Almost nothing about Jamie and Wilson’s Oakhurst wedding day went the way it was planned. The timeline slipped. A few of the people meant to be there couldn’t be. More than one thing needed fixing at the last minute. And by the end of the night, none of that was what anyone remembered.
What I remember is how completely the people around Jamie and Wilson loved them, and how that love held the whole day together.
They were married at Oakhurst in West Point, Georgia surrounded by family and friends who showed up for them in every sense of the word.
The Morning
The morning started slow and full of anticipation, the way wedding mornings do. I had carried Jamie’s details away from the getting ready room to photograph them when I overheard one of their dads talking about how excited he was for this wedding. How much he loved them. How perfectly matched they were. I don’t hear dads gush like that very often. I ended up photographing rings and invitations with tears in my eyes.
When the timeline fell apart
Here is the part I want you to hear if you’re planning a wedding of your own. That day, the timeline fell apart. The officiant and the coordinator both got sick and couldn’t attend. Jamie’s dress needed stitches from a friend at the last minute, and we lost the window for the first touch she and Wilson had planned. But every time something went wrong, someone who loved them stepped in.
As things slid further off schedule, I could see Jamie getting stressed. She knew we wouldn’t have time to do their first touch the way we had planned. I reminded her it wasn’t about getting the first touch photos in a pretty spot. It was about getting one minute with Wilson to calm her nerves. We brought him to the door, and the two of them held hands around the doorframe while Jamie waited on her dress.
It wasn’t picture perfect. It was even better. It was real. She needed that minute with him, and she got it.
An Oakhurst Wedding Ceremony and Reception
When Jamie walked down the aisle, everyone was crying. Wilson. The grandparents. Both sets of parents. Wilson’s brother Kirk. So of course I was too.
After their vows, shared communion, and first kiss, the bride and groom made their exit while friends and family showered them with flower petals.
The reception began with dancing. After the daddy daughter dance, Jamie and her mom shared a dance of their own. An instrumental version of “You Are My Sunshine” began to play, and one by one, the people who loved her started to quietly sing along. Then came toasts from their loved ones, and then the dance floor opened! Friends, family, even grandparents got in on the fun! Wilson’s jacket and tie came off somewhere in the middle of it, and he spent the evening dancing in a white tee with his grandmother, his dad, and his brother. The whole room stayed out there with them.
What I hope you take from their Oakhurst wedding day
Your timeline will probably slip. Something will go sideways. None of that is what you’ll remember. You’ll remember your dad gushing about you, your friends singing over you, one quiet minute holding hands to calm your nerves before any of it began. Build your day around the people and the moments, and let everything else stay flexible.
Nothing about Jamie and Wilson’s day went the way it was planned. But it was perfect.
Thanks for reading! I’m glad you stopped by to view images from the Turner’s wedding at Oakhurst Farms! It was such a privilege to share the day with them. If you’re getting married soon and interested in working with me, you can find more wedding photography information here. I look forward to hearing from you!
And a huge thank you to all of the vendors who made this day so beautiful!
Venue: Oakhurst Farms
Florals: Jamie and her mom!