heather & matt are married!

as is probably the case with most anyone who meets them, heather and matt had us at ‘hello.’ their easy smiles, vibrant personalities and obvious love for people made us thrilled to know them and equally as excited to be part of their wedding!

the morning of their wedding i drained my coffee and walked into the salon expecting nothing less than the best day ever. high expectations? not with heather & matt- it was guaranteed. i was chatting with heather as her best friend took a starbucks and chic-fil-a order from each girl and while matt sped off to meet the guys for their frisbee golf game.  <- that sentence alone should give you an idea of the level of awesome we were dealing with! well, that sentence, and their photobooth!

i think, for this one, i’ll cut up my chatter between the images- there’s so much to talk about! but let’s kick things off with a pretty picture of the bride- that seems the most perfect place to start! we arrived at the botanical gardens ready to dive into their tall grasses but as we turned in the rain got stronger and forced us indoors. luckily, everything is beautiful inside too and we were able to grab some great portraits with completely natural lighting, so like i said- the pretty bride!

heather wrapped this necklace, a family heirloom, around her bouquet to carry during the ceremony. i love the symbolism in carrying a piece of your family history as you begin your new family, wish i’d seen this sweet idea before my own wedding! [attn photogs- 6400 iso, baby! gotta do what i gotta do!]

heather wrote a tearjerker of a note to matt for him to read on the wedding day- it was so sweet the way he sought a bit of solitude to read her words:

the rain let up just enough for us to jump out from under the awning and grab a few quick images. and how perfect that heather was still holding her umbrella- if it hadn’t rained this shot would be umbrella.less and slightly less adorable. so, thank you rain, for helping in your own way!

also, are you as obsessed with heather’s hairpiece as i am!?

matt’s sister and her husband have a two month old baby girl who’s cuteness could not be left alone! she seemed always surrounded by cooing friends and family but i love how (my)matt found this sweet moment between her and her daddy and captured it in such a way that they seem all alone in their own world, he’s a genius. check out this little daddy’s-girl-in-the-making! ;)

wren, heather’s maid of honor, held up her dress as they waited to be motioned up the stairs to the ceremony. the last few moments of waiting is always one of the most exhilarating and yet introspective times of the wedding day and i am 100% always caught up in it at this moment too, love it!

sidenote: just realized we are sharing tons of black and whites from this wedding, love it!

heather & matt take pictures seriously and created a solid chunk of time for couple portraits at the botanical gardens after the ceremony- for which we LOVE them! the setting was perfect, their excitement was perfect and the rain held off- PERFECT! oh, and also, they are one good looking couple!! here are a few of our faves:

let’s pause for a moment to check out some of the sweetest details i’ve seen! i love how heather’s style came through in her wedding- couples often ask what they can do to make their wedding awesome and we always recommend infusing as much of their personal style into the day as possible- that is something heather knew instinctively! she snagged the uber-talented joy thigpen and the once wed crew to turn her dreams and ideas into a unique wedding bursting with personality enjoyed by everyone in attendance:

heather & matt’s reception was held in the large glass conservatory at the state botanical garden of georgia. it was the perfect location to compliment her style and all of the indoor foliage made for a stunning setting! …although i may have a bias as this is the exact spot matt and i celebrated our own wedding reception one year and nine months ago! it was so awesome to be back!

heather & matt, just as we post this you are heading to italy to enjoy a long and well-earned holiday- we cannot wait to see your pictures from the trip- especially with your new awesome camera! we had a great time getting to know you both and capturing your friends and family as they celebrated with you was a joy. we wish you the best italy, and marriage, has to offer, ciao!