Battleground Country Club Wedding :: Jillian + Arthur

Weddings

November 4, 2015

A gorgeous fall day opened up with sunshine as we made our way to celebrate the wedding of Jillian and Arthur. The last time we saw Jillian and Arthur was their engagement last summer in Atlantic City. We were beating the heat that day as we ran along the shore frolicking with birds and sand between our toes. This was quite the difference in weather as it was a high of 64 degrees. You really cannot get better than that!

They both chose to get ready in each others family home. This is always exciting for us as photographers because we get to see where they grew up and incorporate their childhood home into their wedding photos. We started with Arthur and the guys early that morning. The groomsmen and dad were already dressed and ready for the day! Arthur was a little nervous as we scouted around the house for a good place to get ready. The cat was very curious of who we were and why we were on his territory. 🙂 Arthur was looking super dapper in his black suit as we worked our way around the upstairs guest room. We were taking starfish decorations and photos off the wall to create a nice to place to shoot. It was funny because Arthur kept looking around and trying to figure out where all these things came from. Apparently his mom had been in the “redecorating” mode lately. It was such a lovely home and we were certainly glad we were invited. The groomsmen were gifted bobble heads that were customized to look just like them. These bobble heads were INSANELY realistic. The guys were super enthusiastic and fun and you could tell they all had really great relationships with one another. The best man, Jillian’s brother, was one of the funniest groomsmen I have come in contact with. What a great group of guys. After we wrapped up with the guys we headed over to Jillian’s family home where it was much louder and a lot more going on. This is to be expected when you put more than 3 women in a house and tell them to look beautiful. Ready GO! 🙂 Jillian’s dad greeted us as we were approaching their beautiful home. What an outstanding daddy. From the minute we met him, we knew he was going to do anything possible to make sure his little girl had the best day of her life. Jillian came running from the kitchen in her cute pink robe with a huge smile on her face. It was go time! Time to get the party started and get married. Her mother is just as stunning and showed us around the house to make us more comfortable. Jillian surprised her mom by getting a tux for their dog. The CUTEST! We loved that her grandmother was able to button up the back of her dress for her. Watching the generations surrounding Jillian as she got dressed in her childhood home was pretty magical. All of the bridesmaids were more than willing to help with anything. They looked stunning in their deep purple dresses. We laughed, we cried and even got to recreate a photo that Jillian’s mom took with her on her wedding day. We really loved seeing the traditions play out right in front of us. Jillian’s parents were very emotional as she gave them a gift to show her appreciation. I dare say dad had a cry too! All of the family and friends headed towards the limo as Jillian and her parents took a moment to soak everything in before heading out the door. It was looking to be a perfect day.

Saint Aloysius Catholic Church was absolutely gorgeous. As soon as you enter the church you can’t help but notice its beautiful architecture, pendant lights and patterned windows. Jillian arrived the limo with her family. Her brother made his way to the limo to wish her the best before her big walk. It was a super sweet moment followed by another one with her dad. It was that time…time for daddy to walk his little girl down the aisle. I remember watching her look up at her dad as he was standing by the door and she sat in the limo. I could feel the love between the two of them. With mom and dad on either arm, Jillian walked into the church and continued all the way down the aisle to her future husband. The ceremony was beautiful and sentimental. After family photos we held the couple back for a few moments as the others went on. We wanted to give them a photo of their ceremony space that would forever treasure. We may have got some crazy looks from the fellow Catholics coming in for Mass, but the outcome was worth the risk! Jillian and Arthur stood on chairs in the middle aisle while Jeff laid on his belly with a mirror. I knew we were running out of time before this would be a problem, but we pulled it off! What is the next thing every wedding party should do after a long ceremony? Stop by Wawa of course! Snack time! We loaded up on drinks and snacks and made our way to the park where we got to hang out with the wedding party for a while. What a fantastic group of people. We had our fun and then made our way to the reception at Battleground Country Club. We grabbed a golf cart and headed towards the hills! We were chasing the sun as it nestled itself behind the houses along the golf course. Jillian and Arthur were absolutely gorgeous. We love this time of the day with our couples. It’s usually the only time they are alone together. They get to gaze at each other and really soak in the day and all the magic that is happening around them. As soon as the sun set, we headed back to the bridal suite where they were to join their wedding party for the remainder of cocktail hour. They had their own little party in the bridal suite. Games, drinking, dancing, laughing… I loved the idea! They then were formally announced into the reception where the party was about to go down. The cake was sitting on a beautiful linen that was decorated with strung lights. The touches of gold paired with the deep purple was so luxurious. The skeleton key bottle openers were a huge hit. What a creative gift idea and super useful! Friends and family enjoyed the evening full of dancing and beautiful speeches. Jillian and Arthur surprised everyone with a beautiful ballroom dance for their first dance. We were even able to sneak away for some epic after dark shots. It was dark, it was risky and it was FUN. It was also a super special day for Jillian’s parents as they were celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary! They had their wedding reception at the Battleground Country Club too. October 13th, 1985 made 30 years since they had danced on same dance floor as Jillian and Arthur. To celebrate their anniversary a cake was brought out for them to cut and a special dance commenced. It was a sweet moment and I’m sure it brought back many memories of their special day. The evening ended with Viennese hour. Desserts upon desserts. Just when you think you can’t eat anymore food- you do. Amazing, awesome and the best ending to the best day.

We couldn’t have asked for a better day! Thank you to all of the family for welcoming us into their homes and lives. You made us feel like one of the family! Cheers to the new couple and many well wishes as they begin the best chapter of their lives- marriage.

Leaha + Jeffrey