After pushing it off time and time again for no reason in particular, Sara and Phil finally decided to plan their wedding day, deciding on a date only four months into the future. As Sara and Phil began their search for wedding venues, Sara was so excited to discover Goggleworks, a popular art center in Reading, PA. An artist herself, Sara described the venue as a simple, yet absolutely gorgeous, blank slate for their reception and ceremony, and being an art center was super special to her.
It was important to the soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. to focus on a more minimalist wedding theme to reflect their own personal styles, while also keeping details simple and energy focused on celebrating love and having a good time with family and friends.
The morning was spent prepping and getting fancy, followed by one of Sara and Phil’s most anticipated moments of the day: their First Look.
The moment Phil saw his bride, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. I began counting the number of times he told her he loved her, but eventually lost count. Sara beamed, as she embraced her almost-husband, sharing whispers and excited kisses.
Winter 2020 was incredibly mild, though it was pretty darn cold on Sara and Phil’s February wedding day. Although I did offer inside options for photos, they were far too in love with the look Googleworks offers outdoors. The backdrop meshes so well with their personalities, so I was thrilled that they were will to brave the chill for a bit!
A common worry couples have is that a First Look automatically means that reaction of seeing each other at the ends of the aisle is lost. Phil saw Sara mere minutes before this photo was taken, proving that there is no guarantee that the moment will be lost.
(side note: I never push for a First Look. The decision is 100% the couple’s)
Phil’s father stepped in as officiant, leaving the couple eager to hear the personal touches he prepared for their ceremony. Dad also constructed the beautiful archway!
Sara and Phil offered great advice for couples planning their weddings:
“Though this certainly won’t be best for all couples, we found it really helpful to keep a lot of decisions between the groom and I. I often found myself overwhelmed by all the input and opinions of others and started concerning myself more with keeping our guests happy than finding ways to throw a great party that was all about celebrating our love.”
Following traditional wedding formalities such as the First Dance and Parent dances (and not-so-traditional additions, such as a pizza buffet served for dinner), the newlyweds snuck away for a few private nighttime photos.
When I first met Sara, she admitted that she didn’t really care much about wedding photos and was only meeting with me because of a suggestion. It’s important to me that I work with couples who place a high value on photography and ordinarily I would suggest we aren’t the best match. In that moment, however, I saw something that Sara didn’t. I listened carefully as she described her wedding and the parts she cared for most. Less than 48 hours after the wedding, I received a long email from Sara, part of it noting:
“I’m definitely one of those brides that didn’t think she cared about photos and now 2 days after the wedding I’m DYING to see everything”
Sara and Phil, it means so much to have been invited to be a part of your day and I, too, am dying for the moment you cozy together and view your photos for the first time!