Bride and Groom portraits by Alyssa Parker Photography

Sammy and Nikki were married on May 27th at Blissful Meadows Gold Club. This adorable venue is family owned by Jean and Gordon Bliss, and their 7 kids help operate Blissful Meadows. The Bliss family takes great pride in keeping the grounds well maintained and they were awesome the day of the wedding, making sure everything ran smoothly. Jean welcomed us when we arrived and showed us around so we could find the best locations for photos. The staff worked very quickly with a backup plan when it started to rain before the ceremony, which was supposed to be outside. Later on, during the reception, Gordon brought a popcorn maker so guest could enjoy a late night snack.

After my second photographer, Sarah Surette, and I scoped out the grounds, we joined the girls and guys, who were getting ready at the venue in separate rooms, to capture candid moments of everyone excitingly getting ready. At this time, we also took photos of one of my favorite things – the details! I think it so important to capture all the small details; rings, flowers, jewelry, shoes, the dress, etc. Having been a bride myself, I know how much times goes into picking out every detail, so in my eyes, these are important to capture!

Then, we brought Nikki and her bridesmaids out for formals photos and then Sammy and his groomsmen out for formals…and funny photos. It was a little chilly outside, so breaking the portraits up instead of having everyone outside and waiting their turn allowed everyone to have a break from the cold for a bit.

Sammy and Nikki wanted to do a first look so that they could enjoy their cocktail hour and greet guests. So, we placed Sammy at the end of a walkway and had him wait for Nikki to come out and tap him on the shoulder. Their families watched from the balcony above, taking photos and tearing up. It was such a beautiful moment. Right after this, Sammy and Nikki’s siblings came over and hugged them and more tears of joy were shed by all.... yes, even me.

We had the entire wedding party join us for formals photos and this group was so much fun and the best at laughing photos! After portraits of the entire group, we spent a little time with just the bride and groom before it started raining. Portraits of Sammy and Nikki did get cut a little short, but I was really happy with the number of images we captured, and I was hopeful that the rain would stop later on in the day so we could get a few more images of the two of them, which it did, during dinner, and I love the photos we were able to capture and Nikki and Sammy were glad to step out for some fresh air. Sarah and I used that time before the ceremony to capture the reception details before guests arrived, since the ceremony would be moved to this space because of the rain.

Nikki and Sammy had a short but sweet ceremony in the clubhouse, which is a beautiful barn with high ceilings. Then we did formal family portraits right outside the barn, under the awning, to keep out of the rain. And after that, the celebration began! Nikki and Sammy talked with all their guests and everyone enjoy the appetizers that were going around. Dinner was delicious, and they had fun flavored cupcakes brought in by Frosting and Lace. As I mentioned before, we brought Sammy and Nikki back outside when the rain stopped during dinner and when we went back to the clubhouse it was time for the first dance and parents dance than the dance floor was open and this group of family and friends knew how to get down and have a good time! One of the highlights of the night was the photo booth, run by my amazing husband! Nikki said it was the best decision they made for their wedding, which makes Allan and I so happy to hear! I definitely think it is such a fun thing to have at a wedding and a great “favor” for guest to take home. Oh, and Sammy was particularly fond of the props! He wore an wig and glasses almost the whole night and it was hilarious. I must say, this was an amazing start to my wedding season!

Enjoy the photos of Nikki and Sammy's fun rustic wedding and don't forget to leave a comment! If they get 25 comments on this blog post, they will receive a complimentary 8x10 fine art print of their favorite wedding day image.