Tamara Merri
May 3, 2018
Updated: Feb 1, 2022
Meet Lydia and Keith:
They met on the dating app OKCupid (which neither of them took too seriously) and had their first date over pizza and beer. It took less that two years for Keith to get down on one knee in a garden of a castle in Europe that overlooked the Rhine River (um, swoon?!).
One year later they got married at a gorgeous little outdoor venue called The Sanctuary Event Space and hired me to be their photographer.
The venue has some of the oldest Oak Trees in Austin which stood tall, offering shade on the beautiful early April sunny day. Guests began to arrive and sign the guest book and watch the slideshow of their story while the bride and groom were tucked away, preparing for the biggest moment of their story thus far.
I showed up early and got to work on the detail shots. Ring shots are some of my favorite photos, and their set proved to be perfect. Keith's band is intricately engraved with mountains while Lydia has two bands alongside her classic solitaire diamond.
I checked off the shots on my mental checklist as the day progressed. Detail shots, check. Bridal suite candids, check. Putting on the dress, check. First look with dad, check. *Deep breath*.
One of my favorite memories of the day was when Keith and Lydia exchanged letters. Up until this point Lydia was very calm, cool and collected.... and then she opened the letter. Almost immediately her eyes welled up and she fought off tears with muffled laughter that proved futile. Her bridesmaids huddled around her to comfort her and one asked "Did Keith write something super sweet?!" to which Lydia replied, "I don't know, all I read so far was 'April 8th'". Agh, so incredibly cute.
Keith and Lydia opted not to do a first look which means the first time they saw each other was when she walked down the aisle.
The walk from the bridal suite to the end of the aisle was super emotional. She was battling tears from the moment she opened the letter to the moment she hugged Keith. Then she was all smiles. The ceremony itself was relatively short but their love was so evident that time stood still.
The photo of Keith looking at Lydia below may me my favorite shot of the entire day. His expression is dripping with love! I can't get over it.
Ceremony, check. Family photos, check. Couple photos, check. Toasts, check. Reception, check. Check check check. Delivery gallery, check. Share photos with the interwebs, check!
Here are some of my favorite photos:
Vendors
Venue: Sanctuary Event Space
Florist: Mandarin Flower Co
Dinner Caterer: Alcomar
Desert Caterer: Sarah Prieto
Photographer: Tamara Merri Photography
Thanks for scrolling all the way through!
xo,
Tam