Jessica and Alec have been such a joy to work with and I am so happy they chose me to be their wedding photographer. Their details were elegant and rustic with the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop. While the day brought rain and caused them to move things around, they handled it all with grace and we really had a fun time improvising!
Their day began with both of them getting ready at House Mountain Inn. Jessica wore a beautiful gown embellished with lace that buttoned down the back. Her bridesmaids wore elegant dusty rose colored, knee-length dresses. Jessica came up with a really fun way for them to all have a unique look by giving each bridesmaid a bouquet of different flowers that stayed within the color scheme. She and the florist then came up with the idea to make her own bouquet a combination of her favorite David Austin Rose and some of the flowers used in each of the bridesmaids’ bouquets.
The invitations they had done by Sable and Gray Paper company used the same dusty pink color and really reflected the feel of the wedding day.
I was so excited that they wanted to do a “first look”. (That is what we call it when a Bride and Groom are interested in meeting each other before the ceremony). While I work to capture the expressions when every bride and groom first meet each other, a first look can sometimes allow for a more intimate moment between the bride and groom when they first see each other (though there can sometimes be a cheering squad hiding and watching from a nearby perch.) More and more couples have been doing this not only because they have that intimate moment alone before the ceremony, but this also allows them to do family portraits earlier and to enjoy their guests during cocktail hour.
I had Alec stand with his back to the stairs while Jessica approached him from behind and caught his reaction when he turned to see her. It was such a special moment between the two of them!
The ceremony was perfect and the covered Pavilion allowed for beautiful natural lighting that gave an outdoor feel to the wedding, while still being protected from the rain.
Their reception was equally beautiful with great details including centerpieces created by the bride and her friends. The gold, bronze and copper painted mason jars and wine glasses held an assortment of dusty rose flowers. Their wedding cake was made by a friend of theirs and it had four flavors: dark chocolate with raspberry filling, carrot cake with buttercream, almond cake with blackberry filling & vanilla bean with blueberry filling. Yummy!!!
Jessica and Alec surprised everyone with a special choreographed dance to "Someone Like You" by Van Morrison. They hadn’t told a single soul about it so there was definitely a WOW factor! Jess mentioned that the dance lessons from Enzo Esposito for her and Alec were one of the most fun parts of the wedding planning. She said it was like having a guaranteed date night once a week leading up to the wedding! And talking to him helped a lot in planning their Italian honeymoon!
A few days before the wedding I remember Jessica calling me all worried. She had been looking at the weather forecast and it was calling for rain. We talked about them bringing their rain boots and I told her that if they were willing to play, there was no rain that would stop us from playing! And thanks to the staff of House Mountain Inn that helped us stage it, we were able to capture a beautiful shot in the rain, with candles surrounding them on the beautiful staircase of the venue. We even have a fun videoclip of Jason & I setting up the lighting for this shot right here! :)
Throughout the night the dance floor was full of guests there to celebrate their big day with them, and I am so honored to have had the chance to capture it for them!
Jessica & Alec's testimony.
Venue: House Mountain Inn
Catering: House Mountain Inn
Flowers: University Florist
Cake: Charlotte
Invitations: Sable and Gray Paper Co.
Makeup: Lash Etc.
Videography: Michael's Video
Photography : Patricia Giovannini & Jason Collins with Pat Cori Photography
