Slate & Red Doe Lake Wedding | Ericka & Brandon

I met with Ericka & Brandon over two years before their Doe Lake wedding – so this day was much anticipated! Ultimately, it was the perfect day for them. They overcame obstacles with grace and ease, setting the perfect example for how they will handle marriage. Hurricane Irma did some serious damage to the tree-covered Doe Lake Campground. So when these two got the dreaded call that they may have to relocate their entire wedding they quickly sprang into action finding a “Plan B.” Luckily the venue was fixed up just in time for their big day. Ericka’s expert advice for brides planning now was:

Try to plan time like 10 minutes to get away, just the two of you before the reception, the day flies by! Also, don’t sweat the small stuff …when it comes down to it the only thing that matters is your marrying the person you love.

Amen to that sister. The rain held off, giving them a stunning lakeside ceremony, and then they danced the night away with their closest family and friends – I call that a perfect success.

First look happy tears. ♥
When asked about their favorite moments of the day, both of them said the first look! We hear this so often. Couples are usually pretty unsure at first, but always thankful they decided to take part in this new tradition.

Brandon said,

In all honesty I was skeptical about the first look. I tend to stick to tradition when it comes to things such as our wedding, but when I heard her speak my name, I lost all consciousness of time and completely forgot where I was. Then I turned around and remember my legs shaking, my heart pounding, and I couldn’t utter a word. Nothing could describe how beautiful she looked. It was the single happiest moment of my life, and what made it even better, I knew I was going to marry this woman.

That little ring barer on the left fractured his tibia weeks before the wedding, but that didn’t stop him from riding down the aisle in style. Brandon made the signs for the flowergirls. His youngest neice used to call him Uncle Bae because she couln’t pronounce Brandon. So darn cute.

I learned at their engagement session that nose kisses are a special thing for Brandon & Ericka, now I see why. :)

The way couples look at each other during their ceremony is one of my favorite things, ever!