Ess {the Wedding}

Chris and Susan Ess

I met with Chris and Susan and immediately fell in love with their hearts.  Their core values line up so clearly with my own. I don’t know how many times they mentioned how important their family was to them.  And while their wedding to each other was super important, the joining of their two families was equally special.

I feel like a learned a lot from Chris and Sue. When we talked about their photos, one of the things they mentioned was to be sure that their photos reflected THEM and showed them as they ARE. Wrinkles and all. They don’t want to look any different then they do… or change anything. They just want to celebrate who they are now. I feel like the current trend to try to look like a super model, or 20 years younger, or pounds lighter destroys our opportunity to savor what is real. Growing old with someone is very special. Finding love as a more mature person is very special. These guys have it. And it is beautiful.

After a night of rain, the air was so clean and crisp. Dewdrops gathered on all the wild flowers.

 

Their neighbor across the way, Sally, shared her beautiful Bed and Breakfast for getting ready!   It was cozy and perfect!   And what a view!

Sue had everything gathered together for her bridal prep.  Only thing was, she had so many favorite jewelry pieces that she couldn’t decide what to wear! She ended up wearing one for ceremony and then switching to another for reception. Great solution!

What was extra special, is that Chris and Sue had all of their children act as attendants.  Nobody was left out, and each person was included in each part of the day.

While Sue got her gown on with the help of her sister, Chris was just down the hall getting himself ready as well!

So handsome!

Matanuska Peak was the backdrop for the groom and groomsmen… or… Father and Son photos.

Meanwhile, inside… Susan was enjoying her final touches to her bridal prep.

All finished! And looking gorgeous!

Sue and Chris wanted their kids to be with them for their first glimpse… but still have some privacy.  So all the girls peeked in the windows to watch! It was adorable and special!

Look at this family!

The wedding ceremony was in their back yard.  Chris and Sue had spent the entire summer preparing for the wedding by growing the most amazing plants, building arbors and wedding tents. Hundreds of hours were spent making this moment absolutely special.

Their grandson was the ring bearer. Instead of a pillow, he had the rings inside a tackle box! Cute!

When it came time for the grandkids to come down the aisle, They both got a little shy! So their auntie’s called them over.  It was very cute!

The youngest daughter, Selah, walked Sue down the aisle.

The vows were sweet. They started with “I choose you… to be my favorite person… and best friend… for the rest of my life.”  These two love deeply.

I was so glad we were able to coax some big smiles out of Selah.

 

This was hilarious! We decided to do a dip photo in front of the Arbor Chris had made….

Sue’s response was perfect! She just laid on the grass and laughed and laughed.

We got it though. No harm done!

The reception was held at the Palmer Depot. I don’t know if I have ever seen that venue done up so nicely. It was GORGEOUS!

The spanking photo had the other bridesmaids cracking up!

The guest book was a puzzle piece for each person to sign.  Such a classy idea!

Look at the gorgeous candle centerpieces and head table chairs from BeVintage Rentals! I love it when my clients work with them!

Chris and Sue asked for photos of each family in their crew. Of course the grand kids were prominent in our fun!

Can you believe Chris made all the food for his own reception? He did most of it before hand… but he bustled around quite a bit making things happen.  It looked amazing!

Sue told me that there was not one thing about her wedding that she wished went differently. It truly was beautiful and filled with so much LOVE.

 

Friends and Family >>>>>>>CICK HERE<<<<<<< to see more photos of this beautiful day!