She emailed me a few weeks before the big day and her email had a few less exclamation marks than the one before. Courtney reminded me of a few last minute details for her wedding day and then proceeded to share that the LPGA Tournament was going to be happening at Kingsmill the same day as her wedding. What are the chances?! But because she’s Courtney, her tone was still upbeat and what she shared next completely melted my heart. She explained that even though the tournament wasn’t ideal, she had no doubt in her mind that we would take care of it and that her wedding day images would show no trace of the thousands of golf fans roaming the property that day. She trusted us completely and that’s PRICELESS for a wedding photographer to hear. I kept telling her, “Courtney, girl you are a dream bride!!” and it was so true. Between her love for southern details and her gorgeous smile, I was heaven!
Everything about Jared and Courtney’s big day was spectacular! I loved every minute of it… but the show stopper was the surprise fireworks show that happened during the reception. Only about 5 people knew about it and so everyone was shocked!! What an amazing and unforgettable event!!
One of my favorite parts of Jared and Courtney’s story is that they met in a class at William and Mary and the professor of that class was AT THE WEDDING! It was so cute! He even joined in for the W&M group photo at the end of the evening! Throughout the day, I loved watching Jared and Courtney enjoy seeing their day unfold. It’s always exciting to see someone’s dreams coming true. Courtney walked into their reception for the first time and was just in awe of all that her vendors had done. We had a very talented team working alongside of us and we loved every minute of it!
Jared and Courtney, I know you are about to fly out to Jamaica and my goal is to get this up before your plane departs so that you relive your wedding day over and over again as you travel to your tropical honeymoon destination! Enjoy your time away! You two are such an amazing couple. The more I look at your images, the more I see your love for one another and that makes me so happy!! Congratulations you two! Michael and I are so excited for you and this new season of life! Enjoy your blog post!! :) xoxoxo
I had a BALL shooting all of these details! 
I’ve loved Courtney’s ring since her engagement session!!
Seriously, there were more monograms at this wedding than I’ve seen in a lifetime! And I’m thinking I may need my own version of these custom Jack Rogers!
I’m not a huge garter fan… I just never see many that I love but I adore this one!!
Perfect hair!
Annnnd she got diamonds!! Jared surprised her with a second wedding band!
And Jared got an awesome new watch! 
Oh Courtney you’re radiant!!! 
So gorgeous!!!
The sweetest first look!
I love looking through images after the wedding day and finding shots like this one…
This couldn’t have been more perfect! 
LOVE Michael’s angle!!
Such a joyful portrait… I think I said something along the lines of “You’re getting married in ONE HOUR!!” right before I took this! ;)
Wowww! Looking good bridal party! 
Oh this foyer…. it was a dream!!
Cutie! 
MARRIED!!!!
Her grandparent’s wedding rings were tied to her bouquet:)
Loved this Ombre place setting display!!
Courtney seeing her reception for the first time :) 
It was gorgeous! 
Believe it or not, this is a cake…. a red velvet cake! The groom has a thing for Chipotle!!
YAY! Firework time!
Congratulations you two!!
Ceremony | Kingsmill Resort
Reception | Kingsmill Resort
Florists | Aleen Floral Design
Dress | Hannelore’s of Olde Town
Dress Designer | Lazaro
Bridesmaids | JCrew
Groomsmen | Men’s Warehouse
Band | The Jangling Reinharts
Videographer | Breakaway Frames
Coordinator | Brittany Richardson
Hair | Chelsea Styles
Makeup | Kristine Marie French
Invitations | Jacobson Fine Papers
Favors | Monogram Cookie
Cake | Pastry Chef at Kingsmill
Grooms Cake | Pastry Chef at Kingsmill
Catering | Kingsmill
Fireworks | Virginia Sky Painters
String Quartet | Fitz Pro Musicians
Thanks for reading!
— Katelyn
MORE RECENT POSTS
As a professional photographer, I’ve had the privilege of capturing countless family portraits over the years. Each session presents a unique set of challenges, from managing energetic children to finding the perfect backdrops.
As a photographer, I’ve often found myself in situations where the location seemed lackluster or uninspiring. It’s easy to get caught up in the pursuit of the perfect setting, but the reality is that we don’t always have the luxury of shooting in the most visually stunning locations.
We rescheduled this shoot with the Smith family once because of a threat of rain. It wasn’t a totally horrible forecast but if there’s one thing that I learned about Colleen when I photographed her wedding, it’s that she loves the GLOW!
What’s better than doing a family session for one KJ couple? Photographing TWO and adding in Nonna and Grandpa!
As a professional wedding photographer, I’ve encountered my fair share of editing challenges on the job.
Have you ever closed out of Lightroom unhappy with the end result?
Top Personal Posts
Have a little time to read?
"Best money I have EVER spent on education! ... and I've spent a lot!”
"I love all the lessons I'm learning from KJ All Access! Thanks Katelyn!”
"I find very few educational resources worth it ... this one is!”
"Being able to see behind-the-scenes of Katelyn interacting with her clients has been SO impactful!”
"SO worth it! It's amazing the amount of knowledge you get out of them!”
"I learned just as much in one All Access as I did in a whole course! SO GOOD!"
The KJ blog
must-reads
YOUTUBE
The KJ Learning roadmap
