Ellie and Trevor's Timber Hill Farm Wedding

The sky said goodnight with a color story of lavender, blush & tangerine as the scent of dinner and the sound of laughter drifted off into the cool evening breeze. The setting was the breathtaking Timber Hill Farm in Gilford, NH. Majestic Mountains and Lake Winnipesaukee painted the sky behind the barn, but it felt like just another family game night for the Debelak and Chappell families. It was as if they were sitting around the living room sharing stories of how God brought Ellie & Trevor together.

The story of how an enthusiastic boy who would charge full speed ahead with little thought of the consequences became a meek man whose faithfulness to his friends and family came second only to his faithfulness to prayer and God’s Word.

The story of a little girl, the pride and joy of her parents, who would flourish into a young woman with heart to heal and a deep love of quality family time.

The story of how their dedication to their Savior would bring them together for a providential meeting in Illinois.

I couldn’t say it any better than the father of the bride, it was “a great day to have a good day.” Ellie & Trevor, along with their family and friends, handled the stress and details of the day with grace and kindness. And they were served by some of the most incredible wedding professionals around.

• Venue: Timber Hill Farm

• Florals & Floral Design: Erica’s Gardens

• Catering: The Common Man

• Invitations: Zazzle

• Photography: Tommy Montgomery Photo

• Second Shooter: Madison Rae Photography

• Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Morilee

• Bridal Shop: Marry & Tux Bridal

• Groomsmen Attire: Lululemon

The feathers on the boutonnières were a special addition that the groomsmen added from their bachelor hunting trip.

These personalized, wooden napkin holders were a gift to each guest!

Oh, and they left on this tractor. It was the perfect personal touch since Ellie’s dad owns Chappell Tractor & Trevor is a sales rep there.

The sunsets at Timber Hill Farm are unrivaled!

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Debelak! We are praying for many, many joy-filled years of marriage for you!

Ruthie & Jonah's Snowy Canterbury Shaker Village Engagement Session

Imagine. You wake up, look out the window, and see white in every direction. The ground is covered in a fresh blanket of snow, the air is full of fluffy white snowflakes floating down to the ground, and the sky is completely covered with snow-filled clouds. The only sounds you hear are the soft pit pat of snowflakes landing on the roof and the humming kshhhh of plow trucks clearing the roads. This was the winter wonderland we woke up to on the day of Ruthie & Jonah’s Engagement session!

It was quite the opposite of the day he proposed! Jonah actually gave me the honor of being present to capture their surprise proposal in Camden, ME! Click here to check our their proposal blog post! 

The day of their engagement session was the perfect day! The air was crisp and quiet as the world snuggled under the covers of white fluffy snow. Although the temperature was brisk, my heart warmed right up as soon as Jonah & Ruthie rolled into the parking lot of Canterbury Shaker Village with big youthful grins and hardy spirits ready to brave the elements!

These two have that best friend kind of love. The sparkle that fills her eyes when her eyes meet his. The childish excitement in their voices as they talk about getting married. Their playful banter. The tenderness of his hand on her back. These are the little ways their love shines through. 

Congratulations again, Jonah & Ruthie! I can’t wait for your wedding in July!

Ellie & Trevor's Fall Alton Bay Engagement Session

They say opposites attract, right? Ellie will soon take an oath to help and not harm, while Trevor has a license to kill! Don’t worry, he’s only after fish & game! They both love being outside taking in God’s creation, which fuels Trevor’s love for fishing, hunting, and anything else outdoors! Ellie has an interest in photography, so we decided that once they are married, she can become a wildlife photographer while going along on all Trevor’s hunting trips! Sounds like a perfect combo to me!!

Ellie would make the perfect Disney Princess with a kind nature, a quick wit, and a sense of grace to match. In fact, she reminded me a little of Kristen Bell, in the best way possible! Although I didn’t ask her to sing “Do You Wanna Build a Snowman” (all you Frozen lovers now just what I’m talking about), I’m hopeful maybe she’ll break it out at their wedding reception! 

We could’ve walked around Alton Bay talking all evening. They are both the kind of people who just love people and have a heart to help others! After our son was born, Kaelyn & I gained a MUCH greater appreciation for nurses (more on that when we share Cal’s birth story). And, Ellie definitely seems like the type of person you want in the room when things go south! Ellie, whether you decide on labor & delivery, surgery or another specialty, the world is going to be a better place with you serving in our health care system!

Trevor, likewise, has a heart for serving people. He is currently working in sales for his future father-in-law’s business, Chapell Tractor. What I loved about his perspective on sales, is that he sees it as a way to genuinely help people. He’s not in it for the commission and you won’t see him sliding into your DM’s with a “Hey bro, how’s life,” sales-baiting message. No, he’s focused on building relationships with people, and being ready to jump in when he’s needed!

If you didn’t already pick up on it from his stylish watch, Trevor is a classy dresser. Naturally, he & I bonded over our love for JCrew (after all, half my outfit that day was JCrew), and Ellie & I bonded over photography and all the shades of blue they will have at the wedding! I mean, if you know me, you know that my blood is basically blue, so a wedding with lots of blue is definitely right up my alley!

Ellie & Trevor, thanks so much for an incredible session! I can’t wait to serve you on your wedding day at Timber Hill Farm in June!

Bri & Jason's Little White Church Lakes Region NH Wedding

I promised that I’d share more of Bri & Jason’s story, so here it is along with ALL my favorites from their wedding. (Disclaimer: there are a LOT of favorites, so you might want to stretch your scrolling finger before proceeding). But seriously, this wedding was a dream come true for so many reasons, so make sure to take scrolling breaks to find out why below!

Jason first spotted Bri when she was lifeguarding at the Alton Bay docks. He didn’t approach her then, but when she popped up as a friend suggestion on Facebook, he figured out what church she must go to because of their mutual friends. Then, all he had to do was conveniently shows up at her church, so they could meet. Bri remembers that he definitely caught her eye when she saw him from the platform as she sang with a group of friends. Fast forward to their engagement, they got engaged right by the same dock where Jason first spotted her lifeguarding! Click here to see their engagement photos and the very spot that he popped the question! Doesn’t God write the best love stories?

All of the locations for the day were a dream for this natural light photographer! Bri and her girls got ready at the top of this gorgeous ‘tower’ at Camp Maranatha in New Durham. The room had huge windows on all sides letting in floods of gorgeous light! It gave their photos the dreamiest bridal glow!

From there, we headed to the property of friends of the bride for some epic portraits on a rock formation with a view of the mountains behind them. Another nerdy dream come true for me was the perfect light layer of clouds perfectly diffusing the mid-day sunlight for the lightest and airiest photos!

Another amazing part of their wedding story was how they landed on a ceremony location. The mother of the bride recounts how she wished she and her husband could have gotten married at this cute little white church in New Durham way back when. It didn’t work out for them because their wedding was in November and the church wasn’t heated.

Bri had dreams of getting married in the same church, too, but COVID restrictions got in the way so she booked another location. Less than a week before the wedding, I got a message from Bri. With COVID restrictions starting to lift, the little white church was allowing them to get married there! So, they quickly made necessary changes and I’m SO glad it worked out! Check out this adorable space! It was so full of light, elegance, and my favorite- New England charm!

Then, there’s the get-a-way car! The bride’s cousin was able to secure this bad boy from his boss and then, he even fulfilled the roll of a dapper chauffeur!

Two things that are very special to the bride’s family are: Camp Maranatha and fresh flowers. Bri’s family has volunteered countless hours at this camp, so it was only fitting to hold the wedding reception here. Fresh flowers have been part of many special family traditions and this wedding was no exception. The Mother of the Bride (along with some other family helpers) ran all around New Hampshire to find these gorgeous blooms and arranged all the floral decorations, including Bri’s bouquet!

Also, you’ll see one shot here of Bri & Jason making ice cream sundaes for each other. They both love ice cream (obviously, one of the main reasons we connected with them!), so they did this in lieu of smashing wedding cake. I loved this personal touch and didn’t complain at all about ice cream sundaes!

We connected with Bri & Jason right away over our mutual love for ice cream, Alton Bay, NH and so many more things! When I first talked to Bri, she told me that she remembers Kaelyn & I from our time working at The Wilds of New England. I spent 4 summers working on staff there, and Bri happened to be a camper the summer after Kaelyn and I got married. She remembered seeing us walk around the campsite holding hands and it left an impression on her. I had no idea that little action would make an impact, never mind introduce us to such a sweet bride & groom someday. I’m so thankful how God works!