River Oaks Wedding: Tara + Jen

Wedding Prep: Carriage House Hotel
Venue/Catering: River Oaks
Officiant: Rev. Dan Brown
Florals: Flowers by Rodney
Wedding Cake: Crystal Weddings
Wedding Dress: A-Nets Enchanted Dream
Bride’s Hair/Makeup: Alexis Dickinson

When Jen + Tara first met, they weren’t even living in the same city….but fate had a plan of its own. Tara was finishing nursing school in Thibodeaux and Jen was here in Lafayette. On July 3…a little over three years ago, Tara found herself looking forward to getting away for a night in Lafayette and Jen was looking forward to a night downtown with her best friend Liz. But neither knew that night would change their lives forever.

The connection was instant and they spent the night laughing and getting to know one another. That journey continued the next day for the 4th, and the next….and the next. From the moment they met, Jen + Tara agree that their chemistry was incredible and they knew they’d spend the rest of their lives together. They practically finish each others sentences!

I couldn’t feel more special that Jen + Tara chose me to photograph their wedding day. They chose a white, black, and tiffany blue wedding palette with crystals and every elegance of Hollywood. Their favorite purchases were their wedding attire and rings, and their wedding was as unique as they always dreamed it would be.

And I know that more than anything, Jen + Tara are excited to spend the rest of their lives together.

So…without any more of my ramblings…below is a preview of Jen + Tara’s special day:

Below (on the left) are the rings that they love so dearly. And on the right, is a pair of diamond earrings that Tara surprised Jen with on the day of their wedding.

What Jen didn’t know going into their wedding was that she was in for a day FULL of surprises. On the left is a promise ring that Tara gave to her long ago…and the note below, Tara sent to her as they prepared for the day. 

I could just sense the nerves and excited energy when we arrived to photograph the “getting ready” part of their day.

Jen + Tara opted to do a First Look. They agreed that seeing each other in private would be the perfect start to a day they’d remember forever.

Their reactions were priceless…instant tears all around.

It truly was a beautiful moment and after they had the chance to exchange ‘I love you’s,’ Tara gave Jen her second surprise of the day: the diamond earrings.

Another wonderful part of doing the First Look is the ability for us to shoot beautiful outdoor portraits in gorgeous natural light.

After having photographed their engagements and Jen’s bridals, it was really special to be there photographing them on their wedding day.

AH! You guys are just SO gorgeous together. 🙂 Love.

I also spent a bit of time photographing them in the courtyard with their closest friends and family.

Meanwhile, Amelia was busy photographing all the adorable moments happening in between.

Can you guys be any cuter together?

Shortly after their First Look, we headed to River Oaks for the ceremony. By the time we arrived, they were surrounded by a room full of family and friends looking forward to the ceremony.

The ceiling at Le Pavillion is so lovely!

It was a beautiful ceremony!

During the ceremony, Jen received her third surprise from Tara: LIVE musicians. She had no idea!

The Newlyweds!

After the ceremony ended, we were able to grab just a few shots at their actual venue of them as a married couple! The image on the right just so happens to be one of my absolute favorites from their day!

Their first dance was quite emotional! Having the ability to document these emotional moments means the world to me.

Their wedding cake was perfect!….And their favors were done in true Jen + Tara style.

I posted this image in yesterday’s post…making a request to truly hold onto and cherish every moment that we’re given in life. As you can see this is clearly what Jen, Tara, and those who celebrated with them did on their wedding day.

The final surprise of the night came when Jen + Tara left the venue. As they were greeted by a row of family/friends with sparklers and well wishes, the Bentley out front was clearly in view.

 I would say it was the perfect ending to a perfect day. 

Congratulations you two!

Jen + Tara,

Thank you!…… Thank you for hiring Amelia and I to capture your wedding day. Thank you for being such a joy to work with, thank you for just being down-right awesome in general. You deserve all the happiness in the world and I cannot wait to see what life has in store for the two of you!

Live Simply, Love Freely,

Catherine