Katie and Tim are two souls that have my heart completely. From the moment I met them both in person for their engagement session, I knew they were kindred spirits. They are the kindest and most endearing of souls who laugh easily and love heartily. Walking into their West Hills Country Club wedding day, I just knew it was going to be a good day - and I wasn’t wrong.

THE COUPLE

Katie and Tim are high school sweethearts (is that not the cutest thing ever), and were together for almost a decade by the time they got married. They are the perfect compliment to each other who play off of each other’s strengths in amazing ways. Spending time with them is easy, and always feels like you’re catching up with old friends.

Every part of a wedding day is special and meaningful, but Katie and Tim chose to build more time into the earlier part of their wedding day in order to photograph all of the emotional moments of a wedding morning, which included a few different first looks, documenting the gifts they gave to each other (Katie screamed when she opened up what Tim gave her: tickets to see Hamilton on Broadway), and capturing their friends and family doting over them as they got ready.

I find that parents are especially dear on wedding mornings - they are often reserved but just a little raw, open, accepting, supportive. They just want to take care of their children, especially on this day of all days, and you can always see it in the way they quietly take pictures in the background, set up the details for me to photograph, and ask if anyone needs anything to drink. It’s the cutest thing.

THE VENUE

Katie and Tim hosted their ceremony at the Chapel of the Most Holy Rosary on the Mount Saint Mary campus, and then held their following reception at West Hills Country Club in Middletown, NY. We took their group portraits near the church, and then reserved West Hills solely for couple portraits.

West Hills Country Club is a beautiful location, and even though we experienced some delays in the timeline, we were still able to use the grounds there to photograph some different and varied couple portraits. The large bridge at this location is a favorite spot for most couples, but I’ll also mention that the putting green right at the foot of the bridge is such an incredible location for photos - you’d never know from just looking at the course, but it really is an amazing spot, especially when the light is dipping low on an early fall day like Katie and Tim’s.

THE DETAILS

Katie and Tim chose a pink, blue, and white aesthetic for their wedding day details, with the bridesmaids wearing varied shades of pink and the groomsmen wearing navy. I find that sometimes it’s hard to pair pink with a neutral, but navy looks absolutely beautiful alongside pink, and is such an elevated and romantic look.

My favorite detail from Katie and Tim’s wedding was Katie’s drop-shoulder gown. I had never seen anything like it, but the gown was exquisite, and paired with the veil: perfection. The entire look that Katie and Tim chose to wear together was seamless; it couldn’t have been styled better.

THE RECEPTION

Katie and Tim are fun-loving, and have the most enjoyable family and friends so you KNOW their reception was one giant party from beginning to end. Two of Katie and Tim’s guests were also previous brides of mine, and I was able to get a photo with them and Katie during the reception, which was such a treat.

On beautiful September days, I think of Katie, Tim, and their wholeheartedness - how they are a gift to all who know them; how they are open and trusting and funny and lovely; and how I just love them a whole lot.

FROM THE COUPLE

“There aren't enough words to express how amazing it was to work with Erica and her team. I truly don't know where to start. She was beyond supportive throughout every step of the process right up until the wedding day. She was the one aspect of wedding planning that was seamless, and I genuinely looked forward to every encounter with her. She worked with us to plan a timeline for the day and offered so many helpful suggestions while planning. She ALWAYS checked in to see how we were doing throughout this process, even with her busy schedule.

The second we finished our engagement session we knew we had made the right decision. She made us feel like the most beautiful couple in the world, and her pictures and editing captured our relationship so beautifully. We looked forward to our wedding day because we couldn't wait to work with her again.

When that day came she did not disappoint. We had a very large bridal party and a few mishaps that led to having a shortened window for pictures prior to the reception. She handled it seamlessly, and without any signs of stress while still capturing everything we could have imagined.

Throughout the entire day she brought a sense of calmness that I so badly needed. Seeing her smiling face in moments of stress was a breath of fresh air. My favorite parts of the day were couple portraits and sunset pictures simply because she made it so enjoyable and fun. Her sole focus was on us and how we were doing - I appreciated that more than she knows. Her second photographer was another positive light in our day. They worked so great together as a team, and we are so thankful we had the chance to work with both of them. I don't think I'll ever be able to express just how grateful we were to have both of them there on our special day.

When we woke up the next morning and already had sneak peaks in my inbox, our mouths dropped. When we received all of our wedding pictures back, we were so overwhelmed with just how beautiful they were and how talented Erica was at capturing every wonderful moment of our day and editing them so perfectly. We spent the whole night flipping through them all and were so excited to share them with friends and family who were just as astonished at how beautiful they were as us!

I can honestly say that this was the one area of our wedding that was smooth from start to finish. I never once doubted our choice in photographer, and I'm so glad that we chose Erica and her team at Sweet Alice. Erica is so much more than a photographer. She is a beautiful, kind soul and I truly believed that we gained a friend for life. I'm so happy that I have these beautiful pictures to look back on forever, and every time I do I know just thinking about the experience we had with Erica will bring an even bigger smile to my face.”