Matthew & Shannon Wedding - Top Ten | Lynchburg Wedding Photographer

Matthew and Shannon's beautiful celebration started with a God honoring ceremony at Lynchburg College's Snidow Chapel. After the ceremony we went out to the dell on campus for pictures and then quickly made our way to the reception in the Hall Ballroom, also on campus. This is one of my favorite wedding locations in Lynchburg and this couple filled the setting with love and joy all day long. Check out their Top Ten!

10. Shannon's grandmother was a photographer and we were able to see some of her work the morning of the wedding at Shannons' parent's house. After being taken away by the beautiful photographs (she was soooo before her time), we got the idea to try and duplicate a few portraits. This made for bridal portraits that not only captured Shannon's timeless beauty, but also created even more memories for the family.

9. Speaking of memories... the dress that Shannon wore to the rehearsal was actually her mom's wedding dress! It was redesigned and transformed thru the alteration talents of her grandmother (Ann Buss) and then tied off with her grandmother's scarf. Seriously. Could that be any sweeter?

8. And while I'm discussing the rehearsal... :) Shannon's wedding coordinator suggested that she and her bridesmaids wear their wedding day shoes to the rehearsal as a way to break them in a bit. Genius!

7. I wish every single one of you could have heard the musicians Matthew and Shannon invited to perform during their ceremony. The small chapel was filled with pure, powerful worship music. It seriously had EVERYONE in the room smiling. We loved it so much we actually asked if they had a CD for sale. Guess what? They had never performed together as a group before - they were just a group of friend’s that Matthew and Shannon pulled together for the big day. I can still hear that sound as I type. And my heart is smiling.

6. Shannon’s bridesmaids were exactly what all bridesmaids should be. They should write a book! They waited on her hand and foot. Never once complaining about how they looked, or how hot is was, always carrying her dress, offering a drink, running errands, and reminding her of how beautiful she was and how very happy they were for her.

5. The love that each of the guests had for Matthew and Shannon was so heavy in the air. You really couldn't not feel it.  There were two different last minute emergencies that were true testimonies to how important this day was to everyone involved, not just the bride and groom. No matter what the situation, their friends and family did whatever it took to make sure Matthew and Shannon had an amazing day. We were blown away by that.

4. The Best Man, Matthew’s brother, gave a truly unique toast with such meaning and passion. Flying in from the Republic of Georgia, he brought with him a native charge and invited crowd participation. It was not only entertaining, but moving and memorable to say the least.

3. Dance Party!! The DJ was a friend of the bride and groom and he rocked the house from the first song to the last song. So fun!

2. We loved that Shannon stayed true to her love of cupcakes and had them in lieu of a cake. So cute!

1. The grand sparkler exit was the best we have seen. They searched high and low for the long sparklers and had plenty of them. They passed them out along a path leading up to the getaway car and made sure to have lighting torches available. The fact that the dance party would not end helped in that there were tons of people left at the end of the night for a long line of cheers, smiles, sparks and well wishes. It was spectacular!

Here are some more of our favorite images from their big day!

Their wedding pictures have been posted. Please click here to access them. If you do not know the passcode, you will need to contact the bride or groom for the information.

Be Thou My Vision | Photographer Retreat

Last week I was out of the office for a few days. I went to Bend, Oregon for a 3-day retreat with a small group of other women photographers. The experience was not what I expected - but a definite blessing. We were pampered, prayed for and loved. Those few days changed me, and though sometimes change is not easy, this time it was necessary and good. Here are a few pictures from my new friend Patti. I took some photos (as you will see) and have yet to download them from my camera. But Patti's photos definitely do the place much more justice than mine. :)

The accommodations were shared. However, since there were an odd number of attendees, one of us got our own room. Go figure I was the one who got my own cabin. I was a little confused about why it worked out that way - since I am alone all the time anyway and there were moms on this trip seeking a place to retreat. But, I didn't complain. :) Here are a few pictures of the cabins we stayed in for the retreat:

In the second picture below, do you see the small silver circle on the ceiling above the bathtub? That is the water spout. Yes... the bath tub filled up from the ceiling. So neat!

Me, taking photos of my cabin: The group of us:

Just a glimpse of our catered meals. The resort took (very good) care of us each morning and evening.  This is our evening waitress, Emily. She was one of the best servers I've ever had. We loved her so much we left her a card at the end of the retreat. :)

Dessert was served in the sitting area and we ate it during each evening session:

This right here about sums up quiet time:

And... the beautiful view there in Bend, Oregon: