Andy and Laura Gress met after Laura burst into laughter when Andy tripped while walking toward her. You know…one of those “this should be in a movie” kind-of scenes. Their first date was at a drive-in and Andy first confessed his love to her while they were on a college spring break trip in North Carolina with their close friends. Their love story could give Nicholas Sparks some serious inspiration. The two college-sweethearts married at Rolling Meadows Ranch last July, and a year later, they came back to that same place to remember their commitment. As photographers, Monica and I believe in documenting every season of life, whether it’s the engagement, the wedding day or an anniversary. We couldn’t think of a more perfect couple to join our styled shoot than Laura and Andy, as they celebrate their first year of marriage.  

In the spirit of community over competition, Monica and I had a dream that not only included Laura and Andy, but also 15 other incredibly talented local vendors. We wanted to create a space that encouraged a variety of creatives to come together to participate in something romantic, filled with thoughtful details, warm colors and delicate flowers. The best part? We invited 10 more photographers to photograph it with us! Monica and I absolutely loved connecting with so many local vendors and photographers in our area.

For this romantic wedding shoot, we had a variety of features but two of the main focuses were the 6-foot calligraphy vows by Ivory House Creative and the Sovereign Suite (Something Old Dayton’s curated getting ready Airstream). When planning, Monica and I knew we wanted to focus on meaningful and handcrafted features. What better way for Andy and Laura to showcase their lifelong commitment to each other than having their vows printing on a full size sheet so even her sweet grandma could see it from the end of the isle? Monica and I immediately fell in love with the Sovereign Suite for Laura and her bridesmaids to get ready in. The eclectic toasting glasses, seats and pillows that make you feel like you’re floating on a cloud, and the beautiful windows would have any bride-to-be daydreaming of her mobile suite.

The jewelry Laura and her bridesmaids wore were hand-pressed flower necklaces and druzy studs handcrafted by Rachel Keppeler Designs. Laura’s bridesmaids and best friends, Madison and Lindsay, were stunning in their blush pink dresses. Madison met Laura at college orientation and when they found out they dated the same guy in 6th grade, they were instant friends. Lindsay met Laura in the sub line freshman year of college. We loved hearing all their silly and sweet memories of Laura and Andy throughout the shoot. Madison said, “as her best friend and bride-to-be myself, it’s so cool to see how open and honest Andy and Laura are about marriage. It’s not easy and it’s not perfect. But it is so good and so worth it. I’ve seen them both change for the better during their first year together. I’m excited to keep watching where they go with their ministry and as they continue to change the places they go.” This couple is deeply loved and we so enjoyed incorporating details that reflected their personalities!

Our stylist, Mari, from Something Old Dayton, handmade Laura’s ring boxes. Mari also painted a blue floral watercolor background (Andy’s favorite color!) that we incorporated into the invitation suite and detail shots. We broke out grandpa’s stamp collection for the invitation suite and the one of the wedding rings featured was a combination of the bride’s deceased mom and grandmother’s rings. If that doesn’t have you tearing up, then take a look at the mouth-watering chocolate cupcakes, drizzled cakes, strawberry cheesecake and lemon macarons, or glazed donuts. Our blood sugar DEFINITELY increased after we made our way to the dessert bar! One of the participants was on the whole30 and you could see a little tear in her eye when she saw the bar (don’t fret- she took some cake home and froze it to eat later!). We might as well make your nose tingle while we’re at it! State and Arrow Co. outdid themselves on the floral arrangements as they seamlessly executed our vision of a floral arch, fireplace installation, and bridal bouquet. Our noses were in heaven as we smelled the sweet aroma of each flower.  It was so much fun to watch our vendors in their element as they created beautiful pieces of art with the florals. When we needed some more fillers, they went outside and cut down some twigs and branches – who knew twigs and branches could transform it into a magical archway? We cannot say enough about all the hardwork and talent each vendor contributed!

It was an absolute privilege capturing the creative work of  our vendors and sharing the experience with the 10 participating photographers. It’s been so fun to watch and hear about how the photographers have stayed in contact with each other because that’s really what this is all about. We rise by lifting others, and this event couldn’t have been a better example of that. If you are interested in being the first to know all the juicy details about the 2nd Phellowship, make sure you sign up here! It’s going to be on December 2nd, and will be bigger and better than ever before. We can’t wait for you to experience community in a whole new way. I hope you enjoy some of my favorites from Phellowship!!

FRIENDORS:

Photographer & Event Planner: Kelsie Lynn Photography

Photographer & Event Planner: Monica Brown Photography

Venue: Rolling Meadows Ranch

Stylist and Rentals: Something Old Dayton

Florist: State & Arrow Design Co.

Calligrapher: Ivory house creative

Macarons: Michelle’s Macarons

Jewelry: Rachel Keppeler Designs

Hair and Makeup: Elya Myers | Sweetly Pinned Hair

Table Runners: Party Crush Studio

Cake: Stone House Sweets

Bridesmaid Dresses: Memories Bridal

Cupcakes : The Cake Shop

Donuts: The Donut Shop

Ribbon: Lesser Bear

Bride Model: Laura Gress

Groom Model: Andy Gress

Bridesmaid Model: Madison Zurawski

Bridesmaid Model: Lindsay Spragg

If you LOVED this and want to be a part of the next Phellowship, make sure you sign up for the email list to be the first to know ALLLLL of the details and when registration goes LIVE! Encourage your photography friends to sign up for updates as well!