As we all continue to do our best day after day amid this terrible pandemic we’re facing, hearing a piece of good news or a happy story truly makes the world of a difference and inspires us to keep the faith. That’s why today, we’re beyond excited to be sharing with you a very special wedding story. After Emily and Taylor’s big day was sadly cancelled due to COVID-19, they decided to have a last minute ceremony with just a few of their nearest and dearest, with a larger reception to celebrate their union in the future. Their story brought tears to our eyes, joy to our hearts and reminded us once again that love isn’t cancelled. Check out the full gallery by I Dream of Weddings, to see all the magic unfold!
From I Dream of Weddings… The lucky series of events that brought Emily & Taylor together for the first time was not a chance encounter measured my mere minutes. It was not a missed green light to the grocery store or a beautiful girl in a sea of unfamiliar faces. The first chapter of Emily & Taylor’s story unfolds over an entire year at a Staples in Tallahassee. It took Taylor, who was in Easy-Tech at the time, a new job opportunity to get the courage to drop his corporate relationship with Emily, who worked in the Copy Center. Once Taylor started his new job, the two tossed the co-worker formalities and spent an entire night catching up on a year’s worth of lost conversation.
When the sun started to rise, Emily left Taylor, who was fast asleep, to wake up questioning whether his dream girl from the Copy Center was from his actual dreams. Knowing that she would no longer see him between the aisles at Staples, Emily left her glass slipper (a cardigan) as she rushed out the door. Emily’s Cinderella exit not only gave Taylor an excuse to see Emily and return her cardigan along with their first kiss, but it brought me to a little Ocala wedding. Right in the middle of a pandemic.
I was thrilled to hear from Emily to see if I would be interested in photographing a small ceremony in replace of her cancelled wedding. It was a pleasant surprise to see an excited, bride-to-be come up with an alternative to an otherwise, devastating situation. The ceremony was to be held at the Lamson Estate in Ocala. A beautiful home surrounded by wind and Spanish moss owned by Linda, a second grandmother to Emily and where Emily & Taylor resided after leaving Tallahassee. In Florida, the restriction on gatherings limits crowds no larger than ten. The officiant, three bridal party members, three guests and myself, gathered on the front steps of Emily & Taylors first home together to witness their first kiss as husband and wife. A reception is to be held in the near future where guests can celebrate a love story even a pandemic couldn’t stop. But for the time being, a marriage certificate and a few last-minute wedding portraits became the fairytale wedding any girl could hope for. To Emily and Taylor, the two employees who were able to dodge direct eye contact with each other for an entire year, thank you for reminding us what is most important in unfortunate times. Each other. In the coming weeks, when our daily lives and routines start to balance out, a new community will be walking among us, and we will all celebrate, passionately. Until then. Stay positive, be creative, reflect, inspire and most importantly, don’t forget to love.
Photography: Jasmine Baetzel | Floral Design: Trader Joe's | Wedding Dress: Lyra Vega Bridal | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Birdy Grey | Bridesmaids' Dresses: JJ's House | Groom's Attire: Burlington