Wow, is it Friday already? Holy cow this week has been flying by. Well, we for one are taking a quick breather and having some family down from the big city to relax and maybe do a little wine tasting. But fear not, we’ve got a fantastic wedding to share with you today. This one’s personal, as we’ve been friends with the bride’s parents for a number of years and it was truly an honor to return to their old schoolhouse inn to celebrate their daughter’s wedding. (You may recall that it’s also one of our favorite places to get away.) We got to meet h&m on one of their trips out East from their home in Houston, which made us even more excited for their wedding. They are two of the most giving, generous, fun-loving souls you could ever hope to meet and we had such a great time spending their wedding weekend with them! Without further ado, let us present Holly and Mitch’s celebration…
Oh, and if you’d like to see the complete set of wedding images, look here. The password, which is case-sensitive, is Holly’s maiden name.
The FAB team:
Ceremony: Historic Christ Church, Weems, VA
Reception venue and catering: The Hope and Glory Inn
Hair stylist: Sara Brown Salon
DJ: Keith Obier
Gown: Mikaella
Just love this one!
First sight!
Holly looked amazing. Everything was just so her and perfect.
Adore.
We’re big fans of the old H&G truck and just had to do a few shots with it!
We can’t decide which of these next two ones we like better. The quiet pensiveness of the first or the bright, sunny smile on the next. Good thing it’s our blog and we don’t have to choose! ;-D
Do you have a favorite? Their both Bill’s shots, so you won’t hurt Anne’s feelings. ;-D
Holly’s brother saves the day and takes care of a little issue with the transportation. And we love that he’s doing so with a beer in his hand. That’s talent.
Married! Yup, you don’t see any shots from the ceremony, because they don’t allow photography. Any photography. Luckily it was a nice day outside. ;-D
Ah….if we had a dollar for every time the ring pillow stands in for a football!
Holly took the response cards that their guests sent back and stamped their table numbers on them. How fun is that?!
The priest wanted to make sure that Holly really did take Mitch as her husband just in case there was any confusion.
Mitch’s Little Brother’s Mom & Mitch share a tender moment. We are so honored to be witness to moments like this.
Not one, nor two or three, but four cakes, folks. This is most definitely a trend we can get behind. Although, if we do, we’ll probably need to watch our behinds! (Groans from the audience.) Thanks, folks, we’re here all weekend!
The happy couple steal a moment in Detention, the inn’s bar.
Hmmm…I wonder if this is why they’re in Detention. (The composition notebooks on the table are there for you to write why you’re in Detention and they are hilarious (and sometimes shocking!) to read. On one of our visits a year or so ago we saw a former bride & groom who had written in the book when they married at the inn many years prior. So cool! And no, theirs was not one of the posts you might be afraid to show your Grandma.
Cookie favors in shapes of Bevo (University of Texas’s mascot) and the shape of Texas. Hook ’em horns!
Holly’s Mom could get down like no other Mom we’ve seen on the dance floor…
And she made this incredible book for them. Incredibly talented!
Yea, that apple didn’t fall too far from the tree!
Misarete, H&G’s manager and Peggy, Holly’s long-time step-mom and H&G’s co-owner, sneak in some time on the dance floor!
Dear h&m,
It’s not commonplace for us to become longtime good friends with the parents of our clients, but that certainly happened starting back in 2003 when we met Peggy and Dudley for the first time shooting Amanda & Jeff’s wedding (who are the proud parents of two little ones now!). We easily fell in love with them and the Hope and Glory. When Dudley called to share your engagement with us and might we be available for the date you had picked, we were over the moon! Meeting the two of you at the Inn some months back just solidified further the feelings we had for your entire family, even if we hadn’t yet had the pleasure of meeting your parents, Mitch.
Your genuine warmth and easy smiles carried you all the way through your wedding day. Even when, just before the ceremony when wondering if many of your seemingly star-crossed guests would make it back from another couple’s wedding venue thanks to a “misinformed” bus driver, everything fell into place with your guests all arriving almost on time. We watched, Holly, as your dad sprinted back to the staging room to retrieve your bouquet moments before he was to escort you down the aisle, as you shrugged as if to say, “Well, they’re not starting without me (or my bouquet).” We love it! While we may have been disappointed we couldn’t document the ceremony itself for you, watching (and ready!) for your departure out of the church and into the sunshine was another great moment.
We so appreciated being made to feel like family, from the invitation to the BBQ dinner the night before, to brunch the morning after, and listening to all the heartfelt, joyous, and sometimes tearful toasts made by your close friends and family. Getting to knowing you both and having known your dad and step-mom, Holly, for so many years, it felt so good to be there with you all, and to offer up the one little thing we could–to capture it all for you and perhaps, for your kids and grandkids. Thank you so much for having us out to photograph your wedding. We loved every minute of it! Oh, and Hook ’em Horns!!!
xoxo…
…a&b
Anne and Bill,
We don’t know where to begin! Thank you so much for capturing so many special touches, people, and moments from our day. We so enjoyed sharing all of this with you, and are so touched by your sincere words. We cannot wait to share the results of your amazing gifts with our friends and family, and look forward to picking our favorites, as well!
With warm gratitude and full hearts,
Holly and Mitch
PS – Well done with the rings on the Bevo cookie! Love that touch.
Thank you so much, Holly & Mitch for your kind words and are absolutely thrilled you’re enjoying your sneak peek! You know our deep & abiding love for Austin, so we just had to use them. 🙂 xoxo…a&b
I vote for the 2nd picture where Holly is smiling! Lovely pictures, and the one capturing the zumba moment is perfect!