Franny + Jeremy || Long Beach, MS Wedding

There really is a huge privilege in getting to capture a couple's wedding day.  You know that the couple is putting an enormous amount of trust in you to document literally one of the most important days in their lives.  It's something that gets my blood pumping just sitting here thinking about!  And when that couple is family. . .it becomes even more special!  This beautiful bride, Franny, is a cousin of mine on my dad's side of the family.  My dad comes from a large Italian family here on the coast, but I only really know our more immediate family because we lived all over the place since my dad was in the Air Force. When I moved to Mississippi in 2008, I had a lot of family that I grew up seeing at family reunions or at the annual Italian sausage Christmas Eve gathering every year (how lucky am I?!), but who I really didn't know very well.  It's been so awesome to get to know some of them better by shooting their weddings (like one of my favorite brides everrr...Sara Ashton).   Both of these gals and their families have been so kind to me and I love that I can call them family and now friends!  

I loved that Franny and Jeremy chose to do a First Look before their wedding!  Since both of them are so laid back, they wanted their wedding day to run smoothly and to be able to enjoy themselves as much as possible.  Having a First Look is a fantastic way to accomplish both of those goals.  We got to shoot under some of the pretty oaks at St. Thomas, and since both of them love the outdoors, I think those portraits reflect their style well.  Their ceremony was a full Catholic mass, and they incorporated a really unique and beautiful element during it.  After Franny and Jeremy lit the unity candle, their wedding party each lit candles as well and then lit the candles that each guest in the audience was holding.  It was a really beautiful symbol to show that Franny and Jeremy's love will spread Christ's love through the world.  

There were so many other beautiful moments in the day. . .but I'll let the images do the talking! 

Huge shoutout to my amazing second shooter Lauryn Atwood!