It may be an unpopular opinion, but I love, love, love July weddings - and I especially love July celebrations at gorgeous locations like Hollow Brook Golf Club, working with amazing people like Dani and Jimmi.

July just feels celebratory, it feels like growth, it feels like vacation. It holds all of the hope of the summer, and all of the long and lazy days. It brings with it the love of being outside while also embracing the cool rush of the air conditioning when you walk back inside. It feels like school is finally out, and you have so much summer ahead of you to enjoy.

July weddings hold all of these beautiful summery expectations, memories, and reminisces, and then partners it with all of the excitement, new growth, and love that fills you at a wedding.

July weddings are hot and sticky and sunny and require a lot of hydration and maybe a pocket fan - AND they are also just the best.

THE COUPLE

When I think about Dani and Jimmi, I think about their absolute giddiness on their wedding day. They are comfortable and kind with each other - but also so in love, and so excited to be with one another. They have a bucket list of state parks that they regularly schedule travel for, they have cute pets, they work out together, they still date each other. They are two peas in a pod - two sides of the same coin. When we took their couple portraits on their wedding day, Jimmi couldn’t stop giggling, and I remember that fact so well - like a memory literally etched into my brain. It was so endearing and so special because there was no pretense in those moments. He was just happy, and he was happy because he was getting married to Dani, and the excitement just bubbled out of him in little bursts of laughter. It was a gift to witness.

There are some couples that I think back on, and realize they were a linchpin in my journey. Something about them taught me something and gave me something. Something about their humanity ignited something in mine. Dani and Jimmi were one of those couples for me. I very distinctly remember going to tell my husband all about them, and saying, “I really hope I get to work with them,” after their consultation. I also vaguely remember us sharing photos of our pets with each other (?). All I knew is that, after chatting for 30 minutes, I had found kindred spirits, and I had found examples in them of the types of clientfriends I only ever wanted to work with from there on out.

THE VENUE

If you’re not new here, you know that Hollow Brook Golf Club is one of my very favorite venues for weddings as a photographer, and as a human. The way that the staff takes such amazing care of their couples is unmatched (nowhere have I seen venue staff take SUCH good care of wedding day couples as Hollow Brook - they are the gold standard, as far as I’m concerned), and the grounds for photographs are just incredible. I photographed my very first Hollow Brook Golf Club wedding in 2016, and every gallery I have photographed there since still has its own flair and uniqueness; because there are so many photographic options there, no two galleries look alike.

THE DETAILS

Dani and Jimmi’s details were summery and colorful, but also elegant. The bright yet understated colors of Dani’s bouquet were so gorgeous next to her embroidered gown, and Jimmi’s blue suit. The florals were also a beautiful complement to the wedding party’s colors of muted rose.

THE RECEPTION

Dani and Jimmi’s reception was all joy and all memories made. So much dancing. So much happiness. So much warmth. So much friendship. So much “just glad to be here.”

I was glad to be there, too.

When I left Dani and Jimmi’s wedding, I remember being sad that it was over. I had looked forward to their wedding day for so long, and when I was walking out of the reception, I remarked about this to my second photographer, saying, “This day was so good and exactly what I hoped and thought it would be. I’m sad it’s over.”

However, my journey with Dani and Jimmi didn’t end on their wedding day. We have kept in touch, and I am so blessed by that. We don’t see each other often, but they’re always in the back of my mind, glowing like a warm candle on a cool night. I feel their comfort from states away.

Dani and Jimmi, I will never get over you. Thank you for being a linchpin. Thank you for being you.