I’m at a loss for words to describe this wonder of a wedding before us right here. From the scenery to the style, it’s perfection and then some. But what truly brings it all together, is the deeper meaning behind it all. As this beautiful Bride stood at the end of the aisle, ready to make her way down and become a wife, she soaked up all the magic around her, arm-in-arm with her stepfather. And that reflection, described so wonderfully in her story below, takes all the pretty details and boosts them even more. The icing on the cake? Simply Sarah’s gorgeous photos of that special ceremony and everything else. This is one not to be missed.
P.S. Obsessed with these cuties as much as we are? Don’t miss their snowy engagement shoot right this way as well!
From the Bride… Ty and I met in February of 2015. We were both in the Dallas – Love Field Airport waiting to board a flight to DC. A friend of mine had just moved to DC so a group of us from Dallas were going to go visit and surprise him for his birthday, everyone else was on an earlier flight than me but because I had a late afternoon meeting, I was flying solo. Ty was with his friend, Chase and they were flying up to DC to visit Ty’s older brother. Because I had just come from an all day meeting, I was feeling a little behind on emails so I planned to get a lot done on my flight. Ty noticed me working away in the airport and when Southwest called for the A boarding group to line up, I quickly packed up my computer and the rest of my belongings and waltzed up to the front of the line, needless to say I was in the zone and was a woman on a mission. The next thing you know, I hear “um, excuse me… Do you think you can just cut in front of us?” I turned around to find two guys my age standing there and replied, “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! What boarding position are you guys?” Ty then replied that he was just kidding and told me to go ahead. I boarded and found a window seat and immediately pulled out my computer to start checking items off of my to-do list. A few minutes later, those same two guys came and asked me if anyone was sitting next to me. We spent the next several hours talking and getting to know each other and it turns out that Ty and I had been going to the same young adults ministry at church and that we all had a lot in common. I am not from Dallas originally, so in my mind I thought we were all going to be great friends, that we could go to church together and merge friend groups, etc. (I actually had a boyfriend at the time) but what I didn’t realize and what I wouldn’t find out for over a year, was that Ty was actually interested in me and wanted absolutely nothing to do with us just being friends. For the next year, we were acquaintances, I think I ran into him a couple of times but we didn’t really keep in touch. About a year later, I was newly single and I got a call from Ty asking if I would be interested in grabbing a drink. I still wasn’t sure if we were just grabbing drinks as friends, or if this was a date but I said that I would love to and was looking forward to getting to know him better. That night, we talked for four hours and had a great time. The rest is really history. Our first date was in April of 2016, we got engaged that December and then married on May 14, 2017. So many times I’ve looked back and wondered what I possibly could have said on that flight to peak Ty’s interest and how I’ve kept his interest all this time. To be honest, I don’t think it has anything to do with me and I truly believe that since day one, God has really just given Ty eyes for me and I couldn’t be more thankful. He is my greatest gift and it is my greatest honor to be his wife.
Our wedding day was an absolute dream. Ty and I went back and forth on what we wanted for our wedding and ultimately decided to do a smaller destination wedding in Lake Louise, Canada and it was the best decision we could have ever made. We got married on a Sunday, but most people came in on Thursday. That weekend we got to spend time with all of the people we love and it was so special to have everyone all in one place. Because we had the whole weekend to enjoy with everyone, the night of our wedding, Ty and I had an absolute blast together.
We got married in the mountains and I really didn’t want anything to take away from that so I wanted to keep the décor pretty simple, natural and organic with a lot of greenery and white. All of our vendors were exceptional and so talented. I had never been to Canada until the weekend of our wedding so I didn’t have an opportunity to meet a single vendor before our wedding weekend and I was blown away by everyone’s talent and execution. It really was so perfect and special and I’m just so thankful.
Right before the wedding ceremony (which was outside) it was literally blizzarding. Haha seriously… Snowing is an understatement and we obviously weren’t expecting that. But within a few minutes, we all watched the clouds roll over, the blue skies open up and the sun come out. That in and of itself was amazing to witness. But… my absolute favorite memory (which I don’t even know if I’ll be able to properly put into words or do justice to it), was right before I walked down the aisle. I was standing with my step-dad, who is the most incredible man I know and before we started the processional he stopped me and just said, “Wow, Sarah. Stop and let this sink in. Have you ever seen anything like it?” I looked up and there I was, dressed in white, with my step-dad by my side and before my eyes was the most incredible thing I have ever seen. The strings were playing, the sun was shining and the mountains and the scenery were absolutely exquisite and just so breathtaking; seventy-five of our closest friends and family, the people who are most special to us, were standing up and looking at us, waiting for me; and at the end of the aisle was my groom, my perfect, handsome groom who was also waiting for me. In that moment, I was just so humbled to be standing there, with all of those people, and humbled to be marrying Ty, who is nothing short of the man of my dreams. When I think back on that moment and what it looked like and how it felt to be standing there, I just cry. I think it is the closest thing to experiencing Heaven this side of eternity. It was the perfect picture of Christ and the church and what our reunion with him will be like one day and it was the most unbelievable thing I have ever witnessed or been apart of and only my step-dad and I will ever know exactly what that moment felt like. I will, without a doubt, treasure it for the rest of my life and long to experience that moment again when Christ returns or calls me home.
I 1000 times over recommend Simply Sarah to other brides who are looking for a photographer! I am continuously blown away by her work and she is absolutely amazing in every way. Not only is she unbelievably talented, but she and Will were so great to work with and we loved spending our destination wedding weekend with them. I know we will walk away from this season of life with incredible pictures to hold onto, and memories captured that we will cherish forever, but we are also walking away with two new lifelong friends. Sarah, we are beyond thankful for you and it was an absolute honor to have you a part of our journey. I truly can’t thank her enough!
Photography: Elizabeth Lanier Photography | Event Planning: LP Events | Floral Design: Occasional Bloom | Wedding Dress: Anna Maier | Cake: Fairmont Chateau at Lake Louise | Stationery: Victoria Austin Designs | Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Hair + Makeup: The Pretty Haus | Groom's Attire: The Black Tux | Wedding Venue: Fairmont Chateau at Lake Louise | Rentals: Red Events