Patrick & Chelsie - Jacksonville, Fla wedding, March 31, 2012
I cannot express enough how grateful, blessed and thrilled I was to be able to be part of this spectacular weekend. Patrick and Chelsie, their parents, their family members and their friends were all such genuine, kind, caring and helpful people. I immediately felt like part of the family from the get go and to this day, I still smile and feel so very fortunate that I could be part of their wedding day.
This was my first, true out of town wedding, so you can imagine my excitement when I was asked to be the photographer. I've traveled to locations hours away from here, but never across several different states. I took in every moment, every place and every second I could. It was truly an experience I will never forget and hope to be able to do again someday.
Alright, lets get to the photos.....
We started the weekend on Friday morning at Mickler's Landing in Ponte Verda Beach, Fla to soak up some rays and enjoy the ocean.
This is Patrick and Chelsie's dog, Bullet. He's definitely a spoiled one ;)
Later that evening, it was time for rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner....
I am not joking when I say this is THE BEST Italian restaurant I have ever been to. Hands down. And I found out there is one in Chicago, so the next time I'm in the Windy City, I will be indulging!
I love candid moments, and this fits that category to a T. Patrick and his mother were looking at all of the pictures on the tables together, and when they came across this one, Joyce lost it. It was an awesome moment.
Chelsie' grandmother is a HOOT!!!! We met her at Midway for the flight down and instantly bonded with her. She's funny, she's goofy, she's witty, she loves to have a good time - she could be anyone's grandmother! We fell in love with her :)
Saturday - the big day!!
Chelsie and her lovely ladies got ready in an old historic home, which sits right next door to the church. The home, called the Merrill House, was built in 1879. It was originally going to be demolished, but the city of Jacksonville restored it in 1999. Before and after pictures of the home can be seen HERE.
The wedding and reception were both held at the same location, Old St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, which is stunning. It was built in 1887. While we were outside taking pictures and cocktail hour was going on, they were completely converting the inside of the church to a reception hall. The first picture shows how the church looked during the wedding, and the second shows how it looked for the reception.
Bye far, the best performance of 'Bye, Bye, Bye' I have ever seen. These guys rocked it.
The night ended with sparklers, and a new version of Chelsie's dress :)
Patrick and Chelsie - I cannot thank you two enough for allowing me to be part of your day. It was PERFECT in every way possible, from the simplicity of your guest list, to the colors, to the fabulous location, to the food, to the decorations, to the rockin' song choices....you two had the kind of wedding every one can only dream of having and you made it look like a breeze.
Mr. and Mrs. Metcalf and Mr. and Mrs. Mark - Thank you for welcoming myself and my dad, for being so caring, for making sure we had everything we needed and for being truly, down to earth, wonderful people.
To all of the other guests in attendance - thank you for your thoughtful words, for also being caring and for your support and help throughout the event.
I will never forget the experience and I hope for years to come, you can all relive that wonderful weekend through Patrick and Chelsie's images.
CONVERSATION