Kaitlyn and Joey’s Fall Wedding at Reid Farm in North Carolina was just perfect!  Although it had forecasted rain for every hour of the day, we somehow had our prayers answered and were able to go through most of the day without rain.  Since Kaitlyn and Joey had decided to do a first look before the ceremony, we were able to fit in all of the portraits and family photos before the ceremony too!  (I always say the best rain plan is a first look!)
When I arrived to Reid Farm, Kaitlyn was in with the ladies getting her hair and makeup done, and Joey was chilling with his guys.  They both seemed relaxed and ready for a fun day.  All of the quiet excitement around them with their family and friends was so sweet too!
While Kaitlyn and Joey were finishing getting ready, I was finishing up detail photos and scoping out locations with my second photographer and the videographer to find out the best place for first looks, bride and groom portraits, and family photos.  Since Reid Farm is such a gorgeous venue, there were A LOT of options to choose from!!  Add in the beautiful changing leaves and color reflecting off the lake, and we were all super excited for the pictures we knew were going to be amazing with that amazing backdrop!
Before we knew it, the time had come for Kaitlyn to get into her dress with the help of her Mom and Sister and Joey was ready to finish getting ready with the help of his Dad, Brother, and Mom too!  Reid Farm has such a great set up for the couple getting ready – the girls were in a cabin and the guys were in a cabin, separated by a little pathway between them.  Far enough away so they wouldn’t see each other, but close enough for us photographers to go back and forth to get pictures!
After all the finishing touches, it was time for their FIRST LOOK!  I was so glad that Kaitlyn and Joey had decided that a First Look was what they wanted for their day.  The excitement leading up to it was just the sweetest!  I always tell my couples before they have their first look, just to enjoy the moment and take their time enjoying talking to one another.  I think you can see from these photos just how perfect the first look time was for them!
Once they felt like they were ready to move on, we moved into guided bride and groom portrait time.  I knew that Kaitlyn and Joey would be stunning in their portraits, especially since I had gotten the chance to work with them at the end of the summer during their engagement session.  Of course these two sweethearts did not disappoint!  They once again were so happy to be together on their wedding day . . . and especially delighted that the rain was holding off!!  (So was I, as their photographer!:-) )
Since they had gotten a chance to see each other already, we were also able to move into Wedding Party Photos and Family Photo time after that!  It’s always a plus to doing a first look that we are able to get so many photos completed before the ceremony!  Kaitlyn & Joey had a small wedding party of just Kaitlyn’s sister and Joey’s brother, and we had fun just getting some sweet photos all together.  Kaitlyn and Joey’s families were the absolute nicest!  I always do my best to make my couples’ families feel comfortable and taken care of, but their families made me feel comfortable and taken care of!  I was so appreciative of all of their help and support throughout the entire wedding day.  I could see where Kaitlyn and Joey got their kindness from!
Then after family photos, we had a short break to get Kaitlyn and Joey into hiding before their guests started to arrive.  And then it was CEREMONY TIME!!  One of my favorite parts from their ceremony was that Kaitlyn’s Step-Dad and her Grandpa both walked her down the aisle and gave her away.  You could see how much it meant to Kaitlyn and how overcome with emotion she was.  Shortly into the ceremony, we started to feel little drops of rain . . . then bigger drops . . . and then a full steady rain coming down!  I had some umbrellas at the back of the ceremony and held one up to motion to ask Kaitlyn if she wanted it, and she nodded “yes”, so I ran it down the aisle to her.  The rain continued coming harder though, and a unanimous decision was made by someone (I guess Kaitlyn, Joey, and their officiant) to move everyone under the covering of the reception pavilion.  Everyone quickly got up mid-ceremony and ran for cover!!  It took just a moment to get everyone re-set up to continue the ceremony – but then it went on just as beautiful as it started and finished without a problem!
The rain continued off and on after the ceremony, but it wasn’t raining quite as hard so we decided to go out and get some more bride and groom portraits in the rain!  Kaitlyn and Joey were troopers listening to their media team instruct them in poses while it was drizzling around them and adding the challenge of the umbrella in the photos – but of course they did wonderful and we got some of my favorite photos from this time!

Then it was time for the RECEPTION!!  From this point forward in the evening, it rained pretty steadily all night long!  There was even one larger downpour at one point where water came up and into the pavilion reaching the DJ’s sound equipment, which had to be moved then to the opposite side of the pavilion.  But despite the rain, the reception went on and Kaitlyn and Joey and all of their guests had an amazing night celebrating them!
Kaitlyn and Joey, it truly was an honor for me getting to know you both throughout your wedding photography experience.  I consider you both as new friends, and hope these memories from your day will be looked back upon for years to come and remembered with happiness!


Check out Kaitlyn and Joey’s amazing team of vendors:
Venue – Reid Farm, NC
Flowers – Ligaya Flowers
Wedding Dress – Morilee by Madeline Gardner
Hair – Wink Inspired Beauty
Makeup – Nicole Rose and Co
Groom’s Ring – Rustic And Main
Caterer – Smokin Swine Catering
Cake – Abigail’s – a cake affair
Bar – Proper Pour Events
DJ – DJ David Donald
Wedding Day Artist – Bree Stallings
Videographer – Bruce Films
Photographer – Jill Brisken Photography