Peak leaves changing, s’mores, and twinkly lights under a canopy of trees. I could just stop there, right? Chelsea and Justin hit the jackpot. The weather was perfect, the vendor team made of friends and family ran so smoothly that I think these “just helping out” friends should enter the wedding industry.

Usually detail photographing and getting ready are the perfect way to warm up the day and get everyone comfortable with the timing of the day. There’s nothing like a cloud of hairspray to get me amped up for the adrenaline-propelled 8-10 hour wedding day. But from the moment I walked into the getting ready suite, I felt like I had known these people for years.

Chelsea and I lived in the same dorm for a year so I was used to her giggles and witty one-liners. However, being around Justin and Chelsea can take you back to the early days; warm, giggly, familiar.

Once the processional began, you hardly noticed the 200-count guest-list. Everyone felt like family. The ceremony was so sacred; acoustic hymns, sweet vows, sun-kissed and tear-drenched squinty eyes. Meaningful hand-lettered signs leading down the aisle were just another reminder about why these two love-birds were here.

The reception was held under a canopy of trees and stars. We started just in time to watch the sunset through the trees over Old Hickory Lake. The temperature dropped but between the fajitas on the dinner menu and the dance floor, no one seemed to notice. We ended the night with a few rounds of coffee and a sparkler send off. I’m so grateful to have been part of Chelsea and Justin’s wedding day. Truly one for the books.