MY ACCOUNT
Checkout
Courses + Products
SHOP

Weddings

Alex + Nikki

filed in:

backyard wedding virginia

this post for HOURS. Every time I blog a wedding I tell myself “narrow down your images Katelyn! You can’t blog them all!”.  I’m seriously trying to work on it. I’ve found a little trick that is helping me blog fewer images but I’ll share that later on the in post! So this past weekend was my first double wedding weekend of the year! Whew! My feet are still recovering! However, I have never felt more loved than I did at these two weddings.  So many guests and family members were so encouraging and very excited to see these images! That’s so amazing for me. It’s a great reminder that what I am doing is such a huge part of the wedding day

and these images are such a gift to my couples.  Alex and Nikki are amazing people. I loved them every since their engagement session back in the fall with their dogs! I got a little peek into their life and I knew as I left downtown Richmond that day, that their wedding was going to be wonderful.  Alex is one of the friendliest guys I have ever met and he can make ANYONE laugh and Nikki is the type of girl that you meet and immediately wish she was your best friend!  They were married this past Saturday and their backyard wedding was ACTUALLY held in the FRONT yard of Nikki’s parent’s home in Goochland, Virginia. (loved it! Of course, I’m a little partial to having weddings in the backyard:) The wooden chairs were lined up perfectly and the trees were just large enough to cover all of the rows with shade.  It looked perfect… until the thunder rolled in. We hurried  through bridal party pictures and then ran inside to wait out the storm. After 45 minutes of nervous pacing and radar watching, the clouds cleared and the sun was shining. Guests grabbed towels and started wiping down chairs. Their ceremony was so beautiful and the rain helped diminish the heat! As Alex and Nikki vowed to be best friends for a lifetime and to always put each other first, I snapped away and was reminded of how awesome it is to be surrounded by ALL of the people that love you most. Weddings are such a crazy experience. There is nothing like it. As a bride and groom, you feel so LOVED and everything is just perfect… even in the rain.

.

Alex and Nikki, from the First Look to climbing on top hay bails at your reception…. I had a blast with you guys. I’m so grateful that I had the chance to work with you and get to know both of you. What an amazing couple you are!! Enjoy your honeymoon and I can’t wait to show you ALL of these images!! Congratulations!!!

 

virginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingI SO wish I had been wearing TOMS on Saturday! Nikki, you’re a smart bride!

toms wedding shoes

virginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingvirginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingvirginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingvirginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingvirginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingvirginia wedding photographer purple weddingvirginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-wedding

 

virginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-wedding

 

 

 

 

virginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-wedding

 

There he is! He pulls off a tux really well! Super classy.

virginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingvirginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-wedding

I have figured out that if I do “triple” image displays, I can show MORE images!! So let me know what you think of them. If they’re really not cool, just let me know.:) LOVED their first look! Alex’s reaction was priceless!

virginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingThat pic on the right is the “Whew! Girl you look GOOD!” expression from Alex.

virginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingThose charms on Nikki’s bouquet have pictures of grandparents inside!

virginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-wedding

 

virginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingvirginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingI seriously can’t get enough of these! Nikki and Alex, you’re wonderful!

virginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingget it girl!!!!

virginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingvirginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingvirginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-wedding

Gahh!!! Is it weird that I want this hanging in my house?

Ya’ll are killing me! Probably one of the most genuine images I’ve ever shot.

virginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingvirginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingAlex, WOW! Your model face is impressive. It’s gotten more intense since the e-session!

Nikki my dear, there are no words….

virginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-wedding

virginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingvirginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingvirginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingvirginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingEveryone in this bridal party is on my “I owe you one” list!  The rain was starting and we had about 4minutes until the downpour and they made it happen!

virginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-wedding

virginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingbackyard wedding

Ceremony location in the front yard:)

virginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingAfter the rain stopped, the ceremony began and it was perfect in every way…. even the light was awesome!

virginia-wedding-photographer-handmade-weddingbackyard weddingNikki this is going to sounds so incredibly cheesy… but you looked like an angel… you were like, GLOWING!

backyard weddingbackyard weddingMarried!!! and super excited about it!

backyard weddingbackyard weddingbackyard weddinghow cute are these two?!

backyard wedding

backyard weddingLove this!!!

backyard weddingMost of the centerpieces were potted plants! Such a great idea!

eco wedding centerpieceseco wedding centerpiecesgreen wedding centerpiecesgreen wedding centerpiecesTheir guests received “Seed Bombs” in the shape of a heart and included instructions on how to make them grow.

green wedding favorsgreen wedding centerpiecesCookie bar! There were different cookies made by different family members and friends. Nikki made recipe booklets that had recipes for all of the cookies on display!

green wedding centerpieceswedding cookie barOne of my favorite cake toppers…

wedding cookie barIf you’ve been following the blog for a while and STILL don’t know who these two are…. something is wrong!! Loved having Jared and Lauryn there!! Jared MADE the Mr&Mrs signs and the cake topper!

wooden bird cake topperIt wasn’t easy getting up there…. It was worth it guys!!!

I know I show so many PORTRAITS… it’s my favorite part of the whole day! However, there are so many other images that I skip sometimes. I’ll try to get better at posting more images like this:

.

VIEW MORE OF ALEX AND NIKKI’S BACKYARD WEDDING HERE!

.

FLOWERS | Louisa Flower Shop

DRESS | Bella Rosa

VENUE | The Melton Home! Business in the front, party in the back:)

DJ | Choice Entertainment

BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES | JCrew

INVITATIONS | Etsy

FAVORS | Seed Hearts from Etsy

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading!

— Katelyn

Kelly Sea & Katelyn James

Ep. 34 | How She is Booking 90+ Weddings a Year And staying sane while doing it!

Kelly is an incredible wedding photographer who has been shooting 90 weddings a year. I know, it sounds unbelievable, but it’s true! Kelly’s success and the volume of work she handles is truly impressive.

READ MORE
The Katelyn James Podcast

Your sessions should be working FOR you not against you!

Free Posing Class
READ MORE

Free Posing Class The KJ Way

Education
Manual Mode Made Easy

Mastering Manual Mode The Simple Way!

Shooting in manual mode might seem complex and overwhelming at first but there is an easier way!

READ MORE
Youtube
Lightroom Classic Beginner Guide

Lightroom Classic Starter Guide Everything You Need to Get Started!

Welcome to your Lightroom Classic Starter Guide video!

READ MORE
Youtube

I’m breaking down the MUST-HAVE ITEMS that every photographer needs to be successful at the start of their career! 

5 Essentials to Turn Pro
READ MORE

5 Essentials Beginners Need to Go Pro and make your photography business a success!

Youtube

Danny + Megan A Biltmore Estate Wedding

Oh where do I begin? This wasn’t just another wedding for me. This was a legacy KJ Wedding and I have been looking forward to it ever since my first email from Danny and Megan!

READ MORE
Weddings

READER FAVORITES

"Best money I have EVER spent on education! ... and I've spent a lot!”

- Kara Abbey, ALL-ACCESS MEMBER

"I love all the lessons I'm learning from KJ All Access! Thanks Katelyn!”

- Shannon Drummond, ALL-ACCESS MEMBER

"I find very few educational resources worth it ... this one is!”

- Kate gansneder, ALL-ACCESS MEMBER

"Recently signed up for KJ All Access and it's EVERYTHING!”

- Kassidy Mowery, ALL-ACCESS MEMBER

"Being able to see behind-the-scenes of Katelyn interacting with her clients has been SO impactful!”

- Angie mcpherson, ALL-ACCESS MEMBER

"Recently signed up for KJ All Access and it's EVERYTHING!”

- Kassidy Mowery, ALL-ACCESS MEMBER

"SO worth it! It's amazing the amount of knowledge you get out of them!”

- Brittany Lowe, ALl ACCESS MEMBER

"I learned just as much in one All Access as I did in a whole course! SO GOOD!"

- Joanna Krueger, ALL-ACCESS MEMBER
10 Steps to Starting Your Photography Business
Helping a friend survive a season of Infant Loss
How to photograph a first look in Harsh Light
OUR KJ COUPLES REUNION
A Lake Como Destination Wedding - Greg and Kate
A Letter to the Go-Getters fearful of Motherhood

The KJ blog
must-reads

The KJ Blog is where you get to know me, where you meet our KJ Couples and see their beautiful wedding days, where I have been building an archive of education for over a decade and where I let you see a peek into our life, our home, and hear about our purpose! 
don't miss the
Arrow KJ
Arrow KJ
Arrow KJ
Arrow KJ
Arrow KJ
Arrow KJ

YOUTUBE

Join 93,000+ others and learn, grow and get connected via our Youtube Channel! This is where I'm constantly sharing new content, talking all things gear, business, tips, tricks and letting you into the behind-the-scenes of our everyday life! 
MORE FREE EDUCATION + CUTE BABIES ON
WATCH NOW

"I have invested in all of KJ’s education!

The way she teaches makes so much sense and I’m so grateful for her! My business will be forever changed!"

- Renee Nicolo

"KJ education has been life-changing

 It has elevated my work so I could quit my day job and work from home with our baby boy!"

- joanna k.

"I'VE INVESTED IN SO MANY RESOURCES... 

and none compare to what I get from KJ!"

- LAUREN M.