Iโ€™m Stephanie, a wedding + lifestyle photographer based in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Warrenton, Virginia. Whether Iโ€™m by the mountains of Colorado or Virginia, my soul feels at home, surrounded by rural living and the raw beauty of nature. I genuinely love what I do, and feel so passionate to share the enthusiasm and joy of these celebrations with you!

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November 19, 2019

My Garden Inspired Bridal Shower | Warrenton, Virginia

I have a feeling that during this season of “catching up” with personal posts, there’s going to be a lot of, “Well, I guess it’s better late than never!” And this is definitely one of those posts I wanted to share with you all BEFORE June 21st, but as you can imagine, June was a VERY insane month between business and prepping for Alex and my big day. And life didn’t stop after the wedding. Somehow in my dreams, I thought once the wedding was done, I would have soooo much free time. HA! After moving 1,000 miles away and many trips to VA, I proved myself very wrong. But I finally arrived. ๐Ÿ™‚ I’m at the point now where I can catch up with personal blog posts and revisit my checklist of things to do when I “have time” โ€ฆ Like, write thank you cards! WHEW. With Thanksgiving happening next week, this is the ideal time to share my gratitude to those who are in my life. Today, that starts with my bridal shower!! It was an afternoon I’ll never forget spent with dear loved ones!! <3

A few special people I want to thank…

THANK YOU to Shelley Campbell from Shelley’s Floral Enterprise for putting together the most BEAUTIFUL floral arrangements!!! Oh my gosh, everyone was in awe (including myself)! I was in peony Heavennnnnn as you’ll see below!!!

Thanks to my sister for making this happen! It turned out GORGEOUS โ€” I felt so special and I couldn’t believe the work that she put into it (with the help of my mom) to make it a day I will never forget!

** Please forgive the lack of quality in these photos below. ๐Ÿ™‚ I decided to be fully present and not bring my camera! In fact, I didn’t even have my phone so I thank everyone who took photos so I can cherish these memories!

My Bridal Shower

We were grateful we didn’t have to move the party inside my parent’s house due to the chance of rain. Fortunately, our prayers were answered, and a nice rain shower came in after everything was cleaned up. Although, what’s a bridal shower without a literal shower of rain? ๐Ÿ˜‰

As soon as I arrived, my sister greeted me with a floral crown to wear! ๐Ÿ™‚ It was such a lovely and pretty surprise โ€”ย Shelley’s Floral Enterpriseย really outdid herself! Her beautiful arrangements were enjoyed for over a week after the party was done. ๐Ÿ™‚ Shelley’s flowers made the party look SO good!!! Amanda took me around to see what she did with the help of my family. ๐Ÿ™‚ I loved seeing the greenery runners on the tables, the HUGE peony blooms everywhereeeee, theย fun flower stem napkin holderย at each plate setting my mom provided (do you see them below?! SO COOL!), the customized welcome sign, the Hershey Kisses with customized stickers my mom put together, and the DELICIOUS spread of food my family cooked/prepared!!! YUM.

After feasting with family and friends and enjoying the many sangrias (HELLO!), it was the dreaded time to sit in front of everyone and open gifts. <= You see why I said “many” sangrias. ๐Ÿ˜‰ JK! But really, I wasn’t looking forward to this part of the party only because I’m not a fan of everyone staring at me. HA! Maybe this idea of opening gifts in front of everyone will eventually phase out over the generations to come? ๐Ÿ˜‰ After doing sitting in the hot seat, it honestly wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be! In fact, there were some surprising momentsโ€ฆ Like pulling out a thong from my MIL. HAHAHA! It definitely lightened the mood. ๐Ÿ˜‰ One very special gift was saved for last from my mother. She revealed a wedding quilt she handmade herself!!! It’s something Alex and I will forever cherish. <3 There were so many thoughtful gifts, and it was truly humbling to be showered with love from dear family and friends.

Also, even though the party was primarily women, I loved having my ring bearers there to entertain us. ๐Ÿ™‚ After I was done, Judah grabbed my hand and wanted me to see the garden he planted from theย flower stem napkin holders. It was quite HILARIOUS because at one point, I turned around and saw Judah and Maverick going “THOR” with the napkin holders by jabbing them into the ground. It was pretty intense, yet soooo entertaining! ๐Ÿ™‚

From the bottom of my heart, I’m so grateful for everyone who came out to make this day so special!!!! I love each and every one of you! <3

My grandmother couldn’t make it out, but she included this card that coincidentally had our blue/white porcelain theme on it! ๐Ÿ™‚ I couldn’t wait to see family and friends again at the end of the month … and ESPECIALLY, Alex!!! <3 It’s crazy how quickly 19 days flew by … Just as crazy to think that we have been married for almost exactly five months!! <3

I cannot wait to share the BEST DAY of my life on the blog soon!!! <3

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