July 17th, 2021- a day that we long awaited here at Taylor Square! After shooting Samantha’s bridal portraits several months ago, I have been anticipating their big day with lots of excitement. She is beautiful and such an easy bride to work with, so I knew that adding her favorite person to the photos would only give way for more room to make some magic! Their chemistry was truly special to witness, and I am thankful that I got to play a role in documenting a day that they will cherish forever.

Mackenzie

“I always pictured myself getting married with a few friends and family. Of course marrying the love of my life and best friend was my number one priority! I envisioned a small wedding with a simple dress, nothing too extravagant. When I started wedding planning, however, I realized how much fun it could be to splurge a little bit! Getting married is a HUGE deal and I wanted the day to be perfect. I never in a million years would have pictured myself in a ball gown. I was completely against it from the beginning. Even as a little girl, I constantly thought that a ball gown was WAY too much dress. I went dress shopping and the first dress I tried on was a ball gown and I immediately fell in love with it. It felt like fate, falling in love with the very first dress, not to mention it was the exact dress I swore I would never wear on my wedding day. I guess dreams can change once we get older. As a little girl, I never would have imagined my wedding day as it was, but I cannot picture a more perfect day.” – Samantha

“Chase and I met in middle school. I was on the quieter side- I loved to read and keep to myself. On the other hand, Chase was the new kid and EVERYONE was in love with him. I had the most embarrassing crush on him in sixth grade. I remember being in the car rider lane one morning before school and I refused to get out of the car because he was in the car in front of me.” – Samantha

“Over the years, we became great friends and were practically inseparable. Freshman year, we had physical science together and constantly got into trouble for talking. I remember him asking me to go out with him after a home football game and I immediately said yes! I remember so many of our friends making bets on how we wouldn’t last. I am happy to say eight years later they still owe us money.” – Samantha

“Chase and I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Hawaii for our senior spring break in college. My parents gifted us the trip and we were beyond excited! We have always talked about getting married at some point, but never an exact timeline. I told him I would love to take some couple pictures with a local photographer to really capture how beautiful this place we were traveling to was. The morning of the photo session, I remember we were bickering a little bit because he was so nervous on what to wear. Little did I know, he was actually nervous about getting down on one knee. We were in the middle of the photo session when the photographer asked me to turn my back to Chase. I felt like I held this pose forever. When I turned back, my childhood sweetheart was already down on one knee. It was perfect. The most amazing moment of my life. I said yes to the love of my life.” – Samantha

“What surprised me the most about our wedding day was how perfect it all seemed to go. I feel you always hear stories about how stressful and drama-filled weddings can be, but our day included nothing of the sort. We had an amazing day with friends and family. I could not have asked for more. I loved every second of our wedding day.” – Samantha

“My grandmother means the world to me. She is the strongest and sassiest woman I know. I was very thankful she was healthy enough to come to my wedding. The day would not have been the same without her. She gave me a pearl pendant that I pinned to my dress. I also carried a handkerchief from Chase’s great-great-grandmother in my pocket down the aisle. Having these items gave us comfort in knowing the ones we love most were with us during this special day.” – Samantha

“The inspiration for my wedding design was simplicity and elegance. I wanted my wedding to reflect these qualities as they describe who Chase and I are.” – Samantha

“The Park Band was incredible- It felt like we were at a concert. Everyone absolutely loved them! They were so friendly and played some amazing music. I am definitely biased, but Mackenzie Rue with Taylor Square Photography made our day 100% better. She is hilarious and makes you feel so comfortable when taking pictures! She did both my bridal portraits and wedding day pictures and I am obsessed with them both. She is amazing! All of our vendors were great and deserve a shoutout.” – Samantha

“Our wedding was made special by the people surrounding us and celebrating one of the most significant days in our lives. I am known for worrying and stressing about literally everything. However, I spent my wedding day enjoying every single detail of every single moment. I felt extremely blessed and humbled to share this day with everyone. Another special moment that I will cherish was Chase’s grandfather, better known as Pop, celebrated his birthday on the same day. We had a birthday cake for him and we all sang happy birthday during the reception. I think it was pretty special to share such an amazing day with our close friends and family. I really loved how everyone around us seemed to be more nervous than Chase and I. It helped solidify everything I already knew, that this was my perfect person.” – Samantha

“The best advice I received as a bride was to just take in every moment with a clear mind and to not stress about the little things. Nothing is ever going to be perfect, but going in with the right attitude makes the whole process go by smoother. I had the most perfect day because I knew at the end of it, I was getting to marry my best friend.” –
Samantha

“The best advice I could give to future brides is to make sure you are always going into everything you do with the support of your partner. I wanted to make sure this day represented both of us. Chase’s opinion was just as important as mine during the planning process. I truly believe this strengthened our relationship as a couple. Another piece of advice is to simply enjoy your wedding day! It is a chaotic and exciting day, but make sure you are taking time to really take in the tremendous step you and your fiance are taking. Our coordinator was absolutely amazing and she made sure that Chase and I had a few minutes to ourselves so we could eat dinner together (just the two of us). That is definitely something I recommend all brides do! It was so sweet to have some private time with no one staring at us- a time for us to enjoy each other and just catch our breath.” – Samantha

Lead Photographer: Mackenzie Rue | Second Shooter: Taylor Knight | Ceremony Dress: Low’s Bridal | Reception Dress: David’s Bridal | Bridesmaids Dresses: Revelry Bridesmaids | Groom’s Tux: Suit Supply | Groomsmen’s Tuxes: The Black Tux | Bride’s Cake: Alice Chow Cakes | Groom’s Cake: The Cakery | Venue: The Jefferson | Coordinator: Emily Schrimsher | Flowers: Oxford Floral | Invitations: Shine Wedding Invitations | Rentals: Details Rentals | Band: The Park Band | Rehearsal Venue: The Jefferson | Videographer: Tommy Kirkpatrick Videography | Caterer: Elizabeth Heiskell Catering | Hair: Karissa Dickerson | Makeup: Caitlin McGill