Gruene Estate Wedding: Kelli and James

You know those weddings where everything is absolutely perfect and goes according to plan? Yeah, me neither. Well, until now. Kelli and James’ Gruene Estate wedding was exactly that! But before we get to that…

The Proposal

“James planned a weekend staycation at the Commodore Perry Estate. We had been talking about going there for months so I didn’t think anything of it. He made plans to check in at noon and head to the garden for a lunch picnic. I, being oblivious, decided to go for a run before heading to our weekend getaway. While out, I checked the mail, tried out a new face mask, and took a relaxing shower before packing my bags. Because of this, we arrived an hour late.

Since it was raining out, they moved our picnic into the library. As we were enjoying our lunch, James began talking about our relationship and how much we’ve grown. He then stood up and got down to one knee. It took me by surprise, but it was still the easiest question I have ever had to answer. We enjoyed the rest of the weekend, celebrating together, before slowly reaching out to our family and friends to share the good news!”

Gruene Estate Wedding

It’s been about one year since Kelli and James’ engagement session. And now they’re ready to tie the knot at their Gruene Estate wedding.

Little bridal details, including a piece of Kelli’s mom’s wedding dress sewn into hers using ‘something blue.’

Kelli’s first look with dad:

Because Kelli didn’t do a bridal portrait session prior to her wedding day, she built in extra time so we could do so prior to the ceremony:

All of the ladies looking gorgeous in their shades of dusty blue dresses of different styles:

James looking quite handsome in his League of Rebels suit:

A sweet moment between James and his mother:

James had their wedding date embroidered on the inside of his jacket …

Boys will be boys …

 And it is always a good time!

Wedding ceremony at the Gruene Estate‘s original open-air chapel:

It’s about that time, so the gentlemen and ladies all head down to the chapel.

The bride showed up in style, arriving in this beautiful red 1963 Oldsmobile F-85 Cutlass convertible.

And with that grand entrance and her stunning cape, she’s ready to walk down the aisle …

A first kiss as husband and wife, the ringing of the bell, and they’re officially married!!!

While we were taking photos behind the chapel, the guests were enjoying cocktail hour, which included cornhole (with cute ‘Mr and Mrs’ bean bags) and yummy drinks!

The Gruene Estate has so many gorgeous spots for photos!

Reception Time

How pretty is the Gruene Estate’s open-air pavilion? With accents of dusty blue and greenery, the space came alive and was an absolute vision.

The couple make their way in to join their guests:

A little pre-dinner prayer:

And then some post-dinner photos, after a quick bustle and a change of shoes!

This cake set-up is absolutely breathtaking! I remember doing the Gruene Estate wedding walk-through with Kelli and Amy and them discussing the installation. And it turned out magical!!

First dance as husband and wife:

Mother-son dance:

The bride and her father started off their dance together in a traditional manner. Then, as a little surprise treat for their guests, they put on a show, dancing a series of choreographed dances to some of the most epic songs (including “Grease Lighting” from Grease)!

It’s not a wedding without a funny cut-out of the couple that people can dance and take photos with, some good music, and epic dancing!

Last dance request by the groom to surprise his bride with … the perfect ending to their night.

And their send-off:

From the couple:

“Naomi is absolutely amazing!! We immediately hit it off when she called me less than an hour after submitting a request to chat. Included in our package was a free engagement session which was so much fun and really allowed us to connect with Naomi before the wedding. She was very responsive and professional leading up to the big day. She even made a special trip to our venue (over an hour away) just because she had never been before.

On our wedding day, we were both comforted with Naomi being there. She was so fun to work with and somehow manages so get awesome shots in a short period of time. Admittedly, I made it difficult on her by not knowing exactly what I wanted, but she took charge and the photos came out great. Our wedding guests even commented about how great she was! After seeing our sneak peek photos we decided to order a personalized album. We cannot wait to work with her again!” – Kelli and James

Congratulations to these beautiful souls. Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your amazing wedding and special love!!! Cheers to many more perfect days and years to come!

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