Sheldon & Whitney’s colorful Camp Lucy Wedding
Whitney & Sheldon are the type of people who feel like family. They both have such a genuine smile that is so welcoming & friendly. Their wedding day embodied this friendly & loving feeling and everyone who attended seemed to have such an ease about them while celebrating the newlyweds.
As fate would have it, these two met almost 6 and a half years ago at the hospital and have since built a strong relationship together. After a few years of dating, they decided to build a lake house together in Tyler, Texas and have made many amazing memories as a couple.
One night, after they had finished eating dinner, they decided to go outside on the back patio of their new home to watch the sunset. That is where Sheldon asked Whitney to be his wife & his partner for life. She said yes & the planning began. Everything they had built together brought them to this special day where they were joined as one.
On the day of the wedding, everything came together so beautifully & it was such a pleasure working together with so many great vendors. I always love working with Lola Beauty because not only are they easy to work with, but the hair & makeup stay put the entire night!
Working with Amy from Avenue Q Events was such a pleasure - she kept everything running smoothly throughout the entire day so that Whitney & Sheldon were stress free and able to truly enjoy their wedding day! I love working alongside coordinators who stick to a schedule because it allows time for each part of the day to have its own special moment and to me, that’s what creates the most memorable experience - many small moments that create an entire day that no one will ever forget.
Take the bride & groom’s ‘First Look’ for example. As soon as Whitney finished putting on her wedding dress, perfume & jewelry, she walked out to her groom for him to see her for the very first time on their wedding day. It was nothing short of magical. For just a short but intimate time, they had their own private moment to be with one another without anyone around & to see each other before the ceremony. Whitney was smiling from ear to ear as Sheldon turned around and saw his bride for the first time - he was jokingly ‘bowing’ to her and as joyful as can be. I may have teared up behind the camera.
These snippets of time seem to happen so fast when they are happening in the moment, but looking back, they are in fact the moments that have so much meaning & create a truly magical experience. I live for these small moments. The moments that take your breath away and these moments add up to one meaningful purpose - Love. These small, but significant moments are really the big moments that bind the entire day together. These moments are the sole reason why I love what I do. This is what I call “the good stuff”. This day was filled with small, but special moments- all ingredients that create a memorable experience that is never forgotten.
Another one of these moments happened when Whitney told me that more of her bridesmaids were pregnant than not & the pregnant bridesmaids proceeded to show me their baby bumps. We did an impromptu photo of the pregnant bridesmaids all together in a group & team #notpregnant with Whitney. The amount of love that supported Whitney & Sheldon throughout the entire day was so evident.
I remember Whitney’s dad telling me about how he had been recovering from knee surgery, but he was eager to walk with her. He was so full of joy when he saw his daughter in her wedding dress for the first time. He knew he was about to walk his daughter down the aisle & that was truly a precious moment between the two of them. He was so proud to be by her side on his daughter’s wedding day. Just before they walked, they rang the church bell together. As they walked, everyone could see how Sheldon looked at Whitney - he was in awe of his bride walking towards him.
They recited their vows & after they sealed the deal with a kiss, Sheldon stomped on glass. I learned that the tradition comes from Jewish roots & the fragility of glass suggests the fragile nature of human relationships. Since even the strongest love is subject to disintegration, as I understand it, the glass is broken as a kind of incantation: “As this glass shatters, so may our marriage never break.” What a beautiful reminder that a relationship takes work - work I believe Whitney & Sheldon will always be glad to do- for one another & for the sake of their marriage. It was time to celebrate!
Whim Hospitality created the most amazing combination of flowers for the bridal party & reception hall, which I absolutely LOVED photographing! The combination of colorful florals with cascading greenery lining the tables was so refreshing to photograph. The sequin table linens truly lit up the reception hall & florals brightened up the space beautifully.
As the night went on, the couple danced their first dance cut their cake & ate it too! The maid of honor, Kendra, gave a beautiful speech & their guests truly enjoyed celebrating the newlyweds! At one point, they all lifted up Whitney & Sheldon in the air on their chairs and danced around them, another Jewish-rooted tradition called the ‘Horah’. It is a way for the guests to express their joy about the couple being celebrated & for the entertainment of the newly married couple - what a great tradition! Guests enjoyed their night & the pair were officially married!
Whitney & Sheldon,
Your wedding was absolutely gorgeous & so many amazing memories were made on your special day with all of your friends and family. I am so grateful that you chose me to capture such a special day for the two of you. I hope you can look back on your photos and be reminded of the love you shared between the two of you on this special day! It was truly amazing being able to see the love that you were both surrounded with on your wedding day & the traditions you included from your heritage. Every moment was a blessing for me to share in part of with you. I wish you both the very best as you create even more memories together in the years to come. I am so grateful to have met you both & don’t ever want you to be strangers! I consider you both friends & hope to capture each chapter of your life as the years go on. May you have many more memories together throughout the years watching beautiful sunsets on your lakeside patio!
With Love,
Lyndsay
SPECIAL THANKS TO THESE AMAZING VENDORS
Venue: Camp Lucy
Florals/rentals/catering- Whim Hospitality
String Trio/dj/lighting/photo booth: Altared Weddings Events
Wedding coordinator- Amy, Avenue q events
Cake- Sweet Treets
Hair/makeup- Lola Beauty