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A Baptist Orthodox Ceremony + Red Fox Winery Reception | Marissa + Alex

November 27, 2019

wedding

A Baptist Orthodox Ceremony and Red Fox Winery Reception

Marissa + Alex

When I think of remarkable couples, I think of these two. These two met early in high school at a football game (so classic, right?! I mean, their first kiss was even on the football field!) and have been in love ever since. They are the perfect example of “When you know, you know.” After photographing their engagement session, I knew their wedding day was going to be amazing! And I was right – their Baptist Orthodox Ceremony and Red Fox Winery Reception was such a joy to witness and capture!

Getting Ready

I always love being with my brides as they get ready for their wedding day. The excitement and anticipation is contagious. I loved playing with all of Marissa’s details, even including their bird seed to be tossed during their exit from the church for an extra pop of color. Marissa’s mom also made all of the floral arrangements, and they turned out so beautifully! My favorite detail was that the boutonniere stems were wine corks – a wonderful hint to the reception venue. I also loved photographing her perfume bottle – you count go wrong with yellow Versace!

Marissa had a sweet moment with her dad as he witnessed her in her wedding dress for the first time. Tears were shed by all, including the bridesmaids who followed shortly after her dad.

The Ceremony

Marissa and Alex’s Orthodox ceremony was beautiful to witness! Orthodox ceremonies are structured a bit differently from the average Catholic ceremony. One of the biggest differences is the crown ceremony. This is when ornate crowns are held above their heads for close to twenty minutes while the ceremony is performed. It is the Maid of Honor and Best Man’s duty to hold these crowns above their heads. Any time I photograph an Orthodox ceremony, I can’t help but ask the Maid of Honor if she is ready for this part of the ceremony. Marissa’s sweet Maid of Honor admitted that she had been strength training for months to make sure she would be physically capable of performing this act for them. Talk about an awesome maid of honor!

Another wonderful detail about their ceremony was the fact that they chose to have bird seed thrown during their exit instead of rice, a much safer choice for birds and wildlife! Not to mention, at the bottom of the steps they had the coolest getaway chariot waiting for them: a sweet red vintage car. I loved taking their portraits with it!

The Reception

After the ceremony we were able to take portraits at their reception at Red Fox Winery. One of the many great things about this venue is they have tons of cool photo locations and props, such as their own vintage car, tractor, and train cart. We had fun taking photos all over the property! Some of my favorite parts of their venue decor was Marissa’s Moroccan Lanterns! Plus they had pizza catering, which is basically just amazing – I mean, who doesn’t love pizza? I also loved their popcorn favors! Again, delicious (clearly, I am easily won over by food 😉 ). But I also loved looking at all the pictures of the two of them they used for decorations throughout the venue – especially the ones from high school. They were such babies when they found each other! I think it’s remarkable that they have shared this love and journey through so many seasons of their life – and will continue to do so from here on out!

When I asked Marissa for her advice for brides planning their own weddings, she wanted them to “not stress about the small stuff. In the end you get to marry your best friend, and that is all that matters.”