Joshua and Laura: wedding! :D {cut off, la wedding photographer}

Mid June, I went down to the Bayou to photograph my friends Joshua and Laura’s wedding and it was so so sweet :D.

It’s always fun to see your work printed :D. Laura’s bridals are next on the blogging agenda, by the way! 😀

And here she is! My Lucy-Pevensie-friend :D. We’ve been known each other for many years through Bible camps we’ve gone to. She’s smart, friendly, and her sweet joy and kindness is a balm :). One of the most special memories I have with her is from last October: I was feeling discouraged about my work, and then, out of nowhere, Laura writes this on my Facebook wall…

“I was looking through your pictures on your website again tonight and realized what one of the things I love most about your photos is. It’s the brightness, and the life to them. They capture happiness. You aren’t just a people photographer, you’re a joy photographer. 🙂 And you’re right in there with it, spreading some of your own excitement, and it’s infectious! Can’t wait to have you spread around a little joy to capture forever at my wedding!! <3″

I almost cried. I was so humbled and encouraged and was even MORE excited to be a part of such a special time in her life <3 <3. Laura, God has used you in my life and in SO many other lives and being your wedding photographer was an honor :). Love you, friend!

Purty purty 🙂

Oh, boy. Haha. The weather that day was SO crazy and unpredictable, but God gave us everything we needed for Josh and Laura to get married ;).

Writing her Father’s Day card :).

My mom (who frequently joins me on wedding days to help and take extra pictures for fun) ran through the rain to the building next door to see what the guys were doing :D.

And this is Josh! Avoiding the extra cologne being forced upon him. Haha.

This is one of the ringbearers! Josh’s nephew Noah Axsom :D.

His daddy was getting him to smile. Haha :D. See the rain? Hooray for this covered area!

Sooooo cute.

This is Josh’s youngest brother and an usher for the day: Benjamin Gatch (self proclaimed Captain America and he calls me Black Widow. Hahaha).

These guys were cutting up all day long. Haha.

The groom and his groomsmen! 😀

The grey suits really suited them I think. (Oh, look! A pun! Haha)

For some reason this Spongebob song comes to mind when I see this picture of friendship. Hahaha.

There we go, everyone join in. Hahaha 😀

Introductions! This is Josh’s best man: Micah Quartemont! Leader of the cut ups. Haha.

Next is Josh’s cousin Daniel Gatch!

Then there’s little Noah’s dad, Josh’s brother in law: John Axsom!

And this is Laura’s twin brother: Steven Butts!

And this Josh’s other brother: Jonathan Gatch!

Haha

And last but not least, this is Josh’s former co-worker and friend: Luke Willett!

Ha, oh, man.

Happy group of guys :).

Back to the lovely girls! 😀

Hey, sweet bride 😀

Hehe 😀 Adorable, Emily ;).

I had totally forgotten Josh played the piano! Love that Mom caught this neat moment of him chillin’
with music :).

Excitement!! 😀

Love her smile 😀

Laura and her ladies in blue 😀 😀

Beautiful girls 😀

Laura and Steven aren’t the only twins in the family; the oldest siblings are twins too! And this is one of them! Katie McBride :D. Some of you old faithful followers may remember I did her first-child maternity and couple portraits almost 4 years ago!

And this is Laura’s best friend since childhood: Virginia Bourg!

And this is Virginia’s younger sister: Katrina Ohlman!

And this is Laura’s cousins: Shannon Smith!

And this is John’s wife, Noah’s mom, and Josh’s sister: Rebecca Axsom!

And this is Katie’s twin, Laura’s other sister: Emily Butts!

Hehehe :D. Such cute girls.

Hahaha

And THIS is coordinator extraordinaire and friend: Ranell Bryant! She coordinated Mark and Miranda’s wedding too!

Precious prayer time <3

Guests are arriving! Ceremony is drawing near! 😀

Look look! It’s Ariel! And her daughter Lilah! 😀 and There’s Miranda in the back! So fun to see friends/clients at weddings 😀 :D.

Oh, you know, just playing cards before she walks down the aisle. Hahaha.

The time has come 😀 😀

🙂 🙂

This sanctuary at Community Bible Church was really beautiful.

At last 🙂 🙂

Hahahaha 😀

So much laughter; it was great 😀

Then we went to the super neat boats docked nearby to begin their portrait time 😀 And as we peruse these pictures, let’s learn about how God brought these souls together :).

“We met when we were five when his family came to stay with friends and visited my church. I don’t remember this meeting, but I do remember knowing him at the church camp in Bentley we grew up going to. I have memories of him from when I was eight or nine, but he was always just my twin brother’s friend in my mind, until I was about 13 and began thinking of him as my friend too.
When I got a Facebook account at the age of 16, he sent me a friend request almost instantly, and as soon as I accepted, he began messaging me. It began as a conversation just to catch up with each other’s lives…but it never ended. Since that day, I can only think of maybe a handful of days we went without contact.

[Beauty acknowledging interjection: this is one of my favorite portraits from the day 😀 :D]

He quickly became on of my best friends. Everyone teased me that we liked each other, which I firmly denied. He was ‘just a friend.’ I considered several times that maybe he did actually like me (he did 😉 ), and wondered if I could like him back. But I was in the middle of a major crush on a different guy, and decided Joshua was simply my friend. Fast forward to two nights before my 18th birthday, when I got a long text late in the evening from a nervous Joshua, telling me that he was interested in me and asking if he could ask my dad for permission for us to see each other. Strangely, just two weeks before this, I seriously evaluated my heart and realized it had changed, and strongly, towards him. I believe that was the Lord’s doing entirely, through that wonderful timing. Sadly, I didn’t see the message from Joshua so the poor guy was left hanging for nearly three hours. But once I finally saw it, I instantly sent him a long text in reply, ending with an emphatic YES. He called my dad the next day, and the day after that, on my 18th birthday, officially called and asked me to be his girlfriend. We dated for nearly a year. long distance, because he lives four hours away. The following June, in the evening after a beautiful wedding of our mutual friends, he got down on one knee in his parent’s driveway and asked me to be his wife.”

😀 😀

Also, the most unique and awesome portrait location to date goes toooo…

I asked Laura to tell me about Josh :).

“Joshua is funny, and kind, and smart. He’s been my best friend for years. I love how comfortable that has made us around each other. We don’t have to be going somewhere or doing something every second of the day. He’s a good brother, son, and friend. There’s no place in the world I feel as safe as when his arms are wrapped around me. I would live with his arms around me or his hand in mine every second of the day if I could.”

And I asked Josh to tell me about Laura :).

“I’d say what I love the most about her is her love for God. She always puts Him first in everything. And that shows in how she cares about people. She always is trying to find a way to accommodate everybody.”

I asked them what were their favorite things to do together :).

“Watch action or comedy movies together, or old TV shows
Go out to eat and laugh across the table at each other
Tease each other, we can be pretty sarcastic 😉
Hold hands 🙂
Play guitar & piano together. We haven’t done it more than a few times but it’s something I really enjoy doing with him.
Be with family”

Love <3

THEN our NEXT awesome, beautiful location was this soon-to-be-bnb that belongs to Laura’s dentist! Haha. So thankful for a pretty place that was also a shelter from possible downpours. Haha.

Louisiana, I love your plantation houses and great trees :D.

Love love love 😀

Josh and Laura are truly at home with each other, there is no denying <3

Beauty and joy 😀 😀

Aaaaah <3

Mmmm <3

Oh, Laura, you are stunning.

The white porch, the trees, their love: it was almost too much <3 <3

Best friends and children of God: can’t beat that marriage combo 😀 😀

Enchanting 😀 😀

🙂 🙂

Yeaaaaaah! 😀

Cuties 😀

Mr. and Mrs. Gatch 😀

Another favorite 🙂 🙂

Time to head back and see everyone 😀

Aaaaah, happiness 😀 😀

“…and
our daddies used to joke about the two of us growing up and falling in
love, and our mamas smiled and rolled their eyes and said, ‘oh, my, my,
my'”

-“Mary’s Song” by Taylor Swift