T & P's Rainy Day Mountain Wedding | Bold Rock Cidery, Nellysford VA

T found me through Facebook, and during our consultation call we talked about adjusting lighting for a variety of skin tones and finding vendors who value inclusivity. With those shared values from the start, I knew it would be a joy to celebrate with such an amazing couple whose love has truly stood the test of time and distance.

When they began searching for wedding vendors, T and P were 7,000 miles apart. They first met while studying and working in North Carolina, but when COVID-19 hit, P’s university sent all international students back to their home countries. For P, that meant returning to Kenya while T stayed in the US. Against all odds, they gave their relationship a try.

A seven-hour time difference, an ocean, and a global pandemic could not keep T and P apart. Since then, T has traveled to Kenya twice, and just a few months before the wedding, P was able to secure his visa and return to the US. Once he was back, we set up a video call so I could meet him before the wedding day. I immediately saw how naturally the two put each other at ease. Their laughter built on one another, and they could not stop smiling.

Their first look and private vows took place on top of a mountain at T’s extended family’s farm before we all drove to Bold Rock Cidery for the wedding. The second I pulled up for getting ready photos, the skies opened with heavy rain that continued on and off all day. T’s cousin quickly pitched a canopy tent over the first look site, saving the photographers from the downpour. Just as T began walking up the side of the mountain, the clouds split for a brief bit of sunshine. T quite literally brought P the sun.

It rained through the ceremony and cocktail hour, which is said to be good luck. As the old saying goes, when you are tying the knot, rain makes the knot tighter and harder to unravel. After the ceremony, officiated by one of the couple’s closest friends, a rainbow appeared over the cidery as if the day itself wanted to celebrate with them.

If you're still looking for an engagement or wedding photographer, reach out and I'd love to chat!