future holds for Leverett and Elizabeth!