A Vaninetti Wedding Weekend
Over the weekend we had the wonderful pleasure of being part of my older brother's wedding weekend. On Friday night we had a rehearsal dinner at Rustler's Rooste, and on Saturday we enjoyed the most beautiful wedding.
I had never heard of Rustler's Rooste before. It was quite the atmosphere. It was definitely an interesting place, but the view wasn't bad at all. It was actually really pretty, and a very nice night out. After the sun went down, we enjoyed hanging out on the balcony. Most of the people attending were on my new sister-in-law's side from out of town. So we really didn't know anyone there. We banded together with my little brother, and enjoyed each other's company for the most part.
The week leading up to all the fun was hectic, but well worth it for the result. Friday night was nice, but Saturday was one of the best moments in time that I could think to be part of. I love weddings as it is, and when it's a wedding in the family it is that much more special. I love that my brother hung out with us at the house beforehand. I thought it was cute that he wanted to be around us all day leading to the big "I Do." We were all preparing for the wedding, talking about the anticipation and excitement and how it all came so fast. Mostly we smiled and laughed and spent genuine time as a family before such a big moment in my brother's life, and that's really special.
It came time to head over to the venue to finish getting ready. As we arrived I thought about how it felt like just yesterday that we were shooting their engagement photos in that same location, and what a privilege that was. You can see the pure joy on each of their faces just being around one another, which is one of my favorite things about doing all of this.
We arrived mid-afternoon and my mom and I went to the Bridal suite. Savannah was getting her hair and makeup done, and she already looked so beautiful. I had the honor of being one of her bridesmaids, so I got to be part of the whole process. Getting into her dress was a process because of all the eyelets, but once she had it on it fit so perfect. There was a moment where she walked over to the mirror, and the train of the dress was laying nicely behind her where I just couldn't help myself from tearing up a little. Savannah looked so stunning, and it hit me that my brother was marrying this beautiful woman, and she would be my new sister.
Then the wedding planner came in and it was time to line up for the ceremony. I was really excited, and it became so real in that moment. I was able to walk down with my younger brother, and we were the first bridesmaid/groomsmen duo to walk. We had the opportunity to see my older brother, and look up at his nervous yet incredibly excited smile first. It was such pure joy. Savannah walking down the aisle brought tears to everyone's eyes, because she was absolutely stunning, and the smile on my brother's face couldn't have been bigger. That moment in any wedding cannot be described. It has to be seen and felt, because there is so much love. The ceremony was short, sweet, and incredibly meaningful for the two of them sharing their love for each other and God.
The reception was so much fun! Our favorite part was probably the photo booth. Photo booths at receptions always sounded like a fun idea, but it is honestly the best idea ever. All of the guests were having a blast with all the props, and there were little print-outs immediately after.
We aren't much for dancing, but we did get a couple in there. There was one fun song, then we ended the night with a slow dance. That balanced it out. We were satisfied with just the two. The food was amazing, the cupcakes were just as tasty, and everything came together beautifully. We sent them off at the end of the night with sparklers and cheers. Altogether an incredible day, and an absolutely beautiful wedding.
Our Engagement!
What I thought was going to be a fun day hiking up north turned into much more with the most wonderful surprise. We drove up to Oak Creek Canyon north of Sedona for a hike on West Fork Trail. This is the trail that we had previously done Rachel and Levi's engagement shoot at, and we thought it was really beautiful.
We wanted to hike all the way in, so that was the plan for the day. We had a wonderful time taking photos of our surroundings and enjoying each other's company. I brought up eating lunch, because it was getting to that time in the day.
Leo being the thoughtful man that he is had prepared a whole picnic! He brought a blanket, and had made sandwiches and salad with some brownies for dessert. After cleaning that up Leo started to set up the camera, which I thought was a little weird, but we had talked about trying to take photos of ourselves. Then he pulled out our journal, which is cuter in context so I will have to go off on a tangent for a second.
He originally gave me the journal for our one year anniversary. It has photos and text of big things we've done together, like when we went to Comic-Con for the first time, or a close family friend's wedding. Anyway he added a few pages that included things like our trip to Disneyland.
On the last page added was a photo of the ring. When I looked up Leo was on one knee with box in hand. I was too excited, so I didn't allow many words to come out of his mouth before I popped up and kissed him. He did get a chance to ask me to marry him, and of course I said yes! There will be a Krom wedding coming soon! Scroll to the bottom for a short video!
Rachel and Levi's Engagement Session
When Nikki and I met up with Rachel to discuss what she wanted for her and Levi's engagement session we became very excited. She had mentioned that they enjoyed hiking and the outdoors, and she wanted to go somewhere up North. An opportunity to photograph a young couple that was clearly in love in one of the most beautiful parts of Arizona? Of course we could get behind that. So we drove up, met with the couple, their adorable little dachshund, and the maid of honor. Once we got to the location and saw them within their surroundings we knew that it was going to turn out perfectly.
