It was a beautiful sun-kissed day in August. In fact, it was one of the only sunny Saturdays of the summer. We met at the Gunstock Inn & Suites looking out at a crystal-clear view of Lake Winnipesaukee surrounded by mountains. The smell of hair spray and baby’s breath filled the room as anticipation mounted for Micaela & Josh’s wedding at Timber Hill Farm later that afternoon. The morning hadn’t gone exactly to plan, but nothing was going to get in the way of Micaela & Josh’s perfect wedding day love story.
Read MoreMicaela & Josh's Downtown Portsmouth Spring Engagement Session
The faint smell of salt water and the bustle of the city set the scene as we walked and talked our way around downtown. We chatted about their mutual love of pizza, interesting tidbits about Burlington, VT, how they shared a wall in their college dorm, the different terms people use for stages of dating, Micaela’s authentically handmade leather sandals (AKA Birks), all the things! Laughing all the way.
Read MoreEllie 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.
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!
Sarah & Brody's Elegant Forest Wedding
What started as a blind date in the middle of the woods for some mountain biking, turned into one of the most beautiful relationships I’ve ever seen. You could feel the love and admiration when their eyes met. The intimate vows they wrote for each other so perfectly encapsulated their relationship that I decided to craft their entire video around those words. You’ll have to watch through to the end to see my two favorite moments- the kind words of confidence Sarah’s dad had for his new son-in-law and their adorable first dance as husband and wife.
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!
Sarah & Joe's Intimate Lakes Region Wedding
Last weekend, I had the privilege of photographing this sweet couple tie the knot in this cute little white church in downtown Laconia where the groom’s dad pastored for 20 years!
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