A Wedding Weekend at Shenandoah Woods | Liz & Andrew

There's something pretty special about getting to photograph the same family more than once. I first met Liz and Andrew a couple of years ago when I photographed Andrew's sister's wedding weekend in Canada. It was a weekend full of good food, good company, and the kind of fun that happens when you bring all your favorite people together in one place. So when Liz and Andrew reached out about photographing their own wedding weekend, I was excited to get to do it all over again.

This time, we were heading to Shenandoah Woods, just outside of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Friends and family traveled in from all over, with many staying in cabins right on the property. It made the whole weekend feel like one big get-together, with a wedding tucked right in the middle of it.

And honestly, that's one of my favorite ways to photograph a wedding. There's something about having a few days together that changes the pace of everything. You get the big moments, of course, but you also get the late-night conversations, the extra hugs, the people catching up over drinks, and all the little things that might otherwise get squeezed out of a wedding day.

The Rehearsal Dinner & Welcome Party

The weekend kicked off with the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Round tables were set up on the lawn overlooking the mountains, and dinner was a taco bar. Pretty hard to complain about that combination.

Andrew's mom gave a beautiful speech during dinner, one of those moments that brings everyone a little closer before the festivities really get going.

Once dinner wrapped up, even more friends and family started arriving for the welcome party. The lawn quickly filled with drinks, yard games, and dogs meeting other dogs. There were conversations happening in every direction, plenty of hugs, and Andrew gave a welcome speech to bring everyone together.

It was a really fun evening, but what I loved most was watching Liz and Andrew get to spend time with everyone who had traveled to celebrate with them. They weren't trying to squeeze in a quick hello between other wedding day events. They had the whole evening to catch up, laugh, and enjoy having everyone in one place.

This is exactly why I love a full wedding weekend. There's time to actually be with your people. And as a photographer, I get to document so much more than the ceremony and reception. I get to see the people, relationships, and little interactions that make the whole celebration what it is.

A Wedding Day in the Woods

The next morning, I met Liz at the cabin where she and her bridesmaids were getting ready. With so many friends and family staying on the property, there was a nice, relaxed feeling to the morning. Everyone was getting ready, spending time together, and enjoying the start of the day.

I spent some time photographing the details and everything happening around the cabin before heading over to Andrew's. He was getting ready with a few friends and spending time with his family. After hanging out there for a bit, I made my way back to Liz's cabin just in time for her to get into her dress.

Then it was off to the woods.

Liz and Andrew's ceremony took place among the trees, with a beautiful view of the mountains in the distance. They included a few meaningful traditions that made the ceremony feel especially personal. At the beginning, their wedding rings were passed around to guests for a ring warming ritual, giving everyone a chance to hold the rings and send a little love their way.

Their parents then joined them at the front to light unity candles, and the ceremony ended with a sword arch. A pretty great way to make an exit.

It was a ceremony that brought everyone into the celebration, from the ring warming to the final send-off.

Racing the Rain at Shenandoah Woods

Toward the end of the ceremony, we started noticing a storm rolling in. And not the kind of storm you can casually ignore while taking your time with family photos. This one was moving fast.

We quickly shifted into family photo mode, gathering everyone together and working through the list before the sky decided it was done waiting. It was a little chaotic, with people helping round up family members and everyone trying to get into place, but there was plenty of laughter mixed in.

We just barely made it back to the pavilion before the rain started.

The reception carried on with speeches, dinner, and dancing, with people occasionally heading outside and back in as the rain came and went. If anything, the weather gave everyone another reason to gather close together and make the most of the evening.

And then there was the ice cream truck. Because apparently a mountain wedding reception with a storm rolling through, lots of dancing, and an ice cream truck wasn't quite enough fun already.

It was one of those evenings where the plans didn't necessarily go exactly as expected, but nobody seemed too bothered. The important things were happening, everyone was together, and the celebration kept going.

A Weekend Full of the Good Stuff

When I think back on Liz and Andrew's wedding weekend, I don't immediately think of one big moment. I think of all the things in between.

The dogs running around during the welcome party. Andrew's mom's speech. The taco bar on the lawn. Friends and family making the trip to be there. The ring warming ceremony, the sword arch, and everyone scrambling to finish family photos before the rain. And, of course, dancing and eating ice cream while the storm passed through.

Getting to photograph this family again, a couple of years after their celebration in Canada, made the weekend even more special. I love when photography brings you back into people's lives and gives you the chance to document another chapter.

Liz and Andrew's weekend at Shenandoah Woods was full of the things that make a wedding feel like a wedding to me: good people, plenty of time together, a few unexpected turns, and a whole lot of love. It was a really good one.

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