What an incredibly special wedding day!! Oh, so much to share from Josi & Ashley's incredible Alaskan wedding celebration.
Nearly a year ago, my three year old was off playing in another room and came to ask me, "Do you think that Josi and Ash-a-wee will get married?" Josi and Ashley were both serving with YWAM in Hawaii at the time and she hadn't seen them in months, so the question came basically out of no-where. "Uhhh.. Maybe, babe. Why do you ask?" "I think they make a good team." I do too, Leah, I do too!
We started the day with all of the groomsmen eating breakfast at our house because this was a family wedding! Josi is my cousin (now, Ashley is too!) and my husband was a groomsman AND my kiddos were two of the flower girls! Since it was a family affair, the joy abounded even more! Breakfast was fun with many of the other guys of the family stopping by to wish Josi a happy day.
The weather was sprinkling but that didn't stop these groomsmen! They still had a blast outside and gave Josi a hard time. I took a few detail shots of his suit and told Josi he was so handsome he could be a model - to which one of the guys chirped "yeah, but only your torso!" Someone in the group suggested tossing Josi into the air where he could hold a pose and you KNOW they shared some good laughs after.
We continued our day with a first look with Ashley's dad. She had a little note to give to him and the whole room was just filled with JOY! After snapping a few photos with the bride and her parents, the bridesmaids and I headed out to take some photos of our own! At this point it was windy, raining and somehow sunny all at the same time! We still took some beautiful photos and had a lot of fun.
The Bride & bridesmaids all were incredibly beautiful! Ashely gifted them each with this matching pearl necklace, which was the perfect little touch to their whole ensemble. These gals toughed out some weird weather fluctuations and still made the most of it!
Both the groomsmen and the bridesmaids took the opportunity to pray over the bride and groom individually right after we were done with pictures! It was a special moment to be a part of and I know the bride & groom felt more peaceful afterward. Next, it was time to head to the WEDDING CEREMONY!
Josi and Ashley were married at our local Tri-Valley Community Center by Rob Graham, Josi's Uncle. The room was beautifully decorated and a family friend streamed the wedding so that their friends, Josi's extended family in Finland and Ashley's extended family around the world could still tune in. Josi teared up so sweetly when he saw Ashley enter the room, the flower girls made it down the aisle without an incident, and the bride and groom went through the ceremony with a few tears, a few laughs and a whole lot of blessings. After the cutest kiss, these two were pronounced HUSBAND AND WIFE! Their families danced down the aisle with joy afterward!
As we began our family formals, the rest of the crew began to transition this ceremony location into the reception hall! Friends worked quickly to set up beautiful tables, centerpieces and more! In the meantime, we took so many precious photos. Again, this was a family wedding so I had the absolute delight of capturing SO MANY amazing photos that our family - as a whole!! - will enjoy forever. This was my first time meeting Ashley's family and they were so dear and happy to be celebrating with their daughter and exploring Alaska!
After we completed family formals and full bridal party photos, we snuck over to another location for bride and groom photos! It was sprinkling softly the whole time, but that didn't bother these two lovebirds! After a delightful and full morning, it was a nice little break to get to be alone! Ashley was positively radiant and Josi's smile couldn't be contained.
With all of the photo list complete, it was on to celebrate at the reception!! Josi and Ashley's reception had so many incredible touches - toasts from people special to them, a cookie table full of desserts that loved ones made, a cake that Josi's grandma carefully created. There were coffee beans as party favors for each guest from Ashley's family who serves as missionaries in Peru. These coffee beans are from their garden and were picked and roasted and brought from overseas! How special!! During the bouquet toss, Ashley's brother's girlfriend caught the bouquet and everyone cheered... especially now that they will be celebrating their own wedding later this year! Josi's dad sang a song during the anniversary dance when couples were invited out onto the dance floor based on long they had been married. I believe the longest-married couple in the room had been married for nearly 60 years! Josi's grandpa and aunt sang a beautiful song during the first dance. Their friends dusted off their line dancing skills and the dance floor was never empty. It really was a delightful celebration!
To close out the night, we sent Josi & Ashley off into the sunset with a sparkler exit. Joy abounded, especially when Josi's friends had messed with his truck so that it honked every time he touched the breaks. Even that brought more laughs, and the bride and groom were off. What an incredible day to be a part of.
Wishing you a lifetime of love, happiness and blessings...
xo Kami
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