Amanda and ryan wedding anniversary maryn graves productions dc photographer md photographer somd photographer va photographer nova photographer wedding photographer wedding anniversary post

The Gorgeous couple is celebrating their one-year anniversary TODAY.

As a wedding photographer you see a lot of beautiful celebrations. They are all special and beautiful in their own way, but occasionally you’ll get to partake in one that is absolutely beyond words gorgeous… the kind you leave at the end of the day and whisper to your second shooter, ”If I could do it over again…”.

That was Amanda and Ryan’s day. It was filled with beautiful moments, truly breathtaking details, and sentiments that you just couldn’t help tear up over. I laughed and cried right along with all of the guests during this celebration and was in awe over the care and attention to detail by the staff at the Watson House at Emerald Isle NC.

The event coordinators with Dream Makers Wedding Estates at this beautiful venue truly know how to make a special event special. If you want to celebrate your day to the fullest and have a top notch care, call them, because you won’t be disappointed, and then, call me to be your wedding photographer, because I would LOVE to shoot there again. (Shameless, I know.)

Every nook and cranny of this gorgeous property had a beautiful backdrop to work with, breathtaking isn’t a big enough word. It was a dream come true to shoot there and add in all of the details from the bride and groom and their families and this wedding was one for the books. The twinkle lights, the bohemian vibe, the abundance of unique vibrant floral arrangements at every turn, antiques galore, and even additions like white doves in elegant antique bird cages… now who doesn’t love that? Oh, and they even made sure to include fun southern traditions like bury the bourbon..too fun!

I remember that Amanda and Ryan called me a few months before their wedding and asked if I was available to shoot their day on Labor Day weekend… broken hearted, I turned them down because it is literally the only weekend in the calendar year I won’t accept a wedding because it’s not only my son’s birthday, but also my wedding anniversary.

Fortunately, they called back and changed the date, unbeknownst to me until their big day, it was because they wanted me to capture their day specifically. Still so very honored by that guys, thank you!

It couldn’t have worked out better because the weather was gorgeous there wasn’t a rain cloud in sight, and I believe there was quite the storm rolling through town on their original date so it was certainly meant to be.

Speaking of storms, Amanda and Ryan JUST had a beautiful baby girl in the midst of a hurricane, yup that’s right, they gave birth to their sweet little bundle during Hurricane Florence. These two definitely know how to celebrate big life events with a bang.

I feel that couldn’t fit in better with their personalities. In fact, during our consultation sessions, the groom, Ryan had only one request. Epic photos… I hope I delivered on that one for you, Ryan.

And because I love for everyone to get to know my couples and see just why I adore them as much as I do…I’ll tell you a little bit about Amanda and Ryan and their love story…

Amanda and Ryan grew up in the same town, and went to the same schools, but never knew each other. Kind of romantic, right? Ryan was a senior when Amanda was a freshman and so their paths just didn’t cross very often even being a small town. Skip ahead a few years… they both were back home enjoying The Mountain State Forest Festival in Elkins, WV and their mutual friends all ended up hanging out together. Meeting officially that night, they formed an instant bond and stayed in touch for years before dating. Ryan is in the military and Amanda is a lawyer, these two certainly had demanding schedules, and for years Ryan was stationed in Colorado. Once his orders came in to move to North Carolina the two knew this was their chance to officially be in the same place as the same time and, well, the rest is history. That was the moment their forever began.

When it came time to plan their wedding they knew they wanted a beautiful venue near the beach. The Watson House in Emerald Isle, NC was the perfect fit for them and they were just excited to celebrate with family and friends. They were so thankful everyone was willing to travel the distance to celebrate with them and were especially thankful to have both of their grandmothers there, Ada Cross and Thelma Gainer.

The day was absolutely beautiful. And if that wasn’t enough, Amanda and Ryan were willing to wake up for a sunrise session on the beach. Ryan wanted epic and I was not going to disappoint. So these two were sports to wake up around 5am and get some amazing shots in the water. You definitely won’t want to miss those… scroll all the way down ;)

I also want to thank Claire Watson, my second shooter, for being a sport to tag along while preggo for this working gals weekend adventure. Your talents and time are always so appreciated!!

It was SUCH an incredible honor capturing your day, Amanda and Ryan. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and wishing you both a beautiful celebration today with your beautiful new family.