Every now and then you meet people and immediately understand that your paths had to cross and by doing so certain things are aligned and correct in the universe. I didn’t know this in the beginning when I had planned to meet Cassi for coffee at one of my favorite places downtown Johnson City, The Willow Tree Coffee house ( RIP ) and if I am honest I wasn’t aware of this connection until the actual day of the wedding. As with all things, including the above mentioned coffee house, Covid has effected and altered it all. When Cassi and I sat down and started the introductions she mentioned the details of the wedding as far as they had planned at least. They had planned a wedding near by in Gray but then had to take a step back and reconsider due to Covid but also because they were moving. Logan is from Memphis and they were headed there for his work. This meant they decided to look at planning their wedding a little differently. I would like to state that since Covid my weddings have needed to be scaled back and more elopements have happened, and I could not be happier. I find it so much easier to create intimate, meaningful work when I can focus more on creating and less on 200 guests to get in my frame. I say that to emphasize how thrilled I was when Logan and Cassi decided to have a small, intimate wedding at Wolf Laurel Community. This is a private community located near Wolf Ridge Ski resort and a beautiful place to declare their love privately amongst the small close group of friends and family they could include. This ultimately means it’s much easier to get to know those present, and also makes it easier to work closer with everyone than it might have been before. My work needs this connection to be meaningful in my opinion. I hate when my work seems clinical, and without emotion. Not that I don’t connect to all of my clients but there are different levels of this of course.
Logan and Cassi attend the same church as my family and I. A different campus but the same network and this was one more way we were connected. They have been extremely kind and caring since knowing them. I owe them my gratitude for that alone as well as for the confidence that they have in my work but that they also encourage me to have in myself. They are beautiful people with wonderful senses of humor and gave me full reign over the creative process. Another reason I knew our time together would be unique and incredible. It was, for the record. I don’t have a list of vendors to include in this post or to tag because these two truly took care of everything themselves. The only vendor there was the hair and make up team and they did an incredible job while I weaved in and out creating a timeline of the day visually.
I also experienced a first at their wedding that truly touched me and lit a fire in my faith all at once. They mentioned this to me on the day of the wedding and that threw me off for a second but only because I immediately put so much pressure on myself to make sure it was captured. If I could go back and change anything at all this part may be were I would have wanted something different but even as I type this out, I know in my heart that’s not true. Staging moments has its place but moments like this need to be fluid and unfaultered. Mid way through the ceremony the young couple moved to the side and took turns washing one another’s feet. They knelt without hesitation in claiming to put God first in this life. They were making a public declaration of not only faith, but of servitude toward and for the other person. I was speechless. Just as Jesus came and taught us to serve, they reminded us, this is Love in its truest form. Serving one another.
The entire day was magical and so easy to be apart of and not only as the photographer, but as a friend. As a part of their day not disconnected and forgotten. I can’t imagine a more perfect love story for Cassi and Logan than the one we shared on a mountain side among their people.
This one was a little longer and I apologize but hey, I haven’t written in a minute so I had some making up to do right?
I wish you forever Mr and Mrs Eavenson!
