Laid-Back Late Spring Quail Ridge Lodge Wedding

From the Photographer

Brent and Maggie adore each other, and I love that. Every part of their wedding was THEM. They didn’t do anything just because. Every little part of it held meaning for them. Their Quail Ridge Lodge wedding was perfection! I always say that weddings are about people, not things, but they even made the “things” of their wedding about the people. (And major kudos to their brother-in-law on the AMAZING Oreo cake pops. Those are my fave and I may have eaten more than one.)

My favorite moment of the day was watching Brent watch Maggie walk up the aisle. They both looked totally, completely happy.

Your Venue

“We searched a lot of places online and happened to see Quail Ridge Lodge. As soon as we saw it we knew this was the right venue. We booked it before we even visited. We knew we wanted our ceremony outside, and since we both love the outdoors, Quail Ridge looked like the perfect backdrop.”

Décor + Details

“Our decor was handmade, but it all held special meaning for us. Everything from the cake topper (which my parents used at their wedding) to the wreath on the door, made by Brent’s mom. Our parents handmade a lot of the decorations. The centerpieces were made by the bride’s father from a tree at my childhood home. The head table boxes were from a fence at the same house. My mom made my bouquet using flowers and jewelry that was my grandmother’s. Our brother-in-law made the cake pops (which were a huge hit)!

We wanted to keep the details simple yet sentimental as that fits our personalities.”

What She Wore

“My dress was from Robin’s Bridal. I saw it on the rack and decided to try it on even though it was nothing like the style I was wanting. I had tried on 3 or 4 dresses and wasn’t seeing anything I liked. When I tried this dress on I knew immediately it was the one. I walked out to show my bridesmaids and they agreed! It was then I looked at the price and realized it was a sample that was for sale and only $100. It was meant to be.”

The Ceremony

“After the ceremony, we both remarked that it was ‘very us’ and that it couldn’t have been more perfect. We were lucky to have amazing weather after a week of rain and unseasonably cold weather.

Brent was in charge of writing the ceremony. Having our friend perform the ceremony and Brent’s sister do a reading really made it even more meaningful.

We both wrote our own vows and that stands out as the most special part of the ceremony. Being surrounded by those we love most in a beautiful setting made the day perfect.”

Music // Reception // Party

“We always envisioned the reception as a laid-back party that was made up of our closest friends and family. A party where everyone could relax (including us) and hang out and have good food and drinks. We were lucky to have amazing craft beer, thanks to Big Muddy Brewing and Dream Team Brewing, as well as an awesome bartender that kept the drinks coming. There was room to dance and room to enjoy the weather on the deck. As we looked back on the events of the day, we were able to enjoy our reception with those that mean the most to us.”

Your Photographer (that would be me!)

“I can’t say enough good things about your help the day of. Due to your experience with wedding days, you were able to give us great ideas, not only for the photos, but for managing the day and making sure things went smooth. You caught so many great memories for us and managed to even get family photos with the kids with smiles when I was sure they were all going to turn out with the kids crying…lol.

From the moment we saw your portfolio online, we were drawn to the style of photos you took, they were candid, not overly posed and we knew this was the look we wanted. We weren’t disappointed. I remarked to Brent the next morning that I felt like I never saw you at the ceremony or reception. This is a testament to how you were able to get such great shots of our guests and us. We never had to worry whether or not the pictures we wanted were being taken, you moved seamlessly throughout the crowd and got pictures for us that we will treasure forever.”

Advice to Couples Planning Their Wedding

“Elope! Just kidding :) Relax, have fun and take in your day. Brent and I wanted our ceremony and reception to reflect us as a couple and as individuals. A lot of our stuff was DIY which is our style, don’t try to make your day about something that you aren’t. You will constantly think that everything will not be ready for the wedding day. While we had a lot of prep the day before, with the help of our friends and family it became a big party. Also, I learned to just take a deep breath and go with the flow of whatever happens the day of your wedding. Everything that happens that day becomes a memory or story that you will treasure as you both continue through the years.”