September 19th 2020
Preparing for the day the weather was perfect. Not too warm not too cold. We had a little bit of cloud cover and were hoping for the sun but little did we know it would show itself at the perfect timing. As we arrived to Little America in Cheyenne we walked down the lodge hallway to the door that would lead to our bride of the day. We entered a room full of smiling faces while the bride stood in the middle, elegant gown with hints of sparkle. She was an old-world beauty, full red lips, she was just breathtaking. As we started photographing her a bridesmaid from behind us teared up saying, “you look so beautiful Jazzy” and she did. The bride being cool and confident made photographing her easy, she even gave us little humor showing us her dress wasn’t only beautiful but came with pockets to make it the most epic dress we have seen yet. We continued with our bridal shoots and continued to hear people say, “I can’t she’s so pretty” and “just stunning”. While she was placed on the edge of the bed for photos the light poured through the window embracing her in all her beauty. Her mother came in to help her with her jewelry, staring at her little girl and preparing her for this day they had both waited for.
Our next big moment was the first look. However, this first look was going to be a little different. The bride decided she wanted her first look to be her step father and brother. As her Father and brother waited for the bride they were all smiles, looking handsome in their grey suits and comfy in their Nikes. Then to our left the bride arrived, all smiles and in a golf cart. As she approached her family tears started to come. She walked up behind her father, tapped him on the shoulder and as Dad saw her his face lit up. They both started to cry when the bride called him Dad for the first time. Onlookers were filled with tears while the little brother patiently waited for his turn to see his sister. The bride's brother turned around and instantly hugged his sister. Smiles, tears, and laughs were shared as we prepared for the big moment. The wedding!
The ceremony was set down in a grassy area, tucked up against the trees. White wooden folding chairs decorated the area leading up to the altar wrapped in white fabric. Guests started to filter in and their excitement began to fill the air. The wedding party lined up showing us the color for the evening. Grey suits, red dresses and yellow flowers for a little pop. As the song “A Thousand Years” started playing they made their way to their places. They were followed by the most handsome ring bearer and two beautiful flower girls. Then it was time. The bride and her father came into view as the groom was still facing away waiting for his moment to see his bride. As he turns around a smile from ear to ear graces his face. The music changes and “I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You” starts filling the air. As the ceremony starts the officiant starts telling us a little about what he has come to learn about the couple. He tells about a time when he asked them, “what word would you two describe your relationship as?” Together they both said “safe “. It showed the trust and friendship these two already built and that this journey they were about to start had its main building blocks already concreted in place. It moved on to the transfer of the rings and the groom was first. As he recited his promises for his bride he also made personal ones to her. The bride followed performing the same promises and adding her own personal ones. She started to tear up as she read to her groom, “I will always encourage you, always laugh with you, and always be your best friend.” When it was time for the unity portion of the ceremony, the bride and groom had decided to do a unity sand pouring. For this they both had their own color sand and poured both their colors into one holder. This symbolized the two becoming one. Finally, the moment came where the officiant turned to the groom and told him,” you may kiss your bride.” Music instantly started and they were all smiles after their first kiss as husband and wife.
We then moved on to do bridal and family shoots. As we finished up with the bridal photos the bride and groom were able to enjoy some time for just the two of them. We were able to capture moments of them dancing together, laughing and just simply taking a walk as newlyweds. As they walked up towards their ceremony to enjoy celebrating with friends and family the sun peeked its way through the clouds and gave us a beautiful picture of this love these two had for each other.
As we entered the reception the atmosphere was alive! There were large floor to ceiling windows that allowed the light to spill into the room. It was the perfect balance of elegance and fun. The DJ got on the mic to announce it was time for the wedding party and new Mr. and Mrs. to enter the building. As they danced their way in Bruno Mars “24K” blasted through the room and you could tell everyone was ready to have a good time.
We started the evening out with dinner provided by Little American. The staff was wonderful? They were very accommodating and even with masks on you could tell they wore happy faces. As dinner came to an end we rolled into speeches. The bride thanked everyone for coming and voiced her excitement about dancing through the night with all her loved ones present that evening. As the maid of honor stood for her moment we could see she was nervous since she wanted to give her best friend the speech she deserved. Through her speech she filled us with stories of growing up together and she teared up expressing her love for her bestie. Next up was the best man, aka the brother of the groom. He was a light-hearted speaker and had the whole room rolling with laughter. He shared memories of growing up and how proud he was of the man his brother had become. He faced the crowd and asked everyone to raise a glass to welcome the new Mr. and Mrs. Shaney. There was also a special speech done by the bride’s step-father. As he got ready to start his speech he said, “Jazlynn, my little princess,” and was completely enveloped in tears. When he was able to bring it back he talked about always wanting to protect her from the moment he seen her. Watching her grow into this woman she knows is, was the highlight of his life. He went into meeting the groom for the first time and watching the love between them grow while knowing they were destined for this day and the day he would have to let her go. As the room filled with faces of smiles and tears he finished his speech with a warning to the groom, “If my Jazzy wants a TV in her room you better give it to her.” Laughter rolled through the room.
It was now time for the bride and groom to have their first dance as husband and wife. “You Make It Easy” started and the bride was already in tears. As they started to embrace their song on the dance floor she rested her head upon her now forever. She announced to the crowd that they were sorry they didn’t know how to dance but that didn’t matter. Their dancing was perfect because as the groom held onto his bride you could see and feel their love for each other. Their song ended and as they walked off the floor the father of the bride stole his little girl's hand. This moment captured us not only for photos but in emotions too. Holding on to his princess, dancing to “My Little Girl”, everyone was in tears. He held onto her, comforting her and it was the most infectious moment. As the music came to an end her father held onto her tight not wanting to let go which caused her to start laughing. Following was the mother/son dance to “What a Wonderful World”. Mom was barefoot holding her baby boy and wore a smile that lite up her face. Even with the groom being a good length taller than her she held onto him like it was yesterday and he was her little boy. Special dances continued with the bride and her brother and those two had everyone laughing watching them be silly and just have fun together. We went on to enjoy a steamy garter toss and a fun filled bouquet toss. There was even a game to see if how well the bride and groom knew each other, which they almost had everything right. We finished the night with the cutting of the cake and watching everyone take over the dance floor. We are so pleased to have been able to be a part of this amazing day. Congrats to the new Mr. & Mrs. Shaney!
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