Stacie and Darren | Jacksonville Beach Wedding Photographer

6th Avenue North | Jacksonville Beach, FL | June 30, 2018

I shot Natalie and Brian’s wedding two and a half years ago. I met Stacie (and Darren) at their wedding as Stacie was Natalie’s maid of honor. Natalie and Stacie met back in college playing soccer together at Mercer! I had so much fun with Stacie at the wedding that I promise you at the wedding I thought to myself, “I am going to shoot her wedding one day.” We left the wedding and became Facebook friends and have kept in touch over social media for the last two and a half years. Stacie and Darren had met online a few months before Natalie’s wedding, so they weren’t ready for “I do’s” back then, but I knew I’d be shooting their wedding one day. Stacie contacted me last year about her wedding to Darren in Jacksonville Beach at 6th Avenue North right on the beach and I couldn’t help but smile. I love getting to go full circle with my girls and see them as brides and then bridesmaids in another wedding that I’m shooting because of them!

It worked out perfect because my sister lives in Jacksonville, so it’s a perfect destination location for me to shoot! I get to shoot a wedding and stay for free somewhere and visit my sister! I came down on Friday afternoon to Jacksonville and got to visit with my sister and her kids and then shot the wedding on Saturday. I had so much fun getting to be a Jacksonville Beach wedding photographer! If you have followed me for any time, you know that Ben and Evie shoot with me regularly. Due to the destination wedding and staying with my sister, I hired someone local to second shoot with me. Jackie from Morninglory Photography in Jacksonville was awesome and so great to work with!

We had such a great day! The girls got ready at a nearby hotel and then headed to 6th Avenue North for their pictures. I met the guys at a nearby park to take their pictures; and can I tell you how much fun Darren is? He was cracking me up all day! From his request to do a jumping groomsmen picture to some of his silly pictures to his joking personality, he had me laughing all day. I knew Stacie and I were kindred spirits since we both have a love for Harry Potter. She and Darren are big fans of the series. They even asked me to take pictures of their rings in the chapter “The Unbreakable Vow” in the Half-Blood Prince! In addition to our Harry Potter obsession, we both share a love of tacos! I could eat tacos daily. Stacie and Darren love tacos so much that they had street tacos for their reception, and can I tell you how yummy they were?!

6th Avenue North is a venue right off the beach that provides beautiful beach ceremonies and provided me the chance to be a Jacksonville Beach wedding photographer; but we weren’t sure we were going to get the beach ceremony at first. It was clear all day in Jacksonville Beach, but about 45 minutes to the west, you could see dark clouds most of the day in Jacksonville, so we weren’t sure what was going to happen. Well wouldn’t you know that 30 minutes before the ceremony, it started raining, so the ceremony was being moved inside. At first it was sprinkling and while Stacie and Darren had opted for no First Look, I talked to them about possibly changing this while it was sprinkling in order to get them outdoor pictures because the forecast called for rain the rest of the evening. Right after they agreed to see each other, the sky let out and poured! So that idea was shot down. But 5 minutes before the ceremony was supposed to start, the rain stopped. So they decided to move it back outside! It stopped raining for about 15 minutes while we got set up on the beach and got the guests outside and then of course decided to start raining when Stacie started walking down the beach! So they had their ceremony in the rain! Most of the guests had umbrellas and Stacie and her dad had one as well, so they didn’t get too wet. Jackie and me on the other hand… haha. Wouldn’t you know, though? Right after the ceremony, it stopped raining and didn’t start back up for the rest of the evening! So at least we still got to do their pictures outside for portraits and group shots!

Stacie and Darren’s reception had a couple of “firsts” for me; and as a wedding photographer for 10 years, there aren’t a whole lot of things that are “firsts” for me anymore. 1) I have never had a couple stop to pose for a silly picture in the middle of their First Dance. Check out the pictures below to see Stacie and Darren’s pictures. So much fun! 2) Stacie’s mom joined in the father daughter dance and joined Darren to dance. I thought that was such a sweet moment. I’ve never seen it before. 3) A big bottle of Fireball whiskey was brought out to pass around while Pitbull’s “Fireball” was playing. I got some really fun shots of this happening! I couldn’t help but listen to the song while editing the pictures! 4) Stacie, Darren, Stacie’s dad, and another wedding guest had a burpee contest! Yep, you heard me right! I had a bride do burpees in her wedding dress! I’ve had grooms and wedding guests do pushups before, but never a bride do burpees! Go Stacie!

Thanks Stacie and Darren for asking me to be a part of your special day. I truly had a wonderful time and felt so blessed and privileged to be a part of your day. To keep the bridesmaid to bride chain going, I need to shoot Jean’s wedding next! 🙂

 The Unbreakable Vow!  Stacie picking out the page from the Half-Blood Prince that she wanted me to use for the ring shot  Last minute tie adjustments before pictures from the best man!
See? Silly Darren having fun on his wedding day!  
Can I shoot as a Jacksonville Beach wedding photographer more often? I love this backdrop!
I love it! Darren and the groomsmen/maid rocked it out in these jumping shots!  Another reason I love being a Jacksonville Beach wedding photographer: these pretty dunes!  Too cool for school  Ceremony time! Dad escorting his daughter and making sure she doesn’t get wet!
When they see each other for the first time!  Such sweet emotion from Mom
I love the different shades of purple from the ladies! It looked so good together!  Seriously? Can I be a Jacksonville Beach wedding photographer every weekend?  And here are Stacie and Darren posing for me! It cracked me up so much!  Sweet moment with Dad. Last daughter to be married!  Sweet moment with Mom! Last child to be married! After the First Dances and dinner, we headed out for a few more pictures right at sunset. The light was so pretty and the sky couldn’t have been more beautiful! Definitely taking advantage of being a Jacksonville Beach wedding photographer at this wedding!  Gotta protect those baby ears! Stacie and her niece shared birthday and wedding anniversaries!  Burpee challenge!  And here are the awesome Fireball shot pictures! Poor Ashley got poured all over!