Lake Receptions Wedding | Brooke & Shelby

Brooke and Shelby had the perfect Florida day for a wedding…some heat and humidity, a little rain, and a TON of love! These two had just about every curve ball thrown their way when it came to planning their big day, but they handled it all without batting an eyelash. Because of damage from Hurricane Irma, Brooke and Shelby had 8 days to find a new venue for their wedding. Luckily these two are surrounded by some truly incredible friends and family who all came together to help make their dreams a reality. Brooke said it best when asked what advice she had for couples planning their wedding:

“Be ready for anything unexpected to happen but know at the end of the day everything will come together!”

And everything did come together! Brooke and Shelby were so filled with love and joy all day. There was no shortage of laughter and tears, but one thing is for certain. If Brooke and Shelby handle life and their marriage the way they handled having to change their venue with 8 days to spare, life is going to be simply wonderful for them.

Shelby helping his son get dressed to see his daddy get married was one of the cuter moments of the day!

Brooke wasn’t sure if her father would get emotional seeing her in her for the first time, but oh man, when he saw his daughter in that dress, the tears were flowing! It’s always such an honor to be able to capture those kinds of moments for parents as they help usher their children into their new family.

When we were starting to go over all the details for Brooke and Shelby’s big day, they were up in the air about whether or not to do a first look. Shelby was worried it might take away from the emotion of seeing Brooke walk down the aisle, but they decided to go for it anyway. And guess what! The first look ended up being both Brooke and Shelby’s favorite memory of the day! It’s such a powerful thing to see your future spouse for the first time on your wedding day and it’s quite wonderful to be able to share that moment together before you see each other at the ceremony. We are a big fan! Plus these two are just so darn cute together!

The sun made a brief appearance while we were doing some portraits! It’s always nice to get a break from the clouds!

One of the really special moments for us was Shelby seeing his two daughters in their dresses before the ceremony. They wanted it to be a big surprise. It was incredibly emotional for both Shelby and the girls. You can just tell that they adore him so much and are very proud of him. The girls were also wonderfully attentive helping Brooke get ready for the wedding. This new little family is filled with so much love and support already!

Proof that the tears still flow when you see your bride for the first time, even when you do a first look!

The gorgeous wooden arch that Brooke and Shelby exchanged vows under was handmade for them by one of Brooke’s family members.

The new Mr. & Mrs. Brown!

DJ George Davis gettin’ DOWN with the guests! He and their officiant, Anthony Chiocchi, had an epic dance battle near the end of the night.

Like we said before, everyone really came together to help Brooke have her perfect day. Whether it was finding the ultimate wedding coordinator, Chris Marsha at Lake Receptions, or holding Shelby down so she could smash cake in his face, her friends were by her side! ;)