The Albright's
The Albright wedding is near and dear to my heart, as I was able to play the role of the photographer and sister of the bride! I'm so excited to share their love story and wedding day memories with you.
Alex and Marie met in 2017 and as soon as Marie saw him, she knew he was special and "dreamy" as she described him. They started dating and soon after, Marie was introduced to a sweet and spunky Abel, Alex's son. She fell in love with both of them and so did the whole family! 2019 was a big year for the family as Alex popped the question, their sweet new baby Alden made his arrival, and they added a fur baby, Lucy.
Pandemic Problems
Like most brides, Marie was was preparing for her dream wedding months in advance and couldn't wait to become an Albright! She had prepared a weekend gathering in Hocking Hills with her immediate family and planned to celebrate their love with hikes, food, and fun in a large cabin to host all of her guests. With the pandemic slowly shutting down the country, the State Park closed and quickly to follow, so did her dream cabin. Marie was devastated, but despite the changes, it didn't matter. The Albright's were ready to unite their family of four. Whether it was in a city hall, an outdoor park, or a family friends backyard. Alex and Marie knew that their love outweighed their idea of their "dream wedding" and put Love Above Fear.
The Big Day
April 4th, 2020 was not an ordinary day! The weather was warm, the world was quiet, and a lot of emotions filled the air. With a stay at home order in place, the couple had to change plans to celebrate in a safe way. Grandparents were encouraged to stay home while siblings and parents celebrated with social distancing in mind.
The bride started her day with mimosas and brunch at her mother- in- laws house where she got ready. One of her close friends joined to help with her hair and makeup with her sisters. Her mother met to button her into her dress and surprise her with homemade gifts, a bouquet and ring bearer pillow, that included pieces of her 30 year old wedding dress. The wedding day jitters have arrived while the groom and immediate family met at a beautiful backyard decorated with flowers and signs.
The bride met her groom at the end of the aisle, where they exchanged vows they wrote for each other. The ceremony was officiated by Jen, Marie's elementary school teacher and family friend. Marie also had a special moment exchanging vows with Abel, promising to love him as her own and officially becoming a bonus mommy! The couple ended with a big kiss and skipped away to bubbles and cheers. Because of Covid-19, the family was not able to gather for dinner and cake after the ceremony, so her mom surprised her with a cake to cut outdoors with everyone to watch.
The Surprise Parade
HIDDEN WORD FOR GIVEAWAY: LOVE AND MARRIAGE
Although they made the best of her wedding day, I knew we needed to end the day with a BANG! I planned to finish pictures of the couple in downtown Norwalk, the city they met. With the help of the grooms mom, Sarah, we gathered friends and family down main street in their cars to cheer on the newly wed! They had no idea it was coming, and Marie was in tears to see that her close friends traveled so far to cheer them on! Cousins, aunts, and grandparents hung out their car sunroofs and windows with signs and Alex led Marie through the street to show off his beautiful new bride to the surprise guests. Everyone turned their radio on and they ended their day with a first dance on the sidewalk to a country song and a kiss.
Alex and Marie ~
I'm so thankful I was able to capture this one-of-a-kind wedding day! I am so excited to continue to watch your family and love grow for years to come. I have gained an awesome brother-in-law and two nephews and couldn't be happier. I love you all!
~Angela, A. Faith Arts
P.S. Please make me a niece.
