I know rescheduling or adapting weddings during COVID can be hectic and require a little out of the box thinking but let me tell you, I am all for it! The smaller guest count and nontraditional venue choices really allow for intimate ceremonies where as the photographer, I can focus more on the couple and less on logistics.
Gabriela & Adam were referred to me by Adam’s sister, also named Amanda. I have been Amanda’s family photographer since their sweet little Brynlee was born 3 years ago. Gabriela & Adam were looking for a wedding photographer in Raleigh and kept coming up short. Amanda suggested that I come in for the wedding and after speaking with them, I knew it would be a great fit. More on little Brynlee later as she put on one heck of a performance as the flower girl.
I think what a lot of couples are losing sight of during this time, is that the wedding is just the vessel to the marriage. The marriage is truly what is important, in the end, the wedding is just a day. A very special day, just one day of the marriage. So when everything changed during the pandemic, I love that Gabriela & Adam held steadfast to their commitment of marriage on their original wedding date, even if that meant altering their original plans.
Some fun backstory for those of you who believe in love at first sight. Adam was walking his precious little puppy on NC State’s campus when he came across the beautiful Gabriela. He swooned her with the adorable pup and asked her to take a walk with him. That night he called his mom and told her that he had found the one. He knew from that very first walk that Gabriela was the one and he was determined to marry her. After a few months of dating, Adam proposed, with photographer there to capture it and all! They quickly began planning their wedding day, which ballooned bigger and grander than they originally planned.
Well, with the governor’s restrictions, Gabriela & Adam decided to reign in the guest list to essentially immediate family and their wedding party of their closest friends. I think if you were to ask them, they would have no regrets.
Adam’s parents had rented out an Air B&B to stay in during the wedding weekend with his aunts and uncles. The original wedding venue was giving the couple a difficult time with accommodating during COVID and as they began looking at other options they realized that the Air B&B would be the perfect solution. Let me tell you guys, they hit the mother-load! The Air B&B is nicer than many venues I have photographed weddings at.
The house had a beautiful barn when you were driving in which not only could be a great backdrop for a ceremony but also was filled with games such as pool and darts. The house itself was huge! It was big enough for both the bride and groom to get ready with their friends in separate areas of the home. It’s filled with natural light! The yard had a large pond, which is where Gabriela & Adam decided to have their ceremony. The property had walking trails, a pool and even a putting green!
One question I often get asked when couple’s book me as their photographer, is my opinion on First Looks. Unless you are very traditional or having a super small and intimate ceremony, I also suggest a First Look!
Gabriela' & Adam’s First Look gives a prime example of why they are so special. The moment with the groom sees the bride for the first time, is so powerful! Often times men try to hold their emotions in because our society says that strong men don’t cry. Well, having a First Look allows a man more vulnerability. I get much more genuine reactions from both the bride and groom during a first look.
Further, a First Look allows both the bride and groom to ease their nerves and calm down. Until you see your significant other, there is always anxiousness and nervousness floating around, so strongly. You can cut it with a knife! Everything going wrong, is okay again, once you see each other on your wedding day. It puts it all into perspecitve. The small things going wrong, whether it’s a melting cake or falling off the timeline seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
Gabriela told me that Adam was the softy and that she was the emotionally strong one. I expected sweet tears from him but I loved getting tear filled eyes from her. We may not have captured those emotions if she was walking down a longer aisle focused on not falling and looking straight ahead. A First Look allowed both Gabriela & Adam to be in the moment.
They actually did something else that I really LOVED and had not seen before. They wrote each other custom vows but instead of reading them during the ceremony, they chose to read them to each other in private. Their vows were filled with smiles, tears, laughter, promises, hugs and ended in a sweet kiss.
With all of the nerves subsiding and excitement for their future, it was time for these two love birds to walk down the aisle and profess their commitment in front of their closest family and friends.
It was June, and definitely warm, but the sun peaked out behind some clouds providing us nice diffused lighting, just in time for the ceremony. Arioso Strings played sweet songs as the wedding party filed in. Little Brynlee laid flower pedals to mark the way for her soon to be Aunt Gabriela. Gabriela floated down the aisle like an angel coming to say I Do to her emotional groom.
The ceremony was short and sweet with all of the normal formalities. There was a candle lighting, rings, vows and of course, it wouldn’t be complete with a first kiss.
Mr & Mrs Bosley were now ready to celebrate their their crew. & What a good looking crew it was!
Brynlee is Gabriela & Adam’s only niece and ate up the attention from the happy couple. At only 3 years old, she was a rockstar during the ceremony and during formals. Brynlee will have to share the stage soon when her baby brother is born in a few short months.
Several members of the wedding party traveled pretty far and unfortunately one was detained from coming due to her state’s quarantine rules. However, nothing was stopping this group from celebrating Adam & Gabriela’s wedding day.
Both families put so much effort into making sure this day was perfect for the couple and it truly showed.
The rehearsal dinner was supposed to be held the day before the wedding at Sullivan’s Steakhouse. The couple ended up changing their wedding date from Saturday to Friday to be able to enjoy more time with their families and friends in town for the wedding. Sullivan’s in Raleigh was very accommodating and allowed the couple to host their socially distanced reception there in place of the rehearsal dinner.
As we sent everyone else over to Sullivan’s Steakhouse, we spent some quality time with Gabriela & Adam photographing them all over the house’s beautiful property. The golden hour glow gave such gorgeous lighting. Plus, these two are just too cute!
We did get behind on the timeline earlier in the day when hair and makeup didn’t finish as expected. I know this was a big stressor for Gabriela. She didn’t want to miss out on any of the big moments with Adam as a result of hair and makeup taking too long. I reassured her that we can catch up on the timeline without sacrificing those key moments by shooting the family formals and wedding party portraits faster, which we did.
After we exhausted all areas of the home and we knew we had taken enough couple’s portraits, we also snuck in a few solo shots of the bride and groom before packing up and heading to meet everyone else at the reception.
Another perk of having a smaller guest list, everyone is able to speak! We had some amazing toasts by groomsmen, bridesmaids, siblings and even their parents. Gabriela & Adam are truly loved and their support network is so strong.
What’s a wedding without a first dance, right? They crushed it and the decor that Adam’s mom put up really helped to make the space look like a full reception.
Dances with your parents on wedding day can bring out strong emotions. For some, it’s happiness at gaining a daughter or son in law. For others, it’s sadness reminiscing over how fast their baby grew up and realizing they now have to share them. Sometimes, it’s gratefulness for being able to see this day happen as it once seemed so far off.
There were so many emotions through out Gabriela & Adam’s wedding day, mostly happy ones. I hope that as a couple you take away how blessed and celebrated you were. I hope you remember that bigger isn’t always better. & I hope that you will forever put each other first. Thank you for choosing HOH and allowing us to capture this day for you! It really was our pleasure.
