A Windy Mountain Wedding

Tyler and Ashley got married in June at the beautiful Misty Mountain Event Barn in Fisher, WV. And this wedding definitely made us emotional. Rich and I have known Ashley since she was a little kid and she became a huge part of our lives. We watched her grow up into the bright, beautiful young woman she is and we were incredibly honored to be the ones to document her marriage to Tyler. We wouldn't have missed this wedding for anything. The first looks shared between Ashley and her dad, who we call Uncle Ralph, and then with Tyler had me in tears. They were just the sweetest moments of the day and I couldn't help but tear up. It makes my heart so full to see Ashley as happy as she is with Tyler. They complement each other so much.

I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with Ashley and all her bridesmaids as they got ready for the day. Gifts were exchanged and paper plates were used as fans to prevent tears from ruining makeup. We did a big champaign pop and I got absolutely sprayed, which caused some really fun reactions from Ashley and her girls. Then Ashley got dressed and she was stunning. I loved the moments shared between her and her two sisters, Roni and Danielle.

While I was hanging with the girls, Rich was with the guys. Tyler met most of his groomsmen through online gaming, so it was really fun to see their dynamic. He gave gifts to each of his guys and then he opened his own gift from Ashley and got a little misty-eyed. Actually, it was pretty common to see people wiping tears away throughout the day. I did it, the bride and groom did it, the parents, the bridesmaids, and the relatives. So many happy tears. Especially during the ceremony.

And then we had wind. While we were doing the wedding party pictures, the wind picked up and created such a windblown look, which was both beautiful and challenging. I love the look of windswept hair and billowing dresses, but I know it can be extremely frustrating when you've had your hair styled a particular way. The girls all handled it was grace and laughter as they fought to keep their hair out of their faces while the wind tried to carry everyone away.

Later in the evening, after the reception was well underway, I was able to sneak Ashley and Tyler outside for gorgeous blue hour portraits. It's not often that I get such beautiful lighting during blue hour, so I was thrilled. The skies were completely cloudless, but the gradient of the colors in the sky and the scenic mountains surrounding the venue made a perfect backdrop. Ashley and Tyler did awesomely! The portraits definitely give off indie country cover album vibes.

To end the day, Ashley and Tyler did a sparkler send-off. We had discussed whether to do it earlier or later in the night and ended up choosing just after sundown when the sky was still just a tad blue, which I thought worked really well. The colors looked great and there were still a lot of wedding guests at the venue to send them off.

It was a beautiful day and one that we will forever cherish. We're so glad we got to celebrate Ashley and Tyler and wish them the best as they build their life together.