niceville wedding photographer

Hunter + Hannah | Fort Walton Beach, FL

I will insist, until the end of time, that I have the best job in the world. I get to hang out with people who love each other (like Hunter and Hannah,) and then I get to sit on my butt and stare at a computer screen looking at pictures of people who love each other! The best of being active and sedentary, which is my sweet spot. (PLUS! Doesn't Hannah look a little bit like Adele?? GORG.)

What was the most anticipated part of the day?

"The most anticipated part for the day for both of us was the ceremony. We had talked about that moment a lot while planning the wedding and it indeed was an emotional time for both of us."

Did anything unexpected happen? What was the outcome?

"I didn't even finish reading this question to Hunter and he yells out "YOU WERE LATE". HA. 

So yes, the big unexpected thing for our day was how late I was to the ceremony. I always said I would NEVER be THAT bride, but things happen, things like spring break traffic in Destin, Fl. In my defense though, you can't have a wedding without the bride and it takes time to look that good!"

Were you nervous at all? How did you squash the nerves?

Hannah: "I didn't feel nervous until the moment I slipped on my wedding dress; that's when it all hit me at once. Once I started walking down the aisle though, I wasn't nervous at all, I was just too absorbed in the moment and ready to marry my best-friend." 

Hunter: "I wasn't nervous at all, I had been waiting for this day for awhile, and I knew she was going to be nervous enough for the both of us anyway."

What advice would you give couples planning their wedding now?:

"This piece of advice had been passed onto us from many newlywed coupes and it only seems fitting to continue to pass it on. Your wedding day will be hectic, theres so many faces to talk to and pictures to take, but try to find at least five minutes to sneak away from the crowd and enjoy a quiet moment together. You'll remember it forever."

What were some of your favorite wedding details? How did you come up with them?:

"Anytime someone asks me about our wedding decor I always say "Pinterest, pinterest, pinterest!". It was my #1 inspirational go-to for most aspects of our day, including my favorite piece, a hand-made fireplace mantle used as the centerpiece of our ceremony. My father has always been an amazing craftsman, among his many talents, and it meant the world to us both for him to create such a custom beautiful piece for our special day that we will treasure forever."

What ended up being your favorite part of the day?:

"Although our wedding celebration was absolutely perfect, we both agree that our favorite part of the day was getting to change into our sweatpants and chow down on leftovers after the party was over! It was so nice just to enjoy each others company and talk about how magical the day was."

What are you most looking forward to about married life?:

"Right now we are very excited to start the search for our first home! After two years in our cute, but tiny apartment, we can't be any happier to be able to grow and start our adventure as Mr. & Mrs. Pharis."


Event details:

Ceremony Venue: Emerald Coast Convention Center

Reception Venue: Compass Rose 

Rentals: The Big Day Event Rentals

Photography: Rockwell Images

 

Andrew & Kelly | 5.29.15

Andrew and Kelly are a couple that you don't come across every day. They are a couple that was born out of happenstance (a Facebook message, of all things), rooted in the love of Christ, and the love they share for each other. On the day of their wedding Kelly shared a story on Facebook about going to mass with her mom a few weeks after she and Andrew had started dating. She saw him across the congregation and pointed him out to her mom. He had driven from the next town to be in the same church as her. Her father toasted at their reception, "He drove across town to go to mass with my daughter. As a father, was I okay with this?" We all waited as he looked at his youngest daughter and her new husband. "...Absolutely I was." Almost exactly a few years later, they attended mass as a married couple, and it was beautiful. I have never seen a couple so bonded by the love they have for each other and the love they have for God. 

Not only are they one of the most grounded couples I've ever met, they are one of the sweetest. I could hardly turn away for a second without looking back to find Andrew sneaking glances at his new bride, or Kelly staring at her husband. The love they share has literally gone the distance (they were long distance for most of college) and now they are on the other side as husband and wife. And if I do say so myself, they are SO. STINKING. PRECIOUS.

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- Rockwell Images

Event details:

Ceremony and Reception: Christ our Redeemer Catholic Church, Niceville, Florida

Flowers: Tracy Shelton, Vine & Petals