05 April 2012

Stephanie + Joe | Ft Wayne, Indiana Wedding Photographer

When Stephanie told me they were getting married on March 31 up in her home state of Indiana, we both thought there would be snow on the ground for the wedding!  But God granted us an early spring and while it was still a bit chilly and overcast, nothing was going to dampen their spirits as Joe and Stephanie became husband and wife.


Surrounded by friends and family, (and friends who may as well be family) they pledged to love each other, serve each other, and always keep Christ the center of their marriage.  The day was filled with laughter, hugs, huge smiles, celebration, and lots of love.  Joe and Stephanie, we are honored to have been a part of your day and to capture the beginning of your life together.  I hope you're enjoying your honeymoon in the mountains! 


The day began in Julia's chair at the salon.




This beautiful horse (who seemed quite wary of me) and field were across the street from the church.

Stephanie and Joe were married at her home church, Crossview Church.

I LOVED her shoes.  And her mom spent hours attaching beads to her veil. It was beautiful!



Stephanie's rings are on the left and she also wore her grandmother's rings on her other hand.
She passed away a couple of years ago and Stephanie wanted a piece of her with her during the day. 


The light outside was perfect for shots of the dress.



Stephanie. You are STUNNING.



I adore when couples opt for a First Look. It gives them a few private moments together and
we're able to get up close and personal pictures of them seeing each other for the first time.
Below was Ben's angle.

This was my angle.


And this is why I love shooting with my husband!
The shot on the left is mine, the one on the right is his.

And then we ventured outside for more portraits. 





Oh my goodness... you guys are gorgeous.





You two are such a good fit for each other... I can hardly stand it!

This is Ben's shot.  And it's simply amazing.

Even though it was chilly and this field was across the parking lot, through a ditch and
across the street, Stephanie was game for walking over. And I'm oh so thankful she was.


Ben caught this one.  Steph - I love your laugh!

Joe and his ushers looking quite dapper.


Joe and his groomsmen.


Stephanie was so excited to be able to have pictures in the field... "this is Indiana!" she said.

The girls were GORGEOUS in their dresses!



I wanted to show you this picture of Steph with her sweet grandma...

So I could show you this one of their beautiful hands.


I remember Stephanie telling me about these trees that her mom and aunt Janine had made... and they were even more beautiful than she described!  They actually went and got these trees then wrapped lights and attached flowers to each of them.  It made THE perfect backdrop for Joe and Steph to say I Do.




And then it was time...
Joe's mom made the cape!










MARRIED!



Stephanie's Uncle Jack owns this amazing car and drove the newlyweds to the reception.


Up north (mid-west) it's more traditional to have the "exit" after the ceremony.
It turned out to be perfect since the sun was still up and all of the guests were still there!



This car was amazing!



The reception was held at the Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) International Ballroom.
Friends and family decorated it the morning of the wedding and it was incredible to walk in and see all of their hard work.


The cake was made and decorated by Linda Grant.

It was mostly a dessert reception, including gourmet popcorn.

And (my favorite), several cheesecakes from The Cheesecake Factory.


My heart stopped as Joe and Stephanie took the dance floor as husband and wife.




We all laughed and got a little choked up as her dad mentioned how they were sad
Stephanie had to find her guy 600 miles away from home... but how it was well worth
it to have found a man as wonderful for his daughter as Joe.


And then there was cake...

And some more dancing...


And then Joe and his guys surprised us all with a little jig to Wobble.


Which only led to more fun and laughter and dancing through the night!

Congrats you guys!!

4 comments:

Mrs. Stucky said...

Sabrina,
You are such a gifted photographer! What a beautiful gift to all who love Steph and Joe to relive the event through your pictures. Wow!

Katie said...

Sabrina... these are SO beautiful! I feel like I know Joe and Stephanie the way you told their story. Amazing!

Caroline said...

so gorgeous! LOVE their portraits!!

Katie Nesbitt said...

I love their portraits and their first look!!!

I'm a Greenville, SC based wedding and portrait destination photographer who loves to be behind the lens. I look forward to hearing what you think about the posts and images as I work with amazing people to capture life and give them images they love.
Check out the website! http://photographsbysabrina.com