Molly and Zach {first look}

The last wedding of 2013. Wow. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail about this wedding as I STILL haven't shared the actual wedding post (I'm horrible...I know). But Molly and Zach's writings below sum it up completely. I'm not going to lie...Zach's account is my favorite in this series. Once you read it, you'll totally see why!

I also want to take a minute and thank my second shooter Brandi of Brandi Major Photography.  She blew me away, especially during the First Look.

Molly:

"Our wedding day was jam-packed and we had worked out the photography timing with Kayla down to the minute but I'm so glad we included a first look. I had always wanted one as a special moment for Zach and I before all the craziness of the day. To be honest, I was nervous before it and felt a little pressure to have this big reveal with tears and all sorts of emotions flying around (Pinterest really sets the bar high!). 

Kayla found the perfect spot for it on the dock at the Tellico Yacht Club amongst the weeping willow trees. Walking up to Zach, I had butterflies but the moment he turned around, they melted away. 

The first look brought the whole day back to reality for me. The day was about us...not the flowers or the decorations or who was seated where...but about us joining our lives and our families together. It provided us a unique moment together and produced some of my favorite pictures of our entire wedding day! Zach standing in his Vera Wang suit while the weeping willows blows around him...I mean, come on!"

Zach:
"So to understand how I felt for the first look you have to understand a little about me. I'm a shy quite guy from a small town in the Midwest, with a massive social anxiety problem. I'm the kid in school that would sweat all day in class praying the teacher wouldn't call on me. Not because I didnt know the answer, because the thought of me talking in front of 12 kids freaked me out. So this whole wedding thing? I'm a hot mess.

I think it all hit me the night before at the wedding rehearsal at the church. This is real. Panic attack, immense. Outside I was cool and calm, even though father said I looked ill. Inside, I was a pinball machine of emotions. To say I didn't sleep well that night and almost OD'd on pepto bismol would be an understatement.

So today's the day, picture time, yay! And by yay, I mean boo 100 times. I'm as photogenic as Mona Lisa. But Kayla and her energy were amazing. She almost, almost made me forget I was about to stand up in front of 100 people and get married.

After a bunch of solos and a bad Tom Hanks reference later it's time for the first look. I turn around and there she is. She looks beautiful. Stunning. Amazing. I think some guys will tell you when getting married there life flashes before there eyes, usually in a light hearted joking manner but mine did. Flashbacks of seeing her the first time when we were 15, movie dates, concerts, ball games, Chicago, Austin, everything ran through my head. I turned around to the love of my life, my best friend, and for the first time in days, I felt a sense of calm, relief. Now my wife was disappointed(she wanted me to cry) but I couldn't. I was to calm and happy. I felt home and knew that for the rest of my life, this feeling will never go away."

I can't wait to share their entire day and to give a back story. Their wedding was unique (for me) and it taught me SO much!!! Not only was it a stunning day, but when I can grow and learn from my couples...that is pretty awesome!

There's one last post for this series (a late/surprise submission) and I can't wait to share it! You might be seeing one of these faces again! :)

Smiles,
Kayla F