From the moment Ronnie & Gracie’s inquiry hit my inbox, I was hooked and knew I had to work with this couple! They had been given my name from a photographer friend who was supposed to capture their original date. Ronnie was from England and they had some trouble with travel visas and had to change the date. I’m so happy it worked out I could serve this couple on their new date!! Not to mention, anytime a couple mentions that my love for Jesus caught their attention that means so much and I’m automatically excited to work with them. On our zoom call they just wanted to affirm me and my ability to capture their Catholic wedding; which I was happy to share that I had previously had some experience photographing this type of wedding. This was the best way to end my 2021 wedding season and I am just now getting to share all the goodness here. This wedding was full of natural and whimsical beauty, as well as a beautiful reflection of The Father’s love. Ronnie and Gracie answered every question in my emails and questionnaire so beautifully that they could much more easily tell their story than I could. So some of the snippets are integrated into the story of their day here as well:
Ronnie shared about the night they met, “ We were making friends with the girls at our table, then I saw Gracie. I obviously didn’t know her name at this point, so I had to ask the girl next to me. I instantly felt a connection (later to find out, she didn’t feel the same) so I decided to walk over and try to use some Ronnie charm. I end up just being the most annoying person possible, interfering with the job she was supposed to be doing, thinking I was being so flirtatious and cute. She didn’t really give off any signs of liking me, but I stuck with, and at the end of the night, after asking several times, I managed to secure her Facebook information! We never made it to the bars that night, before I knew it, I’d spent the whole night with Gracie, and couldn’t wait to learn more…”
According to Gracie, “The pursuit can be summed up in a matter of walks…
First walk turned into the next and the one after that & many MANY more (especially during quarantine, let me tell you). We got to know each other so well on all our walks. I decompressed after bad exams, he opened up about his dreams & goals, I shared the latest bible study I had planned with my gals, he told me about his best friends, his family, & the wildly different place he grew up in, we prayed, and we trusted. We goofed around, we played on jungle-gyms, we listened to podcasts, we told stories, and we listened. There was nothing a good ole walk between the two of us couldn’t fix.”
Ronnie also shared about their walks:
“Well… the rest is history… kinda! Gracie still made me work for it. She asked me to come home to meet her family about a month after we met, which went amazingly well! At this point we weren’t officially dating, but after that trip home, I realized that Gracie was the one for me, so on the drive home I asked her to be my girlfriend! After a while to think about it, she agreed and we arrived back in Lexington as a couple.
The rest of our dating months were spent getting to know each other, going on dates and some of the best walks ever (scenic walks are our thing!) These months went by so fast, but I slowly realized that Gracie is the girl I wanna be with for the rest of my life.”
Obviously I think these two could write a whole book about their story, as a single blog does not do it justice. Their day was just the start of their next walk, into marriage and with God at the center of their marriage. You can just see the love these two have in these photos; Colin, the talented videographer, and I would give them one prompt, from which they gifted us ten more little moments and interactions. This day was so full of grace and the combining of two families. Ronnie’s family and friends flew in from England for the wedding and everyone was so kind. To honor both countries, Ronnie and his groomsmen wore socks representing both the British and American flags, also shown off in the groom’s unique cufflinks.
At the reception, the best man shared at the start of his speech, “I promise I’m funny in England,” to which many laughs ensued from family and guests. Many other speeches and sweet dances followed into the rest of the night. There is so much more I could say but hopefully the photos tell the rest of the story!
Ronnie and Gracie, thank you so much for choosing me to capture your day. I may have joined late in the game, but I believe it was a God thing and everything worked out how it was supposed to! Enjoy some of my favorites!
This beautiful day would not have been possible without these amazing vendors:
EVENT COORDINATOR: Missy Maclin from the Vintage Barn at Merefield
BRIDAL GOWN: Michelle’s Bridal + Tuxedo
JEWELRY: Amsden Gathered Mercantile & Dear Heart Co.
GROOM’S ATTIRE: Anthony Formal Wear, Anthony
BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES: Baltic Born
CAKE: Caramanda’s Bake Shoppe
OFFICIANT: Fr. Paul Prabell
VENUE: The Vintage Barn at Merefield
Ceremony: The Cathedral of Christ The King
VIDEOGRAPHER: Colin Merritt Wedding Films
FLORALS: Watercan Designs, Shelly Tangen
HAIR: Hair Nation Salon + Spa – Versailles, stylist: Kristen Jordan
MAKE-UP: Suzanna Benassi