It still doesn't seem like just a few days ago we were sipping pina coloda's on the beaches of Jamaica anticipating Thomas and Sara's wedding. This was my last wedding of the year and it was truly an experience of a lifetime. Although I have been to several out of state weddings, this was my very first international destination wedding and I must say that my heart nearly skipped a beat when the lady at the ticket counter at the airport asked to see my passport. I'm not sure it really sank in until that moment, that my sister and I were traveling out of the country to photograph a wedding. I still consider myself completely humbled to be able to snap buttons on a camera for a living. And here I was, about to board a plane to another country where I would have a whole new set of experiences under my belt. Thankful is truly the only word I can even begin to think of when I think of this entire year. I'm thankful that I got to meet so many wonderful people during the course of the wedding season, and I'm thankful to have been a part in capturing those moments that will hopefully live on way past these wedding days. I'm thankful for the opportunities to see transformations of jeans and t-shirt girls into glamazon brides and to be there when they first see their groom. I'm thankful for that first glance when she first sees her soon to be husband and the tears you know he's trying to fight back. These are the reasons I am thankful to do what I do. Jamaica was seriously the icing on the top of my cake for the year and I can't thank Thomas and Sarah and their families enough.
Once our plane landed in Jamaica we got to travel in a small shuttle to Negril, at the Couples Swept Away Resort, where we were graciously greeted by champaigne and cool towels. I was secretly excited to pieces when we checked in and the lady said, "Oh, and here is a little note for you also!" It was of course from Thomas and Sarah letting me know where they were and what they would be doing. I love that they thought about me and left me a note! So cute! The next day we met up with them and I got to meet the families and at this point I was so excited for the wedding the next day that I could barely sleep that night! The next morning my sister and I met Sarah and the lovely Alexis...and by the way, Alexa, darling, you know I love you girl!...at the little salon where Sarah was getting her hair done. As soon as the veil went in, I was in full wedding mode and the fact that sand was present on the ground had no bearing on me whatsoever! Soon the girls were playing in the makeup and dresses were on and we made the treck to the beach where Sarah would soon mary Thomas.
Now, Thomas, on the other hand, already dressed and ready to roll once I saw him, was nice and cool and collected wearing his man lei that Sarah's sister brought from Hawaii. I know. The man lives in Hawaii and now he's in Jamaica! I sooooo want to have his life! Soon enough with the ocean waves sounding in the background and the hot sun shining down on us, Sarah made her walk with her dad and her mom, down the sandy isle. It really was like a picture and everything was just spectacular. I had to laugh though, here we were having this gorgeous ceremony on the middle of the beach, and not even 10 feet away, there are couples in bathing suits getting all nice and bronze. It was histerical!
All in all, it was a wonderful day, blue skies, ocean waves, green EVERYWHERE and two people in love and married. We of course took full opportunity of the beach for photos and I'm loving every one of them. I love my bride and groom and I'm thrilled to have shared my last wedding of the year with these two. Thomas and Sarah, your families made us laugh and we felt like just a couple of cousins or something right in the mix with everyone! Thank you for including us in your wedding and thank you for being so easy to hang out...I mean, work...with. I can't leave this post without saying hello to everyone and thank you especially to Patty and Phil for everything. Sarah and Thomas, I'm so thankful for your friendship and I'm excited to see where life takes you...assuming you are now lifers and I'm of course going to be photographing your babies and their babies! Right?!
Enough talking. I know you're about to fall off of the edge of your seats here, so lets have a look at some of my favorite moments from your day!
