Jessica + Adam Wedding at The Millstone
Limestone, TN
Most wedding days, I have had the opportunity to meet the bride and groom before their big wedding either over a cup of coffee or during their engagement shoot. Although I’ve shot a lot of weddings now, I still get a little nervous meeting the couple for the first time on their big day. So many thoughts run through my head on the way up. “Will they like me?” “What if I mess up? We aren’t friends yet!” “I’ve only seen online pictures of them. What if I mix them up with a sibling!” I mean, the list really goes on. I was exploring the venue when Jessica and some of her bridesmaids arrived. She already looked beautiful in her bride pjs, carrying in wedding decor for the day. She had a command of the room, but not at all in a bridezilla way, but rather a woman absolutely confident about a life-changing decision. I immediately loved her–and that only grew as the day continued.
Before diving into their day, let me first make a quick comment about the venue. The Millstone immediately jumped into “favorite venues” category. It is dreamy! If you are a bride looking for a greenhouse, cottage feel–do I have the venue for you! The reception hall has three walls of beautiful floor to ceiling windows. The outside is a landscaping masterpiece with a small pond, a stream, string lights, and a gorgeous tree-surrounded lawn for the ceremony. And of course, a huge mill pumping water on the side of the venue! This place is gorgeous.
What I loved about this wedding day was how calm and stress-free it felt. So many weddings are just a whirlwind from shot to shot, but Jessica and Adam were so cool and collected the entire day… well, almost the entire day. For months, Jessica and Adam had planned a “first touch” moment. They did not want to have a first look–they wanted to save that for the ceremony. Instead they wanted just a few minutes where they could stand back to back, hold hands, and say a prayer for one another before the wedding. I situated Adam first, telling him to close his eyes and wait. Then I led Jessica to him. The moment they held hands, it was as if they both agreed there needed to be a change of plans. In education, this is called a teachable moment. A moment when its clear that going off script, ripping up the lesson plan will be far more impactful than adhering to our meticulously regimented script. I think that was what Adam and Jessica experienced. Jessica simply asked, “Do you want to look?” They went with their hearts, and based on the rest of the day, Id say they let God lead and it was a more beautiful moment than anything we could have planned for. And I felt so lucky to get to watch it all unfold behind my camera.
I cannot wait to watch Adam and Jessica grow as husband and wife and see what else God has planned for them.
The pictures are gorgeous. You caught the love between them well. The venue is beautiful. And I really need a piece of that cake!!!
Every single photo is gorgeous.
These are amazing!! Congrats!!