Natalie and Jake’s wedding was awesome for so many different reasons. The setting, overlooking Priest Lake, was gorgeous. The ceremony was filled with personal touches, such as the children bringing Natalie flowers and the guests taking part in the vows. The ceremony was tender and heart-felt, the highlight perhaps being when Jake sang “The First Day of My Life” to Natalie. (And the bonus was the bald eagle gliding overhead.)
They extended the personal touches to the reception. Natalie and Jake have traveled the world together, and lived together overseas, so each table was marked with a flag of a country they had traveled to. And they incorporated wedding traditions from different cultures, including a flower-lantern ceremony on the water.
I had been looking forward to their wedding for personal reasons, too. For one, I had photographed their engagement session, and watched them a bit via facebook as they finished their teaching in Viet Nam, so knew they were fun, bright people, and I looked forward to seeing them again. Secondly, their wedding was the first where I would be joined by my new partner, Eric Ashley, in addition to our assistant Deborah.
Above all else, what made the day awesome was Natalie and Jake. Their warmth and generosity set the tone for the entire day, and their kindness and compassion was reflected back to them from their family and friends. Most of all, their love and support for each other was evident in everything they did. If this was the first day of their lives, then it couldn’t have gotten off to a more perfect start. Click here for a gallery of Natalie and Jake’s wedding.
