After not photographing a wedding since the start of COVID, I was SO excited to kick off the wedding season with Keith and Lauren’s wedding! You might remember their absolutely STUNNING cherry blossom DC engagement portraits!!! I thought I couldn’t adore them more, but then they proved me wrong last week! I’m so grateful they had me as their photographer for their Glass Hill Venue wedding day. <3 Just see the magic that happened in front of my camera below!! And that is just a glimpse of the full gallery too if you can imagine what the rest looks like!! EEEP! It’s so nice to be “back in action” again. 🙂 Enjoy checking out their BEST DAY EVER!!!
A ROMANTIC PEACH + BLUE MOUNTAIN WEDDING AT GLASS HILL VENUE IN LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA.
Prepping for Forever.
As I walked into Glass Hill Venue, I heard the girls in the bridal suite blasting Beyonce and laughing. 🙂 I knew then it was going to be a good day! Better yet, after many prayers, the anticipated rainy forecast somehow disappeared on the radar! YES!!! So we were all ready to celebrate! As soon as Lauren slipped on her pretty white Stella York dress, it was game over!!! I thought to myself that Keith was going to be in awe when he saw his bride! Anyone who knows Lauren knows how thoughtful, kind, and loving of a girl she is. Well, she surprised her parents with cards that brought both of them to tears. I heard whispers of how grateful they were for a daughter like Lauren. <3 These tender moments share so much about the bond and love they have for her! Not only did she do this for her parents, but also her in-laws. Needless to say, it was an emotional day!!
In the meantime, the guys were found on the other side of the venue, hanging out. Keith opened his letter from Lauren, and he had mentioned to me that he’s not a very emotional type of guy (keep that in mind when you check out photos from later in the day). 😉 In addition to the letter, Lauren surprised him with a new watch, and he could hardly wait to put it on!! 🙂 Keith also wrote a letter to Lauren that made her bawl her eyes out — Through the tears, I could see the excitement to marry her best friend, FINALLY!!! After waiting longer than they anticipated for this special day, they were just hours away from tying the knot!
The First Look.
As Lauren made her way out to see her dapper groom, she asked to swap her bouquet with a tissue. I thought to myself, “Oh gosh, can I contain myself from crying with them too?!” Haha! After some joyful tears by Lauren, they shared a moment admiring how well put together they looked. Although, I imagine they look like this every day after seeing them last week and their engagement session. 😉 Hehe! They are one GOOD looking couple!!!
Moments later, their favorite furry pup, Odie, came out for his close up! He sprinted up to his mom and dad, wearing his “I do too!” bandana. Of course, he was anticipating this big day as well!! He was so precious, and I kept thinking about how much I would love to get Odie and Ollie together for a play date. 🙂 He’s not only a handsome boy but also so dang sweet! Odie got lots of love and kisses as they greeted him, and so much that he ended up with Lauren’s lipstick over his left eye! HAHA! Between Keith, Lauren, and their fur-child, I have so many favorites below!!! They are a picture-perfect little family!!
The Best Friends.
Keith and Lauren were SO grateful to have their best friends there by their sides, especially after postponing their May wedding date. They were all equally excited for them, and I loved seeing that in these photos! I loved the soft blues and peach colors from the flowers Foraged & Cut arranged as well as the bridal party attire, especially in front of the mountain view at Glass Hill Venue!! Holy moly… GORGEOUS! I swear that everything was picture-perfect. 🙂 And I loved what Foraged & Cut did with the arbor — So naturally, that was calling our name for these photos! What a fun bunch!!
The Ceremony.
Funny enough, we all got outside for the ceremony, and just a minute before the wedding party came out, it started to rain! Fortunately, the rain only lasted a few minutes. I’m glad that little rain didn’t convince them to move their ceremony inside. 🙂 They had a beautiful glass welcome sign and a station to grab a program and check out the order of events for the evening. I heard many guests admire the beautiful mountain views — And who could not?!
So remember I said above that Keith told me he’s not necessarily an emotional type of guy? Well, he surprised me when he saw his bride walk down the aisle!! But let’s face it, he wasn’t the only one wiping tears! Between the anticipation, music, and the atmosphere, it was so magical. 🙂 After an exchange of vows, rings, and funny stories about Keith and Lauren, they came in for their first kiss!!! As they celebrated walking down the aisle as husband and wife, the sun came out — What a beautiful sight!!! It tied in with their prelude song, “Here Comes the Sun.” <3
Newlywed Moments.
I’m not sure I can say very much here because they really left me SPEECHLESS. Keith and Lauren just made my “job” easy and effortless, exuding so much joy, love, and happiness!!! I want to decorate my home with these photos, and they aren’t even photos of my husband or me! HA! I’m grateful that Keith and Lauren really made the most of every minute of their wedding day. <3 On a side note, don’t the flowers from Foraged & Cut, hair by Kellerie Nash Bridal Hair and makeup by Laci Fore Makeup Artistry, dress from The Bridal Room, and everything look AMAZING?!
The Details.
Lauren and Keith wanted to have an elegant, romantic, and classy evening with their guests inside the Glass Hill Venue ballroom. I personally loved the stone fireplace centerpiece, the hanging twinkle lights, and the flowers that Lauren had envisioned. She wanted a garden influence, and I say that the peach and blush-toned flowers and greenery from Foraged & Cut really pulled this look together so eloquently. All thanks to the A Little Party Events for making it happen!!! And the rentals from Ace Hardware Rentals tied in the rustic look so nicely. It was so funny hearing Lauren talk about her excitement regarding the food from Pumpernickel Pickle, cake from Cakes by Angela, and donut pastries before the reception! And boy, they looked GOOD!!! There was a reason why she was so excited!!
To entertain their guests, they had little stations for their guests to sign their guest book, a Bible, and suggest a date night idea. I love the idea of having date night ideas because it’s important to continue dating your spouse, especially when things get crazy. 🙂 Sweet ideas!!
The Reception.
Not only were Keith and Lauren ready to cool off inside, but they were ready to CELEBRATE!!! They were so grateful that so many family and friends came out to support them. And it was a joy to document everyone having a great time together! After Lauren and Keith shared their first dance, they managed to eat their DELICIOUS dinner by Pumpernickel Pickle, and still have time to greet their loved ones around the room. That doesn’t happen too often. 🙂 Haha!
After spending some time chatting with their guests, they each had a moment dancing with their parents on the dance floor. I thought it was so sweet that Keith and his mom had a special song sang by a brother-in-law. Not only that, they even coordinated some dance moves to keep it upbeat and fun!!! And the fun didn’t stop there when the speeches happened either! Keith’s brother managed to go through the alphabet with encouragement/advice using alliterations. I don’t know how in the world he got through that. Haha! But as soon as the events wrapped up, I saw the sun setting outside and thought that we HAD to take advantage of sunset portraits!!! After a pretty gloomy evening, I was SHOCKED to see that the sun came out to play! It was exactly what Lauren dreamt for on her wedding day, and I’m so glad it happened! 🙂 As if the entire day wasn’t magical enough… HAHA!
Dance Party!
Blue Ridge Entertainment played some hits that quickly crowded the dance floor, and gosh! It was so much fun watching everyone come together to celebrate the bride and groom! Even Keith’s grandmother surprised him by getting out of her wheelchair to have a dance with him. 🙂 It was very special, and she really enjoyed herself!!! Lauren and Keith cleared the dance floor to play the SHOE GAME while allowing their guests to recover for the second part of the dancing. The shoe game was very entertaining, and they weren’t afraid to be playful with their answers. 🙂 Gosh, they are adorable!! Quickly after, the dance floor crowded again before the sparkler exit… Or I guess I should call it a firework exit? HAHA! The “sparklers” blasted sparks forward instead of a typical sparkler, which just made it even more eventful. 😉 Why not go out with a BANG?! What a great ending to a picture-perfect day!!!
Thank You!!
THANK YOU, Keith and Lauren, for having me as your photographer for your Glass Hill Venue wedding!!! It was absolutely a DREAM, and I’m so grateful to have kicked off the wedding season with your sweet day! It was picture-perfect. <3 I hope you have the BEST time on your honeymoon!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Thanks to the vendors who made this happen!!
Venue: Glass Hill Venue | Photographer: Stephanie Messick Photography | Wedding Planner: A Little Party Events|Caterer: Pumpernickel Pickle|Cake/Desserts: Cakes by Angela|Bar Tending: Tabby Bennett, Wedding and Event Bartender|Officiant: Kawika Sever|Florist: Foraged & Cut|DJ: Blue Ridge Entertainment|Rentals: Ace Hardware Rentals|Lighting: Castle Lighting|Hair: Kellerie Nash Bridal Hair|Makeup: Laci Fore Makeup Artistry|Wedding Dress: The Bridal Room | Dress Designer: Stella York
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