Oh man you guys, I have been bursting at the heart to share this wedding!
You see, I met Alena in high school but it wasn’t until she reached out to me and invited me to be a part of this amazing and incredible time in her life that I feel like I really and truly got to know her! Not only did I get to know her, I also was blessed to meet John (her now husband) and her incredible family! To know them is honestly to love them! I don’t say that lightly!
The best man stood up and in his speech he made such an incredibly true statement: to know Alena and John and to be a friend of them is to become a part of their family! They don’t just care about those they invite into their lives, they truly do treat them like family members and care for them!
Their wedding in the mountains and rolling hills of Charlottesville, Virginia at the gorgeous Clifton Inn was absolutely amazing! It was a stunning and breath taking wedding but it was also filled with so much heart and grace and love! Everyone who attended was ready to see these two join together and they were ready to celebrate it at it’s full extent!
There were lots of tears shed in happiness and joy! There was a lot of laughter and a lot of dancing! The whole entire weekend was so incredibly full: full of every emotion possible, just all of the good feels that you can feel!
Alena was breath takingly beautiful! She was the most relaxed and calm bride I have ever been with in my life! There was one point in the morning when she turned around and we all felt our breaths catch in our throat! My eyes welled with tears and I had to step away for just a moment to collect myself!
This wedding for me was a bit different! I know I’m a crier and I get emotional but this wedding was so different in the sense that I had to hide behind my camera because I was crying all. the. time. with joy for my friend Alena and her husband John! They are perfectly made for each other, two halves of each other’s heart!
He proposed at/after a Jack Johnson concert and their song is (perfectly fitting) “Better Together” and truly you can tell, they are just better together! I think that might have been where I actually had to step away for a moment. When they entered and were announced for the first time as husband and wife! Even now, I tear up thinking about it… they walked in arms raised with the biggest smiles on their faces! Smiles that were so contagious and so full! Smiles that were bigger than ear to ear! They danced close, the spun each other around, they twerked a bit too! They took their skills out into the crowd and they just got down ya’ll! Their excitement and joy and love for each other was actually tangible in the air!
And we ate it up! The guests, their families, Elizabeth and I… we couldn’t even contain our joy or excitement because this was it! This was the kind of love that people dream about at night, that people wish on lucky stars or pray for. This kind of love that is unconditional and warm. The kind of love that is selfless and giving. The kind of love that is NOT all serious but is fun and goofy and lets loose! The kind that steals kisses when you least expect it but is tender and endearing. The kind that with just one look can let you know more about a person’s soul than a novel of words!
So instead of trying to write more about their love or how beautiful their day was… I’m just going to let a few images do the talking!
These are just a few from their beautiful day! I’m sure I’ll share more to come as my friend’s The Anderson’s come home from their honeymoon!
But until then.. here is just a little sneak peek!
The boys had an amazing chef’s table luncheon set up in the main house! They were able to relax a little, play some bocce ball and unwind before heading over to the carriage house to primp and prep!
Wow Alena! You still take my breath away friend!
Alena and John chose to keep everything very traditional, but since Alena and her dad are incredibly close we chose to do a father daughter first look! It was beautiful and helped to make the morning extra special!
Oh gosh you guys… you rock! John is the best at snuggling and cannoodling his wife! Oh it makes me so happy to call Alena John’s wife!
Thank you so much Alena & John for allowing Elizabeth and I to be a part of such a beautiful and amazing day! We both feel extremely blessed and humbled to be included and invited to be part of an incredible celebration for two wonderful people and two wonderful families! We love you both so much!
A special thanks to Elizabeth who is always there by my side.. my partner in crime and my other half on days like these! Your eye for details and styling is un matched and unrivaled!
Wedding Dress: Bella Rosa and Mikella
Florist: Hedge Fine Blooms
Venue: Clifton Inn (Charlottesville, VA)
Wedding Planner: Chelsea Osborn
Band: Bachelor Boys
