Not my first time shooting at the UGA Botanical Gardens (which are beautiful) but definitely my first UGA Botanical Gardens Wedding.
I met Mat & Ann back in May when I shot their engagement session at the UGA Gardens. It was bright, hot, and there were tons of mosquitos biting while we tried make images that showed their love. This time was much nicer. We had perfect weather before their wedding at the Day Chapel and it was a pleasure to come down to Athens Georgia and be with Mat & Ann’s families. This wedding was intense!
Not intense in a bad way, but intense in an overwhelming sense of joy. The first look and family photos were very fun, and the long Catholic ceremony in the Day Chapel was beautiful and intimate. Mat & Ann were troopers when it came to making a few neat images before the reception.
Oh the reception? You mean the beautiful indoor garden? Yeah, that was awesome. What made it more awesome was how emotional it was. Usually receptions are fun, loud (why I bring earplugs!), and grandma gets on the dance floor. This reception had all that, but Ann’s sister gave a toast that made everyone tear up. To top it all off, Mat sang a song at the end of the reception for all of the guests and his wife Ann. His last verse though? Completely in Mandarin! Amazing! All the guests cheered and it was a great first UGA Botanical Gardens Wedding.