An Emerald and Champagne Wedding at the Virginia Aquarium | Virginia Beach, VAWe had a little bit of a downpour last Friday - and by “little bit”, I mean that the rain was literally blowing sideways. Morgan and Logan’s Virginia Aquarium ceremony was supposed to be outside overlooking the marsh, but we quickly realized that it wasn’t going to be able to happen. The Aquarium’s rain plan is their 3D movie theater, but it is dark and cold (as a movie theater should be!) and Morgan really, REALLY didn’t want to get married there. In her own words, she wrote this week that “Knowing how much I wanted to get married outside and how much I absolutely wholeheartedly refused to get married in that theatre, everybody worked so incredibly hard to find an alternate plan to the alternate plan. In the end, Logan and I got married inside standing over a tank of stingrays and it was perfect. I can’t thank everyone enough for everything they did to ensure it wasn’t in that theatre.” Morgan and Logan met at Old Dominion University and had their first date at the aquarium! She declared that she loved that they were then able to marry each other in the same place that everything had begun. She told me that she can’t wait to tell their kids one day! Morgan also spoke a little bit about the incredible wedding arch that her dad made her: “I had always wanted to get married under a wooden arch that incorporated flowers and fabric. The one my dad built me was stunning. It was more beautiful than I had imagined. However, due to the change in ceremony spot within the Aquarium, we didn’t actually get married under it. But my dad ended up putting the arch behind our sweetheart table at the reception so that it could still be incorporated into the wedding. When I caught a glimpse of it at the reception before our introduction, I started crying.” Everyone came together in a beautiful labor of love to make this wedding perfect for Morgan and Logan. When it seemed like nothing was going according to plan, the aquarium staff and their family and friends all made it their mission to still make this a dream wedding. Because of the weather and then last minute venue change, we were running behind on our timeline all day, but Morgan and Logan were both so flexible and kind and more than happy to go with the flow. They had to make hard decisions about what to do all day, but in the end it was so obvious that they were simply overjoyed to be marrying each other and THAT was all that mattered. One of my favorite things about the day was how they incorporated the tv show “Friends” as a theme into the wedding! I’m going to let Morgan tell you about that in her own words. “Logan and I are huge Friends fans. At some point shortly after watching the episode where one Phoebe humorously and mistakenly declares that lobsters mate for life, we declared each other our lobsters and it stuck. Our hashtag has been #lobstersforlife. We’ve bought lobster things for our house, and have been gifted various things with lobsters on it. The cats have toys that are lobsters. There was no way we were not incorporating that into our wedding! “You’re My Lobster” could be found on our cake topper, and it was emblazoned on the candy bags. We wrote “You are cordially invited to the one where they get married” on our invitations as a nod to how the episodes are named. My side of the bridal party had Friends inspired shirts (as did I!), and our wedding website was filled with hints to Friends. I was even thrown a Friends themed bridal shower!” While the day might have been a little crazy, you would never know from looking at these pictures! I was truly inspired by Morgan and Logan’s love for each other and their abilities to keep such a positive attitude in the midst of some surprise twists to their original plans :) I hope you enjoy the photos of this incredible wedding that was filled with so many smiles! Morgan's parents got married at a courthouse 30 years ago. She used the sash from the dress her mother wore that day and wrapped it around her bouquet to be her "something old and borrowed". "This Maggie Sottero dress kept calling to me. I finally tried it on and I was done. I found my dress. I was one and done." - Morgan Morgan's mom bought her these emerald earrings and a matching necklace to be her "something new". "My emerald green glitter TOMS perfectly matched the girls’ dresses. I love TOMS and I am in a way known for wearing them. And I wear them so often and consistently for so many years that I wear nice big holes in them (and continue to wear them still!). Nothing made more sense to me than to wear TOMS on my wedding day." - Morgan Morgan, you are STUNNING!!! Morgan LOVES One Direction, and Logan bought this perfume for her on their 3 year anniversary. My team and I were so thankful for this indoor area in the Aquarium that felt like it was outdoors! It was the perfect place for the groom's portraits! I can't get enough of this dress!!! It has POCKETS!! Morgan's "something blue" was Gatsby, her cat's, favorite toy!! She says "I carried the toy in my pocket all night and it was the perfect way for Gatsby to be part of the wedding. I held it in my hand and squeezed it right before the ceremony and it helped calm me down." What an incredibly unique place for a ceremony!!! Such a gorgeous couple!! Please note Morgan's brother's "thumbs up" in place of a bouquet! How INCREDIBLE is this?!? Just a LITTLE BIT OBSESSED WITH THIS!!!!! Morgan and her family made all of these incredible DIY decorations! Logan has a huge sweet tooth, so the couple decided to have a candy bar (complete with Jelly Beans - his favorite!) for their guests! Guys, you're the cutest!!!! Near the end of the night, Morgan danced with her mom and it was honestly one of the sweetest things I've ever seen. Such a beautiful last dance! Logan and Morgan, It was such a fun and joy-filled day, and I was so honored to capture it all for you! Thank you for having me! xo, Courtney Dress: Maggie Sottero from Studio I Do!
Bridesmaids' Dresses: Azazie Groomsmen Attire: Jos. A, Bank Shoes: Toms by Chicken Scratch Studio Florals: Norfolk Wholesale Floral Hair: Christina Crespo Makeup: SB Makeup Artistry Invitation Suite: Shutterfly Cake: Incredible Edibles Bakery Videography: Christy Stevens Venue: Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Museum Catering: Sodexo via Virginia Aquarium DJ: Evan Gordon with Direct Entertainment Cake Topper: The Pink Owl Gifts via Etsy
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Meet CourtneyHi, guys! Welcome to my blog! I'm a wedding and lifestyle photographer living in Virginia and Hawaii. I hope that you enjoy browsing through my work :) Leave a note on a post to say hi - it would make my day! Categories
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