Jessi and Chris - Moody Autumn Wedding
On the perfect, overcast, fall morning Danielle and I drove through the winding roads from Madison, Georgia making our way to Milledgeville, Georgia for the wedding of Jessi and Chris. The leaves were the perfect shades of orange, auburn and gold with the last little hint of green leaving the trees. Traveling just hits differently in the fall! First up, coffee. And when in Milledgeville, the only place to go was Blackbird Coffee! For me, this was a first but for Danielle it was her old tried and true place from her days at Georgia College.
With delicious Maple Lattes in tow, we made our way to O’Quinn Mill! Immediately we were in awe of this rustic old farmhouse and mill turned wedding venue. Even though the decor was only partially done when we got there, I knew it would be the perfect, intimate and down to earth location and ceremony for our sweet couple. Danille had taken their engagement photos in a field with donkeys and horses roaming that was so dreamy and whimsical so I knew we would be in for a treat with this location!
We walked up the stairs of the old farm house and met Jessi, our bride, and her maid of honor, Shea, in halloween pajamas in honor of the wedding taking place on October 30, 2021. Jessi and Chris had planned on getting married on actual halloween last year but due to Covid had to postpone their wedding nuptials. Jessi loves halloween and she and her mom had worked tirelessly to create decor, signage and favors that gave an homage to the spooky holiday!
From the amount of family scurrying around to transform this rustic farmhouse into the perfect autumnal, moody ceremony and reception venue, you can tell that Chris and Jessi are so loved by their families. Danielle and I explored the venue planning where bridal portraits, family photos and the first look between the bride and her father would be best due to lighting and the backgrounds. And let me tell you, the original shiplap wall and paned windows just adds something special to those intimate bridal portraits. So dreamy.
Jessi, maid of honor, sister-in-law and the most adorable niece laughed, shared stories and enjoyed each other's company while doing makeup and getting their hair done. Shortly after arriving, Chick Fila arrived to feed all that were a part of this DIY wedding and everyone knows that Chick Fila is the Lord’s chicken and therefore the day was even more blessed than it had been before!
While Jessi was getting her hair done, Danielle and I were able to get a sneak peak of Jessi’s wedding dress and it was breathtaking!!
The detail of the long sleeves with lace and little hints of sparkle was absolutely perfect for this wedding in the South during the fall. Jessi had taken so much time to make sure that every detail was meaningful to her and Chris. For her wedding shoes, instead of the traditional lace pump and gold heels, our bride chose sparkling keds that represented her personality so well! During this time, I also got to meet Chris, the groom, for the first time and you could tell he was just giddy with excitement at the prospect of marrying his fiance in just a few hours. This sweet couple had been dating for six years so they were pretty excited to take the next step and become man and wife!
Once Jessi was ready to go, she slipped into her gorgeous, long sleeve dress and gave us the dreamiest, moodiest, classic bridal portraits I have ever seen! The overcast lighting of this day was absolutely perfect for creating the prettiest lighting! Future brides, please don’t stress if your wedding day is not bright and sunny...cloud coverage makes the best lighting for natural photos! Plus, don’t they say that it is good luck for it to rain on your wedding day? Luckily we didn’t have actual rain on this day, but I am going to say that cloud coverage is also good luck! A special moment was also captured by Danielle, the mother of the bride placing a necklace that once belonged to her grandmother around Jessi’s neck in memory of her grandmother. Jessi would be guided by her loved ones as she began her life with her husband.
Next, we had to tuck Chris and his groomsmen away while we swept our bride down the stairs and outside for the first look with her father. Chris and Jessi chose to save their first look until the ceremony and let me tell you, that moment was so sweet. But more on that later! Jessi’s father stood there with his back to Jessi waiting for her to tell him to turn around. When Jessi was ready, he turned around and his breath was taken away by his daughter in her wedding dress just moments away from marrying the man of her dreams. With tears in his eyes, he and Jessi embraced and had a special moment between the two of them. During all of this, Danielle is capturing every moment for memories to be cherished as well as her husband, Ben, who was also her second shooter!
After dabbing the tears away, the farmhouse exterior walls created the perfect backdrop for our family photos. With family members embracing and oohing and awing over our bride and groom (separately though because they still haven’t seen each other!) Danielle and Ben are able to capture every moment. Then, Jessi and her maid of honor go back upstairs into the house and wait for the guests to arrive and the wedding to begin!
Once family and friends had gathered in front of the whimsical, moody arbor draped with black and deep purple tulle and gorgeous florals, the groom took his place by the officiant, awaiting his bride! The music changed, the door opened and there she was--escorted by her father--a vision in lace and sparkle, Jessi made her way down the aisle. When Chris saw his soon-to-be wife, his breath was taken away and his best man made sure his knees weren’t locked! On this perfect, fall, crisp afternoon at O’Quinns Mill, Jessi and Chris tied the knot and became Mr. and Mrs. Blount!
Directly after the wedding, Danielle and Ben took photos of the family and friends with the newlyweds! From aunts and uncles, to siblings, to grandmothers to the cutest little niece in the world, The Blounts were surrounded by their loved ones.
While family and friends headed to the reception, Jessi and Chris headed over to the old mill and beautiful outlook over the river that was across the stress and that golden hour was *chef’s kiss*. While our newlyweds stared into each other's eyes, we got to capture these first few moments of them being husband and wife and those photos will forever be special.
Lastly, we ended our night at the reception where everyone enjoyed delicious food, specialty cakes and the personalized favors and treats! Every little detail was perfect--from the hand made, by the bride herself, chocolate mints with the sticker on them titled as “Mint to Be” and the personalized coffee sleeve that said “Jessi and Chris- October, 30, 2021-The Perfect Blend”. This reception had some many DIY, personalized details that were important to Jessi and Chris and that represented their personality! I love how intentional they were in planning their reception.
We ended the night by photographing the sweetest speech from the Father of the Bride and a toast to the happy couple!! What a beautiful day we had with this sweet family. This was my first time being on this side of the camera with Danielle and Ben of Perspective Photography and I am hooked! There is something special about capturing the once in a lifetime moments. Thank you, Jessi and Chris, for sharing your day with us!
