Emily and Stephen both mentioned to me separately that they thought the other would cry. I didn't believe them, and I was right. They both cried, and I was just waiting to make the photographic evidence. 

My mental map for photographing these two followed my first impression of them: to use an old phrase (that I'd like to bring back), they are sweet on each other. Stepping back for the wider view, I saw steady, solid warmth from both families following these two every step of the way.

In a literal sense, I spent a lot of time "stepping back," which is to say using a wider lens. More intimate locations, like the Lorien, put me in closer with my subjects and I tend to grab the wider lenses more often. This means in the smaller venues, I'm getting more of the background. In the larger venues, one has to simplify a more diverse environment. Put into the context of Emily and Stephen's wedding, the image of Emily walking down the aisle with her mother is one of my favorite's this year, and I couldn't have made it down a long church aisle. They walked, happy and crying, through a crowd who only loved them. The next photograph that follows it, below, is the send-off photograph--how I imagined that same crowd wishing Emily and Stephen into their new future. 

Thank you for allowing me to witness your wedding, Emily and Stephen.

Ceremony + Reception Location: Lorien Hotel + Spa | Venue Coordinator: Donna Vaughn, Director of Catering, Lorien Hotel | Bridal Shop: Bobbie's Bridal Boutique | Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Hair: Cualtzin Salon | Suit: Suit Supply | Flowers: DIY | Caterer: Brabo | Cake: Fluffy Thoughts | Officiant: Rev. Christine McGunigale | Invitations: Minted