bride and groom sharing an intimate look

Wedding! | Gabby & Chris | Backyard Catholic Wedding

bride and groom on rooftop in Kalamazoo

A wedding during Covid-19 isn’t just another wedding day. It was going to be the 12th wedding I photographed this year and instead, due to this pandemic, it was my first. It is definitely not normal for me to photograph my first wedding so late into the summer, but nothing seems to be normal right now. However, with everything going on, I still had the chance to photograph Gabby & Chris, a truly lovely couple, and watch them make the best of the current situation. I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on Gabby & Chris, how they began planning their wedding, what was originally intended for their wedding and how they managed to salvage some of their vision with their backyard Catholic wedding!

After meeting Gabby & Chris, I was told the story of how they started dating. I learned that a mutual friend of theirs had been trying to get Gabby to agree to being set up with Chris, but she kept saying no. Even though they are both from the Kalamazoo area, there were two things stopping Gabby: they were going to college in 2 different states and he was 3 years older than her. There is a lot of in between with this story, but the real magic happened at their church. During Christmas, just a couple of days after they each got home for their winter breaks, they both decided to decorate their church for the Holidays. Recognizing Chris, Gabby told her sister about him and how a friend was trying to set them up. She told Chris that he should marry her or at least ask her out on a date. Well, Chris did just that! Now, some time later, friends and family gathered to celebrate the marriage of Gabby & Chris on their backyard Catholic wedding day in Kalamazoo.

When described the vision for her wedding day in Kalamazoo, Gabby’s eyes lit up with excitement. As she began to break down the details of her ideal wedding day, she said, “I would describe our wedding style as simply elegant with a boho flair. I really love the whole greenery and white flowers look, long veil, simple and elegant dress… natural colors… We really love the timeless, intimate wedding photo feel, which is what made us want to contact you… Most importantly, we want pictures that will make us feel all of those mushy wedding day emotions all over again when we go back and look at them.”

So, as they began planning, this was the preliminary vision. However, a global pandemic is a funny thing where it tends to mess up some of your plans! Luckily, these two were able to still incorporate these ideas into their big day and as you scroll through the photos, you can see how they managed to do that!

Even though COVID caused some restrictions of their wedding, these two didn’t let it phase them! Their smiles and positive attitude continued throughout the day as they shared these heartwarming moments with their close friends and family. COVID tried to stop this wedding, but these two were determined. They adjusted and it ended up being an incredibly gorgeous event!

Congrats again Gabby & Chris!

Cheers!
Stephanie

Congrats again! Also, make sure you check out the Vendors below!

Venue| St. Mary Catholic Church

Photography | Stephanie Parshall Photography, LLC

Flowers |Viavi Flower Farms

2nd Shooter | Courtney Kay Photography

Hair |First Impressions Salon and Spa

DJ |DJs on Wheels

Dress |The Brides Project

Bridesmaid Dresses | David’s Bridal

His Suit|Men’s Warehouse

Engagement & Wedding Rings | James Allen

Invitations |Minted

Cake/Desserts |The Victorian Bakery

Tent|Canopeum

Catering |Galesburg Meat Co.

Centerpieces | Kennicott Grand Rapids

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