Emily & Sean | Wedding
Weddings are always special days to be a part of. I’ve shot over 70 weddings and not a single one of them have felt even slightly insignificant in any way. They each have their quirks- their late relatives and goofy ministers. Moments full of nerves and butterflies. That being said, there is just something about shooting a wedding for a bride that you know. For people that you love and have watched grow into the beautiful souls they are now. People that you have worshiped The Lord with. People that you know, without a shadow of a doubt, will remember this day for the rest of their lives. It is such an incredible privilege to be a part of those memories. To help document those memories. To capture the most memorable, important day of their lives.
I grew up attending the local Catholic Church with Emily and her family. Her parents taught me Sunday school and led games at the church picnic. We all went on trips together, worked VBS together, and truly grew up together. I vividly remember walking across the parking lot to church after Sunday school and Emily telling me about her crush, Sean. He was cute and goofy and one of her really good friends. I never in a million years thought that I would one day shoot their wedding, but boy do I love when life works out that way.
Emily and Sean’s wedding day also was Emily’s 24th birthday. It was snowy and freezing- a bit of a surprise for early March in the South. Emily shared with me that it snowed on the day she was born, and never had again on a birthday even though she always hoped for it. It was such a sweet God wink that it snowed on her wedding day. The entire day felt like that- like God was just fully present. It was a beautiful wedding, and a day that I will forever be grateful to have been a part of.
Mackenzie
“Sean and I have known each other since we started kindergarten together. We got in trouble for holding hands during nap time! We were close friends throughout school, but didn't consider dating until college when we both happened to be home during the same weekend for Fall break. After winding up at the same bar with shared friends and talking for what was probably a majority of the evening, we decided shortly after that we'd might be missing out if we didn't at least give it a shot.” - Emily
“Honestly, I have known that Sean was the one since the first date - it just felt right. People often talk about feeling ‘out of place’, but I have never felt so ‘in place.’ We would both later confess that this feeling was mutually shared but equally as terrifying.” - Emily
“My favorite thing about Emily is how she communicates. I can always tell how much she loves me whether we are in the middle of a fight, having a silly conversation or talking about then most mundane thing. She never lets me forget how she feels.” - Sean
“My favorite thing about Sean is that I can honestly say that I have never met another person who reminds me of him, and it's been that way even before we started dating. He is so genuine and authentic, and doesn't put on a front for anyone. He just is who he is!” - Emily
“The best part about planning my wedding was getting to be so involved with the people I love. My mom, dad, and I got to spend so many weekends together imagining, designing, and creating this special day together. It also gave me more opportunity to be with Sean's family and to start melding our two families into one.” - Emily
“My favorite part of the day was watching Sean, his dad, and all the bridesmaids and groomsmen walk down the aisle as I hid behind a pillar. I had a moment to just stop, look around the beautiful venue, really hear the harp playing, and fully soak up the moment. It was such a short moment of the day that felt real and full of emotion as I stood there by myself recognizing all the love and hard work that went into the day.” - Emily
“My favorite part of the day was easy- watching Emily come down the aisle.” - Sean
What are you both most excited about now that you are finally husband and wife?
“Knowing that I will always have Emily to come home to especially on tough days, and that I will be there for her on her hard days when she needs me.” - Sean
“I look forward to every day from here on out. The benefit of falling in love with, and marrying, your best friend is that they always are capable of making the most simple and mundane parts of life fun and exciting. Doing laundry, grocery shopping, and walking the dog are turned into exciting parts of my day with Sean.” - Emily
Lord,
I come to You with a grateful heart. I am so thankful that You gave me the ability to play this small role in people’s lives. I thank You for Emily, and for Sean. I thank You for creating the two most perfect people for each other, and for allowing them to find each other and enjoy this life together- now as one. Marriage is such a beautiful sacrament, and my hope is that You shine so brightly through this new union that souls are saved after experiencing that Light. You are powerful, and You are good. I cannot wait to see what beautiful things you have in store for the Minetree’s.
Amen.
Lead Photographer: Mackenzie Rue | Second Shooter: Aliee Reed | Dress: Birch on Main | Bridesmaids Dresses: Baltic Born | Cakes: The Cake Lady - Angela Pinkerton | Venue: The Glass House | Flowers: Buketis Floral Design | Invitations: Zazzle | Caterer: Talk of the South | Preparation Accommodations: The Glass House