Sunlit Dock Wedding

This September wedding at Vale Royal Barn was full of sunlight and flowers! There was the beautiful historic barn, a charming farmhouse, and a picture perfect ceremony on a dock over the water. I loved Natalie and Will's joyful energy, and I'm absolutely obsessed with the way their pictures turned out. Read on to see their colorful wedding day gallery!

I started the day at the Airbnb where Will, his father, and the groomsmen were all getting ready!

Then after that, I headed over to the farmhouse at Vale Royal Barn to capture the bride's getting ready moments. I was super excited about finding this beautiful shady deck for photos!

And of course, couldn't forget pictures of the dress. I love the way the white gown looks against those black doors!

Natalie got into her wedding dress in an upstairs room at the inn, with her mother and sister helping her.

After that, we went out onto the deck to take a few photos of Natalie with her mom and sister! They were truly all glowing with excitement. And I snapped a shot that I love of Natalie looking down at the ceremony site below her.

After that, it was time for Natalie's first look with her father! She gave him a handkerchief with a custom message, and he got a bit emotional.

Will was adamant that he did not want to see Natalie until she was coming down the aisle, so Natalie and Will decided not to have a first look, which meant that we had an opportunity to get creative with the pictures we took before the ceremony! From the moment they toured Vale Royal Barn, they had a vision for this photo of Will straightening his tie in the big mirror in the inn's living room, while Natalie watched from the stairs. They figured out ahead of time that with the angles, Will wouldn't be able to see Natalie. I'm very happy that I was able to bring their vision to life! And of course, had to get a candid snap of everyone watching from the other side of the room!

After we had successfully executed that photo, we banished Will outside before he could see Natalie, and Natalie put on her shoes and veil for the finishing touches.

Once Natalie was ready, we headed outside for their private vow exchange. I scoped out a good corner ahead of time, and I loved this spot at the back of the barn for the symmetry and the simplicity. I positioned Will there first, and then had him wait with his eyes closed while I brought Natalie over and got her all set up around the corner where he wouldn't be able to see her. They then proceeded to be utterly adorable for the next 15 minutes as they read their vows to each other and cried. My favorite shot is the last one where they are both crying at the same time.

Next, it was time for the ceremony! Will finally got to see his beautiful bride as she walked down the aisle, and they were married on a picturesque little dock in warm afternoon sunlight.

I just loved the absolute delight radiating from Natalie and Will after their ceremony! Next, we ducked back into the house for the signing of their marriage certificate, and then we took some family pictures.

After the family pictures, it was time for wedding party photos! Natalie and Will's crew brought so much energy and positivity to their day.

We snagged most of Will's pictures with his groomsmen before the ceremony, but I thought I'd pop them in right here:

I am absolutely obsessed with the bridesmaid's adorable sunglasses pictures!

The bride's portraits are not-so-secretly one of my favorite things to photograph the entire day. I can't help it, I'm a hopeless romantic and I love all things lacy and delicate!

And of course, our groom deserves his time in the spotlight too!

Then we moved onto the bride and groom portraits, which have had me absolutely swooning through the entire editing process. We started off next to the pond and willow tree.

Next, we grabbed some shots on the charming little lane behind the farmhouse. Natalie and Will really wanted some pictures of them skipping down the road together!

And then we went up to the little flower garden in front of the inn, and took my most favorite pictures of the entire day. Every wedding has a photo that's my personal favorite, and for this one, it's the kiss with Natalie's bouquet in the air, while they're in the flower garden.

How cute is this adorable bar trailer for cocktail hour?! We snagged a shot of the bride and groom getting their first drink as husband and wife, and then we got a shot that Natalie and Will specifically requested, of them toasting their guests. I loved this idea!

Earlier in the day, I grabbed some detail shots inside the reception space, so I'll show you those now right before we get to the grand entrance!

And now that we've set the stage, let the grand entrance commence!

Right after their grand entrance, Natalie and Will cut their cake, and then we moved into the toasts, followed by dinner.

After dinner, the bride and groom and I snuck outside for a few last twilight shots!

And then, Natalie and Will had their beautiful and sweet first dance.

The bride and groom's first dance was followed by the father daughter dance, which was as cute and fun as it could be!

To usher in the party portion of the night, Natalie and Will asked me to do a photo of all of the guests out on the dance floor - a great way to "trick" everyone into getting onto the dance floor, and then the DJ starts playing music while everyone is still standing! The strategy worked like a charm, and Natalie and Will's dance floor was packed all evening. I had so much fun capturing all the dance moves!

I couldn't have been happier with this sweet couple, this lovely venue, and this stunning wedding day. From the weather to the backdrops to the people, everything was as lovely and picture perfect as it could possibly be. I truly feel lucky and deeply grateful to be able to document such precious moments.