A Spring Wedding at The Maine of Williamsburg | Virginia Wedding Photographer | Belle Eve Photography | Virginia Wedding and Branding Photographer

A Wedding at The Maine of Williamsburg

Kyle and Ann’s wedding at The Maine of Williamsburg was definitely a day filled with happiness and the love of family and friends. I was thrilled when Kyle and Ann inquired with me about capturing their April wedding. I knew that Kyle was a really great guy (through mutual connections), and when I met Ann for the first time, I thought, “They are perfect for each other!” She is so joyful and bubbly! They complement one another so well and they have such an awesome sense of humor! As a perk, they both love the outdoors, which basically means…they are my kind of people.

Their Story

Their story, according to Kyle:

“This lovely lady that goes by the name of Ann decided to waltz up to me with her bubbly attitude at a campus ministry meeting at Christopher Newport University in 2017. She scared me with her in your face kindness. That day, will forever be known as the reckoning. I began to develop a crush on her. After pursuing said crush, she decided to crush my feelings until I slowly eroded her barriers away. She finally decided to tell me that she liked me and you know I jumped on that train. Well, after a year and some change that train led us to the moment where I took a leap and asked her to marry me.”

Lion’s Bridge Engagement Session

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Kyle and Ann during their Engagement Session. They love hiking, so it seemed fitting to do their engagement session at a popular hiking trail. We met up at Lion’s Bridge in Mariner’s Park in Newport News, Virginia. We started out on the bridge, then headed toward the trail. It turns out that Kyle and Ann are really great dancers, which I learned as I started giving my “dancing couple instructions”, they followed my instructions and even added spins and dips. They were such pros! I especially loved how they interacted- so much tenderness and smiles for miles!

The Wedding Day Begins

Toward the end of March, I unexpectedly became very ill and had to be hospitalized. My friends and mentors, Luke and Ashley from Luke and Ashley Photography kindly stepped in for me to capture Kyle and Ann’s wedding. They captured their day so beautifully, of course. As I culled and edited their images, I felt like I was able to experience their day and be a part of it. Some moments made me laugh out loud, some made me smile, and some made me teary eyed. (Father and daughter moments get me every single time.)

At the beginning of the day Kyle and Ann began getting ready in their suites- Kyle with his groomsmen and Ann with her bridesmaids. Although they did not do a first look, Ann had a special moment with her father after her mother helped her to fasten the back of her dress.

In the meantime, Kyle and his groomsmen got ready, then went outside with Luke for some fun candid images and formal portraits. Then, Luke photographed Kyle individually.

The Ceremony

Wedding ceremonies usually have a series of predictable elements. The groom and wedding party enters, the flower girl daintily walks down the aisle, followed by everyone standing as the gorgeous bride enters to meet her groom. From there, it is often a special reading, music, brief words from the pastor / officiant, vows, the exchange of rings, and finally the first kiss as newlyweds. As I was editing in my office, which I share with my hubby who also works partly from our home office, I came across the most intriguing set of images – the moment the pastor asked for the rings. What followed was a hilarious moment where the groomsmen began “searching” for the rings (which caused me to interrupt the silence in our office with lots of laughter!). I loved seeing the fun sense of humor in this moment! Moments like these make a ceremony / wedding day unique (see slide show below!).

Romantic Couple’s Session

Immediately following the ceremony and family group formal photos, Luke and Ashley worked with the bridal party, then did a session with Kyle and Ann. In addition to the first romantic couple’s session, they opted to go back out again during golden hour for an additional opportunity to get some gorgeous golden light images. The results were absolutely beautiful.

The Reception

Their wedding reception took place inside the beautiful Grand Hall at The Maine of Williamsburg. There were several notable and endearing moments during the reception. It was beautiful to see their first dance as a married couple. It was also endearing to see Kyle dancing with his mother and Ann dancing with her father before dinner was served by Sweetwater Catering.

After Kyle and Ann returned from their golden hour session, the D.J. announced that there would be a Dollar Dash, where Kyle and Ann’s family and friends had an opportunity to bless them with cash in a fun and energetic way. I love how the guests engaged in this moment!