(Though this couple said I Do in a church in town, Soleil Garden Center was kind enough to let us take most of the formal pictures on their lovely grounds before the wedding. Thanks so much, Soleil!)

Dustin and Mindy walked out to the garden for their first look, ferns and beautiful greenery cascading all around. When Dustin turned around to see her, they beamed at each other with pure happiness. They hugged, maybe wiped a few tears from their eyes, and then read letters to each other in soft sweet tones only they could hear. We walked to other parts of the nursery after that, taking pictures along the way-- Dustin & Mindy not letting go of each other's hands for long, and still smiling every time they looked at each other. In fact, I think that was the theme for the rest of the day, even through the final dance and exit from the reception!

During their ceremony, I had kind of a special moment as the photographer. Mindy had emailed me after they booked with us and asked if I would share our wedding vows with them. (I had mentioned something about them in a blog post once, about having non-traditional vows for our wedding, which was one of my favorite things we chose to do. I had actually borrowed them from a previous bride & groom I worked with and just loved the Christ-centered feel of them.) Anyways, I forgot that she had asked me about them until it came time for them to say their vows at their ceremony. They began, and it took me back to when we said the same vows at Soleil a few years ago. I remembered feeling the same kind of emotions on our day as I think Dustin and Mindy must have been feeling then-- excitement, love, a realization that this moment was finally here, the one that I had dreamed about my whole life. I hope in a few years when they look back on their day, it brings back as many wonderful memories for them as ours does for us. <3

Congratulations Dustin & Mindy! I hope you love your photos as much as we loved working with you all!