In addition to their Catholic wedding, I photographed Cam and Tara’s rehearsal dinner. After the planned toasts, they up the mic for anyone to speak who wanted to. There were LOTS of people who gave toasts. I was so impressed with not only the quantity of people who got up to talk but also by the quality of each of their speeches. Not often do that many people feel comfortable talking into the mic in one setting, and if there are, they are almost always not great at it 😂 But not this group. They were so good and so funny and so sentimental. The thing I kept hearing over and over again about Tara was what a great friend she is. How loyal and sacrificial she is. How much joy and positivity she brings into any situation. The thing I kept hearing about Cam was how protective he is and what a good big brother he is to his three younger brothers. Everyone kept pointing out that he is always the first to have fun and can make anyone feel welcome.
As the rest of the rehearsal dinner unfolded and into the next day on the wedding day, I could see those characteristics everyone was talking about. First, let’s talk about Tara. I witnessed just how joyful and loving Tara is. You can tell a lot about someone by looking at their friends, and Tara’s best friend shared a due date with Tara’s wedding day. They had fingers crossed she would go into labor after her due date, but in normal labor fashion, it did not go as planned. She had her baby two days before the wedding. This same best friend was the one who was supposed to zip Tara into her dress. Having her baby 2 days before the wedding did not stop Kaley from being there and helping Tara into her dress though. About 5 minutes before it was time for Tara to get dressed, Kaley walked through the door with her fresh baby in a stroller and put Tara in her dress. Wow. Just wow. This very sacrificial, amazing act of love towards Tara just shows me how much love Kaley feels from Tara.
Now, let’s talk about Cam. From the time Cam walked into the rehearsal dinner, he was hugging necks, shaking hands, sharing stories, and laughing with everyone in the room. There is no doubt this guy knows how to have fun and make everyone feel welcome. When we got to the groomsmen portraits, I could tell just how important those things were to Cam by the way his groomsmen were acting. They were there for a good time, and there was nothing that was going to stop them from having it. Not even having to take pictures. It is very normal for me to get some posed, looking at the camera photos of the groomsmen, but in between those “boring” shots, I will ask them to do fun things. For example, I’ll ask them to make their best boy band cover shot or celebrate like they just won the national championship. Then, I’ll ask them to huddle around the groom and push him around like popcorn. Guys always do well with these fun groomsmen prompts, but this group took it to the next level. I got some all time fav groomsmen photos from this group just taking my prompt and running with it to make it even better than what I imagined.
Overall, Tara and Cam’s day was a dream. I’m so thankful for the crew that made this day go so amazingly. We got off schedule a bit in the beginning, but we worked together to get everything done that we each needed. I’m forever grateful to them for putting together such a great vendor team that knew what to do when we got into a time crunch!
Thank you, Tara and Cam, for choosing me. Thank you for letting me be a witness to your most beautiful Catholic wedding day. I cannot wait for you guys to see these favorites of mine!
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Vendors used by Tara & Cam:
Second Photographer: SkyLights Photography
Ceremony: Holy Ghost Catholic Church
Reception: The Press Room
Coordinator: Spaces in the City
Videography: Crown & Lace Wedding Films
Florist: Lisa Foster Floral Design
Cake: All Mixed Up Cakes
Cocktail Hour/Dinner Quartet: Kukuly Jazz
Hair & Makeup: Bangs and Blush
Wedding Dress: Loveliest
Wedding Dress Designer: Lis Simon
Bridesmaids Dresses: Lulus
Groom’s Attire: Jos. A. Bank
Groomsmen’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse
Stationery & Calligrapher: Wallace Paper Company
Caterer: City Catering
Alterations: The Perfect Fit
Transportation: Tennessee Luxury Coaches
See more from Amanda May Photos:
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