our wedding through the focused linz: the big day.

this week i am sharing some of my favorite photos that lindsey snapped during our wedding weekend.

one of the aspects of wedding preparation that i was most excited about, was the dressing room. now, this may seem like a silly thing to be excited about, but once you see some photos of this gorgeous, chandelier-gilded space, i think you'll understand...

i love the photos lindsey took of me holding our rings

i loved the lace detailing on the top of my dress

i like that laura is smiling at me in this picture

i have a lot of hair, people...

see?

i love my friends

on the day of my wedding, i was completely ready by 3:30 p.m. [& our wedding wasn't until 6:00]. the reason for the rush? i took my bridal photos on the grounds of nottoway, the day of the wedding. [i can't wait to share these photos from shana!] but i also wanted to make sure to get in some photos with my bridesmaids before the ceremony as well, to cut down on the time that would have to be allotted for photos after the ceremony. thinking back on things, i wish justin & i would have done a first look session, for two reasons: 1. so that we could have had some quiet time together amidst the stress i was feeling leading up to the ceremony, and 2. so that we could have had more photos together. 

i'm glad i had some time with my parents & best friends before the ceremony, though...

i loved their yellow bouquets

there is NEVER a dull moment with this girl

in case you forgot that we are dorks...

kara + julianne - y'all should have jumped into more of these photos, ma'ams. you too, anna claire.

lindsey was kind enough to help my mom set up in the reception hall. here are some images she captured before the cypress ballroom was filled with merriment. she also grabbed some shots of the grounds while they were being prepared for the ceremony.

hydrangeas were my grandfather's favorite flower. they were used in my bouquet & in the table arrangements.

this was our guest book - everyone signed around the photo. [thank you for this idea, diane! i always admired yours.]

i love the glitzy chandeliers

kara's dear friend, kelsey steen, made our wedding cake. be on the lookout for this one - she has talent & is going to be famous one day...

one of my wedding DIYs was the cake topper

a preview of our photos with shana

another DIY - our programs. thank you so much to mom & anna claire for making this a reality.

and now, the best part: the ceremony. nothing compared to the feeling of coming through the gate, walking toward all my friends + family, & zeroing in on the person who was about to become my husband. i was scared of being nervous through the ceremony, feeling awkward in the spotlight, but i'm telling you, just being up there with justin put me at ease. 

this is exactly what i remember seeing when my dad & i came through the gate

walking down the aisle was the part i struggled most not to cry. it's so emotionally charged, seeing all those people in one place, walking toward the person you're about to marry. it's overwhelming, in the best way.

trying not to trip up the stairs. i wanted a dress that pooled on the ground all around me, but i somehow didn't think about how difficult that would make it to walk.

i love these photos

we're married!

these photos capture exactly why i chose our ceremony time - a beautiful nottoway sunset. my favorite time of day.

these crack me up. proof that it's hard to get a big group of people to look at a camera at the same time.

i couldn't share photos of our ceremony without mentioning the thing. you know, that one thing that inevitably goes wrong on your wedding day? well, ours involved gnats. those pesky, inexhaustible little bugs that are inexplicably drawn to human faces, eyes, mouths... yep. we got married on the front lawn of nottoway, right beside the levee, which is, well... right beside the river. they were everywhere. all over us, all over our guests, all over our wedding party, all over our officiant. they were pretty annoying & ridiculous, but honestly, i feel blessed that something so minor - that didn't really horribly affect our wedding - was our thing. 

tomorrow, we head to the party!

all photos by lindsey hudson