Fall weddings can be as beautiful as they are stressful to plan for. In the case of Sammy & Adrianno, they had a particular vision in mind, and it really showed. Their venue was Ivy Ridge, and having a covered venue for the ceremony and a fully indoor reception really came in handy. Even Sammy’s Kleinfeld dress was meant to look beautiful at a cozy fall wedding. The weather broke for just long enough for me to get some quick portrait shots outside and capture the golds, oranges, and browns of the fall leaves. But much of the time was spent feeling cozy and warm inside the barn. The décor they had definitely matched this vibe, and was meant to make the space feel like a cozy sanctuary from the weather outside. The bride and groom even changed out of their wedding clothes to be cozy and warm in the evening. Emotions were running high, and you could tell this meant a lot to the families it brought together for the first time in a long time. The guests all seemed to have a great time dancing the night away.

This wedding taught me a lot about the importance of preparation for your big day, both as a bride and a photographer. The weather plays such a huge role in how you prepare. In the case of Sammy and Adrianno, their wedding was over the Thanksgiving long weekend, so they knew rain was going to be on the cards. As a photographer, I made it my job to be as prepared as I could. That meant scouting the venue early and having locations for portraits, and then backup locations in case of rain. It meant that when the rain began and the bride was starting to feel anxious about the wedding and the lighting, not letting my emotions show so as to not panic her. The cloud cover made lighting a challenge, but again it’s important to be prepared for that