KIT + LYSSA // Wedding Preview [Winston Salem, North Carolina Wedding Photographer]
If Audrey Hepburn met Anne of Green Gables…that is precisely how I would describe Lyssa as a bride. Oh. My. This day was so timeless, so romantic, so full of joy. Kit + Lyssa are the loveliest pair, and I thought so many times,
“How did I score so lucky to work with such down to earth, chillax, kind people?!”
This is my first year jumping back into weddings after a nearly 5 year hiatus from it, and my couples have been the BEST. Not only that, but several being friends of mine makes it all the merrier. Lyssa and I have known each other for over a decade. I knew her as a wild child with feisty red hair and braces, and she knew me as a totally awkward and scrawny newbie photog in high school. Actually, I knew her before she even dropped the “A” of Alyssa, so yeah, we have history + go wayyyy back. 😉
It’s really a bit of a miracle that I was able to shoot Lyssa’s wedding. To say it was a blessing to be there would be the most drastic understatement. Her pure grace and kindness to me speak much to her character, because she realistically could have booked someone else. She had reached out in August to see if I could be her photographer, and we ended up agreeing to keep an answer on standby until November, as I was supposed to head to the UK, but wouldn’t know about borders until closer to that month.
From October to January, life happened. I got sick and battled a real gnarly flareup (twice), and it was by far the hardest (and longest) to recover from. A lot happened during that time, and I began to get depressed as a result of what felt like sheer chaos. All the while, I had so many people waiting or on standby or left hanging, and I had no clue how to eloquently update them and apologize for the delays.
Lyssa reached back out to me in January. She was so full of grace and kindness. Despite my own error and delay in connecting with her again, she still wanted me as her photographer. Her compassion – which I noticed as a common thread among her entire family at the wedding – gave me the ease to be real with her about my life vs. having to fake anything. From there, I was smitten to have her as one of my 2021 brides!
Though her big day was threatened by a torrential downpour, thunder, and lightning (and only a couple hours before the ceremony), it couldn’t have been more magical, The clouds parted just enough for the afternoon sun to peek through, and the prior showers cooled down what would have been an otherwise humid and hot day. It felt like one big, giant family celebration, and I honestly think that Kit + Lyssa’s welcoming, carefree persona has much to do with that. It was magical. It was beautiful. It was Holy.
Kit + Lyssa: Thank you for welcoming me to photograph your day. It was an honor + I hope these images (though just a preview for now!) bring you joy! Stay tuned for the full gallery.
