I’ve known this particular bride for most of my life. Pretty sure we were even in the same kindergarten class. She is also one of my oldest clients, as I started photographing her children not long after I started my business.  Recently, she snuck away and sneakily eloped in the Smoky Mountains.  After the deed was done, I was thrilled when she contacted me about photographing the Lake Room reception.

Since this was their reception, the bride and groom had already seen each other that day.  The groom, Mark, thought Amanda was going to wear the same dress she wore for their wedding.  Since the elopement was fairly spontaneous, Amanda had wed Mark wearing a cute white summer dress.  Unbeknownst to Mark, Amanda had spent the weeks between their elopement and reception in search of an official wedding dress to surprise him with.

As I left the reception room to shoot the first look, Marks family told me he would cry.  And he didn’t disappoint!

While this wasn’t their official ceremony, the did end up with a mini-ceremony at the reception, complete with personal messages they read to each other.

No mystery what Mark is thinking on this one!