The story of this couple was so so sweet. Ben and Kassidy have known each other since they were 4 years old. They both grew up homeschooled and met in their homeschool group. Immediately, we had something in common with that because I homeschooled my own daughters and I knew all about homeschool groups. You tend to grow up with these same kids through your childhood, just like regular school. Honestly, I always felt like they were a little bit knit more closely together. And it must have felt the same way for these two, because they ended up walking down the aisle together in Heber, AZ at Legacy Lodge.

Legacy Lodge is a beautiful green Arizona location was in Heber. Heber, AZ is located almost 3 hours away from Phoenix.

When mom reached out to me, it was very short notice for wedding planning and trying to find a photographer. I almost didn’t think we would make it happen. There was certainly no way I could come with a second photographer like I normally do for my full days. In fact, that was something they wanted and I had to tell them, we had already had other sessions on the calendar and Joceline, my second photographer, was also high risk in her pregnancy at this time. So making the trip for 2 to Heber wasn’t going to be possible. And we ended the conversation and me wishing they found someone they liked on such short notice.

This mama though, she loved her girl. And her girl, the Bride-to-be, loved my work. So the mom reached out to me the next day telling me that if I could just come, we could make it happen. So that’s just what we did. I showed up with two cameras on my hip even earlier than I was supposed to since I didn’t have my second photographer and spent the whole day in this green country looking paradise in September, with weather about 30 degrees cooler than Phoenix.

The thing I did notice so much about this family is that they were close. I loved the way the bride loved her dad. So I got quite a few moments. We did a first look with her dad right before she walked down the aisle. He hadn’t seen her all day. And then as they were dancing out in the very dark lawn only strung by a few lights, we got some very sweet moments on the dance floor.

The Bride’s wedding dress was absolutely gorgeous. I came to find out that it was actually the very dress her own mother wore on her wedding day. That was so special. The Bride loved spinning in it too. And every bride should feel like a princess on their wedding day. I imagine as a mom, the mother of the bride felt all the feels with seeing her daughter in that dress. I cannot tell you how many tears I cried of my own behind the lens during this ceremony. This wedding was the most traditional wedding I have photographed in a long long time. She definitely had “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.” We even did a bouquet and garter toss and that’s something you don’t always see anymore at weddings. Everything about this wedding was done so elegantly and beautifully.

Every wedding has things that go unplanned. The night before they all showed up at Legacy Lodge in Heber, Arizona and it was a down pour. So they didn’t get to do all the things outside they were supposed to do to plan for the next day. So there was a little bit of scrambling to get done before the actual ceremony. The wedding day absolutely ended up being gorgeous though!

When I met the pastor for the wedding, I gave him a tip that I like to suggest that Brides and Grooms give to the officiant. And it’s to move away slowly as you are pronouncing them married. This helps us get that first kiss photo without having an officiant in the background. He performed that perfectly for sure!

It’s always the guys who get ready first the day of the wedding, so they had time to sit around and play some cards. Meanwhile, upstairs the girls were having wardrobe malfunctions which isn’t uncommon for weddings either. You wouldn’t know that in the very photos below that one of the bridesmaids had a zipper completely break. Thanks to having a grandmother there that sews! These are the memories that will sometimes feel stressful the day of, but it’s my job here to roll with the flow when these things happen. Not a photo was missed of the girls during this.

Congratulations Ben and Kassidy! I am so glad I could be a part of your wedding day as your wedding photographer.

Here are some more photos to leave you with below.