A Summer Wedding at The View at Emerald Lake

I promised to be back today sharing a stunning wedding from last summer that had some truly beautiful details, so I’m super excited to present to you Nikki and Heath’s summer wedding at the View at Emerald Lake!

A Sweet Start

Nikki’s dad and two brothers lined up under the arbor where, in just a couple of hours, Nikki and Heath planned to exchange their vows. They faced the lake as Nikki touched up her hair and makeup and made sure her veil was perfect. Then, step by step, she walked down the aisle towards them. With just a few feet left to walk, she called to them. They turned around, and their jaws just dropped. Their eyes filled with tears, and all three men rushed to their girl. Hugging, laughing, and crying, all four revelled in the moment while Nikki’s mom and sister looked on. It was one of the sweetest father-daughter/brother-sister moments of any wedding ever. And the best part? The day was just getting started.

The Wedding Day

One of everyone’s favorite moments at a wedding (and I am no exception!) is the moment just as the bride starts her walk down the aisle when the groom sees her for the first time. His facial expression is always worth watching. Some grooms cry. Other grooms smile a mile-wide smile that stays on their face for the rest of the day.

Heath was one of those latter grooms which was perfect since his smile was one of the first things Nikki fell in love with. When you see their portraits in a second you’ll see why, too. Heath has a million dollar smile. He smiled that megawatt smile for Nikki’s entire walk down the aisle, and he smiled it while he vowed to adopt all the Great Dane puppies Nikki could ever want. In fact, I never saw him stop smiling it the entire day! And that whole time Nikki absolutely radiated joy.

But I’m getting ahead of myself because Nikki and Heath are not the types of people who want everything to be all about them all the time. Not even on their wedding day. So they filled their day with little moments that would bring their guests added joy. For example, instead of a flower girl, Nikki and Heath had a flower granny. Heath’s grandma proudly carried a basket of flower petals down the aisle, and, grinning a grin that’s not at all unlike Heath’s, she tossed those flower petals like a pro. Next, came Heath’s niece and nephew: the ring bears. And y’all. Is anything cuter than a couple of toddlers dressed as woodland creatures? No. No there is not. These little ones stole the show.

And then, finally, Nikki’s turn to walk down the aisle arrived, and Heath smiled that million dollar smile. 🙂

The View at Emerald Lake

Nikki and Heath celebrated their wedding with a perfect day. The sun shone. Every face wore a smile. And then they all danced the night away at one of Charlotte’s most beautiful venues. The vendor team was a dream come true, and, in an act of kind appreciation that was 100% like them, Nikki and Heath paused their whole reception to thank the entire vendor team. From the wedding planners to the florists to the photo/video teams to the wait staff handing around the meals, Nikki and Heath didn’t miss a single person in their acknowledgements.

And to that I say, Nikki and Heath, photographing your wedding was a dream. The two of you are kind, thoughtful, compassionate people, and you’re both completely wonderful to work with and for. Spending just one minute with you is plenty to see that you guys have so much fun together. You’re best friends, and you’re perfect for each other.

Being there to see you vow to love and cherish one another forever was an honor. I wish you both every joy this life has to offer!

The Dream Team

As I mentioned, this gorgeous day took place at the ever beautiful The View at Emerald Lake. Heatherly Event Design created elegant florals featuring whites with tons of greenery, and Queen City Planners planned a day that went so smoothly and was such a joy for everyone to attend. JT Perceptions videoed every moment to perfection, and Elsa Judkins Photography second shot with me, helping me to capture every moment and detail.