A North Carolina Autumn

Bridging the Gap

4.8.2022
This cover photo is as close as I could find to what I imagine for the wedding venue! The top picture is where the wedding and reception are based. The bottom picture is where the luncheon is based. I wish I could describe them exactly how I see them, or have pictures of how I actually see them, but these work:) Anyway, sorry it took a few days longer than normal to upload this chapter! Hope y'all enjoy:)

We'd tried to keep the wedding relatively small, mainly family and close friends, but it was still a bigger group than I'd expected, considering the size of our families. Still, our photographer did an amazing job with all the photos, even the big group photos.

Both the beach and the venue make beautiful backdrops, and it takes about an hour to get all the different group photos we want. After we do one with the other Salty Christians, I know those ones will be some of my favorites. As well as the ones with Rylie's siblings. Then we do some with my cousins, and based on the amount of laughter and awkward poses we do, I know those will be good, too. Basically, I was excited to see all of the pictures.

As everyone begins heading back inside, Rylie and I stay back for a few pictures of just us. The photographer keeps the beach as our background for a few different poses before turning us so the venue building stands tall behind us.

I don't let go of Rylie once during the whole shoot, and I probably enjoyed the kissing poses too much, but I was so happy. Her dress ruffles and blows around us in the light breeze, and I brush her hair behind her ear as the wind teases it.

"I should've worn my hair up." She laughs, and I turn us so she's facing the wind, and her hair blows away from her face.

"Better?"

"Much better. Thank you, love."

"You're welcome." I grin before kissing Rylie. Despite it being the end of November, the weather was still really nice. The rain had let up just as I was finishing getting ready, and it looked like it would stay clear for a while longer.

Our sandals sit in the sand near the base of the stairs we'd come down, and the sand tickles our bare feat each time we move. Not many people are on the beach which is surprising, but I'm thankful. That way, no one was getting in the way. The waves are calm, crashing softly on the shore behind us, accompanying the click of the photographer's camera as she shoots.

"Alright girls, I think we're good!"

"Thanks, Kendra." I say with a  smile. She was another student in one of my photography classes, but I always wondered why she was even taking photography classes. Her photos were amazing.

"You bet. You two are a dream to photograph, and both so beautiful. Can I do all of your other needed photoshoots, too? Or even just random photoshoots I need for school?" She says, and the three of us laugh. "For real though, I'm excited for these pictures. I'll let you get to the luncheon but I'll be around snapping candid's and whatnot."

"Grab some food for yourself!" Rylie says, giving Kendra a warm smile before she disappears back inside.

"Can I grab some food, too?" I tease, taking Rylie's hand again.

"For you, my wife? Anything." Rylie responds before pulling me towards the building.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The luncheon is in a different room, a large, wide room with round tables and brown chairs, already filled with our family and friends. Dark, shiny wood floors stretch beneath us, and white curtains with twinkle lights line the windows, parted to let the light in. More long, white curtains are strung from each corner of the room and connect to a large chandelier in the center of the ceiling. Small pictures of Rylie and I sit on the center of each round table, along with a vase and a singular orchid flower. It was hard not to smile when I saw those pictures. I obviously loved them, partially because I took them, but also because somehow, our love for each other really showed in each picture.