Here we go! Look at these two good-looking newlyweds and their amazing Morris Arboretum wedding!
Kayla and Linus, a veterinarian doctor and a web developer couple – two extremely smart and intelligent people. But they were not only intelligent in the professional way. Their respect and love toward each other will evoke envy in any couple. Loving, fun and caring with each other, I think they truly enjoyed their wedding day and their wedding at Morris Arboretum. They both got ready at the local Hilton Garden Inn in Fort Washington, PA. Once both of the were perfectly gorgeous and handsome, we headed to the Morris Arboretum for their first look. The sun was hiding behind the clouds so the light was not perfect for my taste but Kayla and Linus were more perfect than I could ask for. And Morris Arboretum was the best place I have ever photographed a wedding! The variety of natural backdrops was simply astounding! We wanted to stop at every little corner and get more and more wedding portraits for Kayla and Linus. We were limited by time so we had to head to the wedding ceremony that took place at Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting House in Philadelphia – a cozy place. The closes family and friends gathered together to celebrate these bride and groom! Kayla’s aunt was playing flute when they were walking in and Keith, the officiant, was the one who officiated Kayla’s mom and dad’s wedding!!! Everything felt so personalized, warm and just right! And once the official part was done, it was time for celebrations!!!! Morris Arboretum is seriously amazing: beautiful table sets, perfect for photos white tent and fresh air. Everyone celebrated Kayla and Linus and the evening was simply wonderful!
Groom Preparation for the Wedding
The day started off well with me stopping my Linus and guys and recording all the fun they had while getting ready. I was excited as I got to try a few shots for the groom prep that I normally don’t get to do. Some creative back lit face washing and face shaving shots. It was out of my norm so I am pretty proud of my photographic experiments :). Special thanks goes to James – a groomsman who volunteered his strength and energy to hold my flash :). It requires special talents too!
And then I proceeded to my normal groom getting ready routine with photographing stylish details. I loved the combination of brown and purple for groom’s outfit – modern and hip.
The guy definitely had lots of fun during preparation so if you want to see more details check out Kayla and Linus’s slideshow at the bottom of the blog post.
Bride Preparation for the Wedding
Kayla’s wedding dress was better than perfect – golden liner with a lace as a main material. It looked so romantic, high end and feminine. If I would see this dress when I was getting married I would definitely consider this one over all other gorgeous options.
The girls celebrated this wonderful day with some champagne.
All Kayla’s details were super stylish too. Her golden flats matched the style of the dress so well. And her bracelet was ‘something borrowed’. It was the bracelet that her mom wore to her wedding. I love this so much when there is symbolism and heritage in wedding planning.
And now Kayla and Linus were all ready to see each other! We headed over to the Morris Arboretum.
Wedding First Look at Morris Arboretum
And here was the moment for these two are going to see each other. Both of the were anxious but super happy to finally see each other. We went to the Rose Garden section. Once Kayla and Linus saw each other they definitely loved each other’s look.
As I mentioned already, every piece of property in Morris Arboretum was such a perfect backdrop for wedding photos. We definitely enjoyed the gorgeous steps, cute benches, old big trees, water fountains and everything that we basically saw there.
And then it was time to go the wedding ceremony and we picked up and sadly left this gorgeous place.
Wedding Ceremony at Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting House
Soon after Kayla and Linus arrived, the wedding ceremony started. Heartfelt, warm, emotional with lots of personalisation, the wedding ceremony was carefully crafted by the family beloved officiant Keith.
And they are officially married now! A full wedding photo was just the right thing to do after such a cozy wedding ceremony.
And this lovely candid moment of Kayla walking with her grandpa could be my favorite photo of the day!
Morris Arboretum Wedding Portraits
And once we arrived back at Morris Arboretum all the fun began! Family photos (can be seen in the slideshow at the bottom of the blog post), bridal party photos and friend photos were all completed and then I saw a real set of personalities :). Most of the bridal party attended the same college and went to the same fencing class so the idea came kind of naturally, why not fence with the bridesmaid’s bouquets :D?! This absolutely worked for this awesome group of groomsmen!
And the girls!!!!!!! I can’t even say enough good words about this group of bridesmaids. They were gorgeous wearing their mismatched purple gowns, and after seeing their version of ‘Bridesmaids’ photo pose, I am determined to finally watch this movie and check it off my professional to-do list :). And yes, they were sweet, fun and amazingly great!
And yes, the light was perfect just like this group of beautiful ladies!
And then we let the ladies go and enjoy the cocktail hour and we grad a few more portraits of Kayla and Linus with this perfect sunset light.
Apparently the cocktail hour at Morris Arboretum is held at the most hip and unconventional location – a tree house!!! Yes, I loved it there!
Morris Arboretum Wedding Reception
The decoration of the wedding reception was personalised just like everything else at this wedding! The place cards had a little handmade charm attached to it so that every guest had their name on a small beaded bracelet. Beautiful cake was a joy for the eyes. And all the purple decorations were perfectly filling the wedding reception space.
Kayla and Linus had their first dance and then the fun was started. Extremely funny and detail filled toasts let everyone to get to know these people a little more. Guests enjoyed themselves and Kayla and Linus definitely had a day of their lives!!!
And we even had a chance to sneak out for a few night time photos. The tunnel to a tree house at Morris Arboretum is just something amazing with a little bit of off-camera-flash. And well, Kayla and Linus is of course the best part of the photo :).
Such an amazing day and a wonderful celebration for these two great people!!! Congrats guys and God bless you in everything!
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All images are copyrighted to Yana Shellman – fun, sweet, energetic photographer serving as a South Jersey and Philadelphia Wedding Photographer. She adores photography that shows natural and loving relationship of people. Clear instruction, genuine laughter, and long-lasting sweet memories is what you will get with Yana as your wedding photographer.
http://www.yanashellmanphotography.com
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If you have questions or would like Yana to record your special event, please drop Yana a note at yana@yanashellman.com or contact her through the contact form.