adventures in dress-swapping ON wedding day: a lima, ohio wedding

Beyond the love story of this wedding, beyond the love Kacie pours forth for Trent and the love Trent shows Kacie in every day wonderful ways… there is another story.  It could have become a story of disaster, of everything falling apart.  But Kacie and her gals made it a story of fun and love and a really great memory.

Let me explain.  Kacie, valuing the love in handmade and supporting small business, had the girls’ bridesmaids dresses made by a beloved seamstress.  She was so excited about this idea, and kept with it despite some setbacks.  The girls finally got to try on the finished product the day before the wedding, and despite all the hard work and love that had gone into these dresses, they were simply not wearable.  The fitting was wrong, important parts were not fully covered.  The girls were willing to walk down the aisle in these for Kacie, because, well, that’s what amazing friends do.  But they hatched a secret plan that night, gathered and bought black dresses.  And I am so happy I was in the room when they tried on the original dresses and presented Kacie with her options.  There was a moment of disappointment, a quick moment of sadness.  And then there was LAUGHTER.  Love and tears and laughter.  Giant belly laughs.  Crying laughs.  It was awesome.  They went with the black dresses.  And they went with love.    I always tell the bride and groom that something is bound to go wrong on their wedding day.  And that that’s ok.  In the end, it’s about love.  And in the end, they will be married, and that’s kind of the point of the whole day:)  I have seen some disasters in my time.  But this one was a pretty big one.  And I feel like, in that moment when the laughter erupted,  beautiful volumes were spoken about Kacie’s joy and the way she is living this life.    Trent and his fellas were so much fun to hang out with.  We were nearly shot and/or arrested by whoever owns this place because the guys thought it’d be a cool spot for a picture (I may or may not be completely exaggerating the possibility of being shot and/or arrested).  And the flower gorilla.  Goodness, the flower gorilla (named as an appropriate sidekick to the “ring bear”).  This girl’s spinning and twirling filled my heart right up.   And the ring bear.  I am not kidding you.  At this point, the ring bear turned to the flower gorilla, totally unprompted, put his hand on her shoulder and said: “You are the most prettiest princess ever.”   He was my number one helper in “Come on over here and help me get these guys to smile!” We may have aerated the lawn with everyone’s heels taking pictures outside.  Also, how cool that Kacie painted the bottom of her shoes for her “something blue?”  This girl!  She loses her veil and cracks up!  Seriously, I’m not sure she knows how much her laughter lights up the whole world.  The kids were completely transfixed by the little lights.  The boys danced all night long.  Hard not to join them!  Trent and Kacie played the shoe game, spreading laughter all throughout the reception. I LOVED watching Trent open up and dance and sing with the fellas.  Such a fun night! SUCH a great time!  Wishing these two a life of more laughing and dancing and so much love!!!

If you are newly engaged (or have a friend who is), and would like me to help tell your story through photographs, let’s start a conversation here!