Donyia & Jacob - Married in St Augustine!

Donyia & Jacob were married in St Augustine - the longest continually occupied city in the country - on a rooftop that overlooks the historic Bridge of Lions just before sunset. It was a gorgeous day and Donya was the happiest bride I've ever worked with. Her joy and excitement are just dripping out of the photos, and Jacob - being the thoughtful guy that he is - managed to make the day even better by surprising her with a second wedding band while they were cutting the cake. I caught a shot of the second band being placed on the cake topper for her to discover mid-cut, so be sure to look for that one! Her reaction was PRICELESS. :)

Carrie, Donyia's maid of honor and best friend, brought her wedding dress and we took a few snaps of the two of them in their dresses together, which was really darn cute. Both girls were so genuinely happy that the other had found and married the perfect partner, and this was a wonderful way to celebrate that. They both looked gorgeous and had a great time with it. They looked so good that we were even asked at one point if they were modeling for a magazine shoot! It was fantastic.

I was lucky enough to spend some time at the after party. The whole time I was there, friends and family kept saying how proud they were to know Donyia and Jacob and how they are such a perfect fit for each other. Of course I got to know them before the wedding, but it was at this after party that I really learned how much they are both respected and the high standards that they hold themselves and each other to, while managing to have a damn good time and actively work on building a strong relationship in the process. My respect and love for them grew even more that night!

One of the many reasons I love what I do is because a wedding creates a moment when it is socially 'ok' to really praise someone that you care about and to take the time to talk about what it is you really love about your best friend, your cousin, your child... what impresses you about them and why you are grateful to have them be a part of your life. We should really find the time and the courage to do this more often. Being able to witness this exchange of honesty and truth is refreshing and encouraging. Everyone around us is secretly incredible in ways we may not even realize, but the people that love them know.

Your assignment: Go tell someone you love how you think they are secretly incredible today. For real. Do it. It matters. Report back afterward.

After you've done that, enjoy these photos of an absolutely perfect wedding. :)