John Knox Ranch Camp Style Wedding :: Hayley + Daniel

Weddings

October 7, 2014

Persevering. Compassionate. Encompassing.

It’s hard to find a starting point for this blog. Hayley has been a dear friend of mine for 14 years. I have watched her grow up before my eyes. We have seen a lot of highs, lows and everything in between. Come to think of it, I think we both did a lot of growing up! I can remember when she met Daniel. He fit perfectly with her easy going bohemian style. Everything about them is original and genuine. What you see is what you get. This is why they are my friends. Daniel runs Agora Entertainment in the DFW area. I have had the privilege of shooting there for a promo video. I remember his enthusiasm and hospitality as he let me shoot there. He is all in when it comes to something he loves and that is how he feels about Hayley. These two are natural lovers and it has been a privilege sharing in this exciting time of their lives. We were absolutely thrilled when they chose us to be their photographers and it was a bonus that they chose NYC for their engagement session!

Being Hayley’s friend throughout the process was fun. She was always full of questions of what was good, bad, correct, faux pa, HA. Just like most times in our life she would come to me for advice. I don’t think I ever gave her a straight answer, but more tried to get her to talk out loud so she could figure out what she wanted for her wedding. When she told me she was going to have a wedding that encompassed an entire weekend and people would be sleeping in bunk beds- I had my doubts. The more she described it to me, the more I was sold this was the best choice! John Knox Ranch is a summer camp for kids. To see it transform into a wedding site was incredible. It was so organized and beautiful. The non-traditional Jewish ceremony was literally suspended in the trees! It was a relaxed and perfectly planned weekend of friends, family and fun. The weather forecast called for rain all weekend. Terrible odds, might I add. 40-80% chance all three days. The rain held off all day and the clouds were just enough coverage to keep things from being blistering hot. And would you believe it didn’t rain all day.

The reception was in a large pavilion with a path of lights leading to it in the middle of a field. The gorgeous florals, table runners and lighting were spot on. One of my favorite parts was all the mismatched china. Every place setting was unique and vintage. Gah, it was perfect! Hayley and Daniel entered to a standing ovation and the party was underway. I believe it was right after dinner was served and being finished that a large roar started to fill the tin roofed pavilion. RAIN! And I don’t mean just rain…but some of the hardest rain I have ever heard. Everyone stopped what they were doing and broke out in CHEER!!! We were all safe and secure inside the open walled, tin roofed reception. It was magical. The Hora played. We danced. We celebrated. We hugged. We jumped up and down and sweat dripped down all of our faces. Nothing was going to stop this day or night from being unbelievable. We even after partied until 2am with everyone!! The champagne was cold and the music was awesome. So, we danced our cares away.

It was unforgettable.

Thank you for having us all the way from New Jersey to join in this amazing wedding experience. Thank you for sharing your friends and family. And most of all, thank you for calling us your friends.

Leaha + Jeffrey