A Wedding with a Pop of Yellow | Keffer Hall | Newport News, Virginia | Virginia Wedding and Branding Photographer

A Keffer Hall Wedding

Christie and Jake’s late August wedding at Keffer Hall in Deep Creek Landing Marina in Newport News, Virginia was a joyous, colorful and bright occasion! I have been looking forward to this wedding all summer and knowing that I was going to have surgery at the beginning of August to basically “fix” my recently diagnosed endometriosis, it was also a huge motivator to keep my mind focused on the work of healing both physically and mentally as I recovered. So, I guess I could add that shooting weddings is my therapy! LOL! Christie and Jake chose blues, greens with a pop of yellow for their wedding colors, and y’all…the sunflowers and yellow bride shoes were gorgeous!!!

How They Met

Before I get completely carried away, here is there story:

Despite going to different high schools, Jacob and Christie met at Christie’s Homecoming Dance when they were 15 because a classmate and mutual friend decided to bring Jake to the dance. It was a small school, so when she saw someone she didn’t recognize talking to one of her guy friends, she went over to introduce herself. They were then practically inseparable for the night, and he sent her a Facebook friend request before she had even made it home. A few weeks later, after talking on the phone (his home phone!) just about every night, they went to see the movie “Seven Pounds” in theaters. They had a great time, but when he didn’t make a move, she assumed it was platonic. Later that night Jake asked Christie to be his girlfriend, and she said “no”. Fast forward two years of talking on and off, Jake asked Christie to her Senior Homecoming dance. This time, she said “yes”. A couple of very casual dates later (football games, group events), he asked her to be his girlfriend again and she said “yes” this time.

The Proposal

In November of 2020, they had their 10 year dating anniversary, which they celebrated with a socially-distant weekend getaway to Wrightsville Beach, NC. One afternoon, while they were walking along the beach, Christie started taking some pictures of seagulls. When she turned around, Jake was on his knee and asked if she would like to go on trips like this for the rest of their lives together. He proposed using her grandmother’s ring, which her mother gave him when he asked for her permission/blessing. A funny story about the engagement was that apparently he planned on proposing during sunrise that morning, but the previous night, they had eaten at the restaurant where they celebrated their first anniversary, and he ended up with food poisoning all night!

The Wedding Day

The day started in the bridal suite at Deep Creek Landing Marina with the ladies getting their hair and make-up done. As they finished up, I captured Christie’s beautiful wedding gown, bouquet, and the most fun pair of yellow shoes that matched the sunflowers in her bouquet. Additionally, Christie brought a picture of her grandparents from their wedding day, which was special because she now wears her late grandmother’s engagement ring. Her mother helped her with her wedding dress, which was such an endearing moment. After photographing the ladies together with the bride, I worked with the groom, his best man, and his brother.

First Look

We did the First Look on the dock, with the lovely boats and waterfront as the backdrop. Once Jake was in place, Christie made her way toward him as he patiently waited to see his lovely bride. When her turned around to see her, they were both all smiles.

Ceremony

They had their ceremony on the greenspace on the waterfront. Because of the heat index of around 110 degrees, they opted to have a tent so that guests would be more comfortable. Additionally, Christie supplied fans (hand painted by her) that guests could use to cool off. As guests waited for the ceremony to begin, the harpist played. Christie’s brother escorted her down the aisle as Jake waited for her in front of the arbor adorned with flowers. It was a lovely ceremony filled with meaningful details such as a reading by Jake’s brother, individual candles that they made using their favorite fragrances and colors, and the unity candle that was a mixture of the two. My personal favorite moment was when they each read handwritten vows to one another. It was easy to see how much Christie and Jake love one another and belong together.

Reception and a Golden Hour Session

At the beginning of the reception, immediately after the first dance, I took Christie and Jake out to the dock for a golden hour session, and the light did not disappoint! The temperature was also a lot cooler as well! It was truly the perfect wedding day at Keffer Hall in Deep Creek Landing Marina- BEST DAY EVER!!! Congrats Christie and Jake!