Michael & Liberty | Married

I can confidently say that I have never. NEVER seen a bride smile so brightly and so MUCH on her wedding day. Yes, it’s obviously due to the fact that this was clearly one of the best days of Liberty’s life. But also, also… she truly shines on any day. So, of course, on her wedding day she shined as bright as a star.

Speaking of shining. Michael was equally excited to be united with his Bride.

Choosing to see each other before the ceremony, I was honored to capture this special moment: The moment where their wedding day actually begins and true love blossoms.

Mike has a great group of friends, some of whom I personally was so excited to see. I’ve known some of them since they were in jr high school and it was really cool to see them all grown up and supporting their best bud.

I can’t really explain or tell you what was happening below but I can tell you that these guys are in Mike’s corner.

…And even if they get a little goofy…

… they also have his back.

Stunning, stunning Liberty.

She also finds herself surrounded by great friends that adore her and value her friendship. They laughed and loved with her all throughout the day.

Once, Michael told me that out of all his siblings he was the favorite. While I can’t completely tell if that was a joke or not, I know that it was an emotional and heart-swelling moment when mom and dad walked him down the aisle.

It was so cute how Michael knew exactly what mom needed – a box of tissues – as he showed her to her seat. 

…And while I can only imagine how I would feel watching my son “leave” my family to start a his own, I hope that I will be as comforted and as happy as Marguerite is that her son found his perfect half.

 

 Once married, Michael and Liberty gleefully strolled down the aisle as husband and wife to “The Raider’s March”, the theme song from Indiana Jones movies.

The ceremony was followed by a {literal} shower of dried flowers, a fantastically fun reception with adoring toasts from the wedding party, dancing, cake smashing, and a send off with sparklers.

What could be more fun?!

Congrats! You guys truly deserve all the happiness in the world. I was so grateful to be a part of it!

Q&A from Liberty and Michael:

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One thing you’ll remember the most about your day:

Liberty: Our First Look moment. I loved having that time to ourselves to see each other and that I was able to be close to Michael when he saw me for the first time.

Mike: The most memorable moment was when I saw her pop through those church doors and see her start walking down the aisle. It was quite a beautiful, yet surreal experience that brought me to tears and will be etched into my memory forever. However, this just barely wins over having a movie soundtrack themed wedding ceremony. What could be a greater song to walk out of the ceremony to than the Indiana Jones theme! 

Give future Brides and Grooms your best advice:

Liberty: I would recommend doing pictures before the wedding instead of after because I greatly needed that special time with my groom before I had to walk down the aisle in front of everyone. I do not think it took away from the surprise or excitement when it did come time to walk down the aisle. If anything I was more excited because I had the assurance that he thought I was beautiful and seeing the look on his face for a second time when I walked down the aisle is a memory I will treasure forever.

Mike: To the future Grooms, be a part of the wedding planning as much as you can. When the day comes you can feel like you were part of something great and magical and your wife will appreciate you so much for it. To the future Brides, you will likely be pretty stressed about the whole planning phase, just remember that the day will come fast and the stress will be a thing of the past. So soak it all in when it finally happens and all the planning comes to fruition.

The most laughable part of your wedding day:

Liberty: After our ceremony was over, all of our guests threw chamomile flowers as we left the church, which seemed like a great idea but I had so many little flowers down my dress and in my hair I ended up glowing yellow! Also our drive away car was nowhere to be seen so we walked around the back of the church to start pictures and we had a good laugh as cars drove past honking their congratulations.

Mike: It was probably after I walked my mom down the aisle. After I sat her, I went and grabbed a box of Kleenex that I stashed on the stage. The sanctuary was filled was laughter and my mom proceeded to grab a few and then pass them on to my relatives who were also already tearing up.

What would you have changed if you could jump into a time machine and do it all again?

Liberty: I had an amazingly helpful groom who took care of so many things and made sure even up to the last few hours before the wedding that things got done, so I don’t have many things I would change. I wish I had printed off our timeline {of our reception} to keep with me so I could remember what was supposed to happen next at our reception would have been helpful.

Mike: I would probably have lengthened our reception time as the day just went by so fast… Everything people always tell you about it going fast is true. Reflecting on the day, I realized I didn’t get to talk to many of the people at the reception, including my own groomsmen. I also did not get to eat one of our delicious cupcakes.

Where’d you celebrate your honeymoon?

We went to San Diego and stayed at Humphrey’s Half Moon Inn & Suites on Shelter Island. It was perfect because there were so many things to do as well as the beach scene to just relax and enjoy the coast. I would highly recommend San Diego to other couples and I did not feel like we missed out on anything by not going out of the states.  It may have not been a tropical island, but it certainly felt like one.