Wesley & Chelsea

Well, what else can we say about our couples?  We have the best couples any photographer could ever ask for and Wesley and Chelsea will not be the exception. What an amazing couple these two are. You saw them earlier when we photographed their engagement session. Would you like to know a little more? I’m sure you would and that’s why we interviewed Chelsea for you so you can get to know them better.

So tell me, how did you two meet?

We met on my first day of work when I first moved to Atlanta in 2012. Wesley worked for a non-profit that was based in Peachtree Presbyterian when I was working, and my boss introduced me to him on my first day of work. It took us a while to actually start dating though.

Why was that?

We were just acquaintances for a while, and eventually began showing more interest in one another. Wesley would go out of his way to visit me at work, claiming he was just stopping by to say hi to everyone. It was on a Memorial Day weekend beach trip with our church that Wesley took me sailing, and we finally decided to start dating. The rest is history!

How did he “pop” the question?

Wesley proposed while we were hiking on Arabia Mountain. He had been acting a little strange all day and wouldn’t let me look in his backpack. We walked up the mountain and as we were going, he kept stopping to tell me how much he loved me. When we got to the top of the mountain, Wesley handed me an envelope containing a haiku he had written for me (Wesley has written several haikus for me throughout our relationship). When I got to the end of the poem, he got down on one knee, pulled out the ring box, and asked me to marry him.

Tell us about your dress. Where did you find it, how did you choose it, how did you know it was the one?

My sisters and mom came to Atlanta to help me shop for my wedding dress, along with my mother-in-law. We had several appointments set up for the weekend, but we ended up finding my dress at the very first store, Bride Beautiful. I had a general idea of what I wanted, and tried on several dresses. The first few weren’t quite right, they were too much lace or not enough poof, I didn’t love any of them. After I tried a few on and consultant had a better idea of what I was/wasn’t looking for, she went out and grabbed a few more dresses. When I tried on my dress, I knew it was the silhouette I was looking for, but I wasn’t completely sold. Then I walked out of the dressing room to show everyone, they loved it! The train was gorgeous, it had 3 tiers of lace. It was just the right balance of lace and tulle that I was looking for. It had the perfect silhouette I was looking for. I tried a couple more on after that, but none of them compared to the one I chose. My dress had everything I was looking for, it made me feel great, and it was perfect for dancing!

Did you see each other before the wedding?

Yes we did, and I’m really glad we did! It gave us some time to be together and prepare for what was about to happen together. I would have been a lot more nervous for the ceremony if the first time we saw each other was in front of all our guests.

What were you most anxious, nervous or fearful about regarding your wedding day and what was the outcome?

I was most nervous about standing in front of everyone saying our vows. I was also nervous about anyone in the wedding party fainting! It all went off without a hitch, though. It was nerve racking standing up there with everyone looking at us, but everything went smoothly while we were up there.

What was the first song you danced to as husband and wife?

We danced to The Way You Look Tonight played by The Retreat/Sam Hill Entertainment

What was your favorite moment from the wedding?

All the dancing! And having all of our friends and family together in one place.

How would you describe your overall wedding experience?

We tried to keep our wedding experience as simple and stress free as possible. Wesley’s mom offered a tong of help with the planning process and took on a lot of the little tasks along the way. The day of the wedding we both tried to stay relaxed and be present and in the moment. We both spent the morning with our wedding parties – me and my bridesmaids getting ready and watching wedding movies at Wesley’s parents’ house, Wesley and his groomsmen eating lunch and hanging out at Cherokee Town Club to get ready. Once we arrived at the church, things moved pretty quickly, and everything pretty much fell into place! Peachtree had a wedding guild that made sure the ceremony went smoothly, and then our day of coordinator made sure everything for the reception was in place at 103 West. The ceremony was such a special time for us, sharing our vows with all of our closest friends and family there to watch. Once we got through the ceremony, we felt a bit more relaxed and excited to party the night away with everyone. It was fun getting to chat with our friends and family at the reception, eat the delicious food and dance! When it was time to leave, we didn’t want to leave. There’s nothing like having all of your loved ones together to celebrate you!

What advice would you offer to other couples planning a wedding?

Don’t let the little details and decision get in the way of enjoying the celebration.

How was your experience taking photos/working with us on your wedding day?

We had a great experience working with you on our wedding day. You were prompt and professional throughout the day. You gave easy and clear instructions to everyone and got some really great shots!

What photography-related advice would you offer to a couple?

Make sure you find a photographer you feel comfortable with and who matches your style.

What’s the one piece of advice you would give to other couples planning their wedding?

I would advise them to remember that their wedding is about them as a couple, and to make sure the decisions and plans you make reflect that. I would also advise them to stay within arms reach of each other during the reception. It is so easy to get separated when everyone wants a chance to talk to you! You don’t want to get to the end of the night and realize you didn’t spend enough time with your new husband/wife!

Introduce us to your team:

Day of Coordinator: Holly Parks
Ceremony/Reception Location: Peachtree Presbyterian Church / 103 West
Hair/Make up: Rachel Rozanski – Brushworx
Bride’s Dress: Allure – Bride Beautiful
Bridesmaid Dress: Bride Beautiful – Bill Levkoff
Groom and Groomsmen attire: Jos A Banks
Florist: K&Co Floral Design
Cake Artist: 103 West
Videographer: Timepiece Media
Band: The Retreat/Sam Hill Entertainment

You want to see more do you? Take a look at their wedding day video slideshow below: