So, on the morning of their wedding, Melissa’s mom suggested she put a penny in her shoe for good luck. Melissa just smiled and simply said “I don’t need a penny in my shoe for luck, I have Mike.” And that pretty much sums up these two. They are not only best friends and completely in love, but also very grateful for each other. I just love seeing a couple not only love one another, but truly appreciate and cherish the gift of their relationship. Their wedding day was a testament to that in so many ways <3
From the moment I met Melissa & Mike at their engagement session last year, I just loved them- they are every photographer’s dream couple: sweet, totally head over heels in love, up for anything, and FUN! Not to mention they may just be some of the most gorgeous and photogenic people I have ever met. So I expected nothing less than smiles, laughter, kisses and lots of fun from them on their wedding day, and they did not disappoint!
I love that Melissa had her family’s heirloom rosary and Marriage Sacrament book, how special is that? Those personal details make all the difference.
When your mom sees you in your gown <3
HOW STUNNING IS MELISSA IN THIS HAYLEY PAIGE GOWN?!!! (and yes that needs to be in all caps!!!)
The windows and the LIGHT in this place was gorgeous!!!
I am obsessed with this adorable laser-cut cake topper <3
Melissa got ready at her sister’s house, and the house was simply stunning! Again, so much natural light- a photographer’s dream!
They got married at Jesus The Good Shepard Church, and the church and the reception hall there are both beautiful with tons of natural light (insert heart eyes here haha).
After the ceremony, they celebrated with the wedding party and then got right into loving on each other during portraits haha! We were worried about the weather because there were a few raindrops outside during the ceremony, but luckily it not only didn’t rain, but we also got the most stunning golden hour EVER (keep scrolling for those!)
The best thing about photographing these two is that they almost didn’t even pay any attention to me at all lol! I started them with a pose and they got so into gazing at each other that I barely had to give any direction at all! At one point Mike made me wait so he could keep kissing her- how freaking adorable is that?!! I totally don’t mind waiting for my couples to finish kissing FYI .
The little garden area next to the church was perfect!!
Mike: “Let me just finish here first…” LOL
The way they look at each other!!! <3
Then it was time to party! Did I mention that both Melissa and Mike are firefighters? How awesome is that. That not only means they are pretty bada$$ but it also means they have some FUN friends!!! The reception was seriously perfect and gorgeous and SO fun.
Even this dip was perfect!!
I always love seeing the bride dance with her dad, but the mother son dance has a special place in my heart because I am the mom of two boys. When I was watching Mike dance with his mom, I was totally teary-eyed thinking about how I hoped my son danced with me and hugged me that tight on his wedding day too <3
After the party was underway, we snuck out for a few minutes to get the absolute BEST golden light EVER.
After a few golden glowy moments outside, they headed back to the party. At some point in the night, a limbo stick came out and it was truly epic!
Even Mike’s grandpa has moves!
You know it’s a good party when….
There was truly a battle for the bouquet!
And when it came time for Mike to remove the garter— he totally channeled Channing Tatum!!!! Imagine the song “Pony” in your head when you look at these photos haha!
The guys also did a good job (pretending to be) battling it out for the garter lol!
At one point in the night, Mike and Melissa asked for a photo with me, which literally made me teary-eyed. It is my goal to make my couples feel like I am a trusted friend on their big day so that they are relaxed, comfortable and having fun while I photograph them. So for them to ask me to be in a photo really meant the world <3 Also I took a 2 minute dance break when my jam came on…and had some cake (solely to refuel for creativity’s sake of course lol).
This wedding was memorable for so many reasons but mostly because of the true love and friendship Melissa and Mike share. Melissa and Mike, thank you for the honor of capturing your day, and I wish you a life together full of as much love and laughter as your wedding day!!!! I would wish you luck in your marriage, but as you put it, Melissa, you don’t need luck, you have each other <3
Photography // K. Rainier Photography
Assistant Photographer // A. Stice Photography
Gown // Hayley Paige
Bridesmaids // Jenny Yoo
Makeup //Beauty By Jackie
Suit // Calvin Klein
DJ // William Hess
Caterer // Wyvill’s Catering
Venue- // Jesus the Good Shepherd
Flowers // Fiftyflowers
Invitations // Paper Peach Shop
Robes // Embroidery by Melissa
First Dance // From the Ground Up- Dan+Shay