Gary and I were blessed to be part of Katie & Jared’s wedding celebration in Tennessee on the first day of Autumn just a couple of weeks ago. Katie’s family has been part of our lives for 10+ years and her dad, Ken, married Gary and me in 2008 – so it was extra special to be able to both be there for this wedding and even more so to capture all the little moments and memories that ensued:
Jared surprised Katie with this gorgeous ring whose center stone was his grandmother’s.
Katie’s hair and makeup was done at Richard & Co. Salon in Collierville.
I’m so glad they chose to have a reveal moment before the ceremony, Gary did a fabulous job capturing his view of the first look.
Katie said afterward that seeing Jared beforehand really helped to ease her nerves :)
The lovely florals for the day were done by Kathie Ray and she and Mendy Breeden coordinated.
What a group of ushers! :) The arch you see at the beginning of the aisle was built by the father of the bride and a friend. Being that we had a garden themed wedding ourselves I love it all the more.
To those who don’t know the family it would seem to be the same adorable toddler in the two photos below – they are actually Katie’s twin nephews and were the ring bearers :)
A family tradition, the father of the bride, Ken, has worn these Mickey suspenders at the weddings of each of his children.
Gary was at the back of the aisle capturing the last moments before the big walk while I was at the front.
A friend of the family and ours, Terry Reeves, officiated the ceremony. Russ Turman was the videographer.
They made us all laugh and cry with vows they wrote themselves that turned out to be very similar.
Prior to meeting each other Katie and Jared had both arrived at a place where they were okay with being single, not putting pressure on themselves to find “the one”. A casual connection on a dating website changed both their minds and the course of their lives. It was incredibly touching to hear them say how much they meant to each other as part of their vows and even promise to work on elements of their relationship that they already realize will require compromise and communication.
Gary and I headed outdoors with them right after the ceremony to take advantage of the gorgeous light that awaited us.
The cake was designed and created by Jared’s mother.
The DJ for the night was Brad from Disc Jockeys Etc.
Not your average request during a reception, but hilarious and awesome none the less! Bridesmaids, anyone? :)
Katie and Jared left the reception in a 1927 Chevy.
Katie and Jared and families: it was so wonderful to be part of this event with you. Thank you for having us and for welcoming us in as extended family for the weekend. It makes my heart happy to know how right you two are for each other and to have been able to get to know Jared’s family a bit and reconnect with Katie and hers.
Best wishes for a lifetime of happiness,
Oh my goodness, just amazing pictures of an adorable couple and many familiar faces!! Great work E and G!!!
Thank you, Erin and Gary for so beautifully capturing and sharing such a wonderful event–one we will all long remember and treasure!
Erin, these are just so wonderful! So many perfect candid shots. I just love it! Thanks for sharing these and for doing such a nice job. It was o nice to meet you
wow, awesome pictures. I am really sad we missed it. It looks like a true fairy tale. I know that God has lots of blessings in store for you two. Congrats.
One of the most beautiful weddings I’ve ever seen. Loved the whole outdoors theme really unique and wonderful!
I’ll second that on the pictures being amazing! These are wonderful memories and Congratulations Jared and Katie! God Bless you! Welcome to the Gerstemeier clan! They are awesome!
I believe this was one of the sweetest and most beautiful weddings I’ve ever been to. It was so thoroughly Katie and, not knowing Jared, I suspect it was the same for him. God’s richest blessings to you both!