Having enjoyed shooting Natasha and Alex’s engagement session at Waterperry back in the spring, I was looking forward to photographing their Airlie wedding. Natasha is a lovely woman with a very creative side displayed in many ways throughout her wedding. Alex, whose first name is James, is a kind gentleman that cares deeply for Natasha, and the two of them together were so easy to photograph!
This sweet couple have been high school sweethearts since they met at age 16. They are inseparable, enjoying hiking, visiting wineries, working out and sports together. Because they have known each other for so long, their families and friends have formed a tight-knit group that really do seem like “one big happy family.”
Natasha and Alex were engaged quietly on New Year’s Eve at Alex’s home. As they don’t enjoy too much attention on themselves, this suited them perfectly, and they were able to enjoy the moment with just the two of them!
Like so many days in 2018, this one began and ended with rain. The bride and groom faced many challenges as they planned their wedding. They had to plan from different states, Alex is active military and there was the concern that he might be called out (fortunately this didn’t happen!), and then the rain….
In spite of all of these challenges, this day turned out exquisitely!!!
The entire invitation suite was beautiful from the “Save the Dates” to the detail cards. The deep burgundy and pale blush colors with small touches of blue coordinated so well! Natasha’s Badgley Mishka shoes were studded with rhinestones that added sparkle to the blush satin. The blue tiles were another touch of Tasha’s creativity that would show up again later in the day.
I’d sent books in their welcome package to Alex and Natasha to keep their vows. I was excited that they’d opted to use them! How beautifully they worked with the other details!
Natasha and her mother finished the final touches in the Jefferson Room under the arbor.
Her mother helped her with her hair and veil, which was so pretty with the lace edging!
So many thoughtful touches with this bride….the back of her lace dress from Le Reve, the gorgeous bridal bouquet, the shoes and the veil all looked beautiful on Natasha as her portraits were taken!
Dressed in his military uniform, Alex looked dashing and ready for pictures. As soon as his portraits were taken, my second shooter took the groom and his men out on the Spanish steps for group photos. Though they aren’t noticeable here, the guys each had on special shirts under their suits and uniforms. Because he had attended Virginia Tech, Alex had on a very colorful shirt with VA Tech colors! Be sure to scroll through the images at the end of the post to see this sweet surprise.
We were fortunate that the Spanish steps were covered, as the rain continued throughout the day. This provided a wonderful setting for many of the pictures that were taken outdoors.
Alex posed for some special family portraits with parents and grandparents while waiting to see Natasha.
Always a special moment in a bride’s day, Natasha had a first look with her father under the arbor that he had made for the wedding.
Though a bit tear-filled, the moment was truly a sweet and happy one.
Staying under the arbor in the Jefferson Room, we continued taking pictures of the bride and her attendants in their burgundy dresses. She had one very special “bride’s man” that had been a close friend for a long time, and she wanted him to take part in her day. This was another great touch that made this wedding so personal!
The two little flower girls were sisters that the bride included in her wedding party. They were adorable in their pink sparkly shoes!
This was a precious family photo of the hands of Natasha, her sister, her mother and her grandmother each wearing wedding rings.
Alex and Natasha went out to the steps for a first look. They had a sweet moment together and practiced kissing and dipping for later in the day! We were able to capture some great outdoor pictures!!
As we continued with the pictures, Tasha and Alex decided they wanted a few rain shots. Fortunately, military uniforms are rain repellent, and we were able to capture some beautiful moments in the rain without getting too wet.
Natasha had a chiffon blush pink length of fabric that we decided to use for some of her outside pictures. The motion of the fabric was perfect!
We finished with group shots on the Spanish steps before heading back indoors for the ceremony. This group worked together to make some fun pictures!
With a beautiful smile on her face, Natasha walked into the ceremony on the arm of her father. Alex was waiting at the arbor with anticipation and a few tears.
Natasha and Alex had decided to write their own vows. Creatively written, they drew on the past, looked into the future moving forward as a couple and as two families uniting. The groom’s grandfather officiated the faith-filled ceremony making a special day even more memorable.
We headed out from the ceremony to catch some portraits during the Golden Hour. This time we had some unusual lighting to work with due to the rain, but were able to get some lovely shots in spite of the wet day.
The rain let up briefly, so we took advantage and managed to catch some moments on the bridge and at the bottom of the steps.
As with the rest of the wedding, Natasha’s attention to details shows up here, where she had the help of an excellent planner! The menus, seating cards, and those pretty tiles were stunning! Natasha made one for each of her guests and used them at the place settings as special favors to remember the day.
A spectacular dessert bar was offered to the guests at Tasha and Alex’s reception! The sequined tablecloths were so pretty and made the dessert and cake area really stand out.
Alex and Natasha made their entrance into the reception and had their first dance together as husband and wife as their guests looked on.
After the dance, Tasha’s father gave a very loving speech, making it obvious that he cared deeply for the groom and his family. Speeches continued as they heard from the maid of honor and the best man, after which the DJ opened up to hear from others. It became very clear from the friends, bridesmaids and groom’s parents that these two families love each other.
The reception continued with a generational dance with various family members, which added so much to the evening!
It was finally time to cut the cake, so Tasha and Alex joyfully shared a bite of their wedding cake. Notice the colorful shirt on Alex!!!
To finish the evening, I took Tasha and Alex out for a few night pictures. Even though the twinkle lights in the formal garden were not all working, we were able to position for some good photos.
Please keep scrolling to see more highlights of their day.
Thank you to these wedding professionals who made their day so perfect and to see more Airlie weddings and engagement sessions, peruse HERE.
Venue: Airlie
Invitation Suite: Minted
Dress: Le Reve Bridal
Makeup and Hair: Yiselle Santos
Bridal Hanger: Etsy CustomBridalHanger
Veil: JJs House
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Bride’s Rings: Ketterman’s Jewelers
Bridesmaids Dresses: Azazie
Groom’s Ring: Etsy Brielle Shop
Groom/Groomsmen Cufflinks: Etsy SoSewSouthern
Groomsmen Shaving Bags: Etsy Lovingly Ours
Floral Design: Good Earth Flowers
Reception Decor: Bride and Joy
Cake: Signature Sweets by Amanda
Music: Dream Day DJs
Wedding Day Coordinator: Occasions by M&K
Michelle Lieb with Lieb Photographic is a Virginia Wedding Photographer, Charlottesville Wedding
Photographer, Baltimore Wedding Photographer and Maryland Wedding Photographer. She is also a
Washington DC Wedding Photographer, Phoenix Wedding Photographer, Arizona Wedding Photographer
and a Destination Wedding Photographer!
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