Kayla and Carlton have the sweetest of love. Their entire wedding experience was just wonderful all around and the people who attended the wedding were a huge part of the joy. The day started off as usual where I was present for their getting ready moments before heading out to the venue at The Edison Barn.

**Tip: For super gorgeous flat lays, I highly recommend asking your florist to provide some loose florals for your photographer! These leftover scraps from the bouquets can be used as little details that just adds a bit of flare and extra color to your overall flat lay or invitation!

Something I loved about their wedding is how included they made everyone feel, including me! Kayla pulled this off so well by including several first looks with people who were meaningful to her. My second photographer and I scouted different locations to provide a pretty backdrop for each of her first looks while working with the harsh sunlight that the weather provided that day. We started off with her father first look, which I will have to say was one of the most touching parent first looks I’ve photographed. Because Kayla and Carlton didn’t plan to have a typical reception with dancing, Kayla shared her father/daughter dance right after her first look with him, and it was incredibly beautiful. The looks on their faces was so, so touching as they wiped their tears off their faces continuously during the dance.

Afterwards was a first look between Kayla and her bridesmaids – then, the grande finale: first look with her future husband, Carlton! We made use of the extra we had after all those first looks and before the ceremony to knock out some private portraits between the two, and that moment definitely built up the emotions that would lead to the ceremony.

**Tip: If you’d rather not have a first look with your partner in order to savor that precious moment of a traditional seeing-each-other-down-the-aisle-for-the-first-time moment, then I highly recommend adding an alternative to that with your wedding party or family member. It not only adds more variety to your getting ready portion of your day, but also includes an extra precious moment that may potentially be one of the most important moments to you on your wedding day. The intimacy of a first look moment doesn’t have to be only with your partner!

Following the emotional ceremony, everyone headed into the barn to seek some coolness from the air conditioning, away from the hot, beating sun. We knocked out some more family group photos before taking advantage of how gorgeous the sunset was, making use of all the golden sun rays that leaked through and added the extra oomph to their portraits.

With their special day coming to a close, Kayla and Carlton ended the night with a last dance under the edison lightbulbs, which I will say was a beautiful way to wrap up a wedding day.